How many Americans have won the British Open?

Historically, American golf players have been the most successful at British Open links courses. However, they only began participating on a massive scale in the tournament after the conclusion of World War I.

For most American players, the British golf tournament was unappealing due to the challenges of traveling abroad, the comparatively low prize money, and the vast difference in playing on links golf courses.

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 tournament. The era’s top golfers, including Jock Hutchison, who was born in Scotland but became a U.S. 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 golfing legend, won the championship thrice. In 1930, he won the U.S. and British Open and U.S. 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 U.S. 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 45 victories. The first win was attained in 1921 by Jock Hutchison, a renowned Scottish player with American citizenship. The most recent success was secured by Collin Morikawa in 2021, as he led the pack until the end at the Royal St George’s golf course.

In total, 30 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 and Bobby Jones follow closely, with four and three wins, respectively.