Willie Park, Sr. wins the first British Open by shooting 174 over 36 holes
The first Open Championship was played at the Prestwick Golf Club at Ayr in Scotland. Eight Scottish professionals entered and played 36 holes in a single day. Willie Park, senior was the first winner, shooting a 174. The championship was opened to amateurs as well as professionals the following year. (By John Osborne)
Source Citation
Francis Murray, The British Open: A Twentieth Century History of Golf's Greatest Championship (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000), 11.