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The Open Championship

Tournament information
Location	United Kingdom, varies
Established	17 October 1860 (1860-10-17) 158 years ago
Course(s)	Carnoustie Golf Links Championship Course Angus, Scotland (in 2018)
Par	71 (in 2018)
Length	7,402 yd (6,768 m) (in 2018)
Organized by	The R&A
Tour(s)	European Tour PGA Tour Japan Golf Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	$10.5 million (in 2018)
Month played	July
Tournament record score
Aggregate	264* Henrik Stenson (2016) *record for all majors
To par	−20* Henrik Stenson (2016) *equals record for all majors
Current champion
Francesco Molinari
2018 Open Championship

The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is an annual golf tournament conducted by The R&A. It is one of the four major championships in professional golf, and is the oldest of the four. The Open is traditionally played in mid-July; beginning 2019, with the rescheduling of the PGA Championship to May, the tournament will be the final major of the golf season.

It was first played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. The Open has always been held in the United Kingdom and is the only major played outside the United States.

The current champion is Francesco Molinari, who won the 147th Open at Carnoustie in 2018 with a score of 276. The 2019 Open Championship will be held at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. It was held at Portrush in 1951, the only occasion that it has not been held in Scotland or England.

History

The Open was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland.^[1] The inaugural tournament was restricted to professionals and attracted a field of eight golfers who played three rounds of Prestwick's twelve-hole course in a single day. Willie Park Sr. won with a score of 174, beating Old Tom Morris, by two strokes. The following year the tournament was opened to amateurs; eight of them joined ten professionals in the field.

Prestwick Golf Club, site of the first Open Championship in 1860

Willie Park Sr. wearing the Challenge Belt, the winner's prize at The Open from 1860 to 1870

James Ogilvie Fairlie was the principal organiser of the first Open Championship held at Prestwick in 1860. With the untimely death of Allan Robertson, aged 43 in 1859, Prestwick members decided to conduct a challenge the following year that would determine the land’s greatest golfer. In a proposed competition for a "Challenge Belt", Fairlie sent out a series of letters to Blackheath, Perth, Edinburgh, Musselburgh and St Andrews, inviting a player known as a "respectable caddie" to represent each of the clubs in a tournament to be held on 17 October 1860.^[2]

Originally, the trophy presented to the event's winner was the Challenge Belt, a red leather belt with a silver buckle. The Challenge Belt was retired in 1870, when Young Tom Morris was allowed to keep it for winning the tournament three consecutive times. Because no trophy was available, the tournament was cancelled in 1871. In 1872, after Young Tom Morris won again for a fourth time in a row, he was awarded a medal. The present trophy, The Golf Champion Trophy, better known by its popular name of the Claret Jug, was then created.

Prestwick administered The Open from 1860 to 1870. In 1871, it agreed to organise it jointly with The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. In 1892 the event was doubled in length from 36 to 72 holes, four rounds of what was by then the standard complement of 18 holes. The 1894 Open was the first held outside Scotland, at the Royal St George's Golf Club in England. Because of an increasing number of entrants, a cut was introduced after two rounds in 1898. In 1920 full responsibility for The Open Championship was handed over to The Royal & Ancient Golf Club.

The early winners were all Scottish professionals, who in those days worked as greenkeepers, clubmakers, and caddies to supplement their modest winnings from championships and challenge matches. The Open has always been dominated by professionals, with only six victories by amateurs, all of which occurred between 1890 and 1930. The last of these was Bobby Jones' third Open and part of his celebrated Grand Slam. Jones was one of six Americans who won The Open between the First and Second World Wars, the first of whom had been Walter Hagen in 1922. These Americans and the French winner of the 1907 Open, Arnaud Massy, were the only winners from outside Scotland and England up to 1939.

The first post-World War II winner was the American Sam Snead, in 1946. In 1947, Northern Ireland's Fred Daly was victorious. While there have been many English and Scottish champions, Daly was the only winner from Ireland until the 2007 victory by Pádraig Harrington. There has never been a Welsh champion. In the early postwar years The Open was dominated by golfers from the Commonwealth, with South African Bobby Locke and Australian Peter Thomson winning the Claret Jug in eight of the 11 championships from 1948 and 1958 between them. During this period, The Open often had a schedule conflict with the match-play PGA Championship, which meant that Ben Hogan, the best American golfer at this time, competed in The Open just once, in 1953 at Carnoustie, a tournament he won.

Another South African, Gary Player was Champion in 1959. This was at the beginning of the "Big Three" era in professional golf, the three players in question being Player, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus. Palmer first competed in 1960, when he came second to the little-known Australian Kel Nagle, but he won the next two years. While he was far from being the first American to become Open Champion, he was the first that many Americans saw win the tournament on television, and his charismatic success is often credited with persuading leading American golfers to make The Open an integral part of their schedule, rather than an optional extra. The improvement of trans-Atlantic travel also increased American participation.

Nicklaus' victories came in 1966, 1970, and 1978. Although his tally of three wins is the least of his majors, it greatly understates how prominent Nicklaus was at the Open throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He finished runner-up seven times, which is the record and had a total of sixteen top-5 finishes, which is tied most in Open history with John Henry Taylor and easily the most in the postwar era. Nicklaus also holds the records for most rounds under par (61) and most aggregates under par (14). At Turnberry in 1977 he was involved in one of the most celebrated contests in golf history, when his duel with Tom Watson went to the final shot before Watson emerged as the champion for the second time with a record score of 268 (12 under par).

Watson won five Opens, more than anyone else has since the 1950s, but his final win in 1983 brought down the curtain on an era of U.S. domination. In the next 11 years there was only one American winner, with the others coming from Europe and the Commonwealth. The European winners of this era, Spaniard Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle, who was the first Scottish winner in over half a century, and the Englishman Nick Faldo, were also leading lights among the group of players who began to get the better of the Americans in the Ryder Cup during this period.

Logo from 1995 through 2002. Previously, the Open Championship did not have an official logo beyond the Claret Jug.

