List of the British Open Winners

19th Century Winners

The British Open was won in the 19th Century by many distinguished golfers of that era. Among these golfers were Old Tom Morris, the founder of the tournament, who won it 1861, '62, '64 and '67. His son Young Tom Morris would go on to change the tournament, winning it four times in a row, starting in 1868. Other notable winners in the tournament's first 40 years were Willie Park (1860, 1863, 1866, 1865), Jamie Anderson (1877, 1878, 1879) and Harry Vardon (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903).

Early 1900s Winners

As golf swept the world and became popular in the United States, more winners came from across the pond. Some of the notable names to win the Claret Jug in the first 40 years of the decade included: James Braid (1901, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1910) and John Henry Taylor (1894, 1895, 1900, 1909, 1913). A new wave of golfers emerged after World War I to win the trophy, including: Walter Hagen (1922, 1924, 1928, 1929) and Bobby Jones (1926, 1927, 1930).

Mid-1900s

The winners after the five-year hiatus for World War II included some of the most historic names in golf. As the game continued to develop into its golden age, non-Britons began to dominate the game and the Open Championship. They included: the South African Bobby Locke (1949, 1950, 1952, 1957); the Australian Peter Thompson (1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965); the South African Gary Player (1959, 1968, 1974); and the Americans Arnold Palmer (1961, 1962,); Jack Nicklaus (1966, 1970, 1978); and Tom Watson (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983).

Late 20th and 21st Century Winners

The last 15 years of the 20th century and the first 10 of the 21st century would see another group of players with a stranglehold on the prestigious tournament. This group included: Nick Faldo (1987, 1990, 1992); Seve Ballesteros (1979, 1984, 1988); Greg Norman (1986, 1992); Tiger Woods (2000, 2005, 2006); and Padraig Harrington (2007, 2008). Stewart Cink won in 2009.