Golf
Open Championship history: When did it begin? What is the most frequent host? Who has the most wins?
The final major of the 2024 golf season has arrived.
This week, the world’s best players will head across the pond for the Open Championship.
Also known as the British Open, this year’s tournament will be played at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland.
Rather than looking ahead to this weekend, let’s open up the history books and dive into everything about the world’s oldest golf tournament:
When was the first Open Championship?
The Open Championship was established in 1860, making it the oldest golf tournament in the world.
This year will be the 152nd Open Championship — the only missed years since its inception were 1871, 1915-19 (World War I), 1940-45 (World War II) and 2020 (COVID-19).
Who has won the most Open Championships?
Harry Vardon holds the record for most Open Championship wins with six (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914).
Here’s a look at all the multi-time winners in Open history:
| Golfer | Home country | Wins | Years won |
| Harry Vardon | Jersey | 6 | 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914 |
| James Braid | Scotland | 5 | 1901, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1910 |
| John Henry Taylor | England | 5 | 1894, 1895, 1900, 1909, 1913 |
| Peter Thomson | Australia | 5 | 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965 |
| Tom Watson | United States | 5 | 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983 |
| Tom Morris Sr. | Scotland | 4 | 1861, 1862, 1864, 1867 |
| Tom Morris Jr. | Scotland | 4 | 1868, 1869, 1870, 1872 |
| Willie Park Sr. | Scotland | 4 | 1860, 1863, 1866, 1875 |
| Walter Hagen | United States | 4 | 1922, 1924, 1928, 1929 |
| Bobby Locke | South Africa | 4 | 1949, 1950, 1952, 1957 |
| Jamie Anderson | Scotland | 3 | 1877, 1878, 1879 |
| Bob Ferguson | Scotland | 3 | 1880, 1881, 1882 |
| Bobby Jones | United States | 3 | 1926, 1927, 1930 |
| Henry Cotton | England | 3 | 1934, 1937, 1948 |
| Gary Player | South Africa | 3 | 1959, 1968, 1974 |
| Jack Nicklaus | United States | 3 | 1966, 1970, 1978 |
| Seve Ballesteros | Spain | 3 | 1979, 1984, 1988 |
| Nick Faldo | England | 3 | 1987, 1990, 1992 |
| Tiger Woods | United States | 3 | 2000, 2005, 2006 |
| Bob Martin | Scotland | 2 | 1876, 1885 |
| Willie Park Jr. | Scotland | 2 | 1887, 1889 |
| Harold Hilton | England | 2 | 1892, 1897 |
| Arnold Palmer | United States | 2 | 1961, 1962 |
| Lee Trevino | United States | 2 | 1971, 1972 |
| Greg Norman | Australia | 2 | 1986, 1993 |
| Padraig Harrington | Ireland | 2 | 2007, 2008 |
| Ernie Els | South Africa | 2 | 2002, 2012 |
What country has hosted the most Open Championships?
The Open Championship rotates between nations within the United Kingdom.
Scotland, which hosted the first 33 Open Championships, has held the tournament a record 97 times. England has hosted 52 times, followed by Northern Ireland hosting it twice.
With the 2024 tournament returning to Scotland at Royal Troon, the nation will host for a 98th time.
What course has hosted the most Open Championships?
The tournament has always been held at coastal links golf course in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland, but the exact venue rotates every year.
Here’s a breakdown of all the courses that have hosted the Open (including 2024):
| Course name | Number of tournaments hosted | Years hosted |
| St Andrews | 30 | 1873, 1876, 1879, 1882, 1885, 1888, 1891, 1895, 1900, 1905, 1910, 1921, 1927, 1933, 1939, 1946, 1955, 1957, 1960, 1964, 1970, 1979, 1984, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2022 |
| Prestwick | 24 | 1860-72, 1875, 1878, 1881, 1884, 1887, 1890, 1893, 1898, 1903, 1908, 1914, 1925 |
| Muirfield | 16 | 1892, 1896, 1901, 1906, 1912, 1929, 1935, 1948, 1959, 1966, 1972, 1980, 1987, 1992, 2002, 2013 |
| Royal St George’s | 15 | 1894, 1899, 1904, 1911, 1922, 1928, 1934, 1938, 1949, 1981, 1985, 1993, 2003, 2011, 2021 |
| Royal Liverpool | 13 | 1897, 1902, 1907, 1913, 1924, 1930, 1936, 1947, 1956, 1967, 2006, 2014, 2023 |
| Royal Lytham & St Annes | 11 | 1926, 1952, 1958, 1963, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1988, 1996, 2001, 2012 |
| Royal Troon | 10 | 1923, 1950, 1962, 1973, 1982, 1989, 1997, 2004, 2016, 2024 |
| Royal Birkdale | 10 | 1954, 1961, 1965, 1971, 1976, 1983, 1991, 1998, 2008, 2017 |
| Carnoustie | 8 | 1931, 1937, 1953, 1968, 1975, 1999, 2007, 2018 |
| Musselburgh | 6 | 1874, 1877, 1880, 1883, 1886, 1889 |
| Turnberry | 4 | 1977, 1986, 1994, 2009 |
| Royal Cinque Ports | 2 | 1909, 1920 |
| Royal Portrush | 2 | 1951, 2019 |
| Prince’s | 1 | 1932 |
When is the 2024 Open Championship?
The 2024 Open Championship will air on NBC, USA Network and Peacock from Thursday, July 18, through Sunday, July 21.
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