| YEAR | WINNER | SCORE | RUNNER UP | COURSE |
| 1998 | Mark O'Meara | 280* | Brian Watts | Royal Birkdale (England) |
| 1997 | Justin Leonard | 272 | Darren Clarke, Jesper Parnevik | Royal Troon (Scotland) |
| 1996 | Tom Lehman | 271 | Ernie Els, Mark McCumber | Royal Lytham and St. Annes (England) |
| 1995 | John Daly | 282* | Costantino Rocca, Ernie Els | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1994 | Nick Price | 268 | Jesper Parnevik | Turnberry Golf Links (Scotland) |
| 1993 | Greg Norman | 267 | Nick Faldo | Royal St. George's (England) |
| 1992 | Nick Faldo | 272 | John Cook | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1991 | Ian Baker-Finch | 272 | Mark Harwood | Royal Birkdale (England) |
| 1990 | Nick Faldo | 270 | Payne Stewart, Mark McNulty | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1989 | Mark Calcavecchia | 275* | Wayne Grady, Greg Norman | Royal Troon (Scotland) |
| 1988 | Seve Ballesteros | 273 | Nick Price | Royal Lytham (England) |
| 1987 | Nick Faldo | 279 | Paul Azinger, Rodger Davis | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1986 | Greg Norman | 280 | Gordon Brand | Turnberry (Scotland) |
| 1985 | Sandy Lyle | 282 | Payne Stewart | Royal St. George's (England) |
| 1984 | Seve Ballesteros | 276 | Tom Watson, Bernhard Langer | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1983 | Tom Watson | 275 | Andy Bean, Hale Irwin | Royal Birkdale (England) |
| 1982 | Tom Watson | 284 | Nick Price, Peter Oosterhuis | Royal Troon (Scotland) |
| 1981 | Bill Rogers | 276 | Bernhard Langer | Royal St. George's (England) |
| 1980 | Tom Watson | 271 | Lee Trevino | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1979 | Seve Ballesteros | 283 | Ben Crenshaw, Jack Nicklaus | Royal Lytham (England) |
| 1978 | Jack Nicklaus | 281 | Ben Crenshaw, Siimon Owen, Tom Kite | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1977 | Tom Watson | 268 | Jack Nicklaus | Turnberry (Scotland) |
| 1976 | Johnny Miller | 279 | Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros | Royal Birkdale (England) |
| 1975 | Tom Watson | 279* | Jack Newton | Carnoustie (Scotland) |
| 1974 | Gary Player | 282 | Peter Oosterhuis | Royal Lytham (Scotland) |
| 1973 | Tom Weiskopf | 276 | Johnny Miller, Neil Coles | Troon (Scotland) |
| 1972 | Lee Trevino | 278 | Jack Nicklaus | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1971 | Lee Trevino | 278 | Lu Liang Huan | Royal Birkdale (England) |
| 1970 | Jack Nicklaus | 283* | Doug Sanders | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1969 | Tony Jacklin | 280 | Bob Charles | Royal Lytham (Scotland) |
| 1968 | Gary Player | 289 | Jack Nicklaus, Bob Charles | Carnoustie (Scotland) |
| 1967 | Roberto Devicenzo | 278 | Jack Nicklaus | Hoylake (England) |
| 1966 | Jack Nicklaus | 282 | Doug Sanders, Dave Thomas | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1965 | Peter Thomson | 285 | Brian Huggett, Christy O'Connor | Southport (England) |
| 1964 | Tony Lema | 279 | Jack Nicklaus | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1963 | Bob Charles | 277* | Phil Rodgers | Royal Lytham (England) |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer | 276 | Kel Nagle | Troon (Scotland) |
| 1961 | Arnold Palmer | 284 | Dai Rees | Royal Birkdale (England) |
| 1960 | Kel Nagle | 278 | Arnold Palmer | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1959 | Gary Player | 284 | Fred Bullock, Flory Van Donck | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1958 | Peter Thomson | 278* | Dave Thomas | Royal Lytham (England) |
| 1957 | Bobby Locke | 279 | Peter Thomson | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1956 | Peter Thomson | 286 | Flory Van Donck | Hoylake (England) |
| 1955 | Peter Thomson | 281 | John Fallon | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1954 | Peter Thomson | 283 | Sidney S. Scott, Dai Rees, Bobby Locke | Royal Birkdale (England) |
