I've just got back from Royal Birkdale after an incredible week covering the 154th Open Championship.

Firstly, thanks to you all for reading and engaging with Golf Monthly's Open content and a massive congratulations to Ryan Fox. The New Zealander's finish will live long in the memory. That took serious guts and it was a joy to watch. Very well played.

From the burnt out links to the amazing fans and the thrilling conclusion we witnessed, the 154th Open will go down as one of the greatest in recent times.

It was my sixth Open on-site for Golf Monthly after Birkdale in 2017, Carnoustie in 2018, Royal Portrush in 2019, St Andrews in 2022 and Royal Liverpool in 2023.

They were all special and memorable for different reasons, but I'd have to say the 2026 championship was as good, if not better, than anything I've been lucky enough to witness before. My editor Neil Tappin also thinks it was one of the best Opens he has attended, too.

So, after long days covering the tournament inside the ropes, outside the ropes and from the media centre, here are some of my notes and key takeaways from the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale...

Let me know your thoughts on attending The Open or watching it on TV in the comments section below - I'd be interested to hear your views.

The Open is massive

I got chills the first day I walked through the gates, with some incredible audio from past champions blasting through the speakers and the views of the white art deco clubhouse, the iconic yellow scoreboard and 18th grandstand seen in the distance along with the various different nations' flags blowing in the wind.

It really felt like you were entering something very grand and special.

I've never been to Glastonbury festival - which actually has fewer attendees than The Open - but it felt like I was walking into a gigantic festival where the outside world didn't matter. And actually The Open probably is a festival. It's far more than 'just' a golf tournament.

It made for a spine-tingling first impression as you arrive in what is essentially a pop-up city, where everyone is there for the same reason - golf.

There were 306,000 fans on-site during the week following over one million applicants. It was the highest-attended Open of all time and it really felt like it.

There are temporary structures every which way you look, from three-storey hospitality units to the department store-sized Open shop, bridges, leaderboards, giant grandstands and other pop-up buildings.

There was a moment in the fan village where I was genuinely amazed by how many picnic benches there were - there were dozens and dozens. It must have been a huge operation just to get those in, let alone everything else!

It's truly remarkable that it's all essentially in a field, and it made me very proud to be a golf fan and in awe of the effort and work that must go in to bringing an Open Championship to life.

Can The Open get bigger? That was a question I had in my mind throughout the week. I asked my colleague, Fergus Bisset, and his friend who were both on-site if they felt it was 'too' busy and they both said it wasn't. So I guess it can get bigger.

The introduction of the Last-Chance Qualifier seemed a bit gimmicky to me at first, but I actually thought it was great, and it gave fans on Monday the chance to watch some real competition played by golfers who had all earned their spot. It also allowed The R&A's championship committee the chance to see how the course was playing.

I heard reports there were 15,000 fans there on Sunday...as in Sunday last week! How The Open gets bigger remains to be seen, as too many tickets sold would negatively impact the spectator experience, but I'm confident it will be done responsibly based on this past week.

The volunteers

The Open, and all golf tournaments, cannot be run without the help and work of dedicated volunteers, and I was extremely impressed by the people I saw and interacted with this year.

Each hole was run by a different golf club, whose name was emblazoned on the yellow posts holding up the ropes at crossing points. There were two men in particular manning the cross-walk just past the 10th tee, which was one of the busiest on-site as it was how you got from the main entrance to the fan village.

The gentlemen running it had a serious job of getting hundreds of people across at any given time, especially when the big groups featuring the likes of McIlroy, Fleetwood and DeChambeau were playing the hole.

They took their job very seriously and were working hard, and they did it with a smile on their faces and plenty of friendly chit-chat with spectators. It was the same story on the 18th hole, which again must have been quite a stressful job. If you get it wrong you could distract and upset players or cause a delay to the action.

Bravo to the hard-working volunteers who made the Open run like clockwork. It wouldn't have been possible without you.

TV does not do the world's best golfers justice

It never fails to amaze me how good the world's best golfers are, and it was the iron shots and short game shots I witnessed this past week that really live in my memory. If you attended The Open I am sure you'll agree with me.

Watching Rory McIlroy smash driver is seriously impressive but watching him crunch a 5-iron from tight links turf with a 15mph crosswind from 230 yards is truly mesmeric. On TV it would look like a very good shot, but in person it is a sensation that will live long in your memory.

It was also embarrassingly the first time I had properly watched Tommy Fleetwood in the flesh...I think...and watching him strike his irons was just remarkable.

Yet you go back and watch the highlights and it just looks like a pro golfer hitting the green from 180 yards. TV does not do the world's best players justice in the slightest.

The sound of the strike is thunderous, and I tried to remind myself of that every time I watched him hit a shot on the broadcast in the media centre. These guys absolutely flush it, which is sometimes difficult to truly appreciate when watching on TV.

It's the same around the greens. Scottie Scheffler's chip on the 17th hole on day one from a downslope in the rough to a slightly raised green with a tucked pin was unbelievable.

I thought he'd struggle to get it to within 20ft but he nipped it so perfectly...and then missed the four-footer.

I saw the shot later on in the highlights package and it just looked like any other Scottie Scheffler chip shot. Again, it's really hard to picture just how good these shots are when watching from an elevated TV tower's perspective and without being there to really hear the perfection of the strike.

The British fans are the absolute best

Shout out to spectators at the 154th Open, you were a huge reason for why it was such a great week.

From cries of 'Come on Tommy Lad' to 'Up the Toffees' (that one was really making me smile) and then even 'Come on Foxy Lad', the British fans were incredible.

There were undoubtedly one or two locals who had quite possibly had one too many Singhas but on the whole, the crowds were absolutely fantastic and incredibly respectful of the players.

The UK golf fans are regarded as the best in the world, and the 154th Open was another example of that.

As I was walking around on Sunday, I was trying to imagine the likelihood of a spectator shouting 'Get in the bunker' or cheering a player, who they didn't want to win, hitting a bad shot. It just simply wouldn't happen.

The scenes at the US Open last month were shocking, and it made me very proud to see The Open fans do nothing but respect the players.

Granted, I did hear a 'Cheat' remark shouted at Bryson DeChambeau but that was boo'd by the fans. You're always going to get one or two people cross the line when there are crowds of tens of thousands but bad behavior was very rare in my experience.

Players need to speak to the media

I was in the mixed zone when Bryson DeChambeau walked past all of us and it really did not sit well with me.

DeChambeau is certainly not the first golfer to decline media duties and he is well within his rights to - as there is nothing that says they are mandated to speak to the press.

He is a polarizing figure who does regularly get bad press, so can you really blame him for not wanting to talk to us when he can instead speak directly to his fans on social media?

I don't blame him at all, but I don't think it should be allowed to happen.

I think the Major organizers and the tours need to get players to tick a box when they enter an event or join as a member to agree they must speak to the gathering media if requested.

This would create more news articles, videos, social media posts and more in-depth and interesting coverage of the tournaments, so players speaking to the press benefits the tours and the tournaments.

It only takes them 10 minutes and I believe it is part of the job as an athlete who is able to earn millions in prize money and endorsements.

Why do they earn so much money? Because fans tune in by purchasing tickets and TV subscriptions.

The fans deserve to hear the players' thoughts on their experience or how they saw things from the round, respond to fair questioning and discuss newsworthy talking points.

The Open really should be on free-to-view TV in the UK

This kind of fits with the point of The Open being massive.

It is the oldest championship in golf. Last year it was the fourth-most attended sporting event in the UK, behind the British GP, Wimbledon and Royal Ascot - according to research from Full Circle.

Looking at this year's numbers of 306,000, it surpassed Royal Ascot this time around so the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale is likely going to be the third-most attended sporting event in the UK - mightily impressive considering Wimbledon is on for two weeks as well.

The R&A's duty is to grow the game of golf, and this incredible and extremely important championship sitting behind a paywall in the UK just feels a bit wrong. The R&A needs money to deliver on its promise of guiding the sport's future, but with record attendances and some controversial ticket price increases next year, surely they can still do everything they need to do without the UK TV money from Sky.

Yes, the BBC show highlights of the golf each day but I think The R&A is missing potential golfers by not reaching as many people and households with live coverage as possible.

The R&A will argue that changing consumer habits and The Open's reach across free channels like YouTube and social media is an example of huge reach, but only people who like golf will find it. I'm not really a tennis fan but I'll watch Wimbledon every year because it is on the BBC and BBC iPlayer. If it was behind a paywall on Sky I would actively have to go out and seek it, which is definitely a barrier.

The Open is so good that non-golf fans and their children can stumble across it and get engrossed in it on free-to-air TV and then potentially start becoming fans or golfers themselves.

This is absolutely no slight on Sky Sports by the way. Its coverage is excellent, and I am very grateful for the work they do in showing the golf every single week. I would be lost without it and they are best in class.

Sky just bought ITV, so perhaps that deal will allow them to eventually show The Open for free? That would be fantastic.

Ryan Fox made headlines for his maiden Major victory at The Open, but it was far from the only talking point during a controversial week at Royal Birkdale.

The biggest flashpoint came after the close of play on Friday, when Bryson DeChambeau was given a two-shot penalty after he was deemed to have inadvertently improved his lie at the fifth hole earlier that day.

Now, reports have emerged that DeChambeau asked to call US president and golf fan Donald Trump during his back-and-forth with rules officials before the decision on Friday evening.

DeChambeau, who has known Trump for several years, had only just finished his round when he was taken back to the long rough at the fifth to explain his actions to officials.

The LIV Golfer was seen becoming animated as he argued his case with rules officials, but it was to no avail, with The R&A confirming later that evening that he would be assessed the penalty.

At one point, the furore threatened to overshadow the tournament, and there was even a suggestion that DeChambeau may not continue playing in it due to the penalty.

However, he cleared things up later that evening, writing on social media: “Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.”

Per golf writer Geoff Shackleford’s Substack The Quadrilateral, DeChambeau requested rules officials bring Trump into the discussion after he returned from the fifth hole to the recorder's hut late on Friday.

DeChambeau’s request to have Trump intervene was denied, but it wasn’t enough to stop the controversy rumbling along into the third round.

When DeChambeau returned to the recorder’s hut, he still hadn’t signed his scorecard, a situation that ultimately led to a delay in the publication of the third round tee times – something that didn’t go down well with some in the field, including Marco Penge.

Meanwhile, although some players defended DeChambeau, including Xander Schauffele, Max Homa and Scottie Scheffler, others weren’t so quick to give him their backing.

One was Rory McIlroy, who accused DeChambeau of holding The Open hostage. He said: “Yeah, look, I won't pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I'm not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it's performative. I think a lot of it's for attention.”

He added: “To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn't feel like it was a great look."

In 2024, Trump appeared on DeChambeau’s YouTube channel, while the golfer visited him at the White House in 2025.

Also in 2025, DeChambeau told Fox News that Trump is a “great ambassador for the game of golf.”

Had DeChambeau been granted permission to call Trump, it would have been the president's second intervention in a big sporting matter recently.

Earlier in the month, Trump caused controversy when he asked FIFA to review US soccer player Folarin Balogun's suspension at the World Cup.

DeChambeau will play his second consecutive event in England later in the week when he tees it up in LIV Golf UK at JCB Golf & Country Club.

Ryan Fox became just the fourth New Zealander in history to win a Major when he confidently rolled in his birdie putt at the 72nd hole of The Open at Royal Birkdale to win the Claret Jug.

The moment the affable 39-year-old’s ball disappeared into the cup, he joined Bob Charles, Michael Campbell and Lydia Ko as the only other golfers from his country to win at least one of the big tournaments.

That was the PGA Tour player’s well-earned reward for a professional career that, rather than being typified by the glamour of many other Major winners, has been achieved by grinding his way to the very top of his game.

Aside from writing his name into the history books by winning one of golf’s most prestigious and historic tournaments, Fox was well-rewarded financially, with prize money of $3,200,000, boosting his career earnings considerably.

But how much has he won throughout his career?

Fox turned pro in 2012, and spent those early years predominantly on the PGA Tour of Australasia with occasional appearances on other circuits including the KPGA Tour and the Japan Golf Tour.

Money lists for some of those years are not readily available, but we know he didn’t reach the top five of the highest earners of the PGA Tour of Australasia in either 2012 or 2013.

For reference, Peter Senior topped the list in 2012 with overall earnings of $268,291 AUD (around $280,000 using the exchange rate at that time) with Adam Scott following him in 2013 with $538,620 AUD (around $500,000), so Fox’s earnings would have been significantly less than those figures.

In 2014, Fox reached fifth on the money list, earning $183,785 AUD (around $170,000). Fox also won the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in 2019, helped by claiming victory at the DP World Tour co-sanctioned ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth. His overall earnings for the season were $307,926 AUD (around $210,000).

The title he won that year, which is included in the DP World Tour money list earnings, brought him prize money of $184,000 AUD ($131,000).

It gets far easier to track Fox’s career earnings once he began playing on the Challenge Tour and DP World Tour.

On the Challenge Tour in 2015 and 2016, Fox won twice, at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge and the Northern Ireland Open. Overall, he earned €238,923 (around $220,000) over the two years.

Considering the relatively modest sums available during Fox’s early professional years, it’s likely he wouldn’t have earned more than $1m overall.

It is when he earned his DP World Tour card that things began to take off for him.

Between 2017 and 2024, which is the year Fox first appears on the PGA Tour money list having earned his card at the end of the 2023 season, he earned over €10,500,000 (around $9,700,000) on the DP World Tour.

That haul was helped by three wins, including the Europe-based circuit's flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, where he beat Aaron Rai and Tyrrell Hatton to claim prize money of $1,530,000 – his biggest payday to that point.

In 2024, Fox earned his PGA Tour card, and he didn’t take long to make his mark there either, winning over $1,300,000 in his first year on the circuit, before claiming almost $4,000,000 in 2025, largely thanks to his first two PGA Tour victories, the Myrtle Beach Classic and the RBC Canadian Open.

Following his win at The Open, Fox’s earnings for 2026 had reached $5,424,259, taking his career earnings across all circuits beyond $20m.

Ryan Fox Earnings (2015-2026): Year-By-Year

Following Ryan Fox's win at The Open, the men's Major season is over for another year.

That means we can now take a look at the combined scores from each of the four big events.

Overall, 14 players not only competed in all the Majors but also made the cut each time, and the combined totals of each of those stars give us some intriguing information.

Two players share the honor of the lowest score in all four, but despite that, neither managed to win a Major title in 2026.

It's largely been a season of near misses for Scottie Scheffler, and that is also true of the Majors, where he generally contended without getting over the line.

His lowest score came at The Masters, where he pushed Rory McIlroy all the way before missing out by one at Augusta National. Overall, he has a combined score of 20-under-par, thanks to T4s at the US Open and The Open and T14 at the PGA Championship.

Joining him there is one of the most unlucky Major performers of the year, Sam Burns, who had three top-10s to show for his efforts, but not a trophy.

Like Scheffler, his lowest score came at The Masters, where a nine-under saw him place T7, but the closest he came to a title was the US Open, where he finished second behind Wyndham Clark at Shinnecock Hills with a score of three under.

In solo third is Xander Schauffele. It's now two years since he won both the PGA Championship and The Open, but he demonstrated he's still a force at Majors with a combined score of 13 under, the lowest of which came at The Masters, where his eight under saw him place in a tie for ninth.

McIlroy began Major season with a bang when he completed back-to-back Masters wins with a finish of 12 under.

He never quite matched those high standards in the other three, with a six-over at the US Open particularly damaging to his combined score, which sees him share fourth with Cameron Young on 11 under.

McIlroy, incidentally, is the only player of the 14 in the combined leaderboard to win a Major in 2026.

Young was another consistent Major performer in 2026, but like Scheffler, Burns and Schauffele, he didn't win a title, with runner-up at The Open the closest he came.

On his own in fifth is Ludvig Aberg with a combined score of 10 under, with Collin Morikawa the only other player to finish with a combined score under par, at six under.

Take a look at the full men's Major leaderboard for 2026.

Men's Major Leaderboard 2026

Scottie Scheffler said he had thoughts but wasn't ready to share them on Saturday, 24 hours after playing alongside Bryson DeChambeau when the LIV star received a two-stroke penalty for inadvertently improving his swing in the rough. Now he has given some of them.

Scheffler was in the recorder's hut late on Friday at Royal Birkdale alongside DeChambeau, and two days later he gave media his brief thoughts on the situation with a very measured response.

The World No.1, who came up short in defending his Claret Jug but finished T4th to continue his incredible Major form, said golfers need to be policed a little stricter but made it clear that DeChambeau is 'definitely not a cheater.'

"I've been really focused on the tournament. I think that opens up a greater discussion that - all I can really say is I think maybe we need to be a little bit more strict in the way that we are policing guys, but it's a little bit of a balance because you've got certain guys like a Bryson who every shot he hits is going to be shown on TV," Scheffler said on Sunday evening at Birkdale.

"When you have camera angles that are far away, things can look different than they do when you're right there. I hate saying stuff out here because I don't want anything to get taken out of context.

"All I'll say is Bryson, I've known him for a long time, and he's a lot of things, but he's definitely not a cheater.

"I've never seen him cheat once, whether we were having a putting contest on the putting green or chipping contest, or anytime we played amateur golf, I never saw anything suspicious.

"When you're watching him there from that camera angle, maybe he was a touch careless around his ball, but I don't think he did anything intentionally.

"We've seen penalties happen with - like you remember Jon Rahm a couple years ago at the Memorial when his ball moved in the rough, and it's like to the naked eye, can you really tell that?

"I think sometimes it's just a difficult position in the game of golf.

"When I was growing up, if this was the line between things that were - like if this was the line, here are the rules and this was the right side of it and this is when you're doing things against the rule, you always tried to stray really far that way.

"I feel like at times, sometimes you see players maybe push it a little bit further than they should.

"I think we need to kind of get back to the traditions of the game and maybe we do need to police things a little bit more stricter in the game.

"But like I said, it's a tough line to kind of cross. So that's why it's hard for me to say anything like this.

"Bryson is a guy that I've known for a really long time. Like I said, he's not a cheater."

Scheffler was involved in his own rules confusion on Sunday, as he received a free drop despite losing his ball in a Temporary Immovable Object.

He found a hospitality unit down the left of the 17th and was allowed free relief due to it being 'known or virtually certain' that his ball had finished there.

DeChambeau ended the tournament in T14th after a two-over-par 72 on Sunday. It marks the first cut he has made in the 2026 Majors and is his third top-15 in The Open from nine starts.

The first three men’s Majors of the year all announced record prize money, and that trend continues with The Open, where $17.75m was available at Royal Birkdale – an increase of $750,000 on 2025.

Even with that boost, the prize money for the tournament is less than the other three, with $20.5m offered at the PGA Championship and $22.5m available at The Masters and the US Open.

In fact, The Open is the only one of the four Majors that has less prize money than the PGA Tour’s Signature Events, which regularly distribute $20m.

Of course, when it comes to The Open, it’s not so much about the money as the prestige, with the achievement for many in the field just being there at all.

For those with loftier ambitions, there is the opportunity to lift one of the most famous trophies in golf, the Claret Jug, and write their name into the history books.

Still, that doesn’t mean that the winner won’t welcome the prize money that comes along with the various other perks of claiming victory, and in 2026, Ryan Fox's decisive putt on Sunday evening banked him a hefty $3.2m.

While seeing that figure would be enough to make many players’ eyes light up, it’s not quite that simple.

Fox will ultimately benefit from significantly less than that thanks to other factors, including taxes and shares due to their team.

There’s also the matter of ensuring that the person who was with them every step of the way, their caddie, is adequately compensated, too.

What a caddie earns is largely determined by the size of the player’s prize money.

But considering Fox will go down in history after navigating four days of testing links golf on firm and fast fairways, it’s unlikely he’ll begrudge handing over a decent chunk to his looper.

It is widely accepted that winners of tournaments generally give their caddies 10% of their prize money.

In 2025, Scottie Scheffler claimed $3.1m for his victory, meaning his caddie Ted Scott would have likely received $310,000. That was the same figure as Xander Schauffele won in 2024, meaning his caddie Austin Kaiser would have likely earned the same amount as Scott.

The 2026 payout is a touch more than that, $3.2m, which should see his caddie, Dean Smith, better off by $320,000.

The caddies of players finishing further down the leaderboard are also expected to be well rewarded.

Players finishing elsewhere in the top-10 of The Open leaderboard are expected to pay their caddies around 7% of the prize money, with around 5% going to the caddies of other players in the field.

If there’s a solo winner, the runner-up will claim $1.842m, which would likely leave his caddie around $129,000 wealthier.

At the other end of the leaderboard, Jesper Svensson's caddie will only have picked up a bonus of around $2,000 after the Swede finished solo 78th - last among those who made the cut.

Golf fans can be forgiven for being a little confused as to why Scottie Scheffler got a free drop on the 17th hole during the Open final round despite losing his golf ball.

The World No.1 found himself in the rough off the tee and pulled his second shot into a hospitality unit. His ball was not found but thanks to the Rules of Golf, he was able to take a free drop before getting it up-and-down for an unlikely birdie.

Scheffler's ball flew into the hospitality unit on the left of the 17th, which is considered a 'TIO' - a Temporary Immovable Object. These are very common in professional golf and include things like grandstands and other pop-up structures.

If a TIO impedes a golfer's shot, they are allowed a free drop within two club lengths of the object. This is very standard, but the interesting point relating to Scheffler's was the fact that his ball was never found.

Usually a lost ball would result in a stroke-and-distance penalty, meaning he would have had to go back to where he played his original ball from with a one-stroke penalty. Yet Rule 17.1d saved him, as it was considered to be 'known or virtually certain' that his ball had gone into the TIO.

If you can't find your ball but you saw it go in and are 'virtually certain' of it, you may take relief. If you're virtually certain your ball went into a bush or a part of the general area, you would have to take a penalty drop, but if you're virtually certain your ball went somewhere where you can get a free drop, like a TIO or Ground Under Repair, then you can take free relief.

The incident took some ten minutes and following his drop, Scheffler wedged it to around 10ft on the par 5 and holed the putt for a remarkable birdie.

The ruling caused controversy and confusion on social media, with many fans questioning whether it was fair or not. PGA Tour pro Michael Kim admitted he was "dumbfounded" by it:

It got him to eight-under for the tournament and within one of clubhouse leader Cameron Young. He bogeyed the 18th to eventually finish two back of Young's total.

Ball not found in TIO rule:

Relief When Ball in TIO Not Found

If the player's ball has not been found but is known or virtually certain to have come to rest in a TIO:

The player may take relief under this Local Rule by using the estimated point where the ball last crossed the edge of the TIO on the course as the spot of the ball for purposes of finding the nearest point of complete relief.

Once the player puts another ball in play to take relief in this way:

The original ball is no longer in play and must not be played.

This is true even if it is then found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time.

- via The R&A

Robert MacIntyre has given a Code of Conduct warning in the final round of The Open for slamming a club into the ground.

The incident happened after the Scot's tee shot on the 16th hole on Sunday at Royal Birkdale, and follows a similar warning given to Jon Rahm earlier in the week.

MacIntyre began the day with an outside chance of hauling himself into contention for his maiden Major title.

However, rather than move up the leaderboard to challenge the likes of overnight leader Sam Burns and Cameron Young, his fortunes took a nosedive.

He began brightly enough, with a birdie at the third, but two bogeys by the turn suggested it wouldn't be his day.

When he sent his tee shot at the par-4 16th into the native area right of the fairway, it was the final straw, with MacIntyre slamming his club into the ground before completing a bogey.

During the second round, Rahm received a Code of Conduct warning for throwing his club, so MacIntyre's transgression was unlikely to go unpunished by the new policy, which was introduced in May, and so it proved.

Afterwards, he was asked about his moment of frustration, which he suggested was somewhat inevitable, given his personality.

He said: "Yeah, yeah, but I expect to get a few of them in my career. Yeah, I run hot. So be it."

He added: "Yeah, I'm going to do it for the rest of my career.

"I try and toe the line, but when you feel like - when you feel you're playing a golf course that you can hit it pretty much anywhere and there's no real punishment and then you do hit one slightly off line and you get the biggest punishment you can possibly get, it's just a sore one.

"Again, I'm going to react aggressively at times. Part of my DNA."

Asked it it was tricky not knowing what could trigger a warning, he added: "To be honest, I couldn't care less. If I got a two-shot penalty, it's my fault. A warning, it's my fault. I don't really worry about it."

On his overall performance, which finished with a one-over 71, he said: "Yeah. I felt like I didn't have enough chances out there this week.

