2015 British Open Winner and Scores

The 2015 British Open was 144th time this major was played, and the outcome required a three-man playoff. In the end, it was a second major championship title for Zach Johnson.

Winner: Zach Johnson, 273

Where it was played: The Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland

Tournament dates: July 16-20, 2015

Leader after first round: Dustin Johnson, 65

Leader after second round: Dustin Johnson, 134

Leader after third round: Jason Day, Paul Dunne and Louis Oosthuizen, 204

What Happened at the 2015 Open Championship

Zach Johnson survived a 4-hole, aggregate-score playoff against Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman to win the 2015 British Open.

Both Johnson and Oosthuizen were going for their second wins in majors. Johnson previously won the 2007 Masters, and Oosthuizen was the 2010 British Open champ. This was the second time Oosthuizen lost in a playoff at a major, too; he lost to Bubba Watson at the 2012 Masters.

Jordan Spieth, trying to win his third major of the year and keep the Grand Slam dream alive, was in it until the 72nd hole. He tied for the lead with a birdie on the 16th hole in the final round, but then bogeyed No. 17 to drop one behind. His birdie attempt on the 18th hole slide just past the edge of the cup. So Spieth, the 2015 Masters and 2015 U.S. Open champ, wound up tied for fourth place, one shot out of the playoff.

Oosthuizen was the co-leader after 54 holes with Jason Day and amateur Paul Dunne at 12-under. Spieth was in second, one behind; Johnson and Leishman were among a group three back at 9-under.

Johnson got off to a very hot start on the final day — which was Monday, just the second Monday-finish in Open Championship history due to rains and high winds earlier in the tournament — shooting 31 on the front nine. He birdied seven of his first 12 holes.

When Johnson, playing several groups ahead of Spieth's and Oosthuizen's, got to the final green, he rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt to post a final score of 15-under 273.

At the time that was one behind Leishman's on-course lead of 16-under, but Leishman soon bogeyed the 16th. When he parred Nos. 17 and 18, he and Johnson were tied at 15-under and waiting to see if anyone would beat them.

Nobody did. Spieth and Day, playing together, both needed birdies on the 18th hole to tie Johnson and Leishman, but both just missed. Oosthuizen, however, didn't. Stuck on 14-under for the past four holes, Oosthuizen hit a fantastic approach into the 18th green, then sank the birdie putt to make it a 3-way playoff.

Leishman quickly became a non-factor in the playoff, but Oosthuizen and Johnson began with birdies. Johnson took a 1-shot lead with another birdie on the second extra hole and maintained that lead following the third hole. On the final playoff hole, Oosthuizen again had a birdie putt to tie (and extend the playoff) on the 18th green, but this time he missed, giving Johnson the Claret Jug.

The 2015 Open was a great one for amateurs. Dunne was the first amateur since Bobby Jones in 1927 to hold or share the 54-hole lead. He shot 78 in the final round, however. But Jordan Niebrugge finished tied for sixth as low amateur, and amateurs Oliver Schniederjans and Ashley Chesters also finished inside the Top 20.

Two significant departures this year: 5-time British Open champ Tom Watson and 3-time winner Nick Faldo both said their goodbyes, playing the Open for the final time.

2015 British Open Final Scores

Zach Johnson 66-71-70-66—273
Louis Oosthuizen 67-70-67-69—273
Marc Leishman 70-73-64-66—273
Jason Day 66-71-67-70—274
Jordan Spieth 67-72-66-69—274
Sergio Garcia 70-69-68-70—277
Justin Rose 71-68-68-70—277
Danny Willett 66-69-72-70—277
a-Jordan Niebrugge 67-73-67-70—277
Adam Scott 70-67-70-71—278
Brooks Koepka 71-70-69-68—278
Luke Donald 68-70-73-68—279
Anthony Wall 70-71-68-70—279
Martin Kaymer 71-70-70-68—279
Brendon Todd 71-73-69-66—279
a-Ollie Schniederjans 70-72-70-67—279
a-Ashley Chesters 71-72-67-69—279
Robert Streb 66-71-70-73—280
Hideki Matsuyama 72-66-71-71—280
Stewart Cink 70-71-68-72—281
Retief Goosen 66-72-69-74—281
Phil Mickelson 70-72-70-69—281
Padraig Harrington 72-69-65-75—281
Greg Owen 68-73-71-69—281
Marcus Fraser 74-69-68-70—281
James Morrison 71-71-70-69—281
Branden Grace 69-72-73-67—281
Russell Henley 74-66-72-69—281
Patrick Reed 72-70-67-72—281
a-Paul Dunne 69-69-66-78-282
Jim Furyk 73-71-66-72—282
Steven Bowditch 70-69-69-74—282
Jimmy Walker 72-68-71-71—282
Ryan Palmer 71-71-67-73—282
Matt Jones 68-73-69-72—282
Billy Horschel 73-71-71-67—282
Rickie Fowler 72-71-66-73—282
Anirban Lahiri 69-70-71-72—282
Andy Sullivan 72-71-68-71—282
Geoff Ogilvy 71-68-72-72—283
John Senden 72-72-68-71—283
Paul Lawrie 66-70-74-73—283
Henrik Stenson 73-70-71-69—283
Webb Simpson 70-70-71-72—283
Francesco Molinari 72-71-73-67—283
Marc Warren 68-69-72-74—283
Rafael Cabrera-Bello 71-73-68-71—283
Scott Arnold 71-73-73-66—283
David Duval 72-72-67-73—284
Jamie Donaldson 72-71-71-70—284
David Howell 68-73-73-70—284
Lee Westwood 71-73-69-71—284
Graeme McDowell 72-72-70-70—284
Hunter Mahan 72-72-67-73—284
Ryan Fox 72-69-76-67—284
Dustin Johnson 65-69-75-75—284
Eddie Pepperell 72-70-66-76—284
Greg Chalmers 70-71-69-75—285
Matt Kuchar 71-73-70-71—285
Jason Dufner 73-71-67-74—285
Kevin Na 67-75-70-73—285
Gary Woodland 72-70-71-72—285
Cameron Tringale 71-71-73-70—285
David Lipsky 73-69-70-73—285
Ernie Els 71-73-69-73—286
Thongchai Jaidee 72-71-70-73—286
a-Romain Langasque 69-72-71-74—286
Charl Schwartzel 67-72-69-79—287
Graham DeLaet 71-73-68-75—287
Ross Fisher 71-73-72-71—287
Bernd Wiesberger 72-72-71-72—287
Richie Ramsay 72-71-70-74—287
Harris English 71-72-69-75—287
Paul Casey 70-71-75-72—288
Brett Rumford 71-71-71-75—288
Ben Martin 74-70-67-77—288
David Lingmerth 69-72-70-77—288
Bernhard Langer 74-70-73-72—289
Mark O'Meara 72-72-71-74—289
Thomas Aiken 75-69-72-74—290

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2014 British Open - 2016 British Open

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