Scottie Scheffler is running away with the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush, putting him in position to join some legendary company in golf’s oldest major. The world No. 1’s dominant performance has us looking at the most lopsided victories in Open history.
The Open Championship has seen some truly historic blowouts over its 150+ year history. Here’s every champion who’s hoisted the Claret Jug by at least six shots:
- 13 strokes: Tom Morris Sr, 1862
- 12 strokes: Tom Morris Jr, 1870
- 11 strokes: Tom Morris Jr, 1869
- 8 strokes: John Henry Taylor, 1900 and 1913; James Braid, 1908; Tiger Woods, 2000
- 7 strokes: Louis Oosthuizen, 2010
- 6 strokes: Harry Vardon, 1903; John Henry Taylor, 1909; Bobby Jones, 1927; Walter Hagen, 1929; Arnold Palmer, 1962; Johnny Miller, 1976; Shane Lowry, 2019; Brian Harman, 2023
What’s remarkable is how many golf legends appear on this list. From the Morris father-son dynasty of the 19th century to Tiger’s historic performance at St. Andrews in 2000, the game’s greatest have often separated themselves in dramatic fashion at the Open.
It’s worth noting that we’ve seen back-to-back six-shot victories, with Harman’s triumph last year and Lowry’s emotional win at Royal Portrush in 2019. If Scheffler maintains his advantage, he’d make it three straight Opens decided by a comfortable margin.