In 1995, John Daly's playoff win over Italian Costantino Rocca began another era of American domination. Tiger Woods won three Championships, two at St Andrews in 2000 and 2005, and one at Hoylake in 2006. There was a dramatic moment at St Andrews in 2000, as the ageing Jack Nicklaus waved farewell to the crowds, while the young challenger to his crown watched from a nearby tee. Nicklaus later decided to play in The Open for one final time in 2005, when the R&A announced St Andrews as the venue, giving his final farewell to the fans at the Home of Golf.

There have also been wins by previously little known golfers, including Paul Lawrie's playoff win after the 72nd-hole collapse of Jean van de Velde in 1999, Ben Curtis in 2003 and Todd Hamilton in 2004.

Logo for 2003−2014

In 2007, the Europeans finally broke an eight-year drought in the majors when Pádraig Harrington of Ireland defeated Sergio García by one stroke in a four-hole playoff at Carnoustie. Harrington retained the Championship in 2008.

In 2009, 59-year-old Tom Watson turned in one of the most remarkable performances ever seen at The Open. Leading the tournament through 71 holes and needing just a par on the last hole to become the oldest ever winner of a major championship, Watson bogeyed, setting up a four-hole playoff, which he would lose to Stewart Cink.

In 2013, Phil Mickelson won his first Open Championship at Muirfield. His victory meant that he had won 3 of the 4 majors in pursuit of the career grand slam, just needing the U.S. Open, where he has finished runner-up six times.

In 2015, Zach Johnson denied Jordan Spieth his chance of winning the Grand Slam by winning an aggregate playoff over Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman at the Old Course at St Andrews.

Format

The Open is a 72-hole stroke play tournament contested over four days, Thursday through Sunday. Since 1979 it has been played in the week which includes the 3rd Friday in July. Currently, 156 players are in the field, mostly made up of the world's leading professionals, who are given exemptions, along with winners of the top amateur championships. Further places are given to players, amateurs and professionals, who are successful in a number of qualifying events. There is a cut after 36 holes after which only the leading 70 players (and ties) play in the final 36 holes on the weekend. In the event of a tie after 72 holes, a four-hole aggregate playoff is held; if two or more players are still tied, it continues as sudden-death until there is a winner.

Timeline of format changes

• 1860: Contested over 36 holes, played on a single day


• 1892: Extended to 72 holes, played over two days


• 1898: Cut introduced after 36 holes. Those 20 or more strokes behind the leader were excluded


• 1904: Extended to a third day with 18 holes on each of the first two days. Cut rule unchanged


• 1905: Cut rule changed to exclude those 15 or more strokes behind the leader


• 1907: Qualifying introduced, replacing the 36-hole cut and the contest reduced again to two days


• 1910: Cut reintroduced instead of qualifying, play being extended to three days again. Top 60 and ties made the cut.


• 1911: With an increase in the number of entries, the first two rounds were spread over three days, with 36 holes on the fourth day


• 1912: Qualifying reintroduced to replace the cut. Contest reduced again to two days


• 1926: Cut reintroduced. First Open with both qualifying and a cut. Extended again to a third day with 18 holes on the first two days. Those 15 or more strokes behind the leader were excluded from the final day. Days standardised as Wednesday to Friday


• 1929: Cut rule changed to ensure that at least 60 made the cut even if 15 or more strokes behind the leader


• 1930: Cut rule changed to top 60 and ties


• 1937: Cut rule changed to top 40 and ties


• 1938: Cut rule changed to be a maximum of 40 players. Ties for 40th place did not make the cut


• 1939: Cut rule changed to be a maximum of 44 players. Ties for 44th place did not make the cut


• 1946: Cut rule changed to be a maximum of 40 players. Ties for 40th place did not make the cut


• 1951: Cut rule changed to be a maximum of 50 players. Ties for 50th place did not make the cut


• 1957: Leaders after 36 holes go off last, replacing the random draw


• 1963: Cut rule changed to top 45 and ties


• 1964: Playoff reduced from 36 holes to 18, followed by sudden-death if still level


• 1966: Play extended to four days, 18 holes per day from Wednesday to Saturday. Cut rule changed to top 55 and ties


• 1968: Cut rule changed to top 70 and ties after 36 holes and then top 45 and ties after 54 holes


• 1970: Cut rule changed to top 80 and ties after 36 holes and then top 55 and ties after 54 holes


• 1971: Cut rule changed to top 80 and ties after 36 holes and then top 60 and ties after 54 holes


• 1973: Play in groups of three introduced for the first two rounds


• 1974: Use of "bigger ball" (1.68 in, 42.67 mm) made compulsory


• 1978: "10-shot rule" introduced so that players within 10 shots of the leader make the cut even if outside the top 80/60


• 1980: Play from Thursday to Sunday


• 1986: 54-hole cut discontinued. Cut rule changed to top 70 and ties after 36 holes. Four-hole playoff introduced


• 1996: "10-shot rule" dropped

Trophies and medals

The Claret Jug

There are a number of medals and trophies that are, or have been, given for various achievements during The Open.^[3]

• The Challenge Belt – awarded to the winner from 1860 until 1870, when Young Tom Morris won the belt outright by winning the Championship for the third year in a row.


• The Golf Champion Trophy (commonly known as the Claret Jug) – replaced the Challenge Belt and has been awarded to the winner since 1873 although Young Tom Morris, the winner in 1872, is the first name engraved on it. (The Open was not held in 1871.)


• Gold medal – awarded to the winner. First given out in 1872 when the Claret Jug was not yet ready, and since awarded to all champions.


• Silver medal – awarded since 1949 to the leading amateur completing the final round.


• Bronze medal – awarded since 1972 to all other amateurs completing the final round.

The Professional Golfers' Association (of Great Britain and Ireland) also mark the achievements of their own members in The Open.

• Ryle Memorial Medal – awarded since 1901 to the winner if he is a PGA member.^[4]
  


• Braid Taylor Memorial Medal – awarded since 1966 to the highest finishing PGA member.^[5]
  


• 
  Tooting Bec Cup – awarded since 1924 to the PGA member who records the lowest single round during the championship.^[6]
  

The Braid Taylor Memorial Medal and the Tooting Bec Cup are restricted to members born in, or with a parent or parents born in, the UK or Republic of Ireland.

