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 |
