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Cameron Smith with the Claret Jug
Australian golfer Cameron Smith after winning the British Open, 2022.
British Open winners
While there might be debate about its name—The British Open? The Open Championship? The Open?—there is no disputing its importance in golf. The event is the oldest continually run championship in the sport, and it is one of golf’s four major tournaments. The British Open has been held since 1860, when Willie Park, Sr., defeated seven other golfers. Although the early winners received a belt, in 1873 the famed Claret Jug (officially known as the Golf Champion Trophy) was first presented as the prize. Since 1928, however, the winner has been given a replica of the trophy.
A number of golfers have won the tournament multiple times. Harry Vardon holds the record for the most victories (six), while James Braid, John Henry Taylor, Peter Thomson, and Tom Watson have each won five times. Below is a list of all the British Open champions.
| year | winner1 |
|---|---|
| 1Won by a U.K. golfer except as indicated. | |
| 2Tournament canceled because there was no award for the winner. | |
| 3Tournament canceled because of World War I. | |
| 4Tournament canceled because of World War II. | |
| 5Tournament canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. | |
| 1860 | Willie Park, Sr. |
| 1861 | Tom Morris, Sr. |
| 1862 | Tom Morris, Sr. |
| 1863 | Willie Park, Sr. |
| 1864 | Tom Morris, Sr. |
| 1865 | Andrew Strath |
| 1866 | Willie Park, Sr. |
| 1867 | Tom Morris, Sr. |
| 1868 | Tom Morris, Jr. |
| 1869 | Tom Morris, Jr. |
| 1870 | Tom Morris, Jr. |
| 1871 | not held2 |
| 1872 | Tom Morris, Jr. |
| 1873 | Tom Kidd |
| 1874 | Mungo Park |
| 1875 | Willie Park, Sr. |
| 1876 | Bob Martin |
| 1877 | Jamie Anderson |
| 1878 | Jamie Anderson |
| 1879 | Jamie Anderson |
| 1880 | Bob Ferguson |
| 1881 | Bob Ferguson |
| 1882 | Bob Ferguson |
| 1883 | Willie Fernie |
| 1884 | Jack Simpson |
| 1885 | Bob Martin |
| 1886 | David Brown |
| 1887 | Willie Park, Jr. |
| 1888 | Jack Burns |
| 1889 | Wille Park, Jr. |
| 1890 | John Ball |
| 1891 | Hugh Kirkaldy |
| 1892 | Harold Hilton |
| 1893 | William Auchterlonie |
| 1894 | J.H. Taylor |
| 1895 | J.H. Taylor |
| 1896 | Harry Vardon |
| 1897 | Harold Hilton |
| 1898 | Harry Vardon |
| 1899 | Harry Vardon |
| 1900 | J.H. Taylor |
| 1901 | James Braid |
| 1902 | Sandy Herd |
| 1903 | Harry Vardon |
| 1904 | Jack White |
| 1905 | James Braid |
| 1906 | James Braid |
| 1907 | Arnaud Massy (France) |
| 1908 | James Braid |
| 1909 | J.H. Taylor |
| 1910 | James Braid |
| 1911 | Harry Vardon |
| 1912 | Ted Ray |
| 1913 | J.H. Taylor |
| 1914 | Harry Vardon |
| 1915–19 | not held3 |
| 1920 | George Duncan |
| 1921 | Jock Hutchison (U.S.) |
| 1922 | Walter Hagen (U.S.) |
| 1923 | Arthur Havers |
| 1924 | Walter Hagen (U.S.) |
