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Fox News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Open Championship Winners: List of British Open champions by year
It's golf's original major, first played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club. The Open Championship (often called the British Open) combines links‐style tradition with legendary performances from the game's greatest: Harry Vardon, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have all lifted the Claret Jug. Check out the complete list of The Open Championship winners including country, total par and total score: Harry Vardon has won the British Open the most items, with six wins. Below is a list of all the players who have won more than one Open Championship:
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The British Open Is Special to Tom Watson. He Won It Five Times.
A half century has passed since Tom Watson captured the first of his five British Opens, defeating Jack Newton by one in an 18-hole playoff at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland. Watson's most memorable Open triumph, however, came in 1977 at Turnberry in Scotland when he closed with a 65 to edge Jack Nicklaus by a stroke in what became known as the Duel in the Sun. Turnberry was also the venue for one of Watson's toughest losses. In the 2009 British Open, Watson led by one on the final hole but made a bogey and fell to Stewart Cink in a four-hole playoff. With this year's Open starting Thursday at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, Watson, 75, reflected on his past appearances. The following conversation has been edited and condensed. What stands out about your British Open win in 1975? What stands out is when I was receiving the trophy from the captain of the R&A, he said to the crowd, 'Now I'd like to introduce as the champion golfer of the year, Tom Kite.' That's how unknown I was. What did the victory do for your confidence? It was obviously a victory in a very important tournament, but I was still trying to learn how to win. I hadn't learned how yet. I felt I had the tools to win, but I didn't perform when the chips were down. A lot of it has to do with trusting your golf swing, but it also had to do with swinging too fast and making quick decisions. I finally learned by walking a beat slower and deep breathing coupled with a trust in your golf swing. Things started to fall into place. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Fox Sports
6 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Open Championship Winners: List of British Open champions by year
It's golf's original major, first played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club. The Open Championship (often called the British Open) combines links‐style tradition with legendary performances from the game's greatest: Harry Vardon, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have all lifted the Claret Jug. Check out the complete list of The Open Championship winners including country, total par and total score: British Open Champions 2024: Xander Schauffele (United States) −9 2023: Brian Harman (United States) −13 2022: Cameron Smith (Australia) −20 2021: Collin Morikawa (United States) −15 2020: Not held 2019: Shane Lowry (Ireland) −15 2018: Francesco Molinari (Italy) −8 2017: Jordan Spieth (United States) −12 2016: Henrik Stenson (Sweden) −20 2015: Zach Johnson (United States) −15 2014: Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) −17 2013: Phil Mickelson (United States) −3 2012: Ernie Els (South Africa) −7 2011: Darren Clarke (Northern Ireland) −5 2010: Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) −16 2009: Stewart Cink (United States) −2 2008: Pádraig Harrington (Ireland) +3 2007: Pádraig Harrington (Ireland) −7 2006: Tiger Woods (United States) −18 2005: Tiger Woods (United States) −14 2004: Todd Hamilton (United States) −10 2003: Ben Curtis (United States) −1 2002: Ernie Els (South Africa) −6 2001: David Duval (United States) −10 2000: Tiger Woods (United States) −19 Check out the thrilling recap of the Final Round at LIV Golf Andalucía, where top players like Joaquin Niemann, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, and more battled it out. 1999: Paul Lawrie (Scotland) +6 1998: Mark O'Meara (United States) E 1997: Justin Leonard (United States) −12 1996: Tom Lehman (United States) −13 1995: John Daly (United States) −6 1994: Nick Price (Zimbabwe) −12 1993: Greg Norman (Australia) −13 1992: Nick Faldo (England) −12 1991: Ian Baker-Finch (Australia) −8 1990: Nick Faldo (England) −18 1989: Mark Calcavecchia (United States) −13 1988: Seve Ballesteros (Spain) −11 1987: Nick Faldo (England) −5 1986: Greg Norman (Australia) E 1985: Sandy Lyle (Scotland) +2 1984: Seve Ballesteros (Spain) −12 1983: Tom Watson (United States) −9 1982: Tom Watson (United States) −4 1981: Bill Rogers (United States) −4 1980: Tom Watson (United States) −13 1979: Seve Ballesteros (Spain) −1 1978: Jack Nicklaus (United States) −7 1977: Tom Watson (United States) −12 1976: Johnny Miller (United States) −9 1975: Tom Watson (United States) −9 1974: Gary Player (South Africa) −2 1973: Tom Weiskopf (United States) −12 1972: Lee Trevino (United States) −6 1971: Lee Trevino (United States) −14 1970: Jack Nicklaus (United States) −5 1969: Tony Jacklin (England) −4 1968: Gary Player (South Africa) +1 1967: Roberto De Vicenzo (Argentina) −10 1966: Jack Nicklaus (United States) −2 1965: Peter Thomson (Australia) −7 1964: Tony Lema (United States) −9 1963: Bob Charles (New Zealand) −7 1962: Arnold Palmer (United States) −8 1961: Arnold Palmer (United States) −4 1960: Kel Nagle (Australia) −10 1959: Gary Player (South Africa) E 1958: Peter Thomson (Australia) −10 1957: Bobby Locke (South Africa) −9 1956: Jack Burke Jr. (United States) +1 1955: Peter Thomson (Australia) −7 1954: Peter Thomson (Australia) −3 1953: Ben Hogan (United States) −6 1952: Bobby Locke (South Africa) −1 1951: Max Faulkner (England) −3 1950: Bobby Locke (South Africa) −9 1949: Bobby Locke (South Africa) −6 1948: Henry Cotton (England) E 1947: Fred Daly (Northern Ireland) +5 1946: Sam Snead (United States) +2 1945: Not held 1944: Not held 1943: Not held 1942: Not held 1941: Not held 1940: Not held 1939: Dick Burton (England) −2 1938: Reg Whitcombe (England) +15 1937: Henry Cotton (England) +6 1936: Alf Padgham (England) −3 1935: Alf Perry (England) −6 1934: Henry Cotton (England) +3 1933: Denny Shute (United States) +4 1932: Gene Sarazen (United States) −5 1931: Tommy Armour (United States) +12 1930: Bobby Jones (United States) +3 1929: Walter Hagen (United States) +8 1928: Walter Hagen (United States) +12 1927: Bobby Jones (United States) −3 1926: Bobby Jones (United States) +7 1925: Jim Barnes (England) +16 1924: Walter Hagen (United States) +13 1923: Arthur Havers (England) +7 1922: Walter Hagen (United States) +20 1921: Jock Hutchison (United States) +8 1920: George Duncan (Scotland) +15 1919: Not held 1918: Not held 1917: Not held 1916: Not held 1915: Not held 1914: Harry Vardon (Jersey) 1913: John Henry Taylor (England) 1912: Ted Ray (Jersey) 1911: Harry Vardon (Jersey) 1910: James Braid (Scotland) 1909: John Henry Taylor (England) 1908: James Braid (Scotland) 1907: Arnaud Massy (France) 1906: James Braid (Scotland) 1905: James Braid (Scotland) 1904: Jack White (Scotland) 1903: Harry Vardon (Jersey) 1902: Sandy Herd (Scotland) 1901: James Braid (Scotland) 1900: John Henry Taylor (England) 1899: Harry Vardon (Jersey) 1898: Harry Vardon (Jersey) 1897: Harold Hilton (England) 1896: Harry Vardon (Jersey) 1895: John Henry Taylor (England) 1894: John Henry Taylor (England) 1893: William Auchterlonie (Scotland) 1892: Harold Hilton (England) 1891: Hugh Kirkaldy (Scotland) 1890: John Ball (England) 1889: Willie Park Jr. (Scotland) 1888: Jack Burns (Scotland) 1887: Willie Park Jr. (Scotland) 1886: David Brown (Scotland) 1885: Bob Martin (Scotland) 1884: Jack Simpson (Scotland) 1883: Willie Fernie (Scotland) 1882: Bob Ferguson (Scotland) 1881: Bob Ferguson (Scotland) 1880: Bob Ferguson (Scotland) 1879: Jamie Anderson (Scotland) 1878: Jamie Anderson (Scotland) 1877: Jamie Anderson (Scotland) 1876: Bob Martin (Scotland) 1875: Willie Park Sr. (Scotland) 1874: Mungo Park (Scotland) 1873: Tom Kidd (Scotland) 1872: Tom Morris Jr. (Scotland) 1871: Not held 1870: Tom Morris Jr. (Scotland) 1869: Tom Morris Jr. (Scotland) 1868: Tom Morris Jr. (Scotland) 1867: Tom Morris Sr. (Scotland) 1866: Willie Park Sr. (Scotland) 1865: Andrew Strath (Scotland) 1864: Tom Morris Sr. (Scotland) 1863: Willie Park Sr. (Scotland) 1862: Tom Morris Sr. (Scotland) 1861: Tom Morris Sr. (Scotland) 1860: Willie Park Sr. (Scotland) Who has won the most Open Championships? Harry Vardon has won the British Open the most items, with six wins. Below is a list of all the players who have won more than one Open Championship: Harry Vardon - 6 (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914) James Braid - 5 (1901, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1910) John Henry Taylor - 5 (1894, 1895, 1900, 1909, 1913) Peter Thomson - 5 (1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965) Tom Watson - 5 (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983) Tom Morris Sr. - 4 (1861, 1862, 1864, 1867) Tom Morris Jr. - 4 (1868, 1869, 1870, 1872) Willie Park Sr. - 4 (1860, 1863, 1866, 1875) Walter Hagen - 4 (1922, 1924, 1928, 1929) Bobby Locke - 4 (1949, 1950, 1952, 1957) Jamie Anderson - 3 (1877, 1878, 1879) Bob Ferguson - 3 (1880, 1881, 1882) Bobby Jones - 3 (1926, 1927, 1930) Henry Cotton - 3 (1934, 1937, 1948) Gary Player - 3 (1959, 1968, 1974) Jack Nicklaus - 3 (1966, 1970, 1978) Seve Ballesteros - 3 (1979, 1984, 1988) Nick Faldo - 3 (1987, 1990, 1992) Tiger Woods - 3 (2000, 2005, 2006) Bob Martin - 2 (1876, 1885) Willie Park Jr. - 2 (1887, 1889) Harold Hilton - 2 (1892, 1897) Arnold Palmer - 2 (1961, 1962) Lee Trevino - 2 (1971, 1972) Greg Norman - 2 (1986, 1993) Pádraig Harrington - 2 (2007, 2008) Ernie Els - 2 (2002, 2012) recommended Item 1 of 1 Get more from the PGA Tour Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