Host courses

Carnoustie

St Andrews

Muirfield

Turnberry

Royal Troon

Active venues in Scotland
The 2018 venue (Carnoustie) is shown in green

Royal Birkdale

Royal Liverpool
(Hoylake)

Royal St George's 

Royal Lytham

Active venues in England

Royal Portrush

Active venue in Northern Ireland

The common factor in the venues is links courses. The Open has always been played in Scotland, northwest England, and southeast England, along with one course in Northern Ireland which will again stage the competition in 2019.

From 1860 to 1870 The Open was organised by and played at Prestwick Golf Club. From its revival in 1872 until 1891 it was played on three courses in rotation: Prestwick, The Old Course at St Andrews, and Musselburgh Links. In 1892 the newly built Muirfield replaced Musselburgh in the rotation. In 1893 two English courses, Royal St George's and Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, were invited to join the rotation with Royal St George's being allocated the 1894 Open and Royal Liverpool having the 1897 event.^[7] At a meeting in 1907 Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club became the sixth course on the rota, being allocated the 1909 Open. With three courses in both England and Scotland, the meeting also agreed that the Championship was to be played in England and Scotland alternately.^[8] The alternation of venues in England and Scotland continued until the Second World War.

The rotation of the six courses was reinstated after the First World War with Royal Cinque Ports hosting the first post-war Open in 1920. It had been chosen as the venue for the cancelled 1915 Open.^[9] In 1923 Troon was used instead of Muirfield when "some doubts exists as to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers being desirous of their course being used for the event".^[10] Muirfield returned as the venue in 1929. Serious overcrowding problems at Prestwick in 1925 meant that the course was never again used for the Open and was replaced by Carnoustie as the third Scottish course. While Royal St George's and Royal Liverpool continued to be used at six-year intervals the third English course varied. After Royal Cinque Ports in 1920, Royal Lytham was used in 1926 and then Prince's in 1932. Royal Cinque Ports was intended as the venue in 1938 but in February of that year abnormal high tides caused severe flooding to the course leaving it like "an inland sea several feet deep"^[11] and the venue was switched to Royal St George's.^[12] Birkdale was chosen as the venue for 1940, although the event was cancelled because of the Second World War.^[13]

There are ten courses in the current rota, five in Scotland, four in England and one in Northern Ireland. In recent times the Old Course has hosted the Open every five years. The remaining courses host the Open roughly every 10 years but the gaps between hosting Opens may be longer or shorter than this. In 2014, it was announced by The R&A that Royal Portrush was returning to the active rota and in October 2015 Portrush was confirmed as the venue for the 2019 Open.^[14][15]

The most recent course to be removed from the active rota was Muirfield in May 2016, following The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers refusal to permit female members to join their club.^[16] On 14 March 2017, the members voted to admit females; the R&A subsequently stated that Muirfield would be welcomed back to the Open rota.

From 1894 (when it was first played in England) to 2018, it has been played 63 times in Scotland, 50 times in England and once in Northern Ireland. It was not until 2011 and 2012 that England hosted consecutive Opens.

Future venues

Qualification

The field for the Open is 156, and golfers gain a place in a number of ways.^[20] Most of the field is made up of leading players who are given exemptions. Further places are given to players who are successful in The Open Qualifying Series and in Final Qualifying.^[21] Any remaining places, and places made available because qualified players are not competing, are made available to the highest ranked players in the Official World Golf Ranking.

There are currently 27 exemption categories. Among the more significant are:

• The top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking. This category means that no member of the current elite of world golf will be excluded.


• The top 30 in the previous season's European Tour Race to Dubai and the 30 qualifiers for Tour Championship. Most of these players will also be in the World top 50.


• All previous Open Champions who will be age 60 or under on the final day of the tournament. Each year a number of past champions choose not to compete.


• All players who have won one of the other three majors in the previous five years.


• The top 10 from the previous year's Open Championship.


• The winners of The Amateur Championship and the U.S. Amateur (provided the winners maintain their amateur status prior to the tournament).

International qualifying is through the "Open Qualifying Series". About ten tournaments are selected each year. These currently consist of one event from the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Asian Tour, the Sunshine Tour, the Japan Golf Tour and the Korean Tour and three from the European Tour and the PGA Tour. A pre-allocated number of places are made available at these tournaments (from 1 to 4) which are given to the leading players in those events who are not, at that point, qualified for the Open, provided they finish in a high-enough position. In 2018 a total of 34 places were available.

Local qualifying was the traditional way for non-exempt players to win a place at The Open. In recent years it has comprised a number of "Regional Qualifying" competitions around Britain and Ireland with successful competitors, joined by those players exempt from regional qualifying, playing in 36-hole "Final Qualifying" tournaments. In 2018 there were 12 places available through Final Qualifying, three at each of the four venues.

Timeline of qualification changes

Up to 1920 a variety of qualification systems were used. From 1921 to 1962 (except 1926) local qualifying was used. All those who entered played 18 holes on one of two courses and then played 18 holes on the other course the following day. Qualifying took place immediately before the Championship itself. In 1963 a system of exemptions for the leading players was introduced with local qualifying continuing for the remaining players. Since then a large number of changes have been made to the exemption criteria and to the qualifying system for the remaining players.

• 1907: Qualifying introduced for the first time. Players play 36 holes on one of two days. Top 30 and ties qualify on each day


• 1908: Players play on either the first morning and second afternoon or the first afternoon and second morning. Top 30 and ties qualify from each group


• 1909: Same but each of the two groups has to contain at least 30 professionals


• 1910: Qualifying dropped


• 1912: Qualifying reintroduced. Players play 36 holes on one of three days. Top 20 and ties qualify on each day


• 1914. Qualifying over two days using two courses. Exactly 100 players qualify. 18-hole playoff the following day for those tied for final places. This was the first occasion on which qualifying did not take place on the championship course.


