Did You Know?
- The Open Golf Championship
Background
The Open Championship was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, in Ayrshire, Scotland. The inaugural tournament was restricted to professionals, and attracted a field of eight Scottish golfers, who played three rounds of Prestwick's (then) twelve-hole course in a single day. Open Golf tournaments now take place at many locations around the world but they are all named after the country or location. The one held in the UK is called simply "The Open Golf Championship" or simply the Open (although sometimes referred to as the British Open outside the United Kingdom).From 1860 to 1896 the competition was always held in Scotland and since 1860 St Andrews has hosted the competition more times than any other venue - 26 times, with Prestwick a close second (24 times, a total inflated by the first dozen competitions being held there). Originally, the trophy presented to the event's winner was the Champion's Belt, a red leather belt with a silver buckle. There was no prize money in the first three Opens. In 1863, a prize fund of £10 was introduced, which was shared between the second- third- and fourth-placed professionals, with the Champion still just getting to keep the belt - for a year. In 1864 Old Tom Morris won the first Champion's cash prize of £6. By 2011, the winner's cheque had increased to £900,000. The present trophy, The Golf Champion Trophy, better known by its popular name of The Claret Jug, was created in 1873. The 1894 Open was the first one held outside Scotland, at the Royal St George's Golf Club in England.
Winners of The Open, 1860 to 2011
Year Venue Winner From 2011 Royal St George's Darren Clarke Northern Ireland 2010 St Andrews Louis Oosthuizen South Africa 2009 Turnberry Stewart Cink USA 2008 Royal Birkdale Pádraig Harrington Ireland 2007 Carnoustie Pádraig Harrington Ireland 2006 Royal Liverpool Tiger Woods USA 2005 St Andrews Tiger Woods USA 2004 Royal Troon Todd Hamilton USA 2003 Royal St George's Ben Curtis USA 2002 Muirfield Ernie Els South Africa 2001 Royal Lytham & St Annes David Duval USA 2000 St Andrews Tiger Woods USA 1999 Carnoustie Paul Lawrie Scotland 1998 Royal Birkdale Mark O'Meara USA 1997 Royal Troon Justin Leonard USA 1996 Royal Lytham & St Annes Tom Lehman USA 1995 St Andrews John Daly USA 1994 Turnberry Nick Price Zimbabwe 1993 Royal St George's Greg Norman Australia 1992 Muirfield Nick Faldo England 1991 Royal Birkdale Ian Baker-Finch Australia 1990 St Andrews Nick Faldo England 1989 Royal Troon Mark Calcavecchia USA 1988 Royal Lytham & St Annes Seve Ballesteros Spain 1987 Muirfield Nick Faldo England 1986 Turnberry Greg Norman Australia 1985 Royal St George's Sandy Lyle Scotland 1984 St Andrews Seve Ballesteros Spain 1983 Royal Birkdale Tom Watson USA 1982 Royal Troon Tom Watson USA 1981 Royal St George's Bill Rogers USA 1980 Muirfield Tom Watson USA 1979 Royal Lytham & St Annes Seve Ballesteros Spain 1978 St Andrews Jack Nicklaus USA 1977 Turnberry Tom Watson USA 1976 Royal Birkdale Johnny Miller USA 1975 Carnoustie Tom Watson USA 1974 Royal Lytham & St Annes Gary Player South Africa 1973 Royal Troon Tom Weiskopf USA 1972 Muirfield Lee Trevino USA 1971 Royal Birkdale Lee Trevino USA 1970 St Andrews Jack Nicklaus USA 1969 Royal Lytham & St Annes Tony Jacklin England 1968 Carnoustie Gary Player South Africa 1967 Royal Liverpool Roberto De Vicenzo Argentina 1966 Muirfield Jack Nicklaus USA 1965 Royal Birkdale Peter Thomson Australia 1964 St Andrews Tony Lema USA 1963 Royal Lytham & St Annes Bob Charles New Zealand 1962 Royal Troon Arnold Palmer USA 1961 Royal Birkdale Arnold Palmer USA 