When Magic Almost Happened: Remembering Tom Watson's Heartbreaking Dance with Destiny at Turnberry
When Magic Almost Happened: Remembering Tom Watson's Heartbreaking Dance with Destiny at Turnberry originally appeared on Athlon Sports. I've been following, playing and working in golf for decades. One thing I can tell you with certainty is that some moments along the way stick with you. Moments that have nothing to do with who won or lost an event and everything to do with what could have been. Advertisement The 2009 British Open at Turnberry? That was one of those moments. Tom Watson was 59 years old. Fifty-nine. Most guys his age are more worried about a declining game, not leading the British Open. But there he was at Turnberry — the same course where he'd beaten Jack Nicklaus in that epic "Duel in the Sun" back in '77 — looking like he might just pull off the impossible. I remember watching Thursday's round, barely paying attention at first. Tiger was in the field; all the young guns were there, and honestly? Watson felt like window dressing. Then I saw the leaderboard. Watson, T. 65. Bogey-free. Wait, what? Advertisement You know that feeling when you're watching something unfold and you can't quite believe it's real? That's what Friday felt like. The weather turned nasty — wind howling, rain sideways, the kind of conditions that usually separate the contenders from the pretenders. Watson shot 70. He was tied for the lead with some guy named Steve Marino, but nobody was talking about Marino. By Saturday, even the doubters were starting to believe. Watson wasn't just hanging around; he was leading the damn thing. A 71 in brutal conditions, and suddenly, we're all doing the math. One more round. Eighteen holes between a 59-year-old legend and the greatest comeback story in golf history. Sunday morning, you could feel it. The galleries were electric. Watson, paired with Mathew Goggin (who was probably in diapers when Watson won his first British Open), walked to the first tee like he belonged there. And for 17 holes, he played like he did. Then came the 18th. Advertisement Watson needed a par. Just a par. His drive was perfect — right down the middle. But his approach shot? It caught one of those hard bounces that make you believe in cruel fate. The ball shot over the green as if it were running from something. What happened next still breaks my heart to this day. Watson had a delicate yet makeable little shot from just off the green. His attempt was decent but not great and left him with a putt for the ages. The putt painfully slid by the edge of the cup. You could hear groans from golf fans from Scotland to LA. The four-hole playoff that followed? Stewart Cink played the type of golf that you would expect from an eventual champion, but it felt like watching the credits roll on a movie that should have had a different ending. Advertisement Here's the thing, though — and this is what still gets me about that day. Watson didn't win the tournament, but he won something bigger. He showed us that age is simply just a number when you've got the heart of a champion. That sometimes "coming close to" magic is its own special kind of magic. Cink got his name on the trophy. But Watson? Watson got something that lasts longer than any championship: he reminded us why we fell in love with this crazy game in the first place. Related: The Magic of The Open Championship: Why Golf's Oldest Major Captivates Like No Other Related: Chris Gotterup's Emotional Scottish Open Win Shows Golf's Future Is Bright Related: Gary Player Reflects on Royal Portrush's Return to The Open Championship This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
BRITISH OPEN '25: Tiger Woods and Tom Watson part of history at golf's oldest championship