| 1953 | Ben Hogan | 282 | Frank Stranahan, Dai Rees, Peter Thomson | Carnoustie (Scotland) |
| 1952 | Bobby Locke | 287 | Peter Thomson | Royal Lytham (England) |
| 1951 | Max Faulkner | 285 | Antonio Cerda | Portrush (Ireland) |
| 1950 | Bobby Locke | 279 | Roberto DeVicenzo | Troon (Scotland) |
| 1949 | Bobby Locke | 283* | Harry Bradshaw | Royal St. George's (England) |
| 1948 | Henry Cotton | 284 | Fred Daly | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1947 | Fred Daly | 293 | R. W. Horne, Frank Stranaham | Hoylake (England) |
| 1946 | Sam Snead | 290 | Bobby Locke, Johnny Bulla | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1945 | No championship played | |||
| 1944 | No championship played | |||
| 1943 | No championship played | |||
| 1942 | No championship played | |||
| 1941 | No championship played | |||
| 1940 | No championship played | |||
| 1939 | Richard Burton | 290 | Johnny Bulla | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1938 | R.A. Whitcombe | 295 | James Adams | Royal St. George's (England) |
| 1937 | Henry Cotton | 290 | R.A. Whitcombe | Carnoustie (Scotland) |
| 1936 | Alfred Padgham | 287 | Jams Adams | Hoylake (Scotland) |
| 1935 | Alfred Perry | 283 | Alfred Padgham | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1934 | Henry Cotton | 283 | Sidney F. Brews | Royal St. George's (England) |
| 1933 | Denny Shute | 292* | Craig Wood | St. Andrews, Scotland |
| 1932 | Gene Sarazen | 283 | Macdonald Smith | Prince's (England) |
| 1931 | Tommy Armour | 296 | Jose Jurado | Carnoustie (Scotland) |
| 1930 | Robert Jones, Jr. | 291 | Macdonald Smith, Leo Diegel | Hoylake (England) |
| 1929 | Walter Hagen | 292 | Johnny Farrell | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1928 | Walter Hagen | 292 | Gene Sarazen | Royal St. George's (England) |
| 1927 | Robert T. Jones, Jr. | 285 | Aubrey Boomer, Fred Robson | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1926 | Robert T. Jones, Jr. | 291 | Al Watrous | Royal Lytham (England) |
| 1925 | James Barnes | 300 | Archie Compston, Ted Ray | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1924 | Walter Hagen | 301 | Ernest Whitcombe | Hoylake (England) |
| 1923 | Arthur Havers | 295 | Walter Hagen | Troon (Scotland) |
| 1922 | Walter Hagen | 300 | George Duncan, James M. Barnes | Royal St. George's (Scotland) |
| 1921 | Jock Hitchison | 296* | Roger Wethered | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1920 | George Duncan | 303 | Alexander Herd | Deal (England) |
| 1919 | No championship played | |||
| 1918 | No championship played | |||
| 1917 | No championship played | |||
| 1916 | No championship played | |||
| 1915 | No championship played | |||
| 1914 | Harry Vardon | 306 | J.H. Taylor | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1913 | J.H. Taylor | 304 | Edward Ray | Hoylake (Scotland) |
| 1912 | Edward Ray | 295 | Harry Vardon | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1911 | Harry Vardon | 303 | Arnaud Massy | Royal St. George's (England) |
| 1910 | James Braid | 299 | Alexander Herd | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1909 | J.H. Taylor | 295 | James Braid, Tom Ball | Deal (England) |
| 1908 | James Braid | 291 | Tom Ball | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1907 | Arnaud Massy | 312 | J.H. Taylor | Hoylake (England) |
| 1906 | James Braid | 300 | J.H. Taylor | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1905 | James Braid | 318 | J.H. Taylor, Rowland Jones | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1904 | Jack White | 296 | J.H. Taylor, James Braid | Royal St. George's (England) |
| 1903 | Harry Vardon | 300 | Tom Vardon | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1902 | Alexander Herd | 307 | Harry Vardon, James Braid | Hoylake (England) |
