Older than the modern Olympic Games, The Open Championship - better known as the British Open - is the most storied golf tournament in the world.

With the creme de la creme of the golfing world converging on English, Scottish and Northern Irish shores since 1860, the Open's honourboards are a veritable who's who of the glofing galaxy.

Unlike the vast majority of tournaments hosted elsewhere in the world, the Open requires golfers to master the wide, treeless links of iconic courses such as Muirfield, Royal Troon and the home of golf, St. Andrews.

From the founding fathers of the sport to contemporary champions that hail from right around the globe, here are the men who have been hailed as British Open champions throughout the past 16 decades.

2023 Brian Harman USA 271 (โˆ’13)
2022 Cameron Smith Australia 268 (โˆ’20)
2021 Collin Morikawa USA 265 (โˆ’15)
2020 Not held due to COVID-19 restrictions
2019 Shane Lowry Ireland 269 (โˆ’15)
2018 Francesco Molinari Italy 276 (โˆ’8)
2017 Jordan Spieth USA 268 (โˆ’12)
2016 Henrik Stenson Sweden 264 (โˆ’20)
2015 Zach Johnson USA 273 (โˆ’15) playoff
2014 Rory McIlroy UK / Northern Ireland 271 (โ€“17)
2013 Phil Mickelson United States 281 (-3)
2012 Ernie Els South Africa 273 (-7)
2011 Darren Clarke UK / Northern Ireland 275 (-5)
2010 Louis Oosthuizen South Africa 272 (-16)
2009 Stewart Cink United States 278 (-2) playoff
2008 Pรกdraig Harrington Ireland 283 (+3)
2007 Pรกdraig Harrington Ireland 277 (-7) playoff
2006 Tiger Woods United States 270 (-18)
2005 Tiger Woods United States 274 (-14)
2004 Todd Hamilton United States 274 (-10) playoff
2003 Ben Curtis United States 283 (-1)
2002 Ernie Els South Africa 278 (-6) playoff
2001 David Duval United States 274 (-10)
2000 Tiger Woods United States 269 (-19)
1999 Paul Lawrie Scotland 290 (+6) playoff
1998 Mark O'Meara United States 280 (E) playoff
1997 Justin Leonard United States 272 (-12)
1996 Tom Lehman United States 271 (-13)
1995 John Daly United States 282 (-6) playoff
1994 Nick Price Zimbabwe 268 (-12)
1993 Greg Norman Australia 267 (-13)
1992 Nick Faldo England 272 (-12)
1991 Ian Baker-Finch Australia 272 (-8)
1990 Nick Faldo England 270 (-18)
1989 Mark Calcavecchia United States 275 (-13) playoff
1988 Seve Ballesteros Spain 273 (-11)
1987 Nick Faldo England 279 (-5)
1986 Greg Norman Australia 280 (E)
1985 Sandy Lyle Scotland 282 (+2)
1984 Seve Ballesteros Spain 276 (-12)
1983 Tom Watson United States 275 (-9)
1982 Tom Watson United States 284 (-4)
1981 Bill Rogers United States 276 (-4)
1980 Tom Watson United States 271 (-13)
1979 Seve Ballesteros Spain 283 (-1)
1978 Jack Nicklaus United States 281 (-7)
1977 Tom Watson United States 268 (-12)
1976 Johnny Miller United States 279 (-9)
1975 Tom Watson United States 279 (-5) playoff
1974 Gary Player South Africa 282 (-2)
1973 Tom Weiskopf United States 276 (-12)
1972 Lee Trevino United States 278 (-6)
1971 Lee Trevino United States 278 (-10)
1970 Jack Nicklaus United States 283 (-5) playoff
1969 Tony Jacklin England 280 (-4)
1968 Gary Player South Africa 289 (+1)
1967 Roberto DeVicenzo Argentina 278 (-10)
1966 Jack Nicklaus United States 282 (+2)
1965 Peter Thomson Australia 285 (-3)
1964 Tony Lema United States 279 (-9)
1963 Bob Charles New Zealand 277 (-7) playoff
