GOLF
Who has won the British Open the most times? List of winners
Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer have won multiple Open Championships but are some way off being the most successful men’s player.
The British Open, officially named The Open Championship, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and arguably remains the most prestigious despite some stiff competition in the modern era.
When was the first Open Championship played?
The first edition of the event took place in 1860, well before golf’s other majors were established in 1895 (the US Open), 1916 (the PGA Championship) and 1934 (the Masters).
With The Open originating in Scotland, it may not come as a huge surprise to learn Scottish golfers dominated in its early days, winning the first 29 tournaments until 1889.
The first non-Scot, Englishman John Ball, won in 1890, although it took until 1921 for the first American, Jock Hutchinson (who was born in Scotland, as the name suggests) to win the Claret Jug.
From then on, the United States has gone on to become the most successful nation in the history of the British Open, registering 46 victories (Scotland are next with 41) up until 2023, when Brian Harman won at Royal Liverpool.
Who has won the Open the most times?
The list of British Open winners reads as a who’s who of golf, with Tom Watson, Bobby Jones, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino among the players who have won the tournament on multiple occasions.
However, The Open Championship’s ultimate champion is Harry Vardon, who hailed from Jersey. With a whopping six titles under his belt, spanning from 1896 to 1914, Vardon tops the all-time list of winners ahead of four players, including Watson, who won five Opens.
All-time winners:
- 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 Haugen: 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, 1987 - Arnold Palmer: 2
1961, 1962 - Lee Trevino: 2
1971, 1972 - Greg Norman: 2
1986, 1993 - Padraig Harrington: 2
2007, 2008 - Ernie Els: 2
2002, 2012
Interestingly, there has been only one repeat winner of the British Open in the last 16 years, with Ernie Els’ 2012 victory coming after his maiden triumph 10 years earlier.
Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Shane Lowry and Collin Morikawa are among the winners since then who have been unable to get their hands on the Claret Jug for a second time.