• 1920: Separate qualifying for amateurs and professionals. Amateurs qualify at the Open venue (total of 8 places with the Amateur Champion receiving automatic entry). Professionals qualified using two courses in Surrey. Top 72 and ties qualify


• 1921: Local qualifying reintroduced using two courses. Generally the Championship course is used together with a nearby course. Top 80 and ties qualify


• 1926: Regional qualifying used. Total of 101 and ties qualify at one of three venues (southern, central, northern)


• 1927: Local qualifying reintroduced. Top 100 and ties qualify


• 1937: Top 140 and ties qualify


• 1938: Maximum of 130 players qualify. Ties for 130th place did not qualify


• 1946: Maximum of 100 players qualify. Ties for 100th place did not qualify


• 1961: Maximum of 120 players qualify. Ties for 120th place did not qualify


• 1963: Exemption from qualifying introduced for the leading players including past 10 Open champions. Local qualifying continues for the remainder of the field but now two separate competitions are held with a preallocated number of places available. Two courses near the Open venue are used but not the Open venue itself. Playoff for those tied for final places. Total of 120 qualify


• 1965: Total of 130 qualify


• 1968: Exemption extended to all previous Open champions


• 1971: Total of 150 qualify


• 1984: Exemption for previous Open champions aged under 65


• 1995: Exemption for previous Open champions extended to those aged 65 or under


• 2004: International Final Qualifying introduced


• 2008: Exemption for previous Open champions restricted to those aged 60 or under (with transitional arrangement for those born between 1942 and 1948)


• 2014: Open Qualifying Series introduced replacing International Final Qualifying

Tournament name

In Britain, the tournament is best known by its official title, The Open Championship, or simply the Open.^[22] Outside of the United Kingdom, the tournament is often referred to as the "British Open" to disambiguate the tournament from other national open golf tournaments, such as the U.S. Open. Likewise, the Masters and PGA Championship are often referred to as the "U.S. Masters" and "U.S. PGA Championship" outside of the United States, the latter being distinguished in the UK from the European Tour's BMW PGA Championship.^[23][24] Although it is not the official title of the men's championship, the Open's women's counterpart is officially titled the Women's British Open.

The R&A has contractually required its media rightsholders to refer to the event as The Open Championship; NBC presenter Johnny Miller admitted that during the network's first year as U.S. broadcaster, he sometimes had to correct himself on-air after accidentally referring to the event as the "British Open".^[22]

Some U.S. critics have argued that the insistence of referring to the tournament as "The Open" is an expression of exceptionalism for the event by the R&A in comparison to other open golf tournaments, albeit one that is justified due to its history.^[22][24][23]Alastair Johnston of IMG, who markets the tournament and its media rights internationally, remarked that negotiations in some regions had been complicated by local executives who did not believe it was appropriate to refer to the event as simply "The Open Championship".^[22]

Tour status

The Open Championship has been an official event on the PGA Tour since 1995. Because of this, the prize money won in The Open by PGA Tour members is included on the official money list. In addition, all Open Championships before 1995 have been retroactively classified as PGA Tour wins, and the list of players with the most wins on the PGA Tour has been adjusted to reflect this. The European Tour has recognised The Open as an official event since its first official season in 1972, and it is also an official money event on the Japan Golf Tour.

Prize money

The 2015 edition had a total prize money fund of £6.3 million and a first prize of £1.15 million, which equated to about $9.8 million and $1.8 million, respectively. The other three major championships in 2015 had prize money of $10.0 million and first prizes of $1.8 million, so that all four majors had similar prize money. Prize money is given to all professionals who make the cut and, since the number of professionals making the cut changes from year to year, the total prize money varies somewhat from the advertised number.

The prize fund in 2016 was £6.5 million, with a winner's share of £1.175 million; about $8.6 million and $1.55 million. The other majors had prize money of at least $10.0 million and first prizes of at least $1.8 million. The relative decline in prize money, in dollar terms, was attributable to a fall in the £/$ exchange rate.

For the first time in 2017, the prize money was denominated in U.S. dollars.^[25] With total prize money of $10.25 million (£7.89 million), it was somewhat lower than the other major championships, $11 million at the Masters, $12 million for the U.S. Open and $10.5 million at the PGA Championship.

There was no prize money in the first three Opens. In 1863, a prize fund of ten pounds was introduced, which was shared between the second-, third-, and fourth-placed professionals, with the champion keeping the belt for a year. Old Tom Morris won the first champion's cash prize of six pounds in 1864.

Until the late 1990s, The Open prize fund was significantly lower than the other three majors; by 2002, it was the highest.

Records

• Oldest winner: Old Tom Morris (46 years, 102 days), 1867.


• Youngest winner: Young Tom Morris (17 years, 156 days), 1868.^[26]
  


• Most victories: 6, Harry Vardon (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914).


• Most consecutive victories: 4, Young Tom Morris (1868, 1869, 1870, 1872 – there was no championship in 1871).


• Lowest score after 36 holes: 130, Nick Faldo (66-64), 1992; Brandt Snedeker (66-64), 2012


• Lowest score after 54 holes: 198, Tom Lehman (67-67-64), 1996


• Lowest final score (72 holes): 264, Henrik Stenson (68-65-68-63, 264), 2016.


• Lowest final score (72 holes) in relation to par: −20, Henrik Stenson (68-65-68-63, 264), 2016.


• Greatest victory margin: 13 strokes, Old Tom Morris, 1862. This remained a record for all majors until 2000, when Woods won the U.S. Open by 15 strokes at Pebble Beach. Old Tom's 13-stroke margin was achieved over 36 holes.


• Lowest round: 62, Branden Grace, 3rd round, 2017; a record for all majors.


• Lowest round in relation to par: −9, Paul Broadhurst, 3rd round, 1990; Rory McIlroy, 1st round, 2010.


