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oldest winner
youngest winner
champions in three decades
highest number of top-five finishes
highest number of rounds under par
highest number of aggregates under par
most consecutive rounds under 70
victories by amateurs
champions in first appearance
most victories
most times runner-up or joint runner-up
youngest and oldest competitor
biggest margin of victory
lowest winning aggregates
lowest aggregate in relation to par
lowest aggregates by runner-up
lowest aggregates by an amateur
lowest individual round
lowest individual round by an amateur
lowest first round
lowest second round
lowest third round
lowest fourth round
lowest first 36 holes
lowest second 36 holes
lowest middle 36 holes
lowest first 54 holes
lowest final 54 holes
lowest 9 holes
biggest span between first and last victories
biggest span between victories
successive victories
highest number of top five finishes
highest number of rounds under 70
first players to break 70 in The Open
outright leader after every round
leader after every round including ties
record leads (since 1892)
biggest leads by non-champions
champion with four rounds the same
champions with each round lower than previous one
biggest variation between rounds of a champion
biggest variation between two rounds
best comeback by champions
champions with four rounds under 70
best finishing round by a champion
worst round by a champion since 1939
worst finishing round by a champion since 1939
best opening round by a champion
biggest recovery in 18 holes by a champion
most appearances
most appearances on final day (since 1892)
most appearances before first victory
most appearances without a victory
championship since 1946 with the fewest rounds under 70
longest course
championship with highest number of rounds under 70
courses most often used

oldest winner

Old Tom Morris, 1867, 46 years 99 days

Harry Vardon, 1914, 44 years 41 days

Roberto de Vicenzo, 1967, 44 years 93 days


youngest winner

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Young Tom Morris, 1868, 17 years 5 months 3 days

Willie Auchterlonie, 1893, 21 years 24 days

Severiano Ballesteros, 1979, 22 years 3 months 12 days


champions in three decades

Harry Vardon, 1896, 1903, 1911

J.H Taylor, 1894, 1900, 1913

Gary Player, 1959, 1968, 1974


highest number of top-five finishes

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16, J.H. Taylor, Jack Nicklaus

15, Harry Vardon, James Braid


highest number of rounds under par

61, Jack Nicklaus

52, Nick Faldo

44, Tom Watson


highest number of aggregates under par

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14, Jack Nicklaus

14, Nick Faldo


most consecutive rounds under 70

7, Ernie Els, 1993-94


victories by amateurs

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3, Bobby Jones 1926-27-30

2,Harold Hilton, 1892-97

1, John Ball, 1890

Roger Wethered lost a play-off in 1921


champions in first appearance

Willie Park, Prestwick, 1860

Tom Kidd, St Andrews, 1873

Mungo Park, Musselburgh, 1874

Harold Hilton, Muirfield, 1892

Jock Hutchison, St Andrews, 1921

Densmore Shute, St Andrews, 1933

Ben Hogan, Carnoustie, 1953

Tony Lema, St Andrews, 1964

Tom Watson, Carnoustie, 1975

Ben Curtis, Sandwich, 2003


most victories

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6, Harry Vardon, 1896, 98, 99, 1903, 11, 14

5, James Braid, 1901, 05, 06, 08, 10

J H Taylor, 1894, 95, 1900, 09, 13

Peter Thomson, 1954, 55, 56, 58, 65

Tom Watson, 1975, 77, 80, 82, 83


most times runner-up or joint runner-up

7, Jack Nicklaus, 1964, 67, 68, 72, 76, 77, 79

6, J H Taylor, 1896, 1904, 05, 06, 07, 14


youngest and oldest competitor

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Young Tom Morris, 14 years 4 months 25 days, 1865

Gene Sarazen, 74 years, 4 months, 9 days, 1976


biggest margin of victory

13 strokes - Old Tom Morris, 1862

12 strokes - Young Tom Morris, 1870

11 strokes - Young Tom Morris, 1869

8 strokes - J H Taylor, 1900 and 1913; James Braid, 1908; Tiger Woods 2000.

