Golf Talk Today: A brief look at the last 10 years of The Open Championship
Take a trip down memory lane, and let’s look at the last 10 winners of the Open Championship and how they won the Claret Jug.
Welcome to Playing Through’s morning ritual — Golf Talk Today.
Each morning the crew will discuss various elements throughout the PGA Tour, LPGA, LIV Golf, and more.
Welcome to Day 2 of the Open Championship week at Royal Troon.
It is the fourth and final major of the 2024 men’s golf season. As the oldest of the four top tournaments on the PGA Tour season, there is plenty of history surrounding this eent.
So let’s briefly discuss the last 10 champions. A reminder that there was no Open Championship in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Brew a pot of coffee, grab some breakfast, and settle in as we get you ready for the oldest major championship week.
The past 10 winners of The Open Championship
2013: Phil Mickelson — Muirfield
Mickelson won at Muirfield over Henrik Stenson by three shots. He went 69-74-62-66 to finish at 3-under on the day.
Ian Poulter, Adam Scott and Lee Westwood tied for third place that year.
2014: Rory McIlroy — Royal Liverpool
10 years ago, McIlroy hoisted his Claret Jug after he defeated Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler by two shots. He finished with a 17-under total score.
Jim Fyurk was solo fourth that year, along with Marc Leishman and Adam Scott.
2015: Zach Johnson — St. Andrews
Zach Johnson won his second major championship at one of the most iconic golf courses in the world — St. Andrews. He won in a playoff over Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen.
2016: Henrik Stenson — Royal Troon
The last time the Open Championship was played at Royal Troon was in 2016 when Henrik Stenson defeated Phil Mickelson by three shots. JB Holmes was solo third, while Steve Stricker was solo fourth.
2017: Jordan Spieth — Royal Birkdale
Spieth had to work his tail off, but a comeback on Sunday gave him enough time. He won the event at 21-under. The former Texas Longhorn defeated Matt Kuchar by three shots.
2018: Francesco Molinari — Carnoustie
At one of the most difficult courses in the Open Championship rotation, Carnoustie proved to fit Francesco Molinari’s game well. He beat Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Kevin Kisner, and Xander Schauffele, who were 5-under.
2019: Shane Lowry — Royal Portrush
One of the most incredible Open Championship wins came from Shane Lowry in Ireland at Royal Portrush. He defeated Tommy Fleetwood by seven shots.
2021: Collin Morikawa — Royal St. George’s
After a year off because of COVID, Colliin Morikawa won his second majors. He defeated Spieth by two shots at Royal St. George’s.
2022: Cameron Smith — St. Andrew’s
A putting performance for the ages resulted in Cameron Smith’s first major championship. The 150th Open at St. Andrews provided such a fantastic tournament. He defeated Cameron Young by one shot and McIlroy finished two behind him.
2023: Brian Harman — Royal Liverpool
Last year, Brian Harman ran away with the score to claim his first major championship. He easily tackled Royal Liverpool and won by four shots over Tom Kim, Sepp Straka, Jason Day and Jon Rahm in second place.
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Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.