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Royal Birkdale Golf Club — Southport, England
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Royal Birkdale Course OverviewDates: July 16-19, 2026
Location: Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
Format: 72-hole stroke play / major championship
Event: The 154th Open
Field: 156-player Open Championship field
Trophy: Claret Jug
The 2026 British Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale for a classic links test built around driving position, wind control, bunker avoidance, approach discipline, short-game patience, and major championship pressure.
CaddyBytes 🏆 Final Round Recap: Ryan Fox delivered the defining finish at Royal Birkdale, closing with a 2-under 68 and a winning total of 10-under 270. The 39-year-old New Zealander entered Sunday two strokes behind Sam Burns, stayed in the championship throughout a shifting afternoon leaderboard and then birdied the 18th hole to win The 154th Open by one stroke.
Fox's final nine demanded both patience and nerve. After a difficult break led to a bogey at the 15th, he answered immediately with a brilliant recovery and birdie at the 16th. He then struck his approach into the final green close enough to create the championship-winning opportunity and converted the putt at 18 without hesitation.
Cameron Young produced the strongest charge of the day. He raced through the opening nine in 29, climbed from outside the lead group into a share of the top spot and briefly reached 10 under. A closing bogey left him with a round-of-the-day 64, a 271 total and the clubhouse lead at 9 under before Fox's final birdie settled the championship.
Overnight leader Sam Burns fought to remain in control but could not reproduce the scoring that carried him to the 54-hole lead. Burns made several important saves, including a pressure par during the back-nine battle, but a final-round 72 dropped him to third at 8 under. His last opportunity to force a different ending disappeared when Fox closed the tournament with birdie.
Tommy Fleetwood shot 68 and Scottie Scheffler added a 67 to share fourth at 7 under. Scheffler remained in the chase deep into the final round, but mistakes in Royal Birkdale's fescue and demanding green complexes prevented him from successfully defending the championship.
Lucas Herbert, Casey Jarvis and Si Woo Kim tied for sixth at 6 under. Kim briefly moved into the lead with consecutive birdies, only to surrender the advantage with back-to-back bogeys. Jarvis closed with a strong 66, while Herbert completed a memorable week that included one of the championship's record-matching rounds of 62.
Champion: Ryan Fox birdied the 72nd hole, completed a final-round 68 and finished at 10-under 270 for a one-stroke victory over Cameron Young.
| Position | Player | Score | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Fox | -10 | 72 | 68 | 62 | 68 | 270 | Champion |
| 2 | Cameron Young | -9 | 67 | 67 | 73 | 64 | 271 | Runner-up |
| 3 | Sam Burns | -8 | 73 | 62 | 65 | 72 | 272 | Third place |
| T4 | Tommy Fleetwood | -7 | 69 | 67 | 69 | 68 | 273 | Three shots back |
| T4 | Scottie Scheffler | -7 | 68 | 68 | 70 | 67 | 273 | Three shots back |
| T6 | Lucas Herbert | -6 | 70 | 62 | 71 | 71 | 274 | Four shots back |
| T6 | Casey Jarvis | -6 | 73 | 67 | 68 | 66 | 274 | Four shots back |
| T6 | Si Woo Kim | -6 | 68 | 67 | 67 | 72 | 274 | Four shots back |
| T9 | Ludvig Åberg | -5 | 71 | 66 | 67 | 71 | 275 | Five shots back |
| T9 | Ryan Gerard | -5 | 67 | 67 | 69 | 72 | 275 | Five shots back |
| T9 | Russell Henley | -5 | 70 | 71 | 68 | 66 | 275 | Five shots back |
| T9 | Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen | -5 | 72 | 66 | 67 | 70 | 275 | Five shots back |
| T9 | Adam Scott | -5 | 72 | 66 | 71 | 66 | 275 | Five shots back |
Final-round leaderboard note: Young's 64 established the target at 9 under, Burns remained within one until the closing stretch and Fox claimed the outright lead only when his birdie putt disappeared on the final green.
Sunday scoring theme: The championship changed hands repeatedly as Young charged, Kim briefly moved in front, Burns battled to protect his advantage and Fox recovered from a late setback to produce the decisive finish.
Final-round takeaway: Fox won the championship with resilience as much as scoring. Young forced the issue with a spectacular 64, Burns refused to disappear after losing the lead and several contenders reached the closing holes with a realistic chance. Fox answered every challenge and saved his most important birdie for the final green.
Tournament summary: The 154th Open produced three rounds of 62, repeated leaderboard swings and a final afternoon decided on the 72nd hole. Royal Birkdale rewarded controlled ball striking but continued to punish poor angles, deep bunkers and even small misses. Ryan Fox ultimately handled those demands best, finishing at 10 under and becoming New Zealand's newest major champion.
Watch official final-round highlights from The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale.