The Open Championship Trivia & Records
Countdown to The Open Championship 2025
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Until Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland
🏌️ The Open Championship 2025 is Coming!
Get ready for the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, July 13-20, 2025
Most Wins
6
Harry Vardon
Lowest Score
264 (-20)
Henrik Stenson (2016)
Youngest Winner
17 years
Tom Morris Jr. (1868)
Largest Margin
13 strokes
Old Tom Morris (1862)
Championship History & Milestones
- The first Open was held at Prestwick in 1860, with a field of just eight players. Willie Park Sr. won the inaugural championship.
- The Championship Belt was the original prize from 1860-1870. After Young Tom Morris won three consecutive times, he kept it permanently.
- The iconic Claret Jug has been awarded since 1873. The winner keeps it for a year before returning it, receiving a replica to keep.
- The Open became a 72-hole championship in 1892. Previously, it was contested over 36 holes.
- The 2022 event was the 150th edition of the championships, which started in 1860, 162 years previously.
- The Championship was canceled only during the two World Wars (1915-1919 and 1940-1945) and in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Record Holders & Notable Achievements
- The record for the most victories is six, by Harry Vardon. He won in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911 and 1914.
- Five players have won The Open five times: James Braid, J.H. Taylor, Peter Thomson, Tom Watson, and most recently, Tom Watson.
- Henrik Stenson set the record for lowest 72-hole score with 264 (-20) at Royal Troon in 2016, the lowest score in any major championship.
- The largest margin of victory in the British Open was 13 strokes by Old Tom Morris in 1862.
- Jack Nicklaus holds the record for most runner-up finishes with 7, despite winning "only" 3 times.
- Tiger Woods is the only player to win The Open at St Andrews twice in the modern era (2000, 2005).
- Who will add their name to this list in 2025? Scottie Scheffler is the early favorite.
Did You Know? Xander Schauffele became the first player to shoot two final-round 65s to win majors in the same year when he won both the PGA Championship and The Open in 2024! Can he defend his title at Royal Portrush?
Age Records
- The oldest winner was Old Tom Morris, who won in 1867, aged 46 years and 99 days.
- The youngest winner was Young Tom Morris (son of Old Tom), who won in 1868, aged 17 years 5 months 8 days.
- Young Tom Morris was also the youngest competitor when he competed in the event in 1865, aged 14 years 4 months, 25 days.
- The oldest competitor was Gene Sarazen, who was aged 74 years, 4 months, 9 days in 1976.
- Phil Mickelson became the oldest runner-up at age 46 in 2016, finishing second to Henrik Stenson.
International Flavor
- The only times The Open was played outside England and Scotland were in 1951 and 2019 at Royal Portrush Golf Club, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It returns there in 2025.
- Shane Lowry's victory at Royal Portrush in 2019 marked the first time an Irishman won The Open on Irish soil.
- The Open has been won by players from 14 different countries, with Americans holding the most victories (46), followed by Scotland (41).
- Arnaud Massy (1907) remains the only French winner of The Open.
- Francesco Molinari became Italy's first major champion when he won in 2018 at Carnoustie.
- The first non-British winner was Jock Hutchison in 1921, though he was born in Scotland before emigrating to the USA.
Did You Know? Royal Portrush will become only the second course to host The Open three times outside of Great Britain when it hosts the 153rd Championship in 2025! Tickets are selling fast for this historic event.
Memorable Moments & Unusual Facts
- In 1999 at Carnoustie, Jean van de Velde famously needed only a double bogey on 18 to win but took seven, losing in a playoff to Paul Lawrie.
- The "Postage Stamp" hole at Royal Troon (8th hole, 123 yards) got its name from a 1973 article comparing the tiny green to a postage stamp.
- Tom Watson nearly won at age 59 in 2009, losing in a playoff to Stewart Cink at Turnberry.
- The silver medal for leading amateur has been awarded since 1949. Tiger Woods won it in 1996 at Royal Lytham.
- Greg Norman's final-round 64 at Royal St George's in 1993 is considered one of the greatest closing rounds in major championship history.
- The Open uses a unique four-hole playoff format (since 2019), unlike other majors that use sudden death or 18 holes.
- The 2025 Open at Royal Portrush will feature the same challenging conditions that saw Shane Lowry triumph in 2019.
Quick Trivia Quiz
Q: Which course has hosted The Open the most times?
Recent Champions & Trends
- The last five different winners represent five different countries: USA (Xander Schauffele 2024), USA (Brian Harman 2023), Australia (Cameron Smith 2022), USA (Collin Morikawa 2021), and Ireland (Shane Lowry 2019).
- Since 2000, only Tiger Woods (3), Ernie Els (2), and Padraig Harrington (2) have won The Open multiple times.
- The trend of first-time major winners continued with Brian Harman in 2023, making it 4 first-time major winners in the last 10 Opens. Will 2025 see another first-timer?
- Royal Troon has now produced the two lowest winning scores in Open history: Henrik Stenson's -20 in 2016 and -9 by Xander Schauffele in 2024.
- Looking ahead to the 2025 Open Championship, Rory McIlroy will be seeking to end his major drought on home soil in Northern Ireland.
Related Pages
- Open Championships main page
- Complete Winners List
- 2025 Open Championship Preview - Full schedule and course guide
- 2025 Open Championship Betting Odds - Who are the favorites?
- 2025 Open Championship Tickets - Prices and availability
- More Golf Majors Trivia
- More Sports Trivia
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