Every British Open winner by year: Complete list of champions and prize money, from Rory McIlroy to Tiger Woods

Now the final major on the golf calendar, the Open Championship — also known as the British Open — is a walk back in time compared to most other tournaments.

While every major has history attached to it, The Open dates all the way back to 1860 and rotates between courses that, in some cases, have stood for centuries. The iconic links courses of the United Kingdom annually test the world’s best golfers, and the result is a list of winners littered with notable names.

Plenty of new faces could lift the Claret Jug in the years ahead, but more than 160 years of greatness set the stage for them at the Open Championship.

Here’s a look at the complete list of British Open winners and the payouts they received.

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British Open winners by year

The Open Championship was first played in 1860 and hasn’t left the United Kingdom since. The tournament has been interrupted a handful of times, including an extended hiatus during both World War I and World War II. In addition to the war stoppages, The Open wasn’t held in 1871 due to the lack of a trophy or 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is every champion in tournament history:

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How much does the British Open winner make?

The winner’s payout has skyrocketed in the 21st century, jumping to $1 million for the first time in 2015 before hitting $2 million in 2021 and quickly rising to $3 million in 2023.

Here’s a complete look at the money each Open Championship winner took home.

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Who has won the most British Opens?

Harry Vardon has the most British Open victories, with wins in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911 and 1914. Tom Watson, Peter Thomson, John Henry Taylor and James Braid finished one win behind Vardon with five. Vardon, who also won the U.S. Open in 1900, was one of the early superstars of golf and made a habit of dominating The Open.

The most recent player to win a second Open Championship was Ernie Els in 2012; every other winner since has been a first-time champion.

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Who is the youngest British Open winner?

The youngest winner of the Open Championship is Young Tom Morris, who won at age 17 in 1868. The name checks out. Morris, the son of Old Tom Morris (naturally), won four consecutive British Open titles starting in 1868. After finishing as the runner-up in 1874, he missed the 1875 tournament following his wife’s death and would pass away himself later in the year at just 24 years old. 

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Who is the oldest British Open winner?

The oldest winner of the Open Championship happens to be Old Tom Morris, which is also appropriate. Morris matched his son with four Open titles, the last of which came when he was 46 years old in 1867. 1967 champion Robert de Vicenzo came the closest to Morris’ mark by winning The Open at age 44, while Phil Mickelson won at age 43 in 2013.