The winning score in the first Open Championship in 1860 was 174. Willie Park Sr. produced that total at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland, defeating Tom Morris Sr. by two strokes. Park’s score came from rounds of 55, 59 and 60.
The inaugural event was held on October 17, 1860, with eight professional golfers competing. Unlike the modern Open Championship, the contest was played over three rounds of Prestwick’s twelve-hole links course, meaning the players completed 36 holes in total. The event was organized to identify a successor to Allan Robertson, who had been regarded as the world’s leading golfer before his death in 1859.
The prize was the Challenge Belt, a richly decorated trophy that a golfer could keep permanently by winning three consecutive editions. The tournament was initially restricted to professionals; amateurs were allowed to enter from 1861 onward. The 174 total therefore belongs to a very different format from today’s four-round, 72-hole championship, making direct score comparisons misleading.