"Yeah, it's not far away. Feels miles away right now, but I feel like it was just going to take one good day like Cam has done today and you're writing about it. But it just wasn't my week."

It's not the first time MacIntyre has had his knuckles rapped at a Major this year.

At The Masters, he was 'reprimanded' and reminded about the code of conduct by Augusta National after he was twice seen slamming his club into the fairways as well as being caught swearing and gesturing with his middle finger up.

If you’ve been watching The Open on TV, you’ll no doubt have noticed the huge crowds, with packed galleries and long lines of fans behind the ropes at Royal Birkdale enjoying world-class golf in unbroken sunshine.

That’s hardly surprising considering the world-class field at the tournament, along with its storied history and prestige, all of which combine to make it one of the most famous and loved golf events worldwide.

But how does the attendance compare to the other Majors? And what about other big non-golf events?

In 2025, the Royal Portrush edition broke attendance records for The Open held outside St Andrews, when 278,000 fans filed through the gates during the week, 90,000 of whom attended the practice days.

The overall attendance is not too far short of the last time The Open was held at the Home of Golf, in 2022 for its 150th edition.

That historic week, 290,000 attended St Andrews, which set a record for the tournament.

Could that record be broken at Royal Birkdale? We’ll have to wait a while for official figures to be released, but it was widely reported ahead of the tournament that 300,000 were expected throughout the week.

It’s worth noting that The Open doesn’t always attract such numbers. For example, in 2018, when it came from Carnoustie, the official attendance was 172,000, while COVID-19 restrictions limited the number to 128,300 at Royal St George's in 2021.

However, in the post-pandemic era, there have been upwards of 250,000 attending each year.

The first Major of the year is The Masters, but, like many of the elements that set it apart from other events, where attendances are concerned, Augusta National does things a little differently.

Augusta National deliberately limits attendance to preserve the spectator experience, while it also doesn’t release official attendance figures.

However, it is estimated that around 40,000 golf fans – or patrons – pass through the gates between Thursday and Sunday.

As for the practice round, The Bleacher Report stated as many as 50,000 come out in force to watch the world's best go through their preparations from Monday to Wednesday, which would put the overall figure at around 90,000.

More than double that number were thought to have attended the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink, with the week reported to have attracted 200,000 fans – the same figure that was reported for the 2025 edition at Quail Hollow and at Valhalla in 2024.

Sometimes, the US Open beats both The Masters and the PGA Championship for attendance figures, but it generally doesn’t get close to the biggest weeks at The Open – except once.

That came in 2008, when 295,000 attended the US Open at Torrey Pines, a number swelled by the week going into an eighth day as Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate in a Monday playoff.

Usually, it it's considerably lower than that number. For example, for the 2024 edition at Pinehurst No.2, it was reported that an estimated 225,000 were in attendance overall.

Last year’s event at Oakmont was thought to have been watched by upwards of 200,000 fans, with USGA CEO Mike Whan telling reporters ahead of the event: "I'll bet all in we'll have about 40,000 people on-site here on Saturday, 40,000 people on Sunday, and probably similar tomorrow and Friday."

However, there was a drop-off for the 2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills, where daily attendance on tournament days was reportedly capped at less than 30,000, with Sports Business Journal reporting that around 155,000 fans attended in total.

Partly because of that, and partly because Long Island is a remote part of the country, it was noticeable towards the end of rounds how few fans stuck around for the duration, with some opting to leave early to ensure they were in time for the last train to Manhattan.

Given all that, we can conclude that, in recent years at least, The Open regularly beats the other three Majors for overall week-long attendances.

Even then, it can't beat the golf tournament with the largest attendance of all, the WM Phoenix Open, which attracts over 700,000 throughout the week.

But how does The Open's attendance compare to other big non-golf events around the world?

Music festivals are known to attract huge crowds, and there are several in the US that The Open can't get close to for attendance, with the likes of Coachella, Summerfest, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits all beating it.

The biggest of the lot is Coachella, which takes place across two weekends in April. Per Statista.com, in 2025, 750,000 descended on Empire Polo Club in Indio, California over the six days in 2025.

Nevertheless, The Open still puts other big US music festivals in the shade, attendance-wise.

For example, Stagecoach Country Music Festival, which is held soon after Coachella at the same venue, drew a total audience of 240,000 in 2025 - 38,000 less than The Open at Royal Portrush.

The Open even beats the UK's legendary annual Glastonbury Festival, with around 200,000 descending on the site each year and 210,000 the reported figure for 2025.

So, how does The Open hold up against other huge sporting events? In the US, the Indy 500 attracts the largest single-day attendance for a sporting event, with an attendance of around 350,000 each year.

Per Two Circles, The Open holds its own among some of the top sporting events the UK has to offer, but it can’t get close to the very biggest.

Top of the list is the legendary Grand Slam tennis tournament, Wimbledon, which attracted a huge 548,000 fans in 2025, albeit over the course of two weeks.

F1 is next, with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone bringing in 500,000 fans in 2025.

Horse racing was third on the list, with Royal Ascot drawing 286,000 fans, eight thousand more than The Open at Royal Portrush, which came fourth.

Estimated Men's Major Attendances (2026)

Selected Attendances At Non-Golf Events (2025)

Ryan Fox beat Cameron Young by one at The Open to become Champion Golfer of the Year with his maiden Major title.

The likeable New Zealander was in the final group with Sam Burns at Royal Birkdale, although at the start of play, he was two behind the American, who began the final round on 10 under.

However, by the time the final group got underway, Young had already made serious inroads, having been seven back of Burns at the 54-hole stage.

Earlier, Young had rattled off three consecutive birdies to begin his round, and by the turn he was five under for the day, staking his own claim for maiden Major honors.

Even with Young charging up the leaderboard, Burns saw an early chance to take matters beyond his rivals, making a birdie at the second to move to 11 under.

Further on, Young continued his excellent day, asking all the questions of those still out there by carding a brilliant 64, his only blemish being a bogey at 18, to head to the clubhouse at nine under.

At that stage, it was not Burns, but Si Woo Kim who led the way at 10 under after two birdies in his first six holes.

As for the overnight leader, his bright start gave way to a poor run, with three bogeys between the fourth and sixth to leave two behind Kim.

With Young setting the clubhouse target, there were still a host of other contenders, including defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and local favourite Tommy Fleetwood, although one by one they came up short.

Kim couldn't sustain his challenge, either, slowly dropping out of the picture before eventually finishing in a tie for sixth.

As the afternoon wore on, the picture became increasingly clear, with the battle for the Claret Jug coming down to Young, Burns and Fox.

Even then, Fox wasn't really firing, at one over for the day after 12, although he was about to find another gear.

That began with a birdie at 13, helped by a brilliant drive that ate up all but 114 yards of the 499-yard par-4. He wasn't done there, making it back-to-back birdies at the 14th to move alongside Young at nine under.

Then, his luck deserted him, first after he went for the flag at the par-3 15th, only to find the back of the bunker, the result being an unfortunate bogey.

Showing mountains of grit, he bounced back in style, making another birdie at 16 to move back level with Young.

Still, his luck hadn't quite turned, and on the par-5 17th, surely eyeing a birdie to move clear of Young, he suffered another brutal break when his 322-yard tee shot trickled apologetically into a fairway bunker.

He made the best of a bad job, finding the middle of the fairway with his second before a gorgeous approach that took him to within 10 feet.

He couldn't complete his birdie, when his putt broke left late, but he had one final chance to win it in regulation at the 18th.

As Fox and Burns reached the final tee box, the requirement was clear: Fox needed a birdie to avoid a playoff with Young, while Burns, one back, needed the same outcome for any hope of reaching extra holes.

Both created birdie chances with their approaches, although, from 11 feet, Fox's was comfortably the more likely.

So it proved. When Burns narrowly missed his 28-footer, it left the stage set for Fox to roll in his putt and claim the Claret Jug.

Reflecting on his career-defining moment in the aftermath, Fox said: "It's unbelievable, to be honest. I still don't know what to think.

"My nerves are all over the place. I'm not quite sure how I hit that putt on 18. Look, it is a dream come true. Looking at that trophy now, it's the first time I've seen it up close. So it's pretty amazing."

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Live updates from...

HELLO FROM ROYAL BIRKDALE

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's final round coverage of the 2026 Open.

It is a gorgeous day here at Royal Birkdale, with the sun shining and the breeze getting up.

I've had a walk around the golf course this morning and there's a few tucked pins on the back nine so scoring should be slightly more difficult today, especially as the greens firm up and the wind starts to gust.

Sam Burns takes a two-stroke lead into the final round and I think he is going to get it done - but there are plenty of players behind him ready to stamp their mark. It's set to be a fascinating last day.

CAM YOUNG STARTS STRONG

The World No.4 has started birdie-birdie-birdie to jump from -3 to -6. He's suddenly within four strokes.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER UNDERWAY

The World No.1 stripes it down the 1st and is in position to mount a charge today. Scheffler is -4 and six back so will need to get a move-on early.

Incredibly he has made just three bogeys this week...while ranking 134th in Strokes Gained: Putting!

BEST ROUND OF THE DAY..?

The lowest round of the day so far, in progress, comes from Rickie Fowler.

The 2014 Open runner-up is five-under-par thru 17 holes, courtesy of five birdies and no dropped shots.

He has jumped 46 places today and is now up to T12th.

SCHEFFLER IN TIGHT AT THE 1ST

Scottie hits a beauty into the 1st and he will have a tap-in birdie to get to five-under-par.

The perfect start for the defending champion...who will be hoping to chase down his close friend Sam Burns.

ADAM SCOTT CHARGING

Adam Scott has just birdied the 10th to move to three-under for the round and -4 for the tournament. He's up to T13th now in his 101st consecutive Major appearance.

RAHM OUT OF BOUNDS...AGAIN!

Jon Rahm (-4) starts the day just six back of the lead but he has just pushed his tee shot out of bounds for the second successive day. Ouch.

CAM YOUNG IS FIRING

Young drives the par 4 5th but leaves his long birdie putt a good 6ft short. Big birdie putt coming up.

If he can hole it, he'll move to just three off the lead.

SCHEFFLER THROWING DARTS

The World No.1 sticks a wedge into the 2nd to set up his second successive birdie. He is going to get to six-under and within four.

It's a perfect start for Scottie.

Update: He does indeed hole it. Birdie.

UPCOMING TEE TIMES:

All times local

• 1.05pm: Cameron John, Dan Brown
• 1.15pm: Hideki Matsuyama, Kazuma Kobori
• 1.30pm: Eric Cole, Xander Schauffele
• 1.40pm: Tommy Fleetwood, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
• 1.50pm: Jackson Suber, Bryson DeChambeau
• 2.00pm: Ludvig Aberg, Lucas Herbert
• 2.10pm: Ryan Gerard, Si Woo Kim
• 2.20pm: Ryan Fox, Sam Burns

YOUNG BIRDIES 5

It's a great putt for Cameron Young on the 5th, which had a decent amount of break in it. He moves up to seven-under-par after his fifth consecutive 3.

RAHM DOUBLES THE 1ST

It's another nightmare start for Jon Rahm.

He has gone out of bounds twice in a row on the 1st hole and he has double-bogeyed it both Saturday and Sunday. He falls to -2.

RUSSELL HENLEY CHIP-IN

The World No.5 chips in for birdie on the 10th to keep his incredible round going - that puts him four-under for the day and five-under for the tournament.

He's probably too far back with just eight to play, but it could well be a back-door top-10.

YOUNG'S 3-STREAK ENDS

Cam Young misses from 15ft on the 6th hole to 'only' make a par. He drove it 356 yards down the 520 yard par 4 and reduced it to a mere driver-wedge.

SCHEFFLER PARS 3

The World No.1 hit a lovely iron into the 3rd, leaving himself pin-high some 20ft left but his putt just slides by.

He is two-under thru 3 holes and is right in the mix now at just four back.

Could you imagine if he can continue this run and perhaps end up in a playoff against his best friend Sam Burns?

YOUNG SETS UP A GOOD BIRDIE LOOK AT 7

Cam Young wedges it to around 15ft left of the hole on the short par 3 7th. That's a great chance coming up.

Update: He misses just to the left

Scheffler has just missed the par 3 4th green, putting it in the bunker left. He looks perplexed.

His bunker shot is sensational and that will be a good par save.

