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Young Tom Morris

Scotland · born , St Andrews, Scotland · died

4major championships

Summary

  • First major 1868 The Open
  • Last major 1872 The Open
  • Runner-up in majors 1 time

Wins

  1. 1868 The Open Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · 154 · by 3 strokes from Tom Morris Sr
  2. 1869 The Open Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · 157 · by 11 strokes from Bob Kirk
  3. 1870 The Open Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · 149 · by 12 strokes from Bob Kirk and Davie Strath
  4. 1872 The Open Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · 166 · by 3 strokes from Davie Strath

Near misses

  1. 1866 The Open Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · finished 9 · 187
  2. 1867 The Open Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · finished 4 · 175
  3. 1873 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T3 · 183
  4. 1874 The Open Musselburgh Links (9-hole) · runner-up to Mungo Park · 161

Rivals

Beat him

Moments

  1. 1868 Open At 17 years 156 days, Young Tom became the youngest champion, beating his father by three.
  2. 1868 Open His closing 49 was an Open record, and his 154 broke the 36-hole record by eight strokes.
  3. 1869 Open Young Tom made the Championship's first hole-in-one, at the 166-yard 8th (Station) hole.
  4. 1869 Open He won by 11 strokes on a day of strong wind.
  5. 1870 Open Young Tom made 3 at the 578-yard 1st when his blind 200-yard third shot hit the flagstick and dropped in.
  6. 1870 Open His third straight win gave him permanent ownership of the Belt, which left the Championship without a trophy.
  7. 1872 Open Strath led by five after 24 holes, but his drive at the last went into the Goosedubs swamp and he closed with 61.
  8. 1872 Open No new trophy was ready, so Young Tom received a medal; his name was later the first engraved on the Claret Jug.

Records and firsts

  1. 1870 Open next-largest margins · 12; 11 (1870; 1869)
  2. — Open most consecutive titles · 4 (1868, 1869, 1870, 1872; none in 1871)
  3. — Open youngest champion · 17 years 156 days (1868)
  4. — Open youngest competitor · 14 years 147 days (1865)

Results by championship

    Best day

    1870 The Open

    Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · 149 · by 12 strokes from Bob Kirk and Davie Strath

    Young Tom made 3 at the 578-yard 1st when his blind 200-yard third shot hit the flagstick and dropped in.

    His third straight win gave him permanent ownership of the Belt, which left the Championship without a trophy.

    Chosen by rule: his widest winning margin in a major. Year page: 1870.

    Career line, 1866–1874

    The Open
    1866 The Open: finished 91867 The Open: finished 41868 The Open: won1869 The Open: won1870 The Open: won1872 The Open: won1873 The Open: finished T31874 The Open: runner-up to Mungo Park
    18661868187018721874

    8 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Major win
    • Runner-up
    • Top 10

    Young Tom Morris was born on April 20, 1851, in St Andrews, Scotland. Young Tom Morris won 4 major championships: 4 Open Championships (1868, 1869, 1870, 1872).

    See Young Tom Morris in our rooms: The Open and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Wins in the majors (4)

    1. 1868 The Open Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · 154 · by 3 strokes from Tom Morris Sr
    2. 1869 The Open Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · 157 · by 11 strokes from Bob Kirk
    3. 1870 The Open Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · 149 · by 12 strokes from Bob Kirk and Davie Strath
    4. 1872 The Open Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · 166 · by 3 strokes from Davie Strath

    Near misses

    Top-10 finishes are listed for The Open, the one championship with a full top 10 every year.

    1. 1866 The Open Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · finished 9 · 187
    2. 1867 The Open Prestwick Golf Club (12-hole links) · finished 4 · 175
    3. 1873 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T3 · 183
    4. 1874 The Open Musselburgh Links (9-hole) · runner-up to Mungo Park · 161

    Records and firsts

    Rows from our record tables that name this player, worded as the tables word them.

    1. 1870 Open next-largest margins · 12; 11 (1870; 1869)
    2. — Open most consecutive titles · 4 (1868, 1869, 1870, 1872; none in 1871)
    3. — Open youngest champion · 17 years 156 days (1868)
    4. — Open youngest competitor · 14 years 147 days (1865)

    Sources

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. where2golf
    2. R&A 1874
    3. R&A 1868
    4. GC 1868
    5. R&A 1869
    6. GC 1869
    7. R&A 1870
    8. GC 1870
    9. R&A 1872
    10. GC 1872
    11. R&A 1866
    12. R&A 1867
    13. R&A 1873
    14. Golf Today records
    15. Perry Golf
    16. R&A 1865