1896 British Open Winner and Scores
Winner: Harry Vardon, 316 (won playoff)
Where it was played: The Muirfield links at Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland
Tournament dates: June 10-11 and June 13, 1896
Leader after first round: Sandy Herd, 72
Leader after second round: J.H. Taylor, 155
Leader after third round: Sandy Herd, 235
Notable Notes: Harry Vardon eventually won six Open Championships, but the 1896 British Open was his first victory. ... J.H. Taylor, trying for his third win in a row, and Sandy Herd traded the lead the first three days. Vardon began the final round four behind Herd, three behind Taylor. ... Taylor shot 80 in the final round to take the clubhouse lead. Vardon made five on the last hole for a 77 to tie Taylor. ... They played off two days later and Vardon won 157 (78-79) to 161 (80-81). ... This was the last British Open played by Old Tom Morris.
Final Scores
| p-Harry Vardon | 83-78-78-77—316 |
| J.H. Taylor | 77-78-81-80—316 |
| Willie Fernie | 78-79-82-80—319 |
| a-Freddie Tait | 83-75-84-77—319 |
| Sandy Herd | 72-84-79-85—320 |
| James Braid | 83-81-79-80—323 |
| Davie Brown | 80-77-81-86—324 |
| Ben Sayers | 83-76-79-86—324 |
| Andrew Scott | 83-84-77-80—324 |
| Tom Vardon | 83-82-77-83—325 |
| Peter McEwan | 83-81-80-84—328 |
| Willie Auchterlonie | 80-86-81-82—329 |
| Archie Simpson | 85-79-78-87—329 |
| James Kay | 77-88-83-82—330 |
| Andrew Kirkaldy | 84-85-79-82—330 |
| Willie Park Jr. | 79-80-83-88—330 |
| Alfred Toogood | 81-85-84-84—334 |
| John Hunter | 85-79-83-88—335 |
| a-John E. Laidlay | 85-82-82-86—335 |
| David McEwan | 83-89-81-82—335 |
| Jack Ross | 83-87-84-81—335 |
| Walter Toogood | 87-84-80-85—336 |
| a-Harold Hilton | 82-85-85-85—337 |
| David Anderson Jr. | 86-89-83-81—339 |
| a-D.M. Jackson | 85-84-82-88—339 |
| Walter Kirk | 85-87-84-83—339 |
| David Herd | 85-87-86-82—340 |
| Albert Tingey | 84-84-88-86—342 |
| John W. Taylor | 87-83-84-90—344 |
| Peter Paxton | 84-89-86-86—345 |
| Jack Rowe | 89-85-87-86—347 |
| a-Samuel Mure Fergusson | 85-93-84-86—348 |
| Peter Fernie | 86-87-92-84—349 |
| Rowland Jones | 88-85-89-87—349 |
| George Lowe | 91-85-88-88—352 |
| Andrew Simpson | 86-92-88-88—354 |
| Henry Turpie | 85-90-88-95—358 |
| a-Thomas Gray | 82-88-97-92—359 |
| Christopher Calloway | 93-92-87-88—360 |
| Peter Rainford | 87-87-93-95—362 |
| Mungo Park Jr. | 90-87-92-94—363 |
| a-David Anderson | 90-93-93-89—365 |
| Bernard Nicholls | 90-102-87-88—367 |
| a-Oliver Thomson | 86-93-94-94—367 |
| William Day | 97-94-89-94—374 |