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Open records

The final scoreboard at Hoylake in 2006
Image: The final scoreboard at Hoylake in 2006

A look at the Open record books ahead of the 143rd running of the tournament at Hoylake.

A look at the Open record books ahead of the 143rd running of the tournament at Hoylake

Most wins:
6 Harry Vardon (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914)

Most times runner-up:
7 Jack Nicklaus (1964, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1979)

Oldest winner:
Old Tom Morris, 46 years and three months (1867)

Oldest runner-up:
Tom Watson, 59 years and 10 months (2009)

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Youngest winner:
Young Tom Morris, 17 years and five months (1868)

Oldest competitor:
Gene Sarazen, 74 years and four months (1976)

Youngest competitor:
Young Tom Morris, 14 years and four months (1865)

Biggest win:
13 Old Tom Morris (Prestwick 1862)

Lowest score:
267 Greg Norman (Sandwich 1993)

Lowest sub-par score:
269 (-19) Tiger Woods (St Andrews 2000)

Lowest score not to win:
269 Jack Nicklaus (Turnberry 1977), Nick Faldo (Sandwich 1993), Jesper Parnevik (Turnberry 1994)

Lowest amateur score:
281 Iain Pyman (Sandwich 1993), Tiger Woods (Lytham 1996)

Lowest round:
63 Mark Hayes (Turnberry 1977), Isao Aoki (Muirfield 1980), Greg Norman (Turnberry 1986), Paul Broadhurst (St Andrews 1990), Jodie Mudd (Birkdale 1991), Nick Faldo (Sandwich 1993), Payne Stewart (Sandwich 1993), Rory McIlroy (St Andrews 2010)

Lowest first 36 holes:
130 Nick Faldo (Muirfield 1992)

Lowest first 54 holes:
198 Tom Lehman (Lytham 1996)

Lowest closing 36 holes:
130 Tom Watson (Turnberry 1977), Ian Baker-Finch (Birkdale 1991), Anders Forsbrand (Turnberry 1994)

Lowest amateur round:
66 Frank Stranahan (Troon 1950), Tiger Woods (Lytham 1996), Justin Rose (Birkdale 1998)

Lowest nine holes:
28 Denis Durnian (Birkdale 1983)

Most successive wins:
4 Young Tom Morris 1868 to 1872

Most amateur wins:
3 Bobby Jones 1926, 1927, 1930

Debut winners:
Willie Park 1860, Tom Kidd 1873, Mungo Park 1874, Harold Hilton 1892, Jock Hutchison 1921, Densmore Shute 1933, Ben Hogan 1953, Tony Lema 1964, Tom Watson 1975, Ben Curtis 2003

Biggest span between first and last wins:
19 years - JH Taylor (1894 & 1913)

Biggest span between wins:
11 years Henry Cotton (1937 & 1948)

Champions in three decades:
Harry Vardon (1896, 1903, 1911), JH Taylor (1894, 1900, 1913), Gary Player (1959, 1968, 1974)

Most top-five finishes:
16 JH Taylor, Jack Nicklaus

Most sub-par rounds:
61 Jack Nicklaus

Record 18-hole lead:
4 James Braid (1908), Bobby Jones (1927), Henry Cotton (1934), Christy O'Connor Jnr (1985)

Record 36-hole lead:
9 Henry Cotton (1934)

Record 54-hole lead:
10 Henry Cotton (1934)

Biggest 54-hole lead lost:
5 Macdonald Smith (1925), Jean Van de Velde (1999)

Best last-day comeback to win:
10 Paul Lawrie 1999

Champions with four sub-70 rounds:
Greg Norman (1993), Nick Price (1994), Tiger Woods (2000)

Non-champions with four sub-70 rounds:
Ernie Els (1993 & 2004), Jesper Parnevik (1994)

Best closing round to win:
64 Greg Norman (1993)

Most appearances:
46 Gary Player

Most appearances before win:
19 Darren Clarke, Phil Mickelson

Longest course:
Carnoustie 2007, 7,421 yards

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