• 
  Wire-to-wire winners (after 72 holes with no ties after rounds): Ted Ray in 1912, Bobby Jones in 1927, Gene Sarazen in 1932, Henry Cotton in 1934, Tom Weiskopf in 1973, Tiger Woods in 2005, and Rory McIlroy in 2014.^[27]
  


• Most runner-up finishes: 7, Jack Nicklaus (1964, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1979)

Champions

Year	Dates	Champion	Country	Venue	Winning score	Winning margin	Runner(s)-up	Winner's share (£)
2018	19–22 Jul	Francesco Molinari	Italy	Carnoustie	276 (−8)	2 strokes	Kevin Kisner Rory McIlroy Justin Rose Xander Schauffele	1,440,000
2017	20–23 Jul	Jordan Spieth	United States	Royal Birkdale	268 (−12)	3 strokes	Matt Kuchar	1,420,000
2016	14–17 Jul	Henrik Stenson	Sweden	Royal Troon	264 (−20)	3 strokes	Phil Mickelson	1,175,000
2015	16–20 Jul	Zach Johnson	United States	St Andrews	273 (−15)	Playoff	Marc Leishman Louis Oosthuizen	1,150,000
2014	17–20 Jul	Rory McIlroy	Northern Ireland	Royal Liverpool	271 (−17)	2 strokes	Rickie Fowler Sergio García	975,000
2013	18–21 Jul	Phil Mickelson	United States	Muirfield	281 (−3)	3 strokes	Henrik Stenson	945,000
2012	19–22 Jul	Ernie Els (2)	South Africa	Royal Lytham & St Annes	273 (−7)	1 stroke	Adam Scott	900,000
2011	14–17 Jul	Darren Clarke	Northern Ireland	Royal St George's	275 (−5)	3 strokes	Dustin Johnson Phil Mickelson	900,000
2010	15–18 Jul	Louis Oosthuizen	South Africa	St Andrews	272 (−16)	7 strokes	Lee Westwood	850,000
2009	16–19 Jul	Stewart Cink	United States	Turnberry	278 (−2)	Playoff	Tom Watson	750,000
2008	17–20 Jul	Pádraig Harrington (2)	Ireland	Royal Birkdale	283 (+3)	4 strokes	Ian Poulter	750,000
2007	19–22 Jul	Pádraig Harrington	Ireland	Carnoustie	277 (−7)	Playoff	Sergio García	750,000
2006	20–23 Jul	Tiger Woods (3)	United States	Royal Liverpool	270 (−18)	2 strokes	Chris DiMarco	720,000
2005	14–17 Jul	Tiger Woods (2)	United States	St Andrews	274 (−14)	5 strokes	Colin Montgomerie	720,000
2004	15–18 Jul	Todd Hamilton	United States	Royal Troon	274 (−10)	Playoff	Ernie Els	720,000
2003	17–20 Jul	Ben Curtis	United States	Royal St George's	283 (−1)	1 stroke	Thomas Bjørn Vijay Singh	700,000
2002	18–21 Jul	Ernie Els	South Africa	Muirfield	278 (−6)	Playoff	Stuart Appleby Steve Elkington Thomas Levet	700,000
2001	19–22 Jul	David Duval	United States	Royal Lytham & St Annes	274 (−10)	3 strokes	Niclas Fasth	600,000
2000	20–23 Jul	Tiger Woods	United States	St Andrews	269 (−19)	8 strokes	Thomas Bjørn Ernie Els	500,000
1999	15–18 Jul	Paul Lawrie	Scotland	Carnoustie	290 (+6)	Playoff	Justin Leonard Jean van de Velde	350,000
1998	16–19 Jul	Mark O'Meara	United States	Royal Birkdale	280 (E)	Playoff	Brian Watts	300,000
1997	17–20 Jul	Justin Leonard	United States	Royal Troon	272 (−12)	3 strokes	Darren Clarke Jesper Parnevik	250,000
1996	18–21 Jul	Tom Lehman	United States	Royal Lytham & St Annes	271 (−13)	2 strokes	Ernie Els Mark McCumber	200,000
1995	20–23 Jul	John Daly	United States	St Andrews	282 (−6)	Playoff	Costantino Rocca	125,000
1994	14–17 Jul	Nick Price	Zimbabwe	Turnberry	268 (−12)	1 stroke	Jesper Parnevik	110,000
1993	15–18 Jul	Greg Norman (2)	Australia	Royal St George's	267 (−13)	2 strokes	Nick Faldo	100,000
1992	16–19 Jul	Nick Faldo (3)	England	Muirfield	272 (−12)	1 stroke	John Cook	95,000
1991	18–21 Jul	Ian Baker-Finch	Australia	Royal Birkdale	272 (−8)	2 strokes	Mike Harwood	90,000
1990	19–22 Jul	Nick Faldo (2)	England	St Andrews	270 (−18)	5 strokes	Mark McNulty Payne Stewart	85,000
1989	20–23 Jul	Mark Calcavecchia	United States	Royal Troon	275 (−13)	Playoff	Wayne Grady Greg Norman	80,000
1988	14–18 Jul	Seve Ballesteros (3)	Spain	Royal Lytham & St Annes	273 (−11)	2 strokes	Nick Price	80,000
1987	16–19 Jul	Nick Faldo	England	Muirfield	279 (−5)	1 stroke	Paul Azinger Rodger Davis	75,000
1986	17–20 Jul	Greg Norman	Australia	Turnberry	280 (E)	5 strokes	Gordon J. Brand	70,000
1985	18–21 Jul	Sandy Lyle	Scotland	Royal St George's	282 (+2)	1 stroke	Payne Stewart	65,000
1984	19–22 Jul	Seve Ballesteros (2)	Spain	St Andrews	276 (−12)	2 strokes	Bernhard Langer Tom Watson	55,000
1983	14–17 Jul	Tom Watson (5)	United States	Royal Birkdale	275 (−9)	1 stroke	Andy Bean Hale Irwin	40,000
1982	15–18 Jul	Tom Watson (4)	United States	Royal Troon	284 (−4)	1 stroke	Peter Oosterhuis Nick Price	32,000
1981	16–19 Jul	Bill Rogers	United States	Royal St George's	276 (−4)	4 strokes	Bernhard Langer	25,000
1980	17–20 Jul	Tom Watson (3)	United States	Muirfield	271 (−13)	4 strokes	Lee Trevino	25,000
1979	18–21 Jul	Seve Ballesteros	Spain	Royal Lytham & St Annes	283 (−1)	3 strokes	Ben Crenshaw Jack Nicklaus	15,000
1978	12–15 Jul	Jack Nicklaus (3)	United States	St Andrews	281 (−7)	2 strokes	Ben Crenshaw Raymond Floyd Tom Kite Simon Owen	12,500