FILE -United States' Zach Johnson celebrates with members of the public as he holds the trophy after winning a playoff after the final round at the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Monday, July 20, 2015.(AP Photo/Jon Super, File) FILE -Tom Watson reacts on the 18th green after sinking a 25-foot birdie putt to force a playoff with with Jack Newton in the British Open golf championship at Carnoustie, Scotland in this July 12, 1975 photo. (AP Photo, File) FILE -Tiger Woods of the United States tees off from the 18th towards the club house of the Royal and Ancient during the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, July 23, 2000. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File) FILE -Tiger Woods of the United States tees off from the 18th towards the club house of the Royal and Ancient during the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, July 23, 2000. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File) FILE -United States' Zach Johnson celebrates with members of the public as he holds the trophy after winning a playoff after the final round at the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Monday, July 20, 2015.(AP Photo/Jon Super, File) FILE -Tom Watson reacts on the 18th green after sinking a 25-foot birdie putt to force a playoff with with Jack Newton in the British Open golf championship at Carnoustie, Scotland in this July 12, 1975 photo. (AP Photo, File) FILE -Tiger Woods of the United States tees off from the 18th towards the club house of the Royal and Ancient during the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, July 23, 2000. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File) PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — A capsule look at key anniversary years at the British Open, including the AP story from those victories: 150 years ago (1875) Site: Prestwick. Winner: Willie Park Sr. Runner-up: Bob Martin. Advertisement Score: 56-59-51--166. Margin: 2 shots. Winner's share: 8 pounds. Noteworthy: Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris did not play because the wife of Young Tom Morris died six days before the championship while giving birth. Young Tom Morris also died later that year. The Glasgow Herald: The annual competition for the golf championship of Scotland took place on Prestwick Links, and resulted in favour of Willie Park, of Musselburgh. The game consisted of 36 holes, and was completed by Park in 166 strokes. In the absence of the famous Morrises of St. Andrews, who are at present mourning a severe domestic calamity, only two representatives of the 'Kingdom' were present, but one of them, Bob Martin, won second place in the competition. Advertisement 125 years ago (1900) Site: St. Andrews. Winner: J.H. Taylor. Runner-up: Harry Vardon. Score: 79-77-78-75--309. Margin: 8 shots. Winner's share: 50 pounds. Noteworthy: This was a period when Taylor and Harry Vardon had won five of the previous six British Open titles. AP story: J.H. Taylor won the open golf championship on the St. Andrews links today. Taylor's win was a popular one. His score was 309 for the four rounds, being thirteen strokes better than his victory on the same grounds in 1895. The weather was dull, but favourable for good scoring. By his victory at St. Andrews yesterday Taylor scores his third triumph in the English open championships. His first success was gained in 1894 over the same links, and it is a noteworthy fact that up to that time the title had never been won by an English professional. Advertisement 100 years ago (1925) Site: Prestwick. Winner: Jim Barnes. Runners-up: Archie Compston and Ted Ray. Score: 70-77-79-74--300 Margin: 1 shot. Winner's share: 75 pounds. Noteworthy: This was the final British Open held at Prestwick. Troon replaced it as the links in the southwest of Scotland. AP story: The British open golf championship will be carried back to the United States by 'Long Jim' Barnes, who won it today. His score of 300 strokes for the 72 holes over links at Prestwick led all the others of the 83 competitors. His victory marked the fourth in five summers of the Americans in the historic tournament. The Britons, Edward Ray, champions of years ago, and Archie Compston of North Manchester, failed by but one stroke of equaling Barnes' winning score. Each scored a 301. They both missed final putts on the last green and lost their chance to tie Barnes. Advertisement 75 years ago (1950) Site: Troon GC. Winner: Bobby Locke. Runner-up: Roberto De Vicenzo. Score: 69-72-70-68--279 Margin: 2 shots. Winner's share: 1,500 pounds. Noteworthy: Locke set the 72-hole scoring record, which he matched seven years later. AP story: Bobby Locke, walking as if the Troon fairways were carpeted with eggs, came up with a fourth round 68 today that won him the British Open Golf title for the second straight year and lowered a scoring mark that had stood since 1932. The South African finished with a 279 on rounds of 69-72-70-68 over the par 70 course. His aggregate wiped out the previous low winning total of 283 posted by Gene Sarazen 18 years ago. Behind Locke came Roberto De Vicenzo of Argentina, who carded a 281 and also broke Sarazen's record. Only because it retained the championship for Locke did his hot