<P> The Open Championship is an annual golf competition that was established in 1860 . It is played on the weekend of the third Friday in July, and is the third of the four major championships to be played each year . In addition, this championship is conducted by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A). The championship was not held in 1871 due to a disagreement over a new trophy, and from 1915 to 1919 and from 1940 to 1945 due to the First and Second World Wars respectively . </P> <P> The reigning champion of the competition is automatically invited to play in the other three majors (Masters, the U.S. Open, and the PGA Championship) for the next five years . The prize of the tournament is the Golf Champion Trophy, commonly known as the Claret Jug, and the champion personally keeps the trophy until the next competition the following year . The champion also receives a gold medal, which they are allowed to keep permanently . Until 1870 the champion received the Challenge Belt, however when Tom Morris Jr. (more commonly known as Young Tom Morris) won the Open Championship three times in a row he won the belt outright, necessitating the need for a new trophy . </P> <P> Harry Vardon holds the record for the most Open Championship victories, winning six times during his career . The oldest winner of the Open Championship is Tom Morris Sr. (or Old Tom Morris) who was 46 years and 102 days old when he won in 1867 . His son, Tom Morris Jr., is the youngest winner of the championship, he was 17 years and 156 days old when he won the 1868 Open Championship . He also won the most consecutive times with four victories (1868--72). Henrik Stenson holds the dual distinction of being both the most strokes under par for 72 holes (− 20) and also recording the lowest total score (264) when he won in 2016 . </P> <Table> Key <Tr> <Td> (n / a) </Td> <Td> Information not available </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Tournament won in a playoff </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> * </Td> <Td> Tournament won by an amateur </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who has won the british open the most times