The Open by numbers: Ever fact and figure you’ll ever need about golf’s oldest major!
Last updated:
From the most victories and appearances to the best and worst scores, here are some Open Championship facts and figures to share with your playing partners…
Did you know that Seve Ballesteros was the youngest player in the modern era to win The Open at the age of 22? Or that Scotland has hosted 98 Championships, compared to 52 in England, three in Northern Ireland, and none in Wales?
Open Championship facts and figures
By the time you’ve finished reading this, you’ll be able to impress your mates and go on Mastermind with The Open as your specialist subject!
Who has won The Open the most times?
Harry Vardon holds the record for the most Open wins with six in an 18-year stretch. Tom Watson is one behind on five, while the likes of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Sir Nick Faldo, and Seve Ballesteros have their names etched on the Claret Jug three times.
6 Harry Vardon (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914)
5 James Braid (1901, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1910)
5 JH Taylor (1894, 1895, 1900, 1909, 1913)
5 Peter Thomson (1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965)
5 Tom Watson (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983)
4 Tom Morris Sr (1861, 1862, 1864, 1867)
4 Tom Morris Jr (1868, 1869, 1870, 1872)
4 Willie Park Sr (1860, 1863, 1866, 1875)
4 Walter Hagen (1922, 1924, 1928, 1929)
4 Bobby Locke (1949, 1950, 1952, 1957)
3 Jamie Anderson (1877, 1878, 1879
3 Bob Ferguson (1880, 1881, 1882)
3 Bobby Jones (1926, 1927, 1930)
3 Henry Cotton (1934, 1937, 1948)
3 Gary Player (1959, 1968, 1974)
3 Jack Nicklaus (1966, 1970, 1978)
3 Seve Ballesteros (1979, 1984, 1988)
3 Nick Faldo (1987, 1990, 1992)
3 Tiger Woods (2000, 2005, 2006)
How many courses have hosted the Open?
A total of 14 courses have staged the men’s oldest major, with 10 currently active on the rotation. The Old Course at St Andrews has hosted a record 30 Open Championships, with the next one booked in for 2027. Twelve months before that, though, will be an 11th trip to Royal Birkdale.
30 St Andrews
24 Prestwick*
16 Muirfield
15 Royal St George’s
13 Royal Liverpool
11 Royal Lytham & St Annes
10 Royal Birkdale
10 Royal Troon
8 Carnoustie
6 Musselburgh*
4 Turnberry
3 Royal Portrush (including 2025)
2 Royal Cinque Ports*
1 Prince’s*
*No longer included on The Open rota
What is the widest margin of victory at The Open?
In 1862, Old Tom Morris finished 13 strokes clear of Willie Park Snr at Prestwick, though there were only eight players competing in the field.
It remained a record in all major championships until the 2000 US Open when Tiger Woods stormed to a 15-shot victory at Pebble Beach.
The largest margin of victory in the modern era of The Open is seven shots, when Louis Oosthuizen triumphed at St Andrews in 2010.
Who is the oldest player ever to win The Open?
Old Tom Morris was 46 years and 99 days old when he celebrated his fourth success at The Open in 1867. The winner’s check back then was just £7.
Who is the youngest player ever to win the Open?
The all-time record belongs to Young Tom Morris, who was 17 years, five months, and three days old when he won the first of four Open Championships in 1868.
Seve Ballesteros, at 22, holds the record in the modern era when he won the first of five major titles, beating Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw by three strokes at Royal Lytham in 1979.
Has anyone ever successfully defended The Open?
The short answer is yes. But it hasn’t happened very often and the last man to do it was Padraig Harrington almost 20 years ago.
The players with more than one Open win in a row are…
4 Tom Morris Jr (1868-72)*
3 Jamie Anderson (1877-79)
3 Bob Ferguson (1880-82)
3 Peter Thomson (1954-56)
2 Tom Morris Sr (1861-62)
2 JH Taylor (1894-95)
2 Harry Vardon (1898-99)
2 James Braid (1905-06)
2 Bobby Jones (1926-27)
2 Walter Hagen (1928-29)
2 Bobby Locke (1950-51)
2 Arnold Palmer (1961-62)
2 Lee Trevino (1970-71)
2 Tom Watson (1982-83)
2 Tiger Woods (2005-06)
*No tournament in 1871
Has anyone ever gone wire-to-wire at The Open?
Seven players have led The Open from start to finish.
Tom Morris Jr (1869)
Ted Ray (1912)
Bobby Jones (1927)
Gene Sarazen (1932)
Henry Cotton (1934)
Tom Weiskopf (1973)
Tiger Woods (2005)
Have any left-handed golfers ever won The Open?
Yes. What is it about left-handers and the year ending in 3?
Bob Charles (1963)
Phil Mickelson (2013)
Brian Harman (2023)
What is the lowest winning score at The Open?
The lowest 72-hole total at The Open is also the all-time major championship record, which was set by Henrik Stenson in 2016 at Royal Troon. His score of 264 saw him edge Phil Mickelson by three shots on 20-under-par.
While Cameron Smith also finished 20-under-par at St Andrews in 2022, he did not equal the lowest total score as the Old Course is a par-72.
Has anyone won The Open on their debut?
Who can forget what American Ben Curtis did as a 300/1 outsider at the 2003 Open? He was ranked 396th at the time and held off Vijay Singh and Thomas Bjorn to win by one at Royal St George’s.
Most recently Colin Morikawa won on his debut at Sandwich in 2021, becoming the fifth man since World War II to secure the Claret Jug as an Open rookie. The others were Ben Hogan in 1953, Tony Lema in 1964, and Tom Watson in 1975.
Who has made the most appearances in The Open?
Gary Player has not only played in more Opens than anyone else; his 46 starts all came in successive years. He did not miss a single Championship from 1956 through to 2001.
46 Gary Player
43 Sandy Lyle
38 Sandy Herd
38 Tom Watson
38 Jack Nicklaus
37 Nick Faldo
35 Ben Sayers
Who has made the most cuts at The Open?
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Jack Nicklaus made a record 32 cuts from just 38 appearances, winning three times.
What is the lowest-ever round at The Open?
Branden Grace memorably shot a 62 at Royal Birkdale in the third round of the tournament in 2017. This was the lowest round in major championship history until Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele matched it during the 2023 US Open at Los Angeles Country Club before Shane Lowry shot the mark in Valhalla at the 2024 PGA Championship.
How many times has The Open been decided by a playoff?
In 150 editions of The Open, extra holes have been required just 21 times.