| 1925 | Jim Barnes (U.S.) |
| 1926 | Bobby Jones (U.S.) |
| 1927 | Bobby Jones (U.S.) |
| 1928 | Walter Hagen (U.S.) |
| 1929 | Walter Hagen (U.S.) |
| 1930 | Bobby Jones (U.S.) |
| 1931 | Tommy Armour (U.S.) |
| 1932 | Gene Sarazen (U.S.) |
| 1933 | Denny Shute (U.S.) |
| 1934 | Henry Cotton |
| 1935 | Alf Perry |
| 1936 | Alf Padgham |
| 1937 | Henry Cotton |
| 1938 | Reg Whitcombe |
| 1939 | Dick Burton |
| 1940–45 | not held4 |
| 1946 | Sam Snead (U.S.) |
| 1947 | Fred Daly (Ire.) |
| 1948 | Henry Cotton |
| 1949 | Bobby Locke (S.Af.) |
| 1950 | Bobby Locke (S.Af.) |
| 1951 | Max Faulkner |
| 1952 | Bobby Locke (S.Af.) |
| 1953 | Ben Hogan (U.S.) |
| 1954 | Peter Thomson (Austl.) |
| 1955 | Peter Thomson (Austl.) |
| 1956 | Peter Thomson (Austl.) |
| 1957 | Bobby Locke (S.Af.) |
| 1958 | Peter Thomson (Austl.) |
| 1959 | Gary Player (S.Af.) |
| 1960 | Kel Nagle (Austl.) |
| 1961 | Arnold Palmer (U.S.) |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer (U.S.) |
| 1963 | Bob Charles (N.Z.) |
| 1964 | Tony Lema (U.S.) |
| 1965 | Peter Thomson (Austl.) |
| 1966 | Jack Nicklaus (U.S.) |
| 1967 | Roberto de Vicenzo (Arg.) |
| 1968 | Gary Player (S.Af.) |
| 1969 | Tony Jacklin |
| 1970 | Jack Nicklaus (U.S.) |
| 1971 | Lee Trevino (U.S.) |
| 1972 | Lee Trevino (U.S.) |
| 1973 | Tom Weiskopf (U.S.) |
| 1974 | Gary Player (S.Af.) |
| 1975 | Tom Watson (U.S.) |
| 1976 | Johnny Miller (U.S.) |
| 1977 | Tom Watson (U.S.) |
| 1978 | Jack Nicklaus (U.S.) |
| 1979 | Seve Ballesteros (Spain) |
| 1980 | Tom Watson (U.S.) |
| 1981 | Bill Rogers (U.S.) |
| 1982 | Tom Watson (U.S.) |
| 1983 | Tom Watson (U.S.) |
| 1984 | Seve Ballesteros (Spain) |
| 1985 | Sandy Lyle |
| 1986 | Greg Norman (Austl.) |
| 1987 | Nick Faldo |
| 1988 | Seve Ballesteros (Spain) |
| 1989 | Mark Calcavecchia (U.S.) |
| 1990 | Nick Faldo |
| 1991 | Ian Baker-Finch (Austl.) |
| 1992 | Nick Faldo |
| 1993 | Greg Norman (Austl.) |
| 1994 | Nick Price (Zimb.) |
| 1995 | John Daly (U.S.) |
| 1996 | Tom Lehman (U.S.) |
| 1997 | Justin Leonard (U.S.) |
| 1998 | Mark O'Meara (U.S.) |
| 1999 | Paul Lawrie |
| 2000 | Tiger Woods (U.S.) |
| 2001 | David Duval (U.S.) |
| 2002 | Ernie Els (S.Af.) |
| 2003 | Ben Curtis (U.S.) |
| 2004 | Todd Hamilton (U.S.) |
| 2005 | Tiger Woods (U.S.) |
| 2006 | Tiger Woods (U.S.) |
| 2007 | Padraig Harrington (Ire.) |
| 2008 | Padraig Harrington (Ire.) |
| 2009 | Stewart Cink (U.S.) |
| 2010 | Louis Oosthuizen (S.Af.) |
| 2011 | Darren Clarke |
| 2012 | Ernie Els (S.Af.) |
| 2013 | Phil Mickelson (U.S.) |
| 2014 | Rory McIlroy |
| 2015 | Zach Johnson (U.S.) |
| 2016 | Henrik Stenson (Swed.) |
| 2017 | Jordan Spieth (U.S.) |
| 2018 | Francesco Molinari (Italy) |
| 2019 | Shane Lowry (Ire.) |
| 2020 | not held5 |
| 2021 | Collin Morikawa (U.S.) |
| 2022 | Cameron Smith (Austl.) |
| 2023 | Brian Harman (U.S.) |