How many Americans have won the British Open?

Historically, American golfers have been the most successful at the British Open, officially called The Open Championship, which is usually played on links courses. However, players from the US only began participating on a massive scale in the tournament after the conclusion of World War I.

A short history of American golfers in The Open Championship

For most American players, the British golf tournament had been unappealing due to the challenges of traveling abroad, the comparatively low prize money, and the vast difference in playing on links golf courses compared to those they were used to.

During the period between World War I and World War II, the most skilled American golf players regularly overcame obstacles to compete in The Open. The era’s top golfers, including Jock Hutchison, who was born in Scotland but became a US citizen in 1917, triumphed over England’s Roger Wethered in a playoff to win the title in 1921, marking the beginning of a decade of American dominance. Walter Hagen, who won the championship in 1922, became the first American-born champion of The Open and won the title four times during the decade.

Bobby Jones, an amateur golfer and legend of the sport, won the championship on three occasions. In 1930, he won the US and British Open, as well as the US and British Amateur Championships in the same year, which he called the “Grand Slam.”

In 1960, Arnold Palmer had the chance to emulate Ben Hogan’s fantastic feat by winning both the Masters and US Open championships. However, Palmer had never played in The Open before, and it took some convincing from his business partner Mark McCormack to get him to participate. While most people were focused on the golf tournament, McCormack saw the bigger picture and realized that Palmer had the potential to become a worldwide star due to his charisma and, in that way, promote the game of golf globally.

Despite coming close to winning the title in 1960, his victories in 1961 and 1962 convinced other Americans that they could also succeed in Europe and cemented Palmer’s reputation as a global golfing superstar. Once Palmer had paved the way, other Americans quickly followed suit and made a name for themselves overseas.

How many Americans have won the British Open?

Throughout the 163-year-old history of The Open, players from the United States have achieved 46 victories (Scotland are next with 41, although 29 of them came before 1890).

The first win was attained in 1921 by Jock Hutchison, a renowned Scottish player with American citizenship. The most recent success was secured in 2023 by Brian Harman, who moved to the top of the leaderboard in the second round at Royal Liverpool and stayed there until the end.

In total, 31 players from the United States have had the opportunity to win the Open trophy. The most successful is Tom Watson, who claimed victory five times in 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, and 1983. Walter Hagen follows closely with four wins, while Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods all lifted the Claret Jug three times.