The old mantra is that the British Open Championship winning score is whatever the weather allows that week, with the R&A going out of its way to keep setup from being the story in their major championship.
However, a British Open Championship winning score at even par or over is rare, at best. Since 1938, when the British Open Championship began scoring against par, the British Open Championship winning score has been over par just seven times.
Actually, the most common British Open Championship winning score has been 12 under par, which has happened 8 times since the R&A began tracking scores against par in 1938.
A winning score equal to or lower than 10 under par has only been recorded 26 times. The record 72-hole British Open Championship total is also the all-time major championship record against par, set by Henrik Stenson at Royal Troon in 2016 on 20-under 264. Cam Smith matched the under-par mark at St. Andrews in 2022 on 20-under total.
There's also an expectation that the British Open is played on a par-72 course, with 72-hole par at 288. And, that's reasonable. Since the British Open Championship set par, 29 of the British Open Championship host courses had par at 72.
The British Open is the only major with par-73 courses, hosted at that number five times. Royal Liverpool played to a par 68 in 1947.
British Open Championship winning scores against par
Click header to sort
| YEAR | COURSE | TOTAL | TO PAR | PAR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cameron Smith | St Andrews | 268 | -20 | 72 |
| 2021 | Collin Morikawa | Royal St George's | 265 | -15 | 70 |
| 2019 | Shane Lowry | Royal Portrush | 269 | -15 | 71 |
| 2018 | Francesco Molinari | Carnoustie | 276 | -8 | 71 |
| 2017 | Jordan Spieth | Royal Birkdale | 268 | -12 | 70 |
| 2016 | Henrik Stenson | Royal Troon | 264 | -20 | 71 |
| 2015 | Zach Johnson | St Andrews | 273 | -15 | 72 |
| 2014 | Rory McIlroy | Royal Liverpool | 271 | -17 | 72 |
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| 2013 | Phil Mickelson | Muirfield | 281 | -3 | 71 |
| 2012 | Ernie Els | Royal Lytham & St Annes | 273 | -7 | 70 |
| 2011 | Darren Clarke | Royal St George's | 275 | -5 | 70 |
| 2010 | Louis Oosthuizen | St Andrews | 272 | -16 | 72 |
| 2009 | Stewart Cink | Turnberry | 278 | -2 | 70 |
| 2008 | Pádraig Harrington | Royal Birkdale | 283 | 3 | 70 |
| 2007 | Pádraig Harrington | Carnoustie | 277 | -7 | 71 |
| 2006 | Tiger Woods | Royal Liverpool | 270 | -18 | 72 |
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| 2005 | Tiger Woods | St Andrews | 274 | -14 | 72 |
| 2004 | Todd Hamilton | Royal Troon | 274 | -10 | 71 |
| 2003 | Ben Curtis | Royal St George's | 283 | -1 | 71 |
| 2002 | Ernie Els | Muirfield | 278 | -6 | 71 |
| 2001 | David Duval | Royal Lytham & St Annes | 274 | -10 | 71 |
| 2000 | Tiger Woods | St Andrews | 269 | -19 | 72 |
| 1999 | Paul Lawrie | Carnoustie | 290 | 6 | 71 |
| 1998 | Mark O'Meara | Royal Birkdale | 280 | E | 70 |
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| 1997 | Justin Leonard | Royal Troon | 272 | -12 | 71 |
