This paper investigates open-phase fault modeling and fault-tolerant control (FTC) of dual three-phase permanent magnet synchronous machines (DT-PMSMs). A comprehensive fault model that considers both the permanent magnet torque and reluctance torque under the open-phase fault is proposed first. This model shows that under open-phase fault the average torque of DT-PMSM will decrease, while torque ripple will increase significantly. Then, a novel optimized FTC approach is developed based on the proposed model, in which genetic algorithm (GA) is applied to optimize the stator currents to maximize the average torque and minimize the torque ripple under open-phase fault. The proposed fault model and GA-based FTC are applicable to both surface-mounted and interior DT-PMSMs. However, existing approaches neglecting the reluctance torque are only applicable to surfaced-mounted DT-PMSMs. Moreover, the proposed approach is simple in implementation as it employs the original control structure and it is capable of smooth switching between the healthy operation and FTC without inducing noticeable torque pulses. The proposed approach is demonstrated with design examples, compared with existing one and validated with experiments on a laboratory interior DT-PMSM.