1977	6–9 Jul	Tom Watson (2)	United States	Turnberry	268 (−12)	1 stroke	Jack Nicklaus	10,000
1976	7–10 Jul	Johnny Miller	United States	Royal Birkdale	279 (−9)	6 strokes	Seve Ballesteros Jack Nicklaus	7,500
1975	9–13 Jul	Tom Watson	United States	Carnoustie	279 (−9)	Playoff	Jack Newton	7,500
1974	10–13 Jul	Gary Player (3)	South Africa	Royal Lytham & St Annes	282 (−2)	4 strokes	Peter Oosterhuis	5,500
1973	11–14 Jul	Tom Weiskopf	United States	Troon	276 (−12)	3 strokes	Neil Coles Johnny Miller	5,500
1972	12–15 Jul	Lee Trevino (2)	United States	Muirfield	278 (−6)	1 stroke	Jack Nicklaus	5,500
1971	7–10 Jul	Lee Trevino	United States	Royal Birkdale	278 (−14)	1 stroke	Lu Liang-Huan	5,500
1970	8–12 Jul	Jack Nicklaus (2)	United States	St Andrews	283 (−5)	Playoff	Doug Sanders	5,250
1969	9–12 Jul	Tony Jacklin	England	Royal Lytham & St Annes	280 (−4)	2 strokes	Bob Charles	4,250
1968	10–13 Jul	Gary Player (2)	South Africa	Carnoustie	289 (+1)	2 strokes	Bob Charles Jack Nicklaus	3,000
1967	12–15 Jul	Roberto De Vicenzo	Argentina	Royal Liverpool	278 (−10)	2 strokes	Jack Nicklaus	2,100
1966	6–9 Jul	Jack Nicklaus	United States	Muirfield	282 (−2)	1 stroke	Doug Sanders Dave Thomas	2,100
1965	7–9 Jul	Peter Thomson (5)	Australia	Royal Birkdale	285 (−7)	2 strokes	Brian Huggett Christy O'Connor Snr	1,750
1964	8–10 Jul	Tony Lema	United States	St Andrews	279 (−9)	5 strokes	Jack Nicklaus	1,500
1963	10–13 Jul	Bob Charles	New Zealand	Royal Lytham & St Annes	277 (−3)	Playoff	Phil Rodgers	1,500
1962	11–13 Jul	Arnold Palmer (2)	United States	Troon	276 (−12)	6 strokes	Kel Nagle	1,400
1961	12–15 Jul	Arnold Palmer	United States	Royal Birkdale	284 (−4)	1 stroke	Dai Rees	1,400
1960	6–9 Jul	Kel Nagle	Australia	St Andrews	278 (−10)	1 stroke	Arnold Palmer	1,250
1959	1–3 Jul	Gary Player	South Africa	Muirfield	284 (−4)	2 strokes	Fred Bullock Flory Van Donck	1,000
1958	2–5 Jul	Peter Thomson (4)	Australia	Royal Lytham & St Annes	278 (−6)	Playoff	Dave Thomas	1,000
1957	3–5 Jul	Bobby Locke (4)	South Africa	St Andrews	279 (−9)	3 strokes	Peter Thomson	1,000
1956	4–6 Jul	Peter Thomson (3)	Australia	Royal Liverpool	286 (+2)	3 strokes	Flory Van Donck	1,000
1955	6–8 Jul	Peter Thomson (2)	Australia	St Andrews	281 (−7)	2 strokes	John Fallon	1,000
1954	7–9 Jul	Peter Thomson	Australia	Royal Birkdale	283 (−9)	1 stroke	Bobby Locke Dai Rees Syd Scott	750
1953	8–10 Jul	Ben Hogan	United States	Carnoustie	282 (−6)	4 strokes	Antonio Cerdá Dai Rees Frank Stranahan (a) Peter Thomson	500
1952	9–11 Jul	Bobby Locke (3)	South Africa	Royal Lytham & St Annes	287 (−1)	1 stroke	Peter Thomson	300
1951	4–6 Jul	Max Faulkner	England	Royal Portrush	285 (−3)	2 strokes	Antonio Cerdá	300
1950	5–7 Jul	Bobby Locke (2)	South Africa	Troon	279 (−1)	2 strokes	Roberto de Vicenzo	300
1949	6–9 Jul	Bobby Locke	South Africa	Royal St George's	283 (−5)	Playoff	Harry Bradshaw	300
1948	30 Jun – 2 Jul	Henry Cotton (3)	England	Muirfield	284 (E)	5 strokes	Fred Daly	150
1947	2–4 Jul	Fred Daly	Northern Ireland	Royal Liverpool	293 (+21)	1 stroke	Reg Horne Frank Stranahan (a)	150
1946	3–5 Jul	Sam Snead	United States	St Andrews	290 (−2)	4 strokes	Johnny Bulla Bobby Locke	150
1940–1945: No Championships because of World War II
1939	5–7 Jul	Dick Burton	England	St Andrews	290 (−2)	2 strokes	Johnny Bulla	100
1938	6–8 Jul	Reg Whitcombe	England	Royal St George's	295 (+15)	2 strokes	Jimmy Adams	100
1937	7–9 Jul	Henry Cotton (2)	England	Carnoustie	290	2 strokes	Reg Whitcombe	100
1936	25–27 Jun	Alf Padgham	England	Royal Liverpool	287	1 stroke	Jimmy Adams	100
1935	26–28 Jun	Alf Perry	England	Muirfield	283	4 strokes	Alf Padgham	100
1934	27–29 Jun	Henry Cotton	England	Royal St George's	283	5 strokes	Sid Brews	100
1933	5–8 Jul	Denny Shute	United States	St Andrews	292	Playoff	Craig Wood	100
1932	8–10 Jun	Gene Sarazen	United States	Prince's	283	5 strokes	Macdonald Smith	100
1931	3–5 Jun	Tommy Armour	United States	Carnoustie	296	1 stroke	José Jurado	100
1930	18–20 Jun	Bobby Jones (a) (3)	United States	Royal Liverpool	291	2 strokes	Leo Diegel Macdonald Smith	100
1929	8–10 May	Walter Hagen (4)	United States	Muirfield	292	6 strokes	Johnny Farrell	75
1928	9–11 May	Walter Hagen (3)	United States	Royal St George's	292	2 strokes	Gene Sarazen	75
1927	13–15 Jul	Bobby Jones (a) (2)	United States	St Andrews	285	6 strokes	Aubrey Boomer Fred Robson	75
1926	23–25 Jun	Bobby Jones (a)	United States	Royal Lytham & St Annes	291	2 strokes	Al Watrous	75
1925	25–26 Jun	Jim Barnes	United States	Prestwick	300	1 stroke	Archie Compston Ted Ray	75
1924	26–27 Jun	Walter Hagen (2)	United States	Royal Liverpool	301	1 stroke	Ernest Whitcombe	75
1923	14–15 Jun	Arthur Havers	England	Troon	295	1 stroke	Walter Hagen	75
1922	22–23 Jun	Walter Hagen	United States	Royal St George's	300	1 stroke	Jim Barnes George Duncan	75