| 1996 | Tom Lehman | Royal Lytham & St Annes | 271 | -13 | 71 |
| 1995 | John Daly | St Andrews | 282 | -6 | 72 |
| 1994 | Nick Price | Turnberry | 268 | -12 | 70 |
| 1993 | Greg Norman | Royal St George's | 267 | -13 | 70 |
| 1992 | Nick Faldo | Muirfield | 272 | -12 | 71 |
| 1991 | Ian Baker-Finch | Royal Birkdale | 272 | -8 | 70 |
| 1990 | Nick Faldo | St Andrews | 270 | -18 | 72 |
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| 1989 | Mark Calcavecchia | Royal Troon | 275 | -13 | 72 |
| 1988 | Seve Ballesteros | Royal Lytham & St Annes | 273 | -11 | 71 |
| 1987 | Nick Faldo | Muirfield | 279 | -5 | 71 |
| 1986 | Greg Norman | Turnberry | 280 | E | 70 |
| 1985 | Sandy Lyle | Royal St George's | 282 | 2 | 70 |
| 1984 | Seve Ballesteros | St Andrews | 276 | -12 | 72 |
| 1983 | Tom Watson | Royal Birkdale | 275 | -9 | 71 |
| 1982 | Tom Watson | Royal Troon | 284 | -4 | 72 |
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| 1981 | Bill Rogers | Royal St George's | 276 | -4 | 70 |
| 1980 | Tom Watson | Muirfield | 271 | -13 | 71 |
| 1979 | Seve Ballesteros | Royal Lytham & St Annes | 283 | -1 | 71 |
| 1978 | Jack Nicklaus | St Andrews | 281 | -7 | 72 |
| 1977 | Tom Watson | Turnberry | 268 | -12 | 70 |
| 1976 | Johnny Miller | Royal Birkdale | 279 | -9 | 72 |
| 1975 | Tom Watson | Carnoustie | 279 | -9 | 72 |
| 1974 | Gary Player | Royal Lytham & St Annes | 282 | -2 | 71 |
| 1973 | Tom Weiskopf | Troon | 276 | -12 | 72 |
| 1972 | Lee Trevino | Muirfield | 278 | -6 | 71 |
| 1971 | Lee Trevino | Royal Birkdale | 278 | -14 | 73 |
| 1970 | Jack Nicklaus | St Andrews | 283 | -5 | 72 |
| 1969 | Tony Jacklin | Royal Lytham & St Annes | 280 | -4 | 71 |
| 1968 | Gary Player | Carnoustie | 289 | 1 | 72 |
| 1967 | Roberto De Vicenzo | Royal Liverpool | 278 | -10 | 72 |
| 1966 | Jack Nicklaus | Muirfield | 282 | -2 | 71 |
| 1965 | Peter Thomson | Royal Birkdale | 285 | -7 | 73 |
| 1964 | Tony Lema | St Andrews | 279 | -9 | 72 |
| 1963 | Bob Charles | Royal Lytham & St Annes | 277 | -3 | 70 |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer | Troon | 276 | -12 | 72 |
| 1961 | Arnold Palmer | Royal Birkdale | 284 | -4 | 72 |
| 1960 | Kel Nagle | St Andrews | 278 | -10 | 72 |
| 1959 | Gary Player | Muirfield | 284 | -4 | 72 |
| 1958 | Peter Thomson | Royal Lytham & St Annes | 278 | -6 | 71 |
| 1957 | Bobby Locke | St Andrews | 279 | -9 | 72 |
| 1956 | Peter Thomson | Royal Liverpool | 286 | 2 | 71 |
| 1955 | Peter Thomson | St Andrews | 281 | -7 | 72 |
| 1954 | Peter Thomson | Royal Birkdale | 283 | -9 | 73 |
| 1953 | Ben Hogan | Carnoustie | 282 | -6 | 72 |
| 1952 | Bobby Locke | Royal Lytham & St Annes | 287 | -1 | 72 |
| 1951 | Max Faulkner | Royal Portrush | 285 | -3 | 72 |
| 1950 | Bobby Locke | Troon | 279 | -1 | 70 |
| 1949 | Bobby Locke | Royal St George's | 283 | -5 | 72 |
| 1948 | Henry Cotton | Muirfield | 284 | E | 71 |
| 1947 | Fred Daly | Royal Liverpool | 293 | 21 | 68 |
| 1946 | Sam Snead | St Andrews | 290 | -2 | 73 |
| 1939 | Dick Burton | St Andrews | 290 | -2 | 73 |
| 1938 | Reg Whitcombe | Royal St George's | 295 | 15 | 70 |