6 strokes - Bobby Jones, 1927; Walter Hagen, 1929; Arnold Palmer, 1962; Johnny Miller, 1976


lowest winning aggregates

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

268 (68,70, 65, 65) Tom Watson, Turnberry, 1977; (69, 66, 67, 66) Nick Price, Turnberry, 1994

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

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

271 (68, 70, 64, 69) Tom Watson, Muirfield, 1980; (67, 67, 64, 73) Tom Lehman, Royal Lytham & St Annes, 1996

272 (71, 71, 64, 66) Ian Baker- Finch, Royal Birkdale, 1991; (66, 64, 69, 73) Nick Faldo, Muirfield, 1992; (69, 66, 72, 65) Justin Leonard, Royal Troon, 1997


lowest aggregate in relation to par

269 (19 under par), Tiger Woods, St Andrews, 2000

270 (18 under par), Nick Faldo, St Andrews, 1990

270 (18 under par), Tiger Woods, Hoylake, 2006


lowest aggregates by runner-up

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269 Jack Nicklaus (68, 70, 65, 66), Turnberry, 1977

269 Nick Faldo (69, 63, 70, 67), Royal St Georges, 1993

269 Jesper Parnevik (68, 66, 68, 67), Turnberry, 1994


lowest aggregates by an amateur

281 (68, 72, 70, 71) Iain Pyman, Royal St George’s. 1993; (75, 66, 70, 70) Tiger Woods, Royal Lytham, 1996

282 (72, 66, 75, 69) Justin Rose, Royal Birkdale, 1998

283 (74, 70, 71, 68) Guy Wolstenhome, St Andrews, 1960


lowest individual round

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

Isao Aoki, 3rd round Muirfield, 1980;

Greg Norman, 2nd round Turnberry, 1986;

Paul Broadhurst, 3rd round St Andrews, 1990;

Jodie Mudd, 4th round Royal Birkdale, 1991;

Nick Faldo, 2nd round and Payne Stewart, 4th round Royal St George's, 1993


lowest individual round by an amateur

66 - Frank Stranahan, 4th round Troon, 1950;

Tiger Woods, 2nd round, Royal Lytham, 1996;

Justin Rose, 2nd round Royal Birkdale, 1998


lowest first round

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Craig Stadler 1983 (64) at Royal Birkdale

Christy O’Conner Jnr. 1985 (64) at Royal St George’s

Rodger Davis 1987 (64) at Muirfield

Raymond Floyd and Steve Pate 1992 (64) at Muirfield


lowest second round

Mark Hayes 1977 (63) at Turnberry

Greg Norman 1986 (63) at Turnberry

Nick Faldo 1993 (63) at Royal St George’s


lowest third round

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Isao Aoki 1980 (63) at Muirfield

Paul Broadhurst 1990 (63) at St Andrews


lowest fourth round

Jodie Mudd 1991 (63) at Royal Birkdale

Payne Stewart 1993 (63) at Royal St George’s


lowest first 36 holes

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


lowest second 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 middle 36 holes

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130 (66, 64), Fuzzy Zoeller, Turnberry, 1994


lowest first 54 holes

198 (67, 67, 64), Tom Lehman, Royal Lytham, 1996

199 (67, 65, 67), Nick Faldo, St Andrews, 1990; (66, 64, 69), Nick Faldo, Muirfield, 1992


lowest final 54 holes

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


lowest 9 holes

28, Denis Durnian, first 9, Royal Birkdale, 1983

29, Peter Thomson and Tom Haliburton, first 9, Royal Lytham, 1958

29, Tony Jacklin, first 9, St Andrews, 1970

29, Bill Longmuir, first 9, Royal Lytham, 1979

29, David J. Russell, first 9, Royal Lytham, 1988

29, Ian Baker-Finch and Paul Broadhurst, first 9, St Andrews, 1990

29, Ian Baker-Finch, first 9, Royal Birkdale, 1991

29, Paul McGinley, first 9, Royal Lytham, 1996

29, Ernie Els, first 9, Muirfield, 2002

29, Sergio Garcia, first 9, Royal Liverpool, 2006


biggest span between first and last victories

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19 years, J.H Taylor, 1894 – 1913

18 years, Harry Vardon, 1896 – 1914

15 years, Gary Player, 1959 – 74

14 years, Willie Park, 1860-75

14 years, Henry Cotton, 1934 - 48


biggest span between victories

11 years, Henry Cotton, 1937-48


successive victories

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4, Young Tom Morris, 1868-72 (No Championship in 1871)

3, Jamie Anderson, 1877-79; Bob Ferguson, 1880-82; Peter Thomson, 1954-56

2, Old Tom Morris, 1861-62; J.H Taylor, 1894-95; Harry Vardon, 1898-99; James Braid, 1905-06; Bobby Jones, 1926-27; Walter Hagen, 1928-29; Bobby Locke, 1949-50; Arnold Palmer, 1961-62; Lee Trevino, 1971-72; Tom Watson, 1982-83; Tiger Woods, 2005-06


highest number of top five finishes

16, J.H Taylor, Jack Nicklaus

15, Harry Vardon, James Braid