The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later the venue rotated between a select group of coastal links golf courses in the United Kingdom. It is organised by the R&A.
Andrew Anderson Strath was a Scottish professional golfer who played in the mid-19th century. He won the 1865 Open Championship. In total, he accumulated six top-10 finishes in The Open Championship.
The 1868 Open Championship was the ninth Open Championship and was held on 23 September at Prestwick Golf Club. Tom Morris, Jr. won the championship for the first time, by three shots from his father Tom Morris, Sr.. Tom Morris, Jr. was just 17 years old and remains the youngest Open Championship winner.
The 1860 Open Championship was a golf competition held at Prestwick Golf Club, in Ayrshire, Scotland. It is now regarded as the first Open Championship. Until his death in 1859, Allan Robertson was regarded as top golfer in the world. The Open Championship was created to determine his successor. Eight golfers contested the event, with Willie Park, Sr. winning the championship by 2 shots from Tom Morris, Sr.
The 1861 Open Championship was a golf competition held at Prestwick Golf Club, Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the second Open Championship and the first to open to amateurs as well as professionals. Ten professionals and eight amateurs contested the event, with Tom Morris, Sr. winning the championship by 4 shots from Willie Park, Sr.
The 1862 Open Championship was the third Open Championship and was again held at Prestwick Golf Club, Ayrshire, Scotland. Four professionals and four amateurs contested the event, with Tom Morris, Sr. winning the championship for the second time, by 13 shots from Willie Park, Sr..
The 1863 Open Championship was the fourth Open Championship and was again held at Prestwick Golf Club. Eight professionals and six amateurs contested the event in wet and windy weather, with Willie Park, Sr. winning the championship for the second time, by two shots from Tom Morris, Sr.
The 1864 Open Championship was the fifth Open Championship and was held on 16 September at Prestwick Golf Club. Tom Morris, Sr. won the championship for the third time, by two shots from Andrew Strath. There were sixteen competitors.
The 1867 Open Championship was the eighth Open Championship and was held on 26 September at Prestwick Golf Club. Tom Morris, Sr. won the championship for the fourth time, by two shots from Willie Park, Sr. Tom Morris, Sr. was 46 years old and remains the oldest Open Championship winner.
The 1875 Open Championship was the 15th Open Championship, held 10 September at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Willie Park, Sr. won the Championship by two strokes from runner-up Bob Martin. Willie Park, who had won the first Championship in 1860, equalled Tom Morris, Jr.'s record of four Championship wins.
The 1878 Open Championship was the 18th Open Championship, held 4 October at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Jamie Anderson won the Championship for the second successive year, by two strokes from runner-up Bob Kirk.
George Daniel Brown (1836–1902) was an English professional golfer. He also specialized as a ball and club maker. Brown finished fifth in the 1860 Open Championship and repeated the feat in the 1863 Open Championship. In total, Brown had three top-10 finishes in The Open Championship.
William Dow was a Scottish professional golfer. He had six top-10 finishes in the Open Championship. Dow placed third in both the 1861 and 1865 Open Championships.
Peter McEwan Sr. was a Scottish professional golfer and club maker. McEwan placed sixth in the 1861 Open Championship.
James Ogilvie Fairlie was a Scottish amateur golfer and landowner. Fairlie placed eighth in the 1861 Open Championship. He was a mentor to Old Tom Morris who named his son, James Ogilvie Fairlie Morris, after him. Fairlie was a founding member of Prestwick Golf Club in 1851.
James Ferdinand Douglas Paxton was a Scottish professional golfer who played in the mid-19th century. Paxton placed tenth in the 1863 Open Championship.
Robert Kirk was a Scottish professional golfer. He was born at St Andrews, Scotland, and died there. His golf career was highlighted by second-place finishes in The Open Championship in 1869 and again in 1878. Kirk also had a second-place finish in the 1870 Open Championship after winning a playoff against Davie Strath. Kirk played consistently well with nine top-10 finishes in The Open Championship beginning with a fourth-place finish in 1865 and ending with a second-place finish in 1878.
William Miller was a Scottish amateur golfer. Miller tied for ninth place in the 1865 Open Championship.
James Ogilvy Fairlie Morris was a Scottish professional golfer. Morris had multiple top-10 finishes in The Open Championship, including a third-place finish in the 1878 event held at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. He was the son of Tom Morris, Sr., also known as Old Tom Morris, and was named after James Ogilvie Fairlie, a mentor and patron of his father. He died in 1906 aged 50 of heart failure, unmarried.
The Challenge Belt was awarded to the winner of The Open Championship in golf from 1860 until 1870. It was replaced by the Claret Jug for the 1872 Open Championship which is still being used to the present day. The winner of the first Open Championship, Willie Park Sr., in 1860 at the Prestwick Golf Club received no prize money; instead, he was allowed to keep the Belt until the following Open Championship.
Scotland