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The oldest and arguably the most prestigious of the four major golf championships is the Open Championship, or the British Championship as it is most commonly referred to.
The third championship that is played yearly behind the Masters and US Open tournaments, the British Open has been an official event on the PGA Tour since 1995. The tournament is played on a links course, which is near coastal areas and on sandy soil. The course has few water hazards, if any and often has small, deep bunkers referred to as “pot bunkers”.
Twenty-four players have won more than one Open Championship victory since the birth of the tournament in 1860. Harry Vardon owns the record for British Open titles with six. The Englishman won his first title in 1896 at the Muirfield Golf Course.
Four golfers have five wins apiece including Peter Thomson, James Braid, J.H. Taylor and Tom Watson. Old Tom Morris holds the record for the widest margin of victory at 13 and was one of the pioneers of golf. Both he and his son, Young Tom Morris, share three titles apiece.
Padraig Harrington won the most recent title in 2007 after beating Sergio Garcia by one stroke in a thrilling four-hole playoff. Harrington became the first Irish winner of the British Open since Fred Daly in 1947.
Another impressive victory at the Open Championship happened in ‘01 where David Duval achieved his first major after entering the event at 33 to 1 odds. Duval seemingly came out of nowhere after barely surviving the opening round of the tournament.
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Top Information Websites
TheOpen.com
Information and updates.
USGA.com
Official website of the United States Golf Association with links to both men and women‘s tournaments and championships.
Britannica - British Open
Cool history of The Open Championship.
The History of British Open Golf Championship
The British Open golf championship, the oldest major tournament, takes place on one of the historic courses in England or Scotland. Officially named the Open Championship, it starts on the third Thursday of July and is the only major played outside the United States.
Videos
Top 10 Moments from The Open Championship at St Andrews
British Open Winners
.Year | .Winner |
---|---|
2008 | Padraig Harrington |
2007 | Padraig Harrington |
2006 | Tiger Woods |
2005 | Tiger Woods |
2004 | Todd Hamilton |
2003 | Ben Curtis |
2002 | Ernie Els |
2001 | David Duval |
2000 | Tiger Woods |
1999 | Paul Lawrie |
1998 | Mark O'Meara |
1997 | Justin Leonard |
1996 | Tom Lehman |
1995 | John Daly |
1994 | Nick Price |
1993 | Greg Norman |
1992 | NickFaldo |
1991 | Ian Baker-Finch |
1990 | NickFaldo |
1989 | Mark Calcavecchia |
1988 | Seve Ballesteros |
1987 | Nick Faldo |
1986 | Greg Norman |
1985 | Sandy Lyle |
1984 | Seve Ballesteros |
1983 | Tom Watson |
1982 | Tom Watson |
1981 | Bill Rogers |
1980 | Tom Watson |
1979 | Seve Ballesteros |
1978 | Jack Nicklaus |
1977 | Tom Watson |
1976 | Johnny Miller |
1975 | Tom Watson |
1974 | Gary Player |
1973 | Tom Weiskopf |
1972 | Lee Trevino |
1971 | Lee Trevino |
1970 | Jack Nicklaus |
1969 | Tony Jacklin |
1968 | Gary Player |
1967 | Roberto deVicenzo |
1966 | Jack Nicklaus |
1965 | Peter Thomson |
1964 | Tony Lema |
1963 | Bob Charles |
1962 | Arnold Palmer |
1961 | Arnold Palmer |
1960 | Kel Nagle |
1959 | Gary Player |
1958 | Peter Thomson |
1957 | Bobby Locke |
1956 | Peter Thomson |
1955 | Peter Thomson |
1954 | Peter Thomson |
1953 | Ben Hogan |
1952 | Bobby Locke |
1951 | Max Faulkner |
1950 | Bobby Locke |
1949 | Bobby Locke |
1948 | Henry Cotton |
1947 | Fred Daly |
1946 | Sam Snead |
1940-45 | Not played |
1939 | Richard Burton |
1938 | R.A. Whitcombe |
1937 | Henry Cotton |
1936 | Alfred Padgham |
1935 | Alfred Perry |
1934 | Henry Cotton |
1933 | Denny Shute |
1932 | Gene Sarazen |
1931 | Tommy Armour |
1930 | Robert Jones Jr. |
1929 | Walter Hagen |
1928 | Walter Hagen |
1927 | Robert Jones Jr. |
1926 | Robert Jones Jr. |
1925 | James Barnes |
1924 | Walter Hagen |
1923 | Arthur Havers |
1922 | Walter Hagen |
1921 | Jock Hutchison |
1920 | George Duncan |
1915-19 | Not played |
1914 | Harry Vardon |
1913 | J.H. Taylor |
1912 | Edward Ray |
1911 | Harry Vardon |
1910 | James Braid |
1909 | J.H. Taylor |
1908 | James Braid |
1907 | Arnaud Massy |
1906 | James Braid |
1905 | James Braid |
1904 | Jack White |
1903 | Harry Vardon |
1902 | Alexander Herd |
1901 | James Braid |
1900 | J.H. Taylor |
1899 | Harry Vardon |
1898 | Harry Vardon |
1897 | Harold Hilton |
1896 | Harry Vardon |
1895 | J.H. Taylor |
1894 | J.H. Taylor |
1893 | William Auchterlonie |
1892 | Harold Hilton |
1891 | Hugh Kirkaldy |
1890 | John Ball |
1889 | Willie Park Jr. |
1888 | Jack Burns |
1887 | Willie Park Jr. |
1886 | David Brown |
1885 | Bob Martin |
1884 | Jack Simpson |
1883 | Willie Fernie |
1882 | Robert Ferguson |
1881 | Robert Ferguson |
1880 | Robert Ferguson |
1879 | Jamie Anderson |
1878 | Jamie Anderson |
1877 | Jamie Anderson |
1876 | Robert Martin |
1875 | Willie Park |
1874 | Mungo Park |
1873 | Tom Kidd |
1872 | Tom Morris Jr. |
1871 | Not played |
1870 | Tom Morris Jr. |
1869 | Tom Morris Jr. |
1868 | Tom Morris Jr. |
1867 | Tom Morris Sr. |
1866 | Willie Park |
1865 | Andrew Strath |
1864 | Tom Morris Sr. |
1863 | Willie Park |
1862 | Tom Morris Sr. |
1861 | Tom Morris Sr. |
1860 | Willie Park |
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