1960 St Andrews Kel Nagle Australia 1959 Muirfield Gary Player South Africa 1958 Royal Lytham & St Annes Peter Thomson Australia 1957 St Andrews Bobby Locke South Africa 1956 Royal Liverpool Peter Thomson Australia 1955 St Andrews Peter Thomson Australia 1954 Royal Birkdale Peter Thomson Australia 1953 Carnoustie Ben Hogan USA 1952 Royal Lytham & St Annes Bobby Locke South Africa 1951 Royal Portrush Max Faulkner England 1950 Royal Troon Bobby Locke South Africa 1949 Royal St George's Bobby Locke South Africa 1948 Muirfield Henry Cotton England 1947 Royal Liverpool Fred Daly Northern Ireland 1946 St Andrews Sam Snead USA 1940–1945: No Championships - WW II 1939 St Andrews Dick Burton England 1938 Royal St George's Reg Whitcombe England 1937 Carnoustie Henry Cotton England 1936 Royal Liverpool Alf Padgham England 1935 Muirfield Alf Perry England 1934 Royal St George's Henry Cotton England 1933 St Andrews Denny Shute USA 1932 Prince's Golf Club Gene Sarazen 1931 Carnoustie Tommy Armour USA 1930 Royal Liverpool Bobby Jones USA 1929 Muirfield Walter Hagen USA 1928 Royal St George's Walter Hagen USA 1927 St Andrews Bobby Jones USA 1926 Royal Lytham & St Annes Bobby Jones USA 1925 Prestwick Jim Barnes England 1924 Royal Liverpool Walter Hagen USA 1923 Royal Troon Arthur Havers England 1922 Royal St George's Walter Hagen USA 1921 St Andrews Jock Hutchison USA 1920 Royal Cinque Ports George Duncan Scotland 1915-1919 - No Championships - WWI 1914 Prestwick Harry Vardon Jersey 1913 Royal Liverpool John Henry Taylor England 1912 Muirfield Ted Ray Jersey 1911 Royal St George's Harry Vardon Jersey 1910 St Andrews James Braid Scotland 1909 Royal Cinque Ports John Henry Taylor England 1908 Prestwick James Braid Scotland 1907 Royal Liverpool Arnaud Massy France 1906 Muirfield James Braid Scotland 1905 St Andrews James Braid Scotland 1904 Royal St George's Jack White Scotland 1903 Prestwick Harry Vardon Jersey 1902 Royal Liverpool Sandy Herd Scotland 1901 Muirfield James Braid Scotland 1900 St Andrews John Henry Taylor England 1899 Royal St George's Harry Vardon Jersey 1898 Prestwick arry Vardon Jersey 1897 Royal Liverpool Harold Hilton England 1896 Muirfield Harry Vardon Jersey 1895 St Andrews John Henry Taylor England 1894 Royal St George's John Henry Taylor England 1893 Prestwick William Auchterlonie Scotland 1892 Muirfield Harold Hilton England 1891 St Andrews Hugh Kirkaldy Scotland 1890 Prestwick John Ball England 1889 Musselburgh Willie Park, Jnr Scotland 1888 St Andrews Jack Burns Scotland 1887 Prestwick Willie Park, Jnr Scotland 1886 Musselburgh David Brown Scotland 1885 St Andrews Bob Martin Scotland 1884 Prestwick Jack Simpson Scotland 1883 Musselburgh Willie Fernie Scotland 1882 St Andrews Bob Ferguson Scotland 1881 Prestwick Bob Ferguson Scotland 1880 Musselburgh Bob Ferguson Scotland 1879 St Andrews Jamie Anderson Scotland 1878 Prestwick Jamie Anderson Scotland 1877 Musselburgh Jamie Anderson Scotland 1876 St Andrews Bob Martin Scotland 1875 Prestwick Willie Park, Snr Scotland 1874 Musselburgh Mungo Park Scotland 1873 St Andrews Tom Kidd Scotland 1872 Prestwick Tom Morris, Jnr Scotland 1871 No Championship 1870 Prestwick Tom Morris, Jnr Scotland 1869 Prestwick Tom Morris, Jnr Scotland 1868 Prestwick Tom Morris, Jnr Scotland 1867 Prestwick Tom Morris, Dnr Scotland 1866 Prestwick Willie Park, Snr Scotland 1865 Prestwick Andrew Strath Scotland 1864 Prestwick Tom Morris, Snr Scotland 1863 Prestwick Willie Park, Snr Scotland 1862 Prestwick Tom Morris, Snr Scotland 1861 Prestwick Tom Morris, Snr Scotland 1860 Prestwick Willie Park, Snr Scotland
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