What does it take to win the Open? James Mason looks at the key stats for golf's oldest Major

Where is the 2025 Open Championship?

The 153rd Open Championship will be staged at the Dunluce Course, Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

When does the Open Championship start?

The first group is set to tee off at 6.35am on Thursday

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Champion Golfer of the Year. The gold medal winner. Holder of the Claret Jug. Those achievements, so desperately yearned for by all professional golfers, await the individual who wins the Open Championship at Royal Portrush this week.

But what is required to lift the Claret Jug? Do you need to be a great putter? Is previous Major experience a necessity? Various statistics offer clues as to what makes up the DNA of an Open winner.

Going to the Open immediately after a positive result helps. Nine of the last 15 winners finished no worse 15th in their previous start before the Major. 

Ten of those winners played at the Scottish Open – including the last four – while Phil Mickelson won that event at Castle Stuart before following up at the Open in 2013.

It is not always form in the Scotland event, though, that aids a cause. Francesco Molinari was a runner-up at the John Deere Classic in 2018 and Zach Johnson shared third in 2015, while Jordan Spieth won the Travelers Championship in his final start prior to winning at Royal Birkdale in 2017. It’s important not to go into the Open on a cold streak.

And what about previous Major wins? Interestingly, five of the last eight champions were all winning one of the big four titles for the first time. 

Henrik Stenson, Molinari, 2019 Portrush hero Shane Lowry, Cameron Smith and Brian Harman had never tasted Major success before, so having one of those prestigious trophies already in the locker is perhaps not a key factor. 

But having a win on either the PGA or DP World Tour in the same year as the Open is a positive.

Twelve of the last 15 Open winners had registered a victory in the year they claimed the Claret Jug, although Stewart Cink (2009), Johnson and Harman (2023) broke the mould in that regard. It is not essential to have already won but it helps. 

And when it comes to areas of the game that need to be on song, greens in regulation, scrambling and putting are right up there. Smith and Harman were unrivalled in strokes gained putting when claiming the spoils, while Schauffele ranked 16th last year.

Of the last ten Open winners, the average greens-in-regulation ranking has been just shy of 15 and both scrambling and putting average have been under ten. Irons need to be razor-sharp and the flat stick should be red hot.

A positive start to the tournament is crucial. Just two of the last 15 winners were sitting outside the top ten after the first round. 

Molinari sat tied 18th in 2018 before going on to strike at Carnoustie and Stenson shared 12th position at Troon in 2016, but those two are exceptions as the other 13 champions have been tied-ninth or better.

If you’re struggling to go the pace on Thursday, don’t expect to be lifting the Jug on Sunday.

Read more on the 153rd Open Championship:

Steve Palmer's Open Championship outright preview 

Open Championship first-round leader predictions: tips at 80-1, 90-1 and 225-1 

Open Championship specials predictions 

Open Championship first-round threeball predictions  

Our guide to all 156 players in the Royal Portrush field   

The Lowdown: Royal Portrush course guide 

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