LOWRY BIRDIES 3

The Irishman hit a beauty into the 3rd and he converts from around 5ft to get back to four-under after dropping a shot at the 1st.

HENLEY TO SIX!

The World No.5 rolls it in the center of the cup from around 18ft on the 11th hole for back-to-back birdies.

He is now five-under for the round and up to -6.

We have Scheffler (World No.1), Young (No.4) and Henley (No.5) all going low so far this afternoon.

FLEETWOOD UP NEXT

The home hero is walking towards the 1st tee ahead of getting his final round underway.

Can he do it? He starts four back and is going to need to go out in three-under at least I would say. Come on Tommy lad.

JUST FOUR GROUPS REMAINING

Tommy Fleetwood and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen are about to get underway, meaning there will be just four groups left to go out...

• 1.50pm: Jackson Suber, Bryson DeChambeau
• 2.00pm: Ludvig Aberg, Lucas Herbert
• 2.10pm: Ryan Gerard, Si Woo Kim
• 2.20pm: Ryan Fox, Sam Burns

MCILROY BIRDIES 10

The World No.2 moves to four-under for the tournament and -2 for the day with a birdie at the 10th.

That puts him to T14th.

LOWRY HOLED BUNKER SHOT!

Shane Lowry holes it from the greenside bunker on the par 3 4th for back-to-back birdies. He lets out a huge fist pump!

The 2019 Champion Golfer of the year is up to five-under now.

YOUNG TAKES ADVANTAGE OF LUCKY BREAK

Cam Young's drive pops out of a bunker on the 8th and he manages to hit a controlled wedge shot pin-high right to set up another great look at birdie. He'll have around 15ft down the hill to get to within two.

Update: It slides by the left side

TEE TIMES DELAYED

We have a 15-minute delay to tee times, I think because of Jon Rahm's out of bounds opening drive.

The group of Xander Schauffele and Eric Cole have just started 15 minutes late, while Tommy Fleetwood waits in the walkway.

SCHEFFLER SETS UP ANOTHER BIRDIE

Scheffler hits a gorgeous pitch up the green on the 5th to within 5ft after almost driving the green.

That *should* be converted and move him to -3 thru 5 and to within three of his best buddy Sam Burns.

Update: It finds the bottom of the cup.

FLEETWOOD ON THE 1ST TEE

The Southport man arrives on the 1st tee to a huge ovation from the home crowd.

He starts the day at -6, four back of Sam Burns' lead. Conditions are primed for low scores at the minute, although bogeys are easily made with the firm conditions and steady breeze.

PERFECT START FOR SCOTTIE

Scheffler is now seven-under-par for the tournament after three birdies in his opening five. If he can pick up one more on the front nine then he could well be primed for a special finish here to post a clubhouse target.

14 MINUTE DELAY CONFIRMED

It has been confirmed we have a 14-minute delay. That means the final group will now be teeing off at 2.34pm local time

• 2.04pm: Jackson Suber, Bryson DeChambeau
• 2.14pm: Ludvig Aberg, Lucas Herbert
• 2.24pm: Ryan Gerard, Si Woo Kim
• 2.34pm: Ryan Fox, Sam Burns

FLEETWOOD UNDERWAY

I heard that roar loud and clear from the media centre...it's an unbelievable atmopshere!

Fleetwood pulls his fairway wood up the left-hand side of the 1st hole. Hopefully he didn't get a bad break...we shall find out.

GREAT STAT

The last calendar year with three British-born men's Major winners? 1920.

We have had Rory McIlroy and Aaron Rai already this year...can 'Tommy Lad' make it a third?

FLEETWOOD'S SECOND INTO THE 1ST

He found a good lie in the burnt-out rough and his 5-iron just about finds the front-edge of the green. That may be a testing two-putt with the pin all the way at the back.

The wind appears to be getting up.

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU UP NEXT

DeChambeau and Jackson Suber are next on the tee.

Both men begin the day at six-under-par, which is four back of the lead.

CAMERON YOUNG WITHIN TWO!

Cam Young birdies the 9th and he is now just two back of Sam Burns' lead. The World No.4 is out in 29 (-5) and up to eight-under for the tournament.

Bryson DeChambeau has just nuked a drive down the 1st, while Hideki Matsuyama has also just made back-to-back birdies to get to six-under.

TOMMY LAD!!

Unbelievable. Tommy Fleetwood has just holed an absolute monster putt at the 1st. Remember when I said he'll do well to two-putt it? It went in dead-center. Incredible! He is within four now.

I heard the roar about 5 minutes ago and assumed it was from the 9th green, which is fairly close to the media center. That was the biggest roar of the week so far.

FLEETWOOD FINDS THE FAIRWAY ON 2

A lovely baby draw with his mini driver finds the left-side of the fairway and that will set up a good chance for birdie. There have been a lot of 3s at the 2nd today and Fleetwood would love to get off to a birdie-birdie start.

It comes up around 30ft short...the wind is definitely getting up now.

CAM YOUNG IN CLOSE ON 10

Young tried to cut the corner on the 10th and, although he found the left rough, he wedges it to within about 7ft. The greens are very soft as he stopped that incredibly quickly from the rough.

ABERG AND HERBERT UNDERWAY

The LIV golfer, who was leading at the halfway stage, is underway in round four looking for a fast start as he attempts to recapture top spot. Both he and Aberg thump it down the right side of the fairway on one.

FIRST PAR FOR FLEETWOOD

The Englishman's approach into two was decent, as was his birdie try from 20 feet, but he'll have to make do with a par after that magic birdie at the first.

Elsewhere, McIlroy comes up empty at the 13th when looking for a birdie of his own.

AM I DREAMING?

Cam Young punches a drive down the par-4 11th and finds what appears to be a mirage - a section of legitimately green grass. What a lucky devil.

DECHAMBEAU HAS A LOOK

At the second, DeChambeau flies his approach hole high but it's 25 feet out to the left. It's a look, nevertheless as he aims to pile the pressure on Burns, who is just making his way to the first tee.

FRUSTRATION FOR BRYSON

Bryson over-borrows at the second and his putt, which is a good weight, just doesn't turn back to the right when he needs it to. The American calls for it to break, but his ball doesn't listen.

LEADERS ON THE TEE

Here they come. Ryan Fox joins Sam Burns on the first tee at Royal Birkdale. Burns, who has a two-stroke lead to start, is only 18 holes away from becoming The Open champion.

FLEETWOOD HAS ANOTHER BIRDIE CHANCE

Fleetwood's approach is great for distance at the third but not quite on in terms of direction. Nevertheless, he will have a chance to gain another shot.

The home hero will be really keen to start landing a little closer to flags, otherwise his putter will need to do an awful lot of work.

The flat stick can't quite provide any more heroics just yet, though. Fleetwood taps in for par and is one-under through his first three holes today. Six-under for the championship.

SOLID START

Everyone is underway in the final round as Ryan Fox and Sam Burns both hit their drives into the right rough. Their lies both look OK, though, so there shouldn't be any real problems at this stage.

NEAR HOLE-OUT

Fleetwood pushes his tee shot at the par-3 fourth and has a tricky little chip shot left. But he nearly holes it! A positive shot sees some grab take place and the ball ends no more than three feet away.

WIND IS BLOWING

The wind seems to have really picked up now. Apparently, gusts of up to 18-20mph are due. Fox comes up short on the first hole with his ball only just making the putting surface due to a modest puff.

Shortly after, Burns pushes his shot a little right of its intended target and he will have a monster look left for birdie.

PARS TO START

Sam Burns and Ryan Fox play beautiful long lag putts at the first and both walk away with pars to start.

A few holes ahead, Fleetwood remains bogey-free after one-putting for par at the first par-3.

DRIVE FOR SHOW

Fleetwood pumps his driver at the fifth onto the green but it just falls off the left side. He should be able to get up and down from there, though.

Back at the second, Burns and Fox both execute brilliant drives as well. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of nerves from the final pair so far.

BIRDIE IN BOUND

His chip across the green appeared a little too aggressive at first from Fleetwood, but he judged the chip and run to perfection and it is a kick-in birdie. Fleetwood should shortly be on seven-under. Three back.

HOT SHOT FROM BURNS

The chasers are about to be dealt their first blow as Burns clips a delightful approach to three feet at the second. The best putter on the PGA Tour isn't going to miss that. Hell, even I might sink that one. 11-under incoming.

FOX UP TO NINE-UNDER

Don't forget about Ryan Fox! The Kiwi slots a lovely mid-range putt at the second to reach nine-under.

BURNS TO 11-UNDER

Burns duly does poke his ball home in three at the second, pushing him up to 11-under for the championship.

Fleetwood is up to seven-under, but that's once again four shots back.

GREAT TOUCH FROM BRYSON

In a similar spot to Fleetwood earlier on, DeChambeau is required to clip a delicate chip over the right green-side bunker at the fourth. He does it to near-perfection with the ball tracking towards the hole, only to come up a couple of feet short. That'll be a par.

LUCKY BREAK

I wish I had breaks like this. Burns pulls his tee shot at the third well left and it's heading straight for either the fans or a large bush.

Somehow, it bounces off the slope between the two parties and rebounds back towards the fairway. Now, he has a perfect lie and a good look at the green. Maybe Burns' name really is on the Claret Jug?

ALMOST AN ALL-TIMER

Fleetwood has 247 yards to the flag at the par-4 sixth, which is playing 520 yards today, and he cracks a superb 9-wood right at the target. It rolls towards the hole and looks for all money as though it might even drop, only to take a look in the hole before carrying on to the back of the putting surface.

NOT A GOOD SHOT

That is not a good shot from Burns. 187 yards to the flag at the third and he pushes his ball into one of the green-side bunkers. It was actually lucky it even end there with the slopes sort of pulling it back towards the green. Let's hope that's not a pattern of what's to come.

MCILROY DOUBLE

Not a factor anymore, McIlroy misses a six-foot par putt at the par-4 16th. He will fall to at least two-under, with the bogey certainly not a gimme by any means.

Oh goodness, he's missed that one as well. It's a double-bogey six for McIlroy with only two holes left to play.

POWERS OF RECOVERY

DeChambeau does well to recover the situation at the par-4 fifth after two iffy shots prior.

Likewise, Fox chips well past at the third and has 20 feet or more for par downhill, which he sinks!

In addition, Burns plays a splendid bunker shot to kick-in range and he will remain at 11-under. That's a hat-trick of excellent recovery shots.

FULL TOUR

Beautiful touch from Fleetwood at the seventh as he clips a chip and run onto the green before watching it track towards the hole. It looked so good for such a long way, only to drift around the back of the hole by a couple of inches. Fleetwood knew that was close.

WAYWARD FINAL DUO

That won't get it done from Fox and Burns. Neither finds the green at the first par-3. Fox is in the left green-side bunker while Burns comes up way short. The American's pitch onto the green is undercooked as well. Might the lead be cut in half?

YOUNG INTO A SHARE OF SECOND

At the 14th, Young sinks his birdie putt from five feet to reach nine-under. He's flying today, and you feel anyone who sits in double figures under par through 72 holes will have a chance.

BURNS BOGEY

The lead is down to one! Burns can't rescue his poor chip and that'll be a bogey at the opening par-3. Meanwhile, Fox stays within one following a sumptuous bunker shot and tap-in par.

YOUNG ON BOARD AT 15

The par-3 15th is playing a full 241 yards today. Young crunches a modestly drawn iron towards the back portion where the flag is, and he'll have a decent look at drawing alongside Burns. Even a par wouldn't be a bad result on this hole today, you wouldn't have thought.

FLEETWOOD THROWING DARTS

From 178 yards at the eighth, Fleetwood drops his approach just past the front-left bunker and rolls it up to five or six feet past the flag. That's a chance. But you feel like it might have to go with the halfway mark coming up and 10-under the minimum number likely required.

Elsewhere, DeChambeau saves par at the sixth to maintain his run of pars to start the final round. Not likely to get it done, that.

YOUNG WIDE RIGHT

Young's try on the 16th isn't particularly close and trickles on some three feet by.

SCHEFFLER STARTING TO ROLL

He's finally made one of note! Scottie Scheffler is up into a tie for fifth on eight-under after holing a birdie try on number 11. A fist pump arrives. He knows that could be the start of something.

LISTEN TO THAT ROAR

Fleetwood just catches enough of the left side at number eight and he's up into a share of fourth alongside Scheffler. The crowd roars with delight. Fleetwood clenches his fist. Eight-under and only two back. Can he?