1962 Arnoldย Palmer United States 276 (-12)
1961 Arnoldย Palmer United States 284 (-4)
1960 Kel Nagle Australia 278 (-10)
1959 Gary Player South Africa 284 (E)
1958 Peter Thomson Australia 274 (-10) playoff
1957 Bobby Locke South Africa 279 (-9)
1956 Peter Thomson Australia 286 (-2)
1955 Peter Thomson Australia 281 (-7)
1954 Peter Thomson Australia 283 (-5)
1953 Ben Hogan United States 282 (-6)
1952 Bobby Locke South Africa 287 (-1)
1951 Max Faulkner England 285 (-3)
1950 Bobby Locke South Africa 279 (-9)
1949 Bobby Locke South Africa 283 (-5)
1948 Henry Cotton England 288 (E)
1947 Fred Daly Northern Ireland 293 (+5)
1946 Sam Snead United States 290 (+2)
1940-1945 Not held due to World War II
1939 Richard Burton England 290
1938 Reg Whitcombe England 295
1937 Henry Cotton England 290
1936 Alf Padgham England 287
1935 Alf Perry England 283
1934 Henry Cotton England 283
1933 Denny Shute United States 292 playoff
1932 Gene Sarazen United States 283
1931 Tommy Armour United States (nat) 296
1930 Bobby Jonesย (Amateur) United States 291
1929 Walter Hagen United States 292
1928 Walter Hagen United States 292
1927 Bobby Jonesย (Am) United States 285
1926 Bobby Jonesย (Am) United States 291
1925 Jim Barnes United States (nat) 300
1924 Walter Hagen United States 301
1923 Arthur Havers England 295
1922 Walter Hagen United States 300
1921 Jock Hutchison United States (nat) 296 playoff
1920 George Duncan Scotland 303
1915-1919 Not held due to World War I
1914 Harry Vardon Jersey 306
1913 John Henry Taylor England 304
1912 Ted Ray Jersey 295
1911 Harry Vardon Jersey 303 playoff
1910 James Braid Scotland 299
1909 John Henry Taylor England 291
1908 James Braid Scotland 291
1907 Arnaud Massy France 312
1906 James Braid Scotland 300
1905 James Braid Scotland 318
1904 Jack White Scotland 296
1903 Harry Vardon Jersey 300
1902 Sandy Herd Scotland 307
1901 James Braid Scotland 309
1900 John Henry Taylor England 309
1899 Harry Vardon Jersey 310
1898 Harry Vardon Jersey 307
1897 Harold Hilton (Am) England 314
1896 Harry Vardon Jersey 316 play off
1895 John Henry Taylor England 332
1894 John Henry Taylor England 326
1893 William Auchterlonie Scotland 322
1892 Harold Hilton England 305
1891 Hugh Kirkaldy Scotland 166
1890 John Ball (Am) England 164
1889 Willie Park, Jnr Scotland 155 playoff
1888 Jack Burns Scotland 171
1887 Willie Park, Jnr Scotland 161
1886 David Brown Scotland 157
1885 Bob Martin Scotland 171
1884 Jack Simpson Scotland 160
1883 Willie Fernie Scotland 159 playoff
1882 Bob Ferguson Scotland 171
1881 Bob Ferguson Scotland 170
1880 Bob Ferguson Scotland 162
1879 Jamie Anderson Scotland 169
1878 Jamie Anderson Scotland 157
1877 Jamie Anderson Scotland 160
1876 Bob Martin Scotland 176
1875 Willie Park, Snr Scotland 166
1874 Mungoย Park Scotland 159
1873 Tom Kidd Scotland 179
1872 Tom Morris, Jnr Scotland 166
1871 Not held
1870 Tom Morris, Jnr Scotland 149
1869 Tom Morris, Jnr Scotland 154
1868 Tom Morris, Jnr Scotland 157
1867 Tom Morris, Snr Scotland 170
1866 Willie Park, Snr Scotland 169
1865 Andrew Strath Scotland 162
1864 Tom Morris, Snr Scotland 167
1863 Willie Park, Snr Scotland 168
1862 Tom Morris, Snr Scotland 163
1861 Tom Morris, Snr Scotland 163
1860 Willie Park, Snr Scotland 174