British Open Winning Score Comparison (Total Strokes)
What won the British Open golf with the fewest strokes ever? Compare 12 winning totals from Royal Ancient data, from 264 Stenson duel to 281 Mickelson charge.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henrik Stenson 2016 Lowest ever. Mickelson duel. | 264 strokes | Troon -20 record duel | R and A records: Stenson 264 (-20) 2016 |
| Cameron Smith 2022 Ties record to par. | 268 strokes | St Andrews -20 | R and A results: Smith 268 (-20) 2022 |
| Tom Watson 1977 Nicklaus one back. | 268 strokes | Turnberry -12 Duel Sun | R and A records: Watson 268 (-12) 1977 |
| Collin Morikawa 2021 Debut winner. | 265 strokes | Sandwich -15 debut | R and A results: Morikawa 265 (-15) 2021 |
| Tiger Woods 2006 First major after Earl died. | 270 strokes | Hoylake -18 emotional | R and A results: Woods 270 (-18) 2006 |
| Jordan Spieth 2017 Range bogey save. | 268 strokes | Birkdale -12 escape | R and A results: Spieth 268 (-12) 2017 |
| Francesco Molinari 2018 No dropped weekend shots. | 276 strokes | Carnoustie -8 bogey free | R and A results: Molinari 276 (-8) 2018 |
| Phil Mickelson 2013 Final 66 charge. | 281 strokes | Muirfield -3 comeback | R and A results: Mickelson 281 (-3) 2013 |
| Darren Clarke 2011 Second major at 42. | 275 strokes | Sandwich -5 veteran | R and A results: Clarke 275 (-5) 2011 |
| Padraig Harrington 2007 Garcia playoff. | 277 strokes | Carnoustie -7 playoff | R and A results: Harrington 277 (-7) 2007 |
| Tom Lehman 1996 Only major. | 271 strokes | Lytham -13 steady | R and A results: Lehman 271 (-13) 1996 |
| Mark Calcavecchia 1989 First playoff winner. | 275 strokes | Troon -13 playoff | R and A results: Calcavecchia 275 (-13) 1989 |
About this converter
British Open winning totals swing with links weather from 264 to 281 here. Stenson 264 at 20 under in the 2016 Troon duel is the lowest ever. Smith 268, Watson 268 and Spieth 268 share the next band across St Andrews, Turnberry and Birkdale. Morikawa 265 sits between on debut at Sandwich. Woods 270 at Hoylake follows an emotional week after his father died. Lehman 271, Calcavecchia and Clarke at 275, Harrington 277, Molinari 276 and Mickelson 281 fill the grinding side where wind decides Sundays. Lower wins, so bars read inverted. Scores come from Royal and Ancient result books.
How to use it
Pick two champions and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. One box holds a count of the first champion, one holds the matching count of the second, one holds the strokes in the chosen unit. Try 1 Stenson against Mickelsons to compare record against grind.
Totals are 72 hole sums. Lower wins, so read bars inverted. Playoffs ignore extra holes. Links par varies by venue rota.
FAQ
What is the lowest Open score?
Stenson 264 at 20 under in 2016.
Who else shot 268?
Smith 2022, Watson 1977 and Spieth 2017.
What is the Duel in the Sun?
Watson 268 over Nicklaus 269 in 1977.
Do playoffs change totals?
No. Regulation sums only.
Sources
- Royal and Ancient championship records (Stenson 264 -20 2016 record)
- R and A result books 1989 to 2022 (Calcavecchia 275 to Smith 268 bands)
- Golfweek major records (Watson 268, Woods 270, Morikawa 265 cross-checks)
Last verified: 2026-10-05 · 12 entries
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