| 1901 | James Braid | 309 | Harry Vardon | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1900 | J.H. Taylor | 309 | Harry Vardon | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1899 | Harry Vardon | 310 | Jack White | Royal St. George's (England) |
| 1898 | Harry Vardon | 307 | Willie Park, Jr. | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1897 | Harold Hilton | 314 | James Braid | Hoylake (England) |
| 1896 | Harry Vardon | 316* | J.H. Taylor | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1895 | J.H. Taylor | 322 | Alexander Herd | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1894 | J.H. Taylor | 326 | Douglas Rolland | Royal St. George's (England) |
| 1893 | William Auchterlonie | 322 | John E. Laidlay | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1892 | Harold Hilton | 305 | John Ball, Jr., Hugh Kirkaldy, Alexander Herd | Muirfield (Scotland) |
| 1891 | Hugh Kirkaldy | 166** | Andrew Kirkaldy, Willie Fernie | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1890 | John Ball | 164 | Willie Fernie, Archie Simpson | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1889 | Willie Park, Jr. | 155* | Andrew Kirkaldy | Musselburgh (Scotland) |
| 1888 | Jack Burns | 171 | Ben Sayers, David Anderson | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1887 | Willie Park, Jr | 161 | Bob Martin | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1886 | David Brown | 157 | Willie Campbell | Musselburgh (Scotland) |
| 1885 | Bob Martin | 171 | Archie Simpson | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1884 | Jack Simpson | 160 | Douglas Rolland, Willie Fernie | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1883 | Willie Fernie | 159* | Robert Ferguson | Musselburgh (Scotland) |
| 1882 | Robert Ferguson | 171 | Willie Fernie | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1881 | Robert Ferguson | 170 | Jamie Anderson | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1880 | Robert Ferguson | 162 | Peter Paxton | Musselburgh (Scotland) |
| 1879 | Jamie Anderson | 169 | Andrew Kirkaldy, James Allan | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1878 | Jamie Anderson | 157 | Bob Kirk | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1877 | Jamie Anderson | 160 | Robert Pringle | Musselburgh (Scotland) |
| 1876 | Bob Martin | 176 | David Strath | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1875 | Willie Park | 166 | Bob Martin | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1874 | Mungo Park | 159 | Tom Morris, Jr. | Musselburgh (Scotland) |
| 1873 | Tom Kidd | 179 | Jamie Anderson | St. Andrews (Scotland) |
| 1872 | Tom Morris, Jr. | 166 | David Strath | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1871 | No championship played | |||
| 1870 | Tom Morris, Jr. | 149 | David Strath, Bob Kirk | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1869 | Tom Morris, Jr. | 154 | Tom Morris, Sr. | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1868 | Tom Morris, Jr. | 157 | Robert Andrew | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1867 | Tom Morris, Sr. | 170 | Willie Park | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1866 | Willie Park | 169 | David Park | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1865 | Andrew Strath | 162 | Willie Park | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1864 | Tom Morris, Sr. | 167 | Andrew Strath | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1863 | Willie Park | 168 | Tom Morris, Sr. | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1862 | Tom Morris, Sr. | 163 | Willie Park | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1861 | Tom Morris, Sr. | 163 | Willie Park | Prestwick (Scotland) |
| 1860 | Willie Park | 174 | Tom Morris, Sr. | Prestwick (Scotland) |