1921	23–25 Jun	Jock Hutchison	United States	St Andrews	296	Playoff	Roger Wethered (a)	75
1920	30 Jun – 1 Jul	George Duncan	Scotland	Royal Cinque Ports	303	2 strokes	Sandy Herd	75
1915–1919: No Championships because of World War I
1914	18–19 Jun	Harry Vardon (6)	Jersey	Prestwick	306	3 strokes	J.H. Taylor	50
1913	23–24 Jun	J.H. Taylor (5)	England	Royal Liverpool	304	8 strokes	Ted Ray	50
1912	24–25 Jun	Ted Ray	Jersey	Muirfield	295	4 strokes	Harry Vardon	50
1911	26–30 Jun	Harry Vardon (5)	Jersey	Royal St George's	303	Playoff	Arnaud Massy	50
1910	21–24 Jun	James Braid (5)	Scotland	St Andrews	299	4 strokes	Sandy Herd	50
1909	10–11 Jun	J.H. Taylor (4)	England	Royal Cinque Ports	291	6 strokes	Tom Ball James Braid	50
1908	18–19 Jun	James Braid (4)	Scotland	Prestwick	291	8 strokes	Tom Ball	50
1907	20–21 Jun	Arnaud Massy	France	Royal Liverpool	312	2 strokes	J.H. Taylor	50
1906	13–15 Jun	James Braid (3)	Scotland	Muirfield	300	4 strokes	J.H. Taylor	50
1905	7–9 Jun	James Braid (2)	Scotland	St Andrews	318	5 strokes	Rowland Jones J.H. Taylor	50
1904	8–10 Jun	Jack White	Scotland	Royal St George's	296	1 stroke	James Braid J.H. Taylor	50
1903	10–11 Jun	Harry Vardon (4)	Jersey	Prestwick	300	6 strokes	Tom Vardon	50
1902	4–5 Jun	Sandy Herd	Scotland	Royal Liverpool	307	1 stroke	James Braid Harry Vardon	50
1901	5–6 Jun	James Braid	Scotland	Muirfield	309	3 strokes	Harry Vardon	50
1900	6–7 Jun	J.H. Taylor (3)	England	St Andrews	309	8 strokes	Harry Vardon	50
1899	7–8 Jun	Harry Vardon (3)	Jersey	St George's	310	5 strokes	Jack White	30
1898	8–9 Jun	Harry Vardon (2)	Jersey	Prestwick	307	1 stroke	Willie Park Jr.	30
1897	19–20 May	Harold Hilton (a) (2)	England	Royal Liverpool	314	1 stroke	James Braid	30
1896	10–11,13 Jun	Harry Vardon	Jersey	Muirfield	316	Playoff	J.H. Taylor	30
1895	12–13 Jun	J.H. Taylor (2)	England	St Andrews	322	4 strokes	Sandy Herd	30
1894	11–12 Jun	J.H. Taylor	England	St George's	326	5 strokes	Douglas Rolland	30
1893	31 Aug – 1 Sep	William Auchterlonie	Scotland	Prestwick	322	2 strokes	Johnny Laidlay (a)	30
1892	22–23 Sep	Harold Hilton (a)	England	Muirfield	305	3 strokes	John Ball (a) Sandy Herd Hugh Kirkaldy	35
1891	6–7 Oct	Hugh Kirkaldy	Scotland	St Andrews	166	2 strokes	Willie Fernie Andrew Kirkaldy	10
1890	11 Sep	John Ball (a)	England	Prestwick	164	3 strokes	Willie Fernie Archie Simpson	13
1889	8,11 Nov	Willie Park Jr. (2)	Scotland	Musselburgh	155	Playoff	Andrew Kirkaldy	8
1888	6,8 Oct	Jack Burns	Scotland	St Andrews	171	1 stroke	David Anderson Jr. Ben Sayers	8
1887	16 Sep	Willie Park Jr.	Scotland	Prestwick	161	1 stroke	Bob Martin	8
1886	5 Nov	David Brown	Scotland	Musselburgh	157	2 strokes	Willie Campbell	8
1885	3 Oct	Bob Martin (2)	Scotland	St Andrews	171	1 stroke	Archie Simpson	10
1884	3 Oct	Jack Simpson	Scotland	Prestwick	160	4 strokes	Willie Fernie Douglas Rolland	8
1883	16–17 Nov	Willie Fernie	Scotland	Musselburgh	159	Playoff	Bob Ferguson	8
1882	30 Sep	Bob Ferguson (3)	Scotland	St Andrews	171	3 strokes	Willie Fernie	12
1881	14 Oct	Bob Ferguson (2)	Scotland	Prestwick	170	3 strokes	Jamie Anderson	8
1880	9 Apr	Bob Ferguson	Scotland	Musselburgh	162	5 strokes	Peter Paxton	8
1879	27,29 Sep	Jamie Anderson (3)	Scotland	St Andrews	169	3 strokes	Jamie Allan Andrew Kirkaldy	10
1878	4 Oct	Jamie Anderson (2)	Scotland	Prestwick	157	2 strokes	Bob Kirk	8
1877	6 Apr	Jamie Anderson	Scotland	Musselburgh	160	2 strokes	Bob Pringle	8
1876	30 Sep, 2 Oct	Bob Martin	Scotland	St Andrews	176	Playoff	Davie Strath	10
1875	10 Sep	Willie Park Sr. (4)	Scotland	Prestwick	166	2 strokes	Bob Martin	8
1874	10 Apr	Mungo Park	Scotland	Musselburgh	159	2 strokes	Tom Morris Jr.	8
1873	4 Oct	Tom Kidd	Scotland	St Andrews	179	1 stroke	Jamie Anderson	11
1872	13 Sep	Tom Morris Jr. (4)	Scotland	Prestwick	166	3 strokes	Davie Strath	8
1871	Championship cancelled as no trophy available
1870	15 Sep	Tom Morris Jr. (3)	Scotland	Prestwick	149	12 strokes	Bob Kirk Davie Strath	6
1869	16 Sep	Tom Morris Jr. (2)	Scotland	Prestwick	157	11 strokes	Bob Kirk	6
1868	23 Sep	Tom Morris Jr.	Scotland	Prestwick	154	3 strokes	Tom Morris Sr.	6
1867	26 Sep	Tom Morris Sr. (4)	Scotland	Prestwick	170	2 strokes	Willie Park Sr.	7
1866	13 Sep	Willie Park Sr. (3)	Scotland	Prestwick	169	2 strokes	Davie Park	6
1865	14 Sep	Andrew Strath	Scotland	Prestwick	162	2 strokes	Willie Park Sr.	8
1864	16 Sep	Tom Morris Sr. (3)	Scotland	Prestwick	167	2 strokes	Andrew Strath	6
1863	18 Sep	Willie Park Sr. (2)	Scotland	Prestwick	168	2 strokes	Tom Morris Sr.	-
1862	11 Sep	Tom Morris Sr. (2)	Scotland	Prestwick	163	13 strokes	Willie Park Sr.	-
1861	26 Sep	Tom Morris Sr.	Scotland	Prestwick	163	4 strokes	Willie Park Sr.	-
1860	17 Oct	Willie Park Sr.	Scotland	Prestwick	174	2 strokes	Tom Morris Sr.	-