FOX IN TROUBLE?

Fox's drive at the fifth looks to be in trouble after going way right. We'll find out shortly what the situation is. Meanwhile, Burns draws his tee shot quite far left towards the rough but he should have a good look back across the green still from a roll-off area.

MCILROY GRABS ONE BACK

The six-time Major winner hasn't enjoyed the day he might have hoped, but a close chip at the par-5 17th has left a tap-in birdie and he'll return to two-under for the Championship.

SI WOO KIM SNEAKING UP THE RAIL

At the drivable par-4 fifth hole, Si Woo Kim clips his ball to a foot away and taps in for birdie. If he can putt well, the south Korean has a great chance because he's been in fine form this year.

Kim up to nine-under through five. One back.

HEAVY HANDED

Burns clips a pitch shot from off one side of the green to the other. The 'oohs' from the crowd are telling. They know that was clumsy from Burns. I said there didn't seem to be any nerves earlier on, but they really seem to be on show now.

And the clumsiness continues. Burns' putt rolls way past the hole and he'll have 20 feet or so for par.

WHAT IS GOING ON?!

What is going on at the moment? McIlroy is well right on 18, he's in with the fans. Burns is making a mess of the fifth. Scheffler goes well right off the tee at the 13th and chunks his next shot from the sandy dunes right in front of himself. Fleetwood flies his approach into the ninth well long and into the long grass. It's carnage at The Open Championship right now! Carnage, I tell ye!

FOUR-WAY TIE

The lead is now nine-under as Burns makes bogey at the fifth. That was really horrible from the American.

His playing partner is one of those on nine-under still after finding his drive, chipping into the heart of the green and then lipping out from about 25 feet. It looked good for a long way only to decide it didn't fancy dropping at the final moment.

SI WOO KIM LEADS

From the left of the sixth hole, Kim rails a putt home for birdie and reaches 10-under. That was a real bonus, but it's catapulted him to the top of the Open leaderboard!

GOOD BOGEYS

That isn't a bad bogey for Fleetwood, given the way that hole turned out. The long approach gave him no shot back, and a clumsy chip to 30 feet left a toughy for par. Fleetwood underhit his par putt but sunk the bogey try from six feet.

He's seven-under and three back now, as is Scheffler who endures a pretty similar story at the 13th.

BURNS PENALTY

Sam Burns is slightly unravelling here. His tee shot finds the brook down the left of six and he will need to take a drop. The American is now left of the green in three and has to chip in/putt from off the green to suffer no more damage.

MCILROY ENDS ONE-UNDER

The 2014 Open champion finds himself stuck in a bunker left of the 18th and ultimately ends with a bogey to finish the week on one-under. That isn't how he'd have liked to finish his Major season.

Now it's on to the end of the PGA Tour season and a crack at winning another Race To Dubai title on the DP World Tour.

EIGHT IN A ROW

Bryson DeChambeau has now made eight pars in a row to start his day. He's not made anything happen so far, but he's only four back. DeChambeau is still in this...

YOUNG LOOKING TO DRAW LEVEL

At the par-5 17th, Young chips to a couple of feet and should be about to draw level with Si Woo Kim, who has just escaped at the par-3 seventh. It wasn't the best birdie try from the South Korean, but his par effort was comfortably holed.

TROUBLE BREWING

Just before Si Woo Kim pulls his drive at the eighth well left, Fleetwood chips an awkward length past the hole at the 10th. He will have a tricky little downhill left-to-right putt to come.

Up ahead, at the 18th, Young has found a fairway bunker on the right as he tries to set the clubhouse target on 10-under.

BACK-TO-BACK BOGEYS

Fleetwood drops another shot as he makes the turn, with his par attempt just skirting around the left edge of the hole at 10. He's back to six-under.

HUGE MISTAKE

Cameron Young has 187 yards to go out of the right fairway bunker and he's going to have to send the ball on a pretty sharp trajectory to get it out. He's going to have a crack at the green. That's a big call.

Oh no! He's hit the wall and it's bounded just into the rough up ahead. What a moment. It wasn't even close to missing the revetted bunker wall.

DOUBLE BUNKER

Young takes aim at the flag from the right rough but only succeeds in finding the short-sided bunker right next to the flag. I think it's fair to say the clubhouse target is only going to be nine-under now...

SAFE PAR FOR KIM

Playing the par 4 eighth, Kim safely two putts and maintains his 10-under score.

Up ahead, Scheffler also two putts the 14th to remain seven under and three back of the South Korean.

GREAT EFFORT FROM YOUNG

From the greenside bunker, Young almost holes out for what would be an incredible par!

His fourth runs by a few feet, and that putt will be for a six-under 64. The Players Championship winner would set the target at nine-under if he were to hole it.

CLUBHOUSE TARGET SET

Young converts and he sets the clubhouse target at nine-under-par.

We are in for a thrilling back nine here at Royal Birkdale.

OH NO TOMMY

He's bogeyed the ninth and 10th and, following a poor approach, Fleetwood bogeys the 11th to make it three in a row.

He drops from eight-under to five-under in the space of 45 minutes.

SO CLOSE AT THE LAST

OH FOXY

That's a huge mistake from Fox, who goes long of the green on the ninth and, with the chip, doesn't make it up the hill.

It rolls back to his feet and, although he plays a great fourth, that'll be a bogey at best for the New Zealander.

HERBERT IS MOVING

Back-to-back birdies for Herbert at the ninth and 10th gets him to eight-under, just two back of Kim, who is left off the tee on the 10th.

LOST BALL FOR BRYSON?

He's gone left off the tee at the 11th and we have a large search party currently looking for his ball.

BIRDIE AT THE 16TH

Scheffler is going after it over the remaining few holes, with the World No.1 pounding his driver off the tee at the 16th.

He then fires in an excellent wedge to 10-feet and rolls in a great birdie putt to move to seven-under.

At the next, though, he cuts a frustrated figure as his tee shot finds the fairway bunker. He can't believe it, and shouts "just give me one bounce."

He'll be forced to lay-up.

BIG SAVE FOR SI WOO

Putting from off the green at the 10th, Kim's putt races by seven-feet and he's left with a testing effort to save his par.

Making contact, it never looks anywhere else as it drops in the center of the cup for the save. He remains 10-under and one ahead of Young.

TRIPLE FOR BRYSON

That's DeChambeau's race run on Sunday, with the two-time Major winner making a triple bogey at the 11th.

He goes from five-under to two-under, well back of leader Kim.

WHAT ON EARTH?

Links golf produces moments of chaos and, at the 17th, Scheffler goes for the green with his second, with the ball sat up superbly.

Striking his fairway wood, he gets the height, but it's reportedly gone 100 yards left and over towards hospitality.

Currently, it's unclear as to whether the ball has been located or not, or even if it's out of bounds, but Scheffler is hitting a provisional, which also goes left, albeit not as far.

PARS FOR THE FINAL GROUP

Fox and Burns get their back nines underway, with the duo both parring the 10th and remaining eight-under.

FIRST BALL NOT FOUND

The first ball of Scheffler's hasn't been found. He heads over to his provisional and will play that, which will be his fifth shot.

HERBERT BOGEYS

Herbert drops a shot at the par 4 11th following a poor tee shot.

He falls to seven-under, three back of Kim, who is in a bunker and can only advance it 75 yards up, missing the fairway in the process.

BIG BREAKS

After bogeying the 11th, Herbert then pulls his tee shot well left at the par 3 12th, but it hits the slope and shoots on to the green.

Up ahead, Scheffler is actually playing his third shot and not his fifth!

Because his ball is in a temporary immovable obstruction (hospitality tent), it doesn't have to be found, meaning he can take a free drop on the line of sight.

Huge break for the World No.1, who plays a gorgeous shot to 11-feet and will have a birdie putt when a bogey was on the cards.

KIM DROPS A SHOT

He plays an average third from the rough and, missing his par attempt, Kim taps in for a bogey and drops back to nine-under.

He shares the lead with Young, who is currently looking good in the clubhouse right now.

THAT'S THE LUCKIEST BIRDIE I'VE EVER SEEN

Scottie Scheffler has pulled off a miraculous birdie!

Putting his third at the par 5 17th to 11-feet, he rolls it in to gain a shot on the leaders.

Incredible scenes for the World No.1, who looked set to drop at least one shot there...

YOUNG REACTS

"I was really just proud of the way I put it together, the way I did it more than the round itself.

"Yesterday was tough. It's one of those nights where you're kind of -- I don't want to say down. It's still just kind of a bad day at work, and I'm fortunate to have a cool job. Yeah, it's a frustrating night.

"To come out, and I feel like I was really clear minded all day. I had a really clear intention what I was going to do. Yeah, just executed that really, really well, and it happened to add up to 64.

"It could have been 68; it could have been 60. Just I played really well."

CAMERON YOUNG LEADS THE OPEN

Kim has made back-to-back bogeys at the 11th and 12th and he drops from 10-under to eight-under.

Burns, meanwhile, has parred the 11th to remain eight-under, while Fox bogeys and drops to seven-under.

The wind is getting up at Royal Birkdale and pars are becoming like gold dust.

CHUNKY FOR FOX

It seems that many are struggling this afternoon, and that's shown by the final group.

Burns goes left at the 12th and leaves a horrible chip shot, while Fox fats his iron and barely makes the greenside bunker.

In fairness to Fox, he produces a delightful shot from the sand that ends five-feet away. What's more, he holes the par putt to remain seven-under.

HOW DID SCOTTIE MAKE BIRDIE?

CLOSING BOGEY FOR THE WORLD NO.1

Scheffler goes right of the green at the last and, with the putter, he races his birdie effort well by the hole.

That needed to drop to match Young and, with Scheffler missing his putt coming back, it's a closing bogey and seven-under score for the World No.1.

WE WILL HAVE A NEW OPEN CHAMPION

As Scheffler finishes up, we will have a new name on the Claret Jug, with the top 10 consisting of players who are yet to win The Open Championship.

385 YARD DRIVE FOR FOX

Unbelievable drive from Fox at the par 4 13th, who has just 114 yards left in at the 499 yard hole.

Following the drive, he plays an equally gorgeous sand wedge that finishes six-feet from the flag, leaving a great chance at birdie.

In his pairing, Burns pulls his second well left and has a difficult up-and-down coming up.

CRUCIAL SAVE FOR BURNS

Stunning save from Burns, who plays a clever pitch to the right of the bunker and on to the green.

From 30-feet, his par putt is tracking and slams into the hole, meaning he stays eight-under via an incredible save.

FOX TO EIGHT-UNDER

The drive and approach deserved the birdie, and that's what Fox gets at the 14th.

His birdie attempt falls in the right-side of the hole and he gets to eight-under alongside Kim and Burns.

All three men are one back of Young, who is in the clubhouse.

KIM D.O.D

At the par 5 14th, Kim goes right with his tee shot, with it finding the second cut.

The lie is good, which makes Kim hit a driver of the deck. He makes good contact, but it's left and finds the thick rough on the left-side.

FANTASTIC FOX

FAIRWAYS FOUND AT 14

Both Fox and Burns pound their tee shots down the middle at the 14th, with both in-range to go for the green at the par 5.

BURNS MAKING SAVES

SAFELY DONE FOR KIM

After finding the green with his third, Kim leaves his birdie putt short and taps in for a par to remain eight-under through 14.

In that pair, Ryan Gerard also makes a par to stay six-under. He's one-over for his round today.

GOOD WEEK FOR DAN BROWN

Dan Brown has struggled for form this year, but the Englishman finishes three-under for the championship and will likely be inside the top 20.

FOX IS FEELING IT

Fox goes left with his approach at the par 5 14th, finding the thick rough.

He has a great lie, though, and capitalizes via an excellent chip that runs up to a few feet.

If he rolls that in he will move alongside Young at nine-under-par.

SHARE OF THE LEAD

From two-foot, Fox converts and that's back-to-back birdies for the New Zealander, who moves alongside Young at nine-under-par.

Burns, meanwhile, played a poor bunker shot and could only two-putt for par. He remains eight-under.

Up ahead, Kim sees his birdie putt from long range narrowly miss on the high-side, with a tap-in meaning he remains eight-under.

HORRIBLE LIE

Oh Foxy...

He goes at the flag at the par 3 15th, but it hits the bunker and fires into the sand.

