Most Appearances In British Open Before Winning It
The Open Championship is the oldest of the four professional majors in men's professional golf, dating to 1860. Over that long history, there are many big-name (and some smaller-name) champions who waited a long time before claiming their first victory in this tournament.
Record-Holders: Clarke, Mickelson, 19 Starts Before Winning
Darren Clarke and Phil Mickelson are the two golfers who share the record for most British Open appearances before finally winning it. Each played the tournament 19 times without a win, then won The Open in their 20th starts, respectively.Clark's victory was in the 2011 Open Championship. His first start in this major was in 1991, and before that win in 2011 Clarke had posted three Top 10 finishes: tied second in 1997, tied seventh in 2000, and tied third in 2001.
Mickelson's win was in the 2013 British Open. Like Clarke, Mickelson first played The Open in 1991. Before his first win, he'd had only two Top 10 finishes in this major: solo third in 2004, and tied second in 2011 (behind Clarke).
The List: Most British Open Appearances Before First Win
(See also: Golfers who won The Open in their first appearance)
19 appearances — Darren Clarke, won in his 20th start in 2011
19 — Phil Mickelson, won in his 20th start in 2013
15 — Nick Price, won in his 16th start in 1994
14 — Sandy Herd, won in his 15th start in 1902
13 — Ted Ray, won in his 14th start in 1912
13 — Jack White, won in his 14th start in 1904
13 — Reg Whitcombe, won in his 14th start in 1938
13 — Mark O'Meara, won in his 14th start in 1998
11 — George Duncan, won in his 12th start in 1920
11 — Nick Faldo, won in his 12th start in 1987
11 — Ernie Els, won in his 12th start in 2002
11 — Stewart Cink, won in his 12th start in 2009
11 — Zach Johnson, won in his 12th start in 2015
11 — Henrik Stenson, won in his 12th start in 2016
10 — Roberto de Vicenzo, won in his 11th start in 1967
10 — Padraig Harrington, won in his 11th start in 2007
10 — Francesco Molinari, won in his 11th start in 2018
Several of the golfers on that list achieved other milestones in their victories. In the 1902 British Open, Sandy Herd became the first golfer to use the new Haskell ball, a golf ball with a wound rubber core, to win one of what we now call the professional majors. (Only The Open and the U.S. Open existed at that time.)
In the 1904 British Open, Jack White won with the first sub-300 (over 72 holes) score in the tournament's history, and was also the first golfer to improve his score each round (scoring 80-75-72-69).
Padraig Harrington's victory in 2007 was the first by a golfer from the Republic of Ireland. Irishman Fred Daly won in 1947, but Daly was from Northern Ireland.
And in 2018, Francesco Molinari became the first golfer from Italy to win not just the British Open, but any of the four professional majors.
Related articles:
- Wire-to-wire winners of British Open
- Amateurs who won the British Open
- Back-to-back winners of the British Open
GolfCompendium.com. "1902 British Open Winner and Scores," https://www.golfcompendium.com/2018/12/1902-british-open.html.
GolfCompendium.com. "1904 British Open Winner and Scores," Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. "British and Irish Champions," TheOpen.com, https://www.theopen.com/latest/british-irish-champion-golfers.
The R&A. The Open Media Guide, The Open Championship Records.