(a) denotes amateur

"Dates" column includes all days on which play took place or was planned to take place, including any playoffs

The Open began paying in U.S. dollars in 2017,^[25] subsequent figures in pounds are rounded estimates.^[28]

Silver Medal winners

Since 1949, the Silver Medal is awarded to the leading amateur, provided that the player completes all 72 holes.^[3] In the 70 Championships from 1949 to 2018, it has been won by 45 players on 51 occasions. Frank Stranahan won it four times in the first five years (and was also the low amateur in 1947), while Joe Carr, Michael Bonallack and Peter McEvoy each won it twice. The medal has gone unawarded 19 times.

Broadcasting

As of 2016, European Tour Productions serves as the host broadcaster for the Open Championship. The host broadcaster, as well as British and American broadcasters Sky Sports and NBC Sports, utilized a total of 175 cameras during the 2016 tournament.^[29][30]

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the Open Championship was historically broadcast by the BBC—a relationship which lasted from 1955 to 2015. The BBC's rights to the Open had been threatened by the event's removal from Category A of Ofcom's "listed" events, a status which legally mandated that the Open be broadcast in its entirety by a terrestrial broadcaster. It had since been moved to Category B, meaning that television rights to the tournament could now be acquired by a pay television outlet, such as BT Sport or Sky Sports, as long as rights to broadcast a highlights programme or otherwise delayed coverage are sub-licensed to either the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, or Channel 5.^[31][32][33]

Former R&A chief executive Peter Dawson had become critical of the quality of the BBC's television coverage, stating alongside its final renewal in 2010 that "They know we've got our eye on them. You have to stay in practice and keep up with advances in technology." The Guardian felt that the R&A was being "pressured" to negotiate a more lucrative broadcast deal, as the other three majors have in the United States, but also argued that viewer interest in golf could face further declines in the UK without widely available coverage.^[33][32]

On 3 February 2015, the R&A announced that Sky Sports had acquired broadcast rights to the Open beginning in 2017, under a five-year contract valued at £15 million per-year, doubling the value of the previous BBC contract. As required by broadcasting regulations, rights to broadcast a nightly highlights programme were also sold: the BBC acquired this highlights package. Dawson praised Sky Sports' past involvement with televised golf, explaining that "the way people consume live sport is changing significantly and this new agreement ensures fans have a range of options for enjoying the championship on television and through digital channels".^[34][35] The BBC chose to opt out of the final year of its existing contract, making Sky Sports' broadcast rights begin one year early, in 2016.^[36]

United States

In the United States, ABC had historically held rights to the Open.^[37] Beginning in 2010 under an eight-year agreement, the Open moved exclusively to ABC's sister pay television channel ESPN, with only tape-delayed highlights shown on ABC.^[38] In June 2015, it was announced that NBC Sports would acquire rights to the Open Championship under a 12-year deal beginning in 2017; early round coverage airs on Golf Channel, with the main NBC network broadcasting live weekend coverage. The R&A cited NBC's successful broadcasts of Premier League football, which also primarily airs on weekend mornings in U.S. time zones, as an advantage of NBC's acquisition of The Open.^[39] Similarly to the BBC, ESPN chose to opt out of its final year of Open rights, causing NBC's rights to begin in 2016 instead.^[36]

The 2018 edition of the Open Championship had a total of 49.5 hours of coverage in the United States, with 29 hours being on Thursday and Friday, and 20.5 hours being on Saturday and Sunday; the Golf Channel cable network had a total of 34 hours of coverage, with 29 hours on Thursday and Friday, and 5 hours on Saturday and Sunday. The NBC broadcast network had a total of 15.5 hours of coverage on the weekend, with 8 hours Saturday, and 7.5 hours Sunday.

The 49.5 total hours of coverage on Golf Channel and NBC remained unchanged from 2017, with the difference being that Golf Channel's total coverage went down thirty minutes from 34.5 hours to 34 hours, and NBC's total coverage went up thirty minutes from 15 hours to 15.5 hours.

Notes and references

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Open Championship (golf).

Book: Men's major professional golf championships

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  Official website
  


• Coverage on European Tour.com


• Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site


• Coverage on PGA.com