British Open Past Winners

This British Open was first played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. The third of four annual major championships, and the only one played outside of American soil, the Open Championship has seen many great champions in tournament history.

Most recently, South African Louis Oosthuiven played nearly flawless golf over four days at St. Andrews to win his first major championship. The last to win at Royal St. Georges, the site of this year's Championship, was American Ben Curtis, who came out of nowhere to claim victory.

Recent Champions:

2010: Louis Oosthuiven, St. Andrews
2009: Stewart Cink, Turnberry
2008: Padraig Harrington, Royal Birkdale
2007: Padraig Harrington, Carnoustie
2006: Tiger Woods, Hoylake
2005: Tiger Woods, St. Andrews
2004: Todd Hamilton, Royal Troon
2003: Ben Curtis, Royal St. Georges
2002: Ernie Els, Muirfield
2001: David Duval, Royal Lytham and St. Annes
2000: Tiger Woods, St. Andrews

The 2011 Open Championship will feature several course changes

Royal St. Georges, the venue for the 2011 British Open, will see the course play slightly different than it did in 2003, the year Ben Curtis won.

During that tournament, Tiger Woods missed the first fairway, lost his ball, and ended up with a triple bogey. Jerry Kelly had a bigger problem with the hole, and finished with an 11. Overall, less than 30% of drives hit the first fairway that year. With that in mind, the first fairway will be given twelve additional yards in width for 2011.

The 17th and 18th fairways will be given extra width as well, making the finishing stretch a bit easier for the players. Overall, the course will be lengthened by 100 yards with the biggest change coming at the fourth hole, which will go from a 497 yard par-5 to a 495 yard par-4, making the course a par 70, not 71.

No word has been given on whether or not anything will be changed with the infamous fairway bunker at the fourth.