Golf Compendium

The tournament record we are looking at here is the lowest score for three consecutive rounds in the British Open. That could mean the first three rounds (first 54 holes) or last three rounds (last 54 holes).

In the very long history of the British Open, only one golfer so far has played the first two rounds* in fewer than 130 strokes. That record-holder is Louis Oothuiszen. But that record-setter did not go on to victory.

The British Open first used a cut after the second round in 1898, and in 1926 a 36-hole cut became standard. Since the cut was introduced, how many defending champions played the following year but failed to make the cut? Not many, although defending champs missing the cut happened more often in recent decades.

In the long history of the British Open, a handful of golfers have led by six strokes or more following the third round. And all of them went on to win. But only three of them extended their margins over the second-place golfer(s) in the final round.

If you want to win the British Open, you (usually) have to play well in the final round. The Open champions listed below are the ones who played best in the final round — the ones who scored the lowest in Round 4 en route to victory.

The 2028 British Open will be the 156th edition of this oldest major championship — it dates to 1860 — in men's professional golf. Officially named The Open Championship, the tournament is run by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (the R&A).

The 2027 British Open will be the 155th edition of this major championship of men's professional golf. Officially named The Open Championship, this tournament dates to 1860. It is run by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (the R&A).

What is the lowest stroke total for any two consecutive rounds played in The Open Championship? That record currently stands at 127, and only two golfers have gone below 130 in back-to-back rounds. But a handful of others have posted 130 over 36 holes of The Open.

Victories are obviously the primary way to judge how successful a golfer has been in any given major championship. And the golfers with the most wins in the British Open also, perhaps not surprisingly, top the list of Open players with the most career Top 5 finishes.

What is the British Open record for most times playing the tournament before winning it? That record is shared by two golfers who each won in their 20th attempt — 19 starts each before their respective victories.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (the R&A) stages both The Amateur Championship and The Open Championship, also known as the British Amateur and British Open. These are the two biggest R&A titles for amateur golfers and professional golfers, respectively. How many golfers have won them both?

Winning the same tournament — any tournament — in three different decades is a sign not just of a great golfer, but of a golfer who maintained that greatness over a long period of time. In the history of The Open Championship, dating to 1860, only three golfers have won the Claret Jug in three separate decades.

How many golfers have won The Open Championship by leading after each of the four rounds? The number of wire-to-wire winners who had the solo lead after each round during this major's 72-hole era (1892 and forward) currently stands at just seven.

Did you know that the longest time between any golfer's first and last wins in the British Open is nearly 20 years? Let's take a look at that mark, plus The Open record for longest gap between successive wins.

"Champion Golfer of the Year" is a phrase that golfers might hear any time of year, but particularly in the summer months, around the time of the British Open. Do you know to whom this term applies?

When and where will the British Open golf tournament be played in coming years? Future dates and golf courses are listed below for this event, which is formally named The Open Championship (often shortened to The Open).

The cut rule at the British Open usually sends more than 70 golfers into the third and fourth rounds. The players who miss that cut go home. But do they go home with a paycheck in their pockets? When a golfer misses the cut in the Open Championship, do they get paid?

How many golfers, over the course of a career, have won both the British Open and the Senior British Open? Not many! The current count stands at five.

What is the biggest blown lead after 54 holes in the British Open? Two golfers share this record, it's just one of those record nobody wants. The biggest lead after three rounds by any golfer who failed to win is five strokes. The two golfers who share the record are Macdonald Smith and Jean Van de Velde.

The 2026 British Open was the 154th edition of this major championship of men's professional golf. Ryan Fox, after scoring 62 in the third round, birdied the final hole of the tournament to win by one stroke.