July 2025 Update

The Silver Medal is awarded to the leading amateur at The Open Championship, provided they make the cut and complete all 72 holes.

It was first awarded in 1949 and in the 76 Championships since has been won 55 times by 49 different players. Prior to World War II amateurs were often amongst the leading competitors so a separate prize was not considered necessary.

The Silver Medal used to bear the inscription ‘Golf Champion Trophy’, with the edition of the words ‘First Amateur’ but it now simply states “Open Golf Championship [Year]’ on one side and the winner’s name on the reverse.

Here is some background on the Silver Medal and a full list of the select group of past winners.

History

The Open Championship was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland.

It is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf and the only one played outside the United States.

The 152nd Open was played at Royal Portrush Golf Cub in Northern Ireland on 17-20 July 2025.

Amateurs In the Field

Nowadays the field is made up of 156 players, although in 2024 157 ended up competing. These are mainly professionals but there are always some amateurs too.

Exemptions are given by The R&A based on previous wins / performances and world rankings. The exemption categories provide direct access to the field for around 105 players.

There are eight amateur exemptions which are awarded to: –
– The United States Amateur Champion (previous year)
– The Mark H. McCormack Medal Winner – Men’s WAGR (previous year)
– The Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion (previous year)
– The Latin-America Amateur Champion (current year)
– The African Amateur Championship (current year)
– The Amateur Champion (current year)
– The European Amateur Champion (current year)
– The Open Amateur Series* winner (current year)

*Cumulative WAGR points earned at the St. Andrews Links Trophy, The Amateur Championship and The European Amateur Championship.

All of the above exemptions are only applicable if the players concerned remain amateur until the end of the Open Championship in question.

The remaining c.55 players qualify through The Open Qualifying Series (International professional events in 2025) or via Regional (15 GB&I events in 2025) and Final Qualifying (4 GB events in 2025). Additional amateur players often come through these latter events.

Best Amateur Performances

Bobby Jones (USA) was the last amateur to win The Open Championship in 1930, his famous Grand Slam year. Jones had previously won the event in 1926 and 1927.

Prior to that The Open had been won by just two other amateurs – Englishmen John Ball (1890) and Harold Hilton (1892 and 1897).

Frank Stranahan (USA) finished runner-up in 1947 and 1953, behind Fred Daly and Ben Hogan respectively.

R. Reid Jack (SCO) finished tied 5th in 1959 before more recently Justin Rose (ENG) tied 4th in 1998 and Chris Wood (ENG) tied 5th in 2008.

Paul Dunne’s (IRL) performance at St. Andrews in 2015 is also worthy of a mention. Dunne was tied for the 54 hole lead after rounds of 69, 69 and 66 before sadly a final round 78 saw him slip down the field for an undeserved tied 30th finish.

Scotland’s Calum SCOTT was the last player to win the low amateur Silver Medal. His scores of 71, 75, 70 and 76 for a 292 total (+8) saw him finish in tied 43rd place at Royal Troon G.C. in 2024.

Calum Scott (Photo: Luke Walker / R&A / R&A via Getty Images)

The Silver Medal Winners

In the 76 Championships from 1949 to 2025 the Silver Medal has been won by 49 players on 55 occasions (all in bold in the table below).

The Medal has not been awarded on 21 occasions during this period due to the fact that no amateur was able to make the cut.

Frank Stranahan (USA) won it four times in its first five years. He was also the low amateur in 1947 before the medal came into existence.

Joe Carr (IRL), Michael Bonallack (ENG) and Peter McEvoy (ENG) are the only other multiple winners, having each won it twice.

Matteo Manassero (ITA) is the youngest winner of the Silver Medal. He was 16 years and 91 days old when he secured low amateur honours at Turnberry in 2009.

Since 1972 a Bronze Medal has also been awarded to any other amateurs who make the cut and complete all four rounds.

Here is the complete list of Silver Medal winners: –

15 players have won the Silver Medal at the Open Championship and The Amateur Championship: –

Frank Stranahan – SM 1949, 1950, 1951 / AC 1948, 1950
Joe Conrad – SM 1955 / AC 1955
Joe Carr – SM 1956, 1958 / AC 1953, 1958, 1960
Robert Reid Jack – SM 1959 / AC 1957
Michael Bonallack – SM 1968, 1971 / AC 1961, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970
Steve Melnyk – SM 1970 / AC 1971
Peter McEvoy – SM 1978, 1979 / AC 1977, 1978
Jay Sigel – SM 1980 / AC 1970
Jose Maria Olazabel – SM 1985 / AC 1984
Paul Mayo – SM 1987 / AC 1987
Iain Pyman – SM 1993 / AC 1993
Stuart Wilson – SM 2004 / AC 2004
Matteo Manassero – SM 2009 / AC 2009
Jin Jeong – SM 2010 / AC 2010
Christo Lamprecht – SM 2023 / AC 2023

Winners of the Boys’ Amateur Championship earn an exemption into Final Qualifying for The Open. Matthew Fitzpatrick came through Final Qualifying in 2013, the year he won the Boys’, to also pick up the Silver Medal.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are the only Silver Medal winners to go on and become ‘The Champion Golfer of the Year’ too.

Hal Sutton (1983 P.G.A. Championship), José María Olazábal (1994 and 1999 Masters), Justin Rose (2013 U.S. Open) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (2022 U.S. Open) are other Silver Medal winners to have subsequently secured a major Championship.

ME.

Copyright © 2014-2025, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.