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The Open Championship - Facts and Figures
Facts and Figures

The Open Championship - Facts and Figures

OLDEST WINNER:

Old Tom Morris, 1867, 46 years and 99 days

Robert de Vicenzo, 1967, 44 years and 93 days

Harry Vardon, 1914, 44 years and 41 days

YOUNGEST WINNER:

Young Tom Morris, 1868, 17 years, 5 months and 8 days

Willie Auchterlonie, 1893, 21 years and 24 days

Severiano Ballesteros, 1979, 22 years, 3 months and 12 days

OLDEST COMPETITOR

Gene Sarazen, 74 years, 5 months, 8 days, 1976

YOUNGEST COMPETITOR

Young Tom Morris, 14 years, 4 months and 4 days, 1865

CHAMPIONS IN THREE DECADES:

Harry Vardon, 1896, 1903 and 1911

J.H.Taylor, 1894, 1900 and 1913

Gary Player, 1959, 1968 and 1974

MOST VICTORIES:

6, Harry Vardon, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911 and 1914

5, James Braid, 1901,1905, 1906, 1908, and 1910

5, J. H. Taylor, 1894,1895, 1900, 1909 and 1913

5, Peter Thomson, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1965

5, Tom Watson, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983

BIGGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY:

13 strokes, Old Tom Morris, 1862

12 strokes, Young Tom Morris, 1870

8 strokes, J.H. Taylor, 1900 and 1913

8 strokes,  James Braid, 1908

8 strokes,  Tiger Woods, 2000

7 strokes, Louis Oosthuizen, 2010

6 strokes, Bobby Jones, 1927

6 strokes,  Walter Hagen, 1929

6 strokes,  Arnold Palmer, 1962

6 strokes,  Johnny Miller 1976

LOWEST WINNING AGGREGATES

267 (66,68,69,64) Greg Norman, Royal St George’s, 1993

268 (68,70,65,65) Tom Watson, Turnberry, 1977

268 (69,66,67,66) Nick Price, Turnberry, 1994

269 (67,66,67,69) Tiger Woods, St Andrews,  2000

270 (67,65,67,71) Sir Nick Faldo, St Andrews, 1990

270 (67,65,71, 67) Tiger Woods, Royal Liverpool, 2006

LOWEST WINNING UNDER PAR SCORES

269 (-19)Tiger Woods, St Andrews, 2000

270 (-18) Sir Nick Faldo, St Andrews, 1990

270 (-18) Tiger Woods, Royal Liverpool, 2006

272 (-16) Louis Oosthuizen, St Andrews, 2010

274 (-14), Tiger Woods, St Andrews, 2005

271 (-13) Tom Watson,  Muirfield, 1980

267 (-13) Greg Norman, Royal St Gerorge’s, 1993

271 (-13) Tom Lehman, Royal Lytham and St Annes, 1996

LOWEST 9 HOLES

28, Denis Durnian, Royal Birkdale, 1983

LOWEST INDIVIDUAL ROUND

63, Mark Hayes, 2nd round, Turnberry, 1977

63, Isao Aoki, 3rd round, Muirfield, 1980

63, Greg Norman, 2nd round, Turnberry, 1986

63, Paul Broadhurst, 3rd round, St Andrews, 1990

63, Jodie Mudd, 4th round, Royal Birkdale, 1991

63, Nick Faldo, 2nd round , Royal St George’s, 1993

63, Payne Stewart, 4th round, Royal St Georges, 1993

63, Rory McIlroy, 1st round, St Andrews, 2010

LOWEST FIRST ROUND

63, Rory McIlroy, 1st round, St Andrews, 2010

64, Craig Stadler, Royal Birkdale, 1983

64, Christy O’Connor Jnr, Royal St George’s 1985

64, Rodger Davis, Murifield, 1987

64, Steve Pate,  Muirfield, 1992

64, Ray Floyd, Murifield, 1992

64, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Turnberry, 2009

LOWEST SECOND ROUND

63, Mark Hayes, Turnberry, 1977

63, Greg Norman, Turnberry, 1986

63 Sir Nick Faldo, Royal St George’s, 1993

LOWEST THIRD ROUND

63, Isao Aoki, Muirfield, 1980

63 Paul Broadhurst, St Andrews, 1990

LOWEST FOURTH ROUND

63, Jodie Mudd, Royal Birkdale, 1991,

63 Payne Stewart, Royal St George’s, 1993

LOWEST 1ST 36 HOLES

130, (66,64) Sir Nick Faldo, Muirfield, 1992

132, (67,65) Sir Henry Cotton, Royal St George’s, 1934

132, (67,65), Sir Nick Faldo, St Andrews, 1990

132,  (66,66) Greg Norman, St Andrews, 1990

132,  (69,63) Sir Nick Faldo, Royal St George's, 1993

132 , (67-65) Tiger Woods, Royal Liverpool, 2006

132 (65-67), Louis Oosthuizen, St Andrews, 2010

LOWEST FINAL 36 HOLES

130, (65-65) Tom Watson, Turnberry, 1977

130,  (64-66) Ian Baker-Finch, Royal Birkdale, 1991,

130, (66-64) Anders Forsbrand, Turnberry, 1994

LOWEST 1ST  54 HOLES

198, (67,67,64) Tom Lehman, Royal Lytham & St Annes, 1996

199, (67,65,67) Sir Nick Faldo, St Andrews,, 1990

199, (66-64-69) Sir Nick Faldo, Muirfield, 1992

LOWEST FINAL 54 HOLES

199, (66,67,66)  Nick Price, Turnberry, 1994

200, (70,65,65) Tom Watson, Turnberry, 1977

200 (63,70,67), Sir Nick Faldo, Royal St George’s, 1993

200 (66,64,70) Fuzzy Zoeller, Turnberry, 1994

200 (66,70,64) Sir Nick Faldo, Turnberry, 1994

BIGGEST SPAN BETWEEN VICTORIES

11 years, Sir Henry Cotton, 1937-48

BIGGEST SPAN BETWEEN FIRST AND LAST VICTORIES

19 years, J H Taylor, 1894-1913

18 years Harry Vardon, 1896-1914

MOST SUCCESSIVE VICTORIES

4, Young Tom Morris, 1868-72 (no championship in 1871)

3, Jamie Anderson, 1877-79

3, Bob Ferguson, 1880-82

3, Peter Thomson, 1954-56

VICTORIES BY AMATEURS

3, Bobby Jones, 1926, 27, 30

2, Harold Hilton, 1892, 97

1, John Ball, 1890

(Roger Wethered lost in a play-off in 1921)

CHAMPIONS ON FIRST APPEARANCE

Willie Park, Prestwick, 1860

Tom Kidd, St Andrews, 1873

Mungo Park, Musselburgh, 1874

Harold Hilton, Muirfield, 1892

Jock Hutchinson, St Andrews, 1921

Densmore Shute, St Andrews, 1933

Ben Hogan, Carnoustie, 1953

Tony Lema, St Andrews, 1964

Tom Watson, Carnoustie, 1975

Ben Curtis, Royal St George's, 2003

HIGHEST NUMBER OF SUB-70 ROUNDS

36, Sir Nick Faldo

33, Jack Nicklaus

30, Tom Watson

25 Greg Norman

21, Lee Trevino

21, Nick Price

20, Severiano Ballesteros

PLAYERS TO WIN WITH FOUR SUB-70 ROUNDS

Greg Norman, Royal St George’s, 1993

Nick Price, Turnberry, 1994

Tiger Woods, St Andrews, 2000

  • Ernie Els was the first player to record four sub-70 rounds at Royal St George’s in 1993

HIGHEST NUMBER OF TOP FIVE FINISHES

16, J H Taylor

16 Jack Nicklaus

15, Harry Vardon

15 James Braid

WIRE-TO-WIRE WINNERS ( NO-TIES)

Willie Auchterlonie,  Prestwick, 1893

J H Taylor,  Royal St George’s, 1884

James Braid, Prestwick, 1908

Ted Ray, Muirfield, 1912

Bobby Jones, St Andrews, 1927

Gene Sarazen, Prince’s, 1932

Henry Cotton, Royal St George’s, 1934

Tom Weiskopf, Royal Troon, 1973

Tiger Woods, St Andrews, 2005

LARGEST 18 HOLE LEADS

4 strokes, Bobby Jones, St Andrews, 1927,

4 strokes, Sir Henry Cotton, Royal St George’s 1934

4 strokes, Christy O’Connor Jnr, Royal St George’s 1985

LARGEST 36 HOLE LEADS

9 strokes, Sir Henry Cotton, Royal St George’s, 1934

LARGEST 54 HOLE LEADS

10 strokes, Sir Henry Cotton, Royal St George’s, 1934

LARGEST 54 HOLE LEADS LOST

5 strokes, MacDonald Smith, Prestwick, 1925

5 strokes, Jean Van de Velde, Carnoustie, 1999

LARGEST FINAL ROUND COMEBACK BY A WINNER

10 strokes, Paul Lawrie, Carnoustie, 1999

BEST COMEBACK BY A WINNER AFTER 36 HOLES

13 strokes, George Duncan, Royal Cinque Ports, 1920

BEST COMEBACK BY A WINNER AFTER 18 HOLES

11 strokes, Harry Vardon, Muirfield 1896

LOWEST OPENING ROUND BY A WINNER

65  Louis Oosthuizen, St Andrews, 2010

66, Peter Thomson, Royal Lytham and St Annes, 1958

66, Sir Nick Faldo, Muirfield, 1992,

66, Greg Norman, Royal St George’s, 1993

66, Tiger Woods, St Andrews, 2005

66, Stewart Cink, Turnberry, 2009

HIGHEST OPENING ROUND BY A WINNER

80, George Duncan, Royal Cinque Ports, 1920 (also shot 80 in round two)

LOWEST FINISHING ROUND BY A WINNER

64, Greg Norman, Royal St George’s, 1993

HIGHEST FINISHING ROUND BY A WINNER

79, Sir Henry Cotton, Royal St George’s, 1934

CHAMPION WITH FOUR ROUNDS THE SAME

Densmore Shute, (73,73,73,73) excluding play-off, St Andrews, 1933

MOST CONSECUTIVE APPEARANCES

47, Gary Player, 1955-2001

LONGEST COURSES

Carnoustie, 2007, 7,421 yards

Carnoustie, 1999, 7,361 yards

COURSE MOST OFTEN USED

28, St Andrews

24, Prestwick

24, Muirfield

14, Royal St George's

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