Padraig Harrington Was The Last Back-To-Back Open Championship Winner With Consecutive Claret Jug Triumphs In 2007 & 2008

Winning the coveted Claret Jug is one of the biggest achievements in professional golf. As one of the four major championships, winning The Open is the epitome of success. But who was the last back-to-back Open Championship winner?

Reigning champion Xander Schauffele bids to win B2B Open Championships at Royal Portrush in the fourth and final major of the year, but who was the last player to achieve the feat?

Who Was The Last Back-To-Back Open Championship Winner?

Since it’s inception in 1860, there have been 16 back-to-back Open Championship winners in history.

The first player to achieve the feat was Scottish golfer Tom Morris Sr, also known as Old Tom Morris, who won back-to-back Open Championships in 1861 and 1862. He also went on to win another two Claret Jugs, but not back-to-back.

The next player to win back-to-back Opens was in fact his son, Tom Morris Jr. Young Tom Morris won his first of four consecutive Opens in 1868, before winning it again in 1869, 1870 and 1872. There was no tournament in 1871.

Another two Scotsmen, Jamie Anderson and Bob Ferguson, also won back-to-back Open Championships before the first English golfer won b2b Claret Jugs in 1894 and 1895. That man was John Henry Taylor.

Then came Englishman Harry Vardon as the next back-to-back Open Championship winner, achieving the feat in 1898 and 1899. Vardon also holds the record for the most Open Championship titles with a staggering six victories.

James Braid was the next back-to-back Open winner in 1905 and 1906, before Bobby Jones won two consecutive Claret Jugs, both as an amateur, in 1926 and 1927. Next was Walter Hagan, who won his third and fourth respective Open Championships back-to-back in 1928 and 1929.

South African Bobby Locke was the next b2b Open winner, followed by Peter Thomson who won three in a row from 1954-1956. The great Arnold Palmer won the 90th and 91st Open Championship back-to-back in 1961 and 1962, with Lee Trevino replicating that feat in 1971 and 1972.

Five-time Open champion Tom Watson then did it with his fourth and fifth Claret Jug successes in 1982 and 1983, before the great Tiger Woods became the next back-to-back Open winner with his 2005 and 2006 triumphs.

Woods, who is set to miss the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush through injury, then watched Irishman Padraig Harrington win back-to-back Opens in 2007 and 2008.

Padraig Harrington Was The Last Back-To-Back Open Championship Winner

The last golfer to win back-to-back Open Championship was Padraig Harrington himself. The Irishman triumphed at Carnoustie in 2007, beating Sergio Garcia in a play-off to win his first major and first Claret Jug in the process.

Harrington then won the Claret Jug again 12 months later, this time triumphing in the 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on a score of +3, four strokes ahead of runner-up Ian Poulter.

Overall, Harrington went on to win three major championships in total – two Opens and one PGA Championship.

There hasn’t been a back-to-back Open Championship winner since Harrington some 17 years ago now. It just goes to show how competitive the world of professional golf is now, with so many elite players in the field each and every major.

That being said, reigning Open champion Xander Schauffele, who boasts a $20m net worth, aims to become the 17th man in history to win b2b Open Championships this year.

But when is The Open 2025? Schauffele gets his Claret Jug defence underway at Royal Portrush on Thursday, July 17.

Plus, you can also look ahead to the next events as we list the future Open golf venues for 2026 and 2027.

Xander Schauffele Aims To Win B2B Open Championships At Royal Portrush

This year at Royal Portrush, reigning Open Championship winner Xander Schauffele has the opportunity to become the 17th man to put his name in golfing folklore with a back-to-back Open triumph.

The two-time major champion aims to add his name to this list as we embark on the 153rd Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club. It will be far from easy for the American to achieve this feat, but he is in good form and is one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Hometown Northern Ireland hero and recent career Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy will be amongst the contenders too, as will world number one and dominant golfing force Scottie Scheffler.

The likes of Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Ludvig Aberg and 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry are also fancied with the best golf betting sites to be in contention at Royal Portrush this year.

Ironically, Shane Lowry was the last Open Championship winner at Royal Portrush six years ago, hence why he is fancied to perhaps add a second Claret Jug to his name on the north coast of Northern Ireland.

These are just some of the players Schauffele will have to beat if he wants to join the elite list of back-to-back Open Championship winners.

All eyes are on Xander Schauffele at the 153rd Open Championship from Royal Portrush to see if he can follow in the footsteps of Padraig Harrington, Tiger Woods and co in becoming the 17th back-to-back Open Championship winner.

All Previous Back-To-Back Open Championship Winners