To make matters worse, his ball has finished at the back of the bunker and he will have no shot whatsoever.

FOXY GOES BACKWARDS

Sure enough, Fox splashes back out of the bunker and 50 yards down the fairway.

If he makes an up-and-down he'll drop to eight-under.

BIRDIE-BIRDIE

BOGEY FOR FOX

After his brutal break in the bunker, Ryan Fox completes a bogey at 15. That drops him back from a share of the lead but he's hanging in there.

A PENNY FOR YOUNG'S THOUGHTS

It must be agony to be Cameron Young just now. On the one hand, he's done his job with the low round of the day that might yet see him lift the Claret Jug. On the other, there's no way he can affect what's going on out there - just wait, and hope, he's done enough for at least a playoff. Agony!

WELL DONE, RYAN!

Ryan Fox is made of tough stuff. After some horrible luck at 15, he bounces back at 16 with an approach that leaves a lovely look for birdie. He's fighting all the way.

TOMMY FINISHES GOOD WEEK WITH BIRDIE

One of the biggest roars of the day is reserved for Tommy Fleetwood, who birdies 18 to complete a 68. It won't be enough to win, but he's currently T4.

FOX BIRDIES 16!

Now Ryan Fox with a 15-footer for birdie at 16. He walks it in and the New Zealander is back in the co-lead!

Immediately after, playing partner Sam Burns saves par at the same hole to stay one back.

DECHAMBEAU FINISHES WITH PAR

At 18, Bryson DeChambeau finishes an eventful week with a par for -4. A triple-bogey at 11 did for his chances today.

FOX FINDS BUNKER AT 17

All eyes on Ryan Fox now, who is surely eyeing a birdie chance at the par-5 17th. His tee shot looks good, but it trickles into a bunker to make his life more complicated.

FOX ON THE FAIRWAY

Fox gets out of a bunker following another unlucky break at the par-5 17th. That was awkward, but he's back on the fairway. The birdie hopes he'd have had for this hole are in the balance, though.

BIRDIE CHANCE AT 17

Sam Burns is in the right rough at 17, and it's not a great lie. He doesn't look delighted with the result, which goes left.

Now Ryan Fox with his third. Now that's lovely. It stops 10 feet short of the pin and he will have his birdie chance for the solo lead.

BURNS MISSES BIRDIE CHANCE

With his third, Sam Burns goes over the pin to the back of the green. It's a birdie look, but not an easy one.

Here comes that opportunity... and it stops short.

AGONY FOR FOX

Now Ryan Fox for the solo lead. Oh, that's agonizing. It just breaks left and he'll remain tied for the lead. He's had no luck in this last half an hour or so. One to play.

TOMMY TAKES THE APPLAUSE

A special moment for Tommy Fleetwood a little while ago in front his adoring home fans...

WELL DONE, LUCAS!

An excellent week for Lucas Herbert ends with a par for a 71. He's T7 at -6.

ALL OVER FOR KIM

Si Woo Kim's last chance of victory ends when he doesn't hole his approach at 18. That leaves Cam Young, Ryan Fox and Sam Burns with the only chances of winning.

Burns and Fox are at 18.

FOX AND BURNS AT 18

Both Fox and Burns find the fairway off some very capable tee shots at 18. Remember, Fox needs a birdie to avoid a playoff with Cameron Young. Burns needs a birdie for the chance to get to extra holes.

KIM SHOOTS 72

Si Woo Kim finishes with a bogey for 72 and in a tie for sixth. Disappointing for Kim, who led earlier in the day, but his best Major finish.

FANTASTIC, MR FOX!

Fox has 176 yards to the pin. It's a beauty! That leaves a great look to win in regulation from 11 feet.

Sam Burns, needing a birdie to stand a chance, leaves his with more to do, but he'll have a chance.

NOT TO BE FOR SAM BURNS

Burns to putt first to stay in the running. He has 28 feet to the pin. It misses left and for the second consecutive Major he comes up just short. You have to feel for him.

RYAN FOX WINS THE OPEN!

Now Ryan Fox to win the Claret Jug. He is within 12 feet of glory. It grazes the edge ever so slightly but goes in and the New Zealander is the Champion Golfer of the Year!

Sam Burns wasn't expecting to play in the 154th Open, yet with 18 holes to go the man from Shreveport, Louisiana holds a two-stroke lead.

The 29-year-old has been a pro for nine years and has held the 54-hole lead in one Major before, when he shot a closing 78 at Oakmont last year - including an unlucky ruling - to finish in T7th.

Burns has become a Major player over the past few years, having most recently finished 2nd to Wyndham Clark at Shinnecock Hills last month. Burns narrowly missed a putt on the 72nd green that would have put him in a playoff.

His wife, Caroline, was due to be having the couple's second baby on Tuesday of this week but Belle, whose name is inspired by Caroline's maiden name of Campbell, had other ideas. Still, Burns didn't expect to play at Royal Birkdale but his wife encouraged him to make the trip.

"This golf tournament was honestly so far off of my radar and expectations of playing," Burns said.

"I mean, Caroline's due date was Tuesday this week. She was like four days late with our son. I just didn't think there was any possible way, and little Belle had different plans for us.

"Even after she was born, after a couple of days, I wasn't thinking much about it. Caroline was kind of like, so what are you thinking for next week? I was like, 'I don't know. Should we talk about it?' She was like, 'yeah.' Ultimately she's the one that really encouraged me to come over and play. She basically said 'I've got this at home. Go over there and give it your best', and here we are."

Burns is a five-time PGA Tour winner with an impressive resume featuring a World Golf Championship, which happens to be his last win over three years ago at the WGC-Match Play in Austin.

From his first 16 Majors he had a best finish of T20th, but something changed.

He is close friends with World No.1 Scottie Scheffler, who has won five Majors over the past five years - and the Texan's play has clearly had a positive impact on Burns.

"I felt like I played a bit too aggressive at times, and I think at some of these golf courses where you're penalized a little bit more than a typical Tour golf course we play, I think I hadn't quite learned that the hard way yet," Burns said.

"It took a bit longer for me. It helped that I got to play a lot of golf with the best player on the planet and kind of watch what he does.

"I mean, he's far and beyond the best person that does that. He just, he makes so few mistakes, and he doesn't take on unnecessary risks very often, if ever, and seems to always hit the correct shot in the moment.

"It wasn't like I asked him about it or we talked a lot about it. It was just me observing.

"I think that had a pretty large impact on me the last couple years in the Majors and just kind of watching how he prepares and the way he goes about it."

Burns is now comfortably the favorite to lift the Claret Jug on Sunday evening, and he has a very professional, and experienced, plan of how to go about his business.

"I haven't looked at the leaderboard. I think ultimately it comes down to I can't control anything anyone else does," he said on his strategy for Sunday.

"Someone's going to go out and play a great round of golf tomorrow, maybe a few people. It's pretty much a given. That happens every single week. So I'm going to have to do the same.

"I'm going to have to go out and execute. Ultimately whatever happens, I know that I can accept the outcome, and life's going to move on. I'll get to go home and see my family. I hope I'm taking some hardware with me, but if I'm not, that's fine too."

Burns played with Bryson DeChambeau in the penultimate group on Saturday at Royal Birkdale, a day after the LIV Golfer's controversial rules penalty.

Many players have had their say on the DeChambeau situation, with Rory McIlroy calling it performative, but Burns backed his fellow American.

"I thought the fans were very supportive of Bryson today. We didn't discuss it any [way]," he said.

"In my personal opinion, I honestly feel bad for Bryson in the situation that he was in. From my perspective, I didn't feel like maybe there was enough evidence for him to deserve a penalty there. I feel bad for him.

"I think he played an incredible round of golf late yesterday, and it's unfortunate to have something kind of like that where they come in after your round and tell you you're being docked two shots.

"But props to him. He came out and played a really nice round of golf today, and that takes a lot of grit to be able to come out and do that. So I was impressed."

The fallout from the late controversy after the second round of The Open, where Bryson DeChambeau was given a two-shot penalty, continued into Saturday at Royal Birkdale.

The LIV Golfer was handed the penalty after he was deemed to have inadvertently improved the area of his swing from the long rough at the fifth.

That came after DeChambeau had been asked to return to the scene of the infringement with a rules official to determine what had happened.

Even before confirmation of the ruling, DeChambeau’s frustrated body language suggested the debate wasn’t going in his favor, and later, there was even speculation that he might not tee it up on Saturday because of the penalty.

That didn’t transpire, but DeChambeau’s disappointment with the decision, combined with his sky-high profile and the fact he went from solo second to a tie for third, meant it was still a big talking point during Moving Day, not least among his rivals.

One player who weighed in on the issue was Rory McIlroy, who said of DeChambeau: “Yeah, look, I won't pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I'm not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it's performative. I think a lot of it's for attention.

"To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn't feel like it was a great look."

However, he was far from the only one with opinions on the matter.

Because there was uncertainty over whether DeChambeau would even play on Saturday, it delayed the publication of the third round tee times, something that didn’t go down well with Marco Penge.

He said: “Yeah, it was a bit of a joke really.

“I'm staying at home this week, which is an hour away, and not getting a tee time until 11:00 p.m. is not great, really, when the tournament probably finished at - we could have at least got a heads up for what time the first tee time was going to be.

“Obviously there was a lot of commotion, so that delayed things.”

Other players were more concerned with whether the correct decision had been reached.

Xander Schauffele appeared to sympathise with DeChambeau, saying: “It's a tough one. Who knows. I have no idea, to be honest. I'm assuming you talk to Bryson - I haven't spoken to him or heard what he said, but he's just stepping in how you'd normally step in to hit a golf shot.

“I think The R&A said something along the lines of whether it's intentional or not, it's still a penalty.

“It's a tough spot to be, obviously, when you're in high brush, kind of having to dance around to get to your golf ball is a tricky thing. It's not something we're used to doing that often.

“You imagine you give him the benefit of the doubt; he said he didn't do it intentionally, and it's unfortunate that he got penalized because he was playing incredibly well and obviously he's still playing incredibly well, so he's obviously going to have something to prove these next two days.”

Max Homa was even more explicit, saying he didn’t agree with the ruling. He explained: “I'm not really, I guess, wanting to be able to decide on fair, because they're the rules officials.

“I only saw one angle, and in my opinion I didn't agree with the ruling. I know there's another angle that - side on, it's always hard to tell if it improves anything.

“All I know is I've known Bryson for a very long time, and he's an interesting human at times, but I know he would never cheat the game of golf.”

He added: “I just don't think that's in his character, so it's a shame I think that's kind of how it's being portrayed to some.”

Russell Henley was less sure, saying: “Yeah, I saw the video of it. Not being there being able to see it, I don't really have a strong opinion.

“Clearly they're talking about he improved his backswing. I don't know what it looked like before he came back over there or if the bush came back up after he stepped on it. But yeah, that's a tough one for him.”

Henley also believes DeChambeau’s high profile worked against him. He added: “The issue with that to me is the fact that he's on TV every shot.

“If I played that hole yesterday, you might not have seen - and I did the same thing maybe they don't penalize me because maybe they don't see me do it. That's the tough part; he's on TV every single shot.”

In the TV studios it was a big talking point, too, with Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee making it clear on Friday he didn’t have sympathy for the player.

He said: “There were multiple infractions here. He just danced all over the path behind the golf ball… He did everything but lay down behind it or take a weed wacker to the tall grass behind it.”

At the start of NBC Sports’ Saturday morning coverage of the third round, lead analyst Kevin Kisner gave his thoughts, too

He said: “Obviously from the Bryson standpoint, nobody likes to see him walking in there like he’s a WWE wrestler going in to his first match, high-stepping through there on the high grass. No other player is doing that.”

However, he had a slightly different take, focusing on what could have cleared the controversy up far earlier.

He added: “I wish the walking official was over there during this. Every group has a walking official. Why is he not a part of this?

“It was obviously an awkward situation. We have officials in every group, he should be over there so we’re not having to do all of this post round.

“If the walking official is there he could explain to everyone and had eyes on it so we didn’t have to use video cameras. I think that was a big miss.”

What do you think about the ruling? Have your say in the comments below.

When dealing with the intense pressure and often brutal conditions of a Major, the last thing a player needs is a penalty to make things even harder.

Inevitably, rule infractions do occur from time to time, though, and as some who have fallen foul of them have discovered, they can be utterly unforgiving, without any concessions given for either misfortune or their place on the leaderboard at the time.