round overshadow a sensational 66 which Frank Stranahan of Toledo, Ohio, fired in a vain attempt to place the open trophy beside the British amateur award he won earlier this spring. Advertisement 50 years ago (1975) Site: Carnoustie. Winner: Tom Watson. Runner-up: Jack Newton. Score: 71-67-69-72-279 Margin: Playoff (Watson 71, Newton 72). Winner's share: 7,500 pounds. Noteworthy: This was the final 18-hole playoff at the British Open. It was changed to a four-hole aggregate playoff in 1985 (first used in 1989). AP story: Tom Watson, a 25-year-old who has blown chances in three major championships, kept his cool Sunday and won the British Open golf championship on the rainswept 18th hole of a playoff when Jack Newton missed a tying par putt by inches. Watson, who finished the extra round in 1-under-par 71, holed a 30-foot chip for an eagle on the 14th to take a one-shot lead, then bogeyed the 16th, putting him and his 25-year-old Australian challenger even going to the 18th. Watson parred. Newton blasted out of a greenside bunker and needed a 12-foot putt to stay alive. He just missed, and the title and the $16,500 first prize belonged to Watson. Advertisement 25 years ago (2000) Site: St. Andrews GC. Winner: Tiger Woods. Runners-up: Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn. Score: 67-66-67-69--269. Margin: 8 shots. Winner's share: 500,000. Noteworthy: Woods played the ninth hole during the practice round with a replica of a gutta percha. He hit driver and 5-iron just over the back of the green and got up-and-down for par. AP story: Five hundred years of legend and lore hardly prepared golf's hallowed home for Tiger Woods. On the same linksland that Old Tom Morris nurtured and Jack Nicklaus conquered, along came a 24-year-old with a keen eye for history. Woods not only became the youngest player to win the career Grand Slam, he completed it faster than any of the four greats who did it before him. The final piece came Sunday, when Woods held the silver claret jug under the cool, grey skies of St. Andrews after another record-breaking performance to win the British Open. Challenged briefly by David Duval, Woods pulled away for an eight-stroke victory. It wasn't quite as overwhelming as his 15-stroke victory in the U.S. Open last month, but it was the largest in 87 years of golf's oldest championship. Advertisement 20 years ago (2005) Site: St. Andrews. Winner: Tiger Woods. Runner-up: Colin Montgomerie. Score: 66-67-71-70-274 Margin: 5 shots. Winner's share: 720,000. Noteworthy: Jack Nicklaus missed the cut in his 164th and final major championship. Woods won each of the four majors Nicklaus played for the final time. AP story: Sunday brought yet another grand crossing over the Swilcan Bridge: The defiant return of Tiger Woods. Two days after Jack Nicklaus bade an emotional farewell to the majors, Woods took another step toward the Golden Bear's record with another ruthless performance at St. Andrews, closing with a 2-under 70 to win the British Open for his 10th career major. He won by five shots, the largest margin in any major since Woods won by eight at St. Andrews five years ago. This one also had a sense of inevitability, with Woods taking the lead on the ninth hole of the first round. No one caught him over the final 63. He joined Nicklaus as the only players to win the career Grand Slam twice, and Woods completed his own version of the slam that shows how their careers are so indelibly linked — he now has won all four majors that Nicklaus played for the last time. Advertisement 10 years ago (2015) Site: St. Andrews. Winner: Zach Johnson. Runners-up: Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman. Score: 66-71-70-66--273 Margin: Playoff (Johnson 3-3-5-4; Oosthuizen 3-4-5-4; Leishman 5-4-5-4). Winner's share: 1,150,000 pounds Noteworthy: Rory McIlroy was the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 who did not defend his title because of an ankle surgery from playing soccer. AP story: Zach Johnson cradled the silver claret jug in his arms. Jordan Spieth let it slip through his fingers. Spieth was right where he wanted to be in his spirited bid for the Grand Slam — tied for the lead with two holes to go in the British Open, right after making a 50-foot birdie putt that made it feel as though he were destined to win at St. Andrews for his third straight major. And he was still there at the very end Monday, but only as a spectator. The slam gone, Spieth graciously returned to the steps of the Royal & Ancient clubhouse to watch Johnson finish off a sterling performance of his own. Johnson rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that got him into a three-man playoff, and he outlasted Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman to win the British Open. ___ AP golf:
