Which British golfer won the first Open Championship in 1860?

Willie Park Sr. won the first Open Championship in 1860. The inaugural tournament was held at Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland, on 17 October, with eight professional golfers competing over three rounds of the 12-hole course.

Park represented Musselburgh and finished with a score of 174, defeating Tom Morris Sr. by two strokes. The contest was organised to identify a successor to Allan Robertson, widely regarded as the leading golfer before his death in 1859. The winner received the Challenge Belt, which could be kept permanently after three successive victories.

Park was a skilled clubmaker and a successful player in the era of challenge matches, when head-to-head contests attracted large crowds. He won the Open four times: in 1860, 1863, 1866 and 1875.

A common mix-up is confusing Willie Park Sr. with Tom Morris Sr. or Young Tom Morris. Tom Morris Sr. was runner-up in 1860, while his son Young Tom did not win his first Open until 1868.