Some players have only had themselves to blame for picking up a penalty in a Major, whereas for others, it was a case of lady luck simply not being on their side.

Here are some of the times where pros have found themselves on the wrong side of the rules in the game's biggest tournaments.

Ian Woosnam – 2001 Open

In the final round of The Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, Ian Woosnam, who was tied for the lead after 54 holes, almost made the dream start in pursuit of his second Major title.

The 1991 Masters champion came close to an ace on the opening hole before making a tap-in birdie. Or so he thought.

By the time he reached the second tee, a sickening realization had dawned on his caddie, Miles Byrne – Woosnam had 15 clubs in his bag, not the maximum allowed of 14.

The result? A two-stroke penalty, making his opening birdie a damaging bogey.

"It's the only thing that I've asked you to do,” muttered Woosnam to his caddie on being told the news.

He parred the second hole, but his momentum was lost as he bogeyed the next two, eventually missing out on the title by four.

Jeff Maggert – 2003 Masters

There was a bizarre – and extraordinarily unfortunate – moment for Jeff Maggert in the final round of the 2003 Masters. At the par-4 third at Augusta National, he led eventual winner Mike Weir by one.

Finding his ball in a fairway bunker, Maggert’s attempt to dig it out resulted in it hitting the lip before coming back at speed and striking him on the chest.

Maggert was assessed a two-stroke penalty for touching a moving ball. He eventually finished five behind the winner.

Dustin Johnson - 2010 PGA Championship

One of the most consequential rulings hit Dustin Johnson in the final round of the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

Johnson led Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer by one at the 18th, when his ball landed in a sandy area beyond the gallery ropes.

Johnson didn’t consider it a bunker, so he grounded his club. Unfortunately for the American, local rules stated that even sandy areas were regarded as bunkers, which led to a two-stroke penalty.

That meant Johnson lost the lead at the worst possible moment, with Kaymer going on to defeat Watson in a playoff.

Tiger Woods – 2013 Masters

On the 15th hole of his second round at Augusta National, Tiger Woods’ third shot hit the flagstick before ricocheting into the creek in front of the green.

Woods assessed his options before taking a stroke penalty and dropping his ball.

However, the trouble began when former pro and rules official David Eger, who was watching on TV, spotted that Woods had dropped his ball in the wrong place and alerted officials.

A review followed and Woods was cleared. That wasn't the end of it, though. In his post-round press conference, Woods slipped up, admitting to the media he had dropped his ball two yards back to avoid hitting the flagstick again, leading to a retrospective two-stroke penalty.

Tianlang Guan – 2013 Masters

Aged just 14 at the time, Tianlang Guan made headlines when he became the youngest player to make the cut at a Major at the 2013 Masters, but he wasn’t helped by a penalty for slow play in the second round.

Guan had received several warnings about his pace of play, but on the 17th, it was the final straw for the rules officials when he took over a minute to take his approach shot after he had been told he had 40 seconds.

The result? A one-stroke penalty.

Dustin Johnson – 2016 US Open

Six years on from the legacy-defining penalty at the PGA Championship, Dustin Johnson was guilty of another, not nearly as damaging, infraction in the final round of the US Open at Oakmont.

The incident happened on the fifth green, where his ball moved ever so slightly. Johnson, not believing he was responsible for the movement, alerted a rules official, who decided there was no case to answer.

However, seven holes later, DJ was informed that the incident was under review, with a ruling due at the end of his round.

That was hardly ideal, as he led at the time, and therefore couldn’t have known how much of a cushion he’d need to ensure his maiden Major title.

In the end, Johnson cruised home by four over Shane Lowry, so he knew he’d won regardless of the ruling.

When it came, he was deemed to have moved the ball, resulting in a one-stroke penalty, with his winning margin becoming three.

Shane Lowry – 2025 US Open

It’s not often that a player incurs a penalty that they can simply laugh off, but that’s what happened to Shane Lowry at the 2025 US Open at Oakmont.

Unlike nine years earlier, Lowry was out of sorts at the venue, and struggling at 14 over by the time he reached the 14th of his second round.

As he reached the green, he inexplicably picked up his ball without marking it first, leading to a one-stroke penalty.

Realising a mistake that summed up his week, Lowry shared a laugh about it with playing partners Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose before finishing on 17 over.

Shane Lowry – 2025 Open

It was no laughing matter a month later for Lowry at Royal Portrush when he was hit with a two-stroke penalty at the scene of his Open victory six years earlier.

At the 12th during the second round, Lowry was in the rough, where his ball appeared to roll back slightly after he took a practice swing.

Video footage emerged on social media of the incident, and Lowry was told by an R&A official that a ruling would be assessed after the round.

It was later confirmed that Lowry would be given a one-stroke penalty for causing his ball to move and a further one-stroke penalty for not replacing it to its original spot.

Lowry said: “It's obviously very disappointing. I felt like I played really, really well today. And yeah, that's hard to take.”

He made the cut but eventually finished tied for 40th.

Garrick Higgo – 2026 PGA Championship

Garrick Higgo made a rookie error on day on the PGA Championship at Aronimink, when he arrived late for his tee time, leaving him with a two-stroke penalty.

After battling back for a one-under first round, Higgo explained what made him late.

He told Sky Sports: “I always cut it fine and this morning was pretty cold, and I never want to get to the tee 10 minutes before and get cold.

"Usually, I hit five putts before I go to the tee. My caddie dropped my TrackMan in the locker and I went to the putting green thinking I still had five minutes. I obviously did not.

"I hit one putt and then I heard my name (being called). My caddie was yelling at me and I ran down (to the tee) and got a two shot penalty.”

He added: “It's kind of - I was there on time, but the rule is, if you're one second late, you're late. So if you think about it, I was there on time, if you know what I mean."

Joaquin Niemann - 2026 US Open

A new code of conduct policy was introduced for the 2026 Majors, and Joaquin Niemann has the dubious honor of being the first to receive a penalty as a result of it.

The LIV Golf star was given two penalty strokes for throwing a club on the sixth hole in the first round, with the USGA stating the act "was determined to be serious misconduct under Rule 1.2b."

Niemann went on to finish T7 at Shinnecock Hills. Had he not thrown his club, he’d have been in a tie for third.

Bryson DeChambeau - 2026 Open

After three consecutive missed cuts at Majors in 2026, Bryson DeChambeau was well and truly back at The Open.

The LIV Golfer produced a brilliant 66 in the second round to move solo second – or so he thought.

After his round, he was summoned back to the fifth to argue his case over an earlier incident. His ball had landed in the rough there hours earlier, with the suspicion he had inadvertently improved the area of his swing before taking his shot.

Despite his protestations, he couldn’t convince R&A officials of his innocence, and he was penalized two strokes.

After suggestions DeChambeau may not play in the third round because of the ruling, he later cleared things up on social media, stating he was “disappointed” but that “this fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it.”

Just 18 holes stand between Sam Burns and a maiden Major title as he followed up a record-equalling 62 on Friday with a 65 on Moving Day to lead The Open by two.

The American was three behind overnight leader Lucas Herbert after 36 holes at Royal Birkdale, but he barely put a foot wrong on Saturday, with just one bogey and six birdies to leave him closing in on a huge career breakthrough.

On Friday, Burns and Herbert both made 62s to equal the single-round low score in a men’s Major, and it was a similar story on Saturday morning.

This time, Ryan Fox made a 62 to join Herbert on eight under in pursuit of a maiden Major title of his own.

It didn’t take long for Burns to make inroads. He began confidently, with a par-birdie-par-birdie run that saw him close the gap on the leaders to just one.

Elsewhere, the likes of local hero Tommy Fleetwood, Ryan Gerard and Herbert’s playing partner Jackson Suber all jostled for position as the leaderboard remained bunched.

All the while, Burns remained focused on the task at hand, and when he rolled in his fourth birdie of the day at the eighth, he had the solo lead at nine under.

That advantage didn’t last long when Burns bogeyed the next hole to leave him in a four-way tie for the lead as Moving Day remained in a state of flux.

Another player desperate for a breakthrough was Bryson DeChambeau, eager to claw back the two shots he lost to a controversial penalty ruling the evening before. However, after nine, he stubbornly remained on five under.

Next came a birdie for Herbert at the ninth as he wrestled back the solo lead from Burns, Fox and Si Woo Kim.

Burns, likely still bearing the scars of his near-miss to Wyndham Clark at the US Open, had the bit between his teeth, though, going level with Herbert again at the 14th.

Shortly after, he had the lead to himself when Herbert began to wobble with a bogey at the 15th.

Minutes later, at 17, Burns turned the screw even more, sending his approach at the par-5 to six feet and making his birdie, immediately after an identical outcome for playing partner DeChambeau had temporarily got him within two.

Herbert’s woes continued at the 16th with his second consecutive bogey to fall further behind, and there was a similar setback for DeChambeau at the 18th to leave him four back of Burns, who finished with a par to complete his 65.

Following his round, Burns revealed he very nearly didn't even play in The Open as his wife, Caroline, was due to give birth to their second baby.

"This golf tournament was honestly so far off of my radar and expectations of playing," Burns said.

In the end, Belle was born ahead of the event, leaving Caroline to persuade him to travel. He added: "Caroline was kind of like, so what are you thinking for next week? I was like, 'I don't know. Should we talk about it?' She was like, 'yeah.'

"Ultimately she's the one that really encouraged me to come over and play. She basically said 'I've got this at home. Go over there and give it your best', and here we are."

Considering his performance so far, it looks like one of the most inspired decisions of his career.

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The Open quick links

• How To Watch The Open
• Perks Of Winning The Open
• What Is Moving Day?
• Big Names To Miss The Open Cut
• How Much It Costs To Play Royal Birkdale
• Royal Birkdale Past Winners

Live updates from...

HELLO AND WELCOME

Good afternoon from the Media Centre at Royal Birkdale, where we have a thrilling day ahead of us.

Lucas Herbert takes a two-stroke lead into round three with a stacked leaderboard chasing.

It's set to be a fascinating afternoon.

RYAN FOX ON THE CHARGE

The big-hitting New Zealander is six-under-par thru 15 today and has moved to within just two of the lead.

BALLESTER SHOOTS 66

The LIV Golf star finished eagle-birdie yesterday to make the cut and he has gone out and shot four-under today to sit at -3 for the tournament.

From heading home early to now sitting inside the top-20. Very nice!

LIV GOLFERS HAVING A GOOD WEEK

There's a big LIV presence on the leaderboard here with Herbert 1st, DeChambeau T6th and Rahm and Detry in T9th.

RYAN FOX'S MAJOR RECORD

From 28 Major starts, Fox has never had a top-10 but he has plenty of experience and solid results.

His best finish came at the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush, where he was T16th, while he also made ten consecutive Major cuts from 2023-2025.

He's a BMW PGA Championship winner and a very experienced player now, so perhaps this could be his week to put in a real challenge?

FOX TO -7!

He rolls in his short birdie putt perfectly in the center of the cup on 16 and the Kiwi is seven-under for the day and championship.

He has a par 5 next... Could we see another 62?

JORDAN SMITH EAGLE 2!

The Englishman has just made a two at the par 4 5th hole to jump up to four-under-par for the tournament, which is currently T10th.

Sungjae Im and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen are also two-under for the day to move into that tie for tenth.

Lots of players have made fast starts today.

RORY MCILROY CHIP-IN EAGLE!

A huge roar as Rory McIlroy chips in for eagle at the 9th! That is exactly what he needed.

He is now two-under for the championship and in position to make a charge.

FOX WITH A GOOD LOOK AT BIRDIE ON 17

Fox hits a gorgeous pitch from short-right of the 17th and will have a fantastic look to reach eight-under-par for the round.

Hole that, par the last and we have our third 62 of the week. Not sure The R&A will enjoy seeing that...

FOX FINDS IT

And there goes the birdie for Fox! He needs a birdie at the last to shoot a 61 or a par to match the joint-lowest 18-hole score at a men's Major. Has that happened before this week?...

TROUBLE OFF THE TEE

The Kiwi takes driver off the tee down 18 - you have to really - but it cuts too far and ends up in the right fairway bunker. Fox might be able to advance it far enough to retain his hopes of a par, though, as his ball is quite far away from the revetted wall.

WHEN PLAYING SAFE GOES WRONG

After a par at the 10th, McIlroy takes iron off the tee on 11 in a bid to miss the cluster of bunkers waiting to gobble up golf balls. He misses them, but over-draws the ball into the left rough. Also not ideal.

MIRACLE SHOT FROM FOX

The commentary team felt Fox had no chance of reaching the green from that right bunker. He said "I'll show you!"

Fox thumped his ball from an uphill lie and it just about flicked the top of the lip before landing on the front-right portion of the putting surface. Miraculously, he has a chance of shooting 61. Fox pinches his fingers together. He knows how close that was.

And the reception he is receiving on his approach to the 18th is superb, even with the stands only 20% full.

WELL SHORT

Oh, Ryan Fox, what was that?! The Kiwi leaves his attempt at 61 about five feet short from 40 feet or more. He's putted so well today, but that was a swing full of tension.

RECORD MATCHED (AGAIN)

The third 62 of the week and the seventh of all time in a men's Major comes from the sticks of Ryan Fox. He confidently rolls his par putt home and has now set the clubhouse lead on eight-under.

Will he remain there heading into Sunday? Unlikely, but he's got a chance of lifting the Claret Jug tomorrow, you'd have thought.

FLEETWOOD AND RAHM ABOUT TO BEGIN

What a welcome to the tee for two of Team Europe's Ryder Cup heroes - Fleetwood and Rahm. The reception for Fleetwood is immense.

RAHM OB

Oh dear, that is not the start you want. Not at all. Rahm will have to reload on the first after his first tee shot slices right into the trees.

His second is much better, though, and he follows Fleetwood into the first cut on the right.

It should be said, Justin Thomas did that yesterday and still went on to shoot 67. Rahm will have to putt much better today, though. He's second-last in terms of putting through the first 36 holes...

RAHM DOUBLE

The Spaniard sends his fourth shot out to 25 feet and will have a decent chance for bogey. But he doesn't make it and that's an immediate double. Fleetwood, on the other hand, shoves his birdie putt just past, but that'll be a solid par start for the home favorite.

RAHM SPRAYING IT EARLY ON

His first tee shot was way right but Rahm's second goes left. To be fair, Rahm set up for a cut and it just didn't come back with the wind pushing it left. But still, that's two fairways missed to start.

Fleetwood, on the other hand, is set up nicely in the fairway following a kind members' bounce off the first cut bank. He only has 149 yards to go now.

SCHEFFLER UNDERWAY

It's a solid start for Scheffler despite a second shot that comes up well short from the right rough. A great chip has left the Champion Golfer of the Year with what should be a nice three-footer for his four.

GOOD LUCK

Rahm plays his second from a walkway down the left. The flag is tight on the left side, so that's not ideal. But thanks to a lovely little kick off the left shoulder of the green, he's down hole-side and should be about to take a shot back.

CLOSE SHAVE

Fleetwood's approach into the second was a little disappointing given the circumstances, but he almost makes amends from 40 feet. His birdie try just shaves the right edge of the hole, leading to hearty groans from the crowd rather than cheers.

ONE BACK

It wasn't picture-perfect, but Rahm doesn't care as he rolls in the five-footer at hole number two. Rahm is now back to three-under while Fleetwood remains at four-under.

FUTURE RYDER CUP PAIRING

If Alex Fitzpatrick carries on playing like this, he may well be at Adare Manor next year. Robert MacIntyre, barring a loss of form, will almost certainly be there. They've just teed off at the first.

MCILROY ESCAPES

It doesn't look like McIlroy is going to make the kind of inroads he'd have been looking for when teeing off earlier today. He remains at two-under thanks to a six or seven-foot par save at number 13.

GOOD SWITCH

MacIntyre finds the right rough down the first and makes a last-minute decision to switch up a club with 141 yards to go. It's a great decision as the ball ends low and left on the putting surface.

DART FROM FITZPATRICK

He asks for it to go, pretty desperately in fact. The ball listens and it lands some 15 feet away. A birdie chance for Alex Fitzpatrick at the first.

WHAT A RECOVERY

Scheffler played an uncharacteristically poor approach into the second which landed in the thick stuff behind the green. However, his recovery was nothing short of ridiculous.

It must have been a decent lie because he nudged it out of the rubbish and left the ball a matter of inches away. Not bad.

TROUBLE FOR TOMMY

Fleetwood has put himself in a tough position on the par-3 fourth hole off the tee. He's in the front bunker and that's short-sided, too. Par will certainly be a good result now.

DELIGHTFUL BUNKER SHOTS

Fleetwood produces soft hands to flick his ball up and over the bunker lip before watching it land softly some four feet below the hole.

Elsewhere, McIlroy has a chance for a birdie at the par-5 14th after escaping a fairway bunker with aplomb.

DIRTY LIP OUT

I don't know what Scottie Scheffler has done in a former life, but it's coming back to haunt him this week. He hits another good putt at the par-4 third but it lips out from left to right. He doesn't seem to have holed anything of note this week.

DECHAMBEAU ON THE TEE

The man everyone has been talking about since yesterday afternoon is back on the golf course. Bryson DeChambeau is given a rousing reception has he walks to the first tee, with a couple of sharp comments thrown in as well.

Nothing nasty, I should add. But I'd say DeChambeau might become familiar with the famous British sense of humor by the time he's done today.

DECHAMBEAU INTO THE ROUGH

Just before Sam Burns teed off, DeChambeau's tee shot drifted left into the rough. It's not too long where he'll be, the grass, but the two-time US Open winner will be in close proximity to some of those fans who might be keen to remind him of his transgression just hours ago...

GOING NOWHERE

McIlroy's birdie attempt at the par-5 14th misses and it'll be a par. There are a couple more good chances left for a gain or two, but the six-time Major winner needs to make something happen quickly.

FLEETWOOD IN CLOSE

A superb approach from Fleetwood at the fifth gives him a six-footer for birdie. The crowd loved that one. Meanwhile, Rahm drove the green and has a long one left for eagle.

It was very close from Rahm, but it just lipped out and stopped four or five feet past. Two birdies here would be very well received from those following.

CAN BURNS BACK IT UP?

What a stat from the TV broadcast. After Sam Burns' past seven Major rounds in the 60s, he's followed each of them up with a round in the 70s.

Burns is on board at the first, though, as is DeChambeau. Two mid-range tries for birdie coming up.

BIRDIE BOYS

Tommy Fleetwood pours in his birdie at the fifth, much to the delight of the home crowd. Rahm does likewise to return to four-under for the championship.

Elsewhere, Thomas Detry makes a red number at the fifth to join Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Hideki Matsuyama, DeChambeau, Burns and Fleetwood on five-under.

BEWARE THE INJURED GOLFER

Si Woo Kim appears to be limping slightly on his left side. Not sure what's happened there. It doesn't seem to be affecting him too badly, though, as he rolls in a birdie at the second to reach six-under.

I say it's not affecting him, but the South Korean's tee shot at the third was almost certainly affected by the pain. He lost it out to the right as he was stuck on the back foot.

FINAL GROUP HAS ARRIVED

Here comes Lucas Herbert. Can he back up that excellent round yesterday? We're about to find out...

SCHEFFLER BIRDIE

Hooray for Scottie, he's finally found a birdie. I'm being facetious, obviously, but he will be relieved to see one finally land. At the drivable par-4 fifth, Scheffler went for the green, chipped up to six feet and then posted the birdie. The World No.1 is up to five-under and moving in the right direction.

ANOTHER BIRDIE?

Fleetwood clips a beautiful approach into 17 feet from 229 yards at the sixth. That looks an appealing birdie attempt, I must say. Rahm found the back of the green in two and appears likely to walk away with a par after nudging it close from 60 feet.

FINAL GROUP UNDERWAY

That's not an ideal tee shot from Herbert. His drive sailed out to the right rough and looks buried in some fescue grass. Jackson Suber's opening shot was solid enough, though, and he'll have a much better chance of advancing it to the green.

MISTAKES

Robert MacIntyre drops a shot at the par-3 fourth hole after missing a close putt. Meanwhile, DeChambeau looks to have gone way too long at the second and will face a similar shot to the one Scheffler poked out of the rough from earlier.

MISSED ON THE PRO SIDE

Fleetwood makes a positive swing with his putter at the sixth but it just doesn't turn as much as he and Ian Finnis had expected. That'll be a par.

DECHAMBEAU BOGEY

After a great recovery by DeChambeau from the back of the second, he misses a nasty little five-footer. The ball lipped out and DeChambeau walks away frustrated. Tough scene for the American.

BIG BIRDIE FROM TOMMY FLEETWOOD

Elliott Heath checking in here, and we've just witnessed a huge putt from Tommy Fleetwood on the 7th to move to six-under-par. The crowd go wild!

Come on Tommy Lad.

GOOD PAR AT THE 1ST FOR HERBERT

Lucas Herbert, holding a 36-hole lead in a Major for the first time, gets off to a solid start.

The Australian was up the right of the 1st and managed to skirt the front-right bunker with his approach and two-putted. That should ease the nerves.

On the 2nd, he splits the fairway and wedges it to pin-high and about 25ft right.

SUBER UP TO 2ND

Day one leader Jackson Suber finds a birdie at the 2nd to move up to seven-under-par and one behind his final group playing partner.

MCILROY BIRDIES 17

Rory McIlroy makes his second par 5 birdie of the week on the 17th and he is two-under-par now.

If he can find a birdie at the 18th he will feel like he still has a chance tomorrow.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER IS LURKING

The World No.1 has quietly gone about his business today, making one birdie and six pars from his first seven holes.

It means he is five-under for the tournament and just three off the lead. Is he tournament favorite?

I have just checked, and yes he is. He (-5) and Fleetwood (-6) are tied at 6/1 at the top of the odds.

SAM BURNS UP TO T3RD

Burns rolls in a left-to-righter on the par 3 4th to get to seven-under-par and within one of the lead.

It's a very good par-birdie-par-birdie start for the US Open runner-up.

DON'T RULE OUT SI WOO KIM

I've been monitoring Si Woo Kim all season as he's been one of the best players in the world.

The Korean, who won at TPC Sawgrass at the age of 21, is 5th in Strokes Gained: Total on the PGA Tour, 4th Tee to green and 3rd in Approach.

He is 6th in Scoring Average, 2nd in Birdie Average and has the lowest round on Tour this year with a 60.

Here at Birkdale he is six-under-par and just two back of the lead.

HERBERT BOGEY

The Australian caught a flier into the 3rd hole and his chip was average at best, leaving him around 12ft to save his par. It missed to the right and he bogeys to fall back into a tie for 2nd.

Ryan Fox is now your solo-leader.

NOT HAPPENING FOR RAHM TODAY

The Spaniard misses the green to the right on the 9th and he will have his work cut out to save par.

He began the day at four-under and is one-over for his front nine so far after hitting his opening tee shot out of bounds. Not good enough for a man of his stature...he really needs to get this up-and-down.

MCILROY SHOOTS 69

Rory McIlroy makes a sandy par on the 18th to post a one-under-par 69, courtesy of a good 15-20ft putt. Not his finest work today but he is two-under with 18 to play.

It is raining 62s at Birkdale this week and I feel he may need one of his own if he wants to take the Claret Jug home with him.

THE PERFECT START FOR FLEETWOOD

He couldn't, could he?

Tommy Fleetwood makes a stress-free par on the 9th to turn in two-under for the day. He is six-under for the tournament and well, well in this golf tournament.

In contrast, his playing partner Jon Rahm is three back of him now after they both began at -4, but it could have been worse as the Spaniard holes a fantastic putt from around 20ft to save his par.

GOOD SAVE FOR HERBERT ON 4

The Aussie hit a shocker off the 4th tee to miss the par 3 green by some 20 yards but he played a beautiful chip up the bank and holed from 8ft.

That should settle him down.

CAM YOUNG TO SEVEN-UNDER

The World No.4 birdies the drivable par 4 5th hole after a spectacular flop shot over a bunker from the tight links turf. It ended within 6ft and he holes to move up into a five-way tie for T2nd.

That was special.

HUGE BIRDIE PUTT FROM BRYSON!

Wow, DeChambeau holes a 30-footer on the long par 4 6th hole that had a good 3ft of left-to-right break on it. He moves back to five-under.

SI WOO KIM UP TO T2ND

The Korean makes a birdie after a lovely wedge into the front-left pin and holes from around 8ft for a birdie 2.

He joins the tie for 2nd.

SUBER JOINS THE LEAD

The American just birdied the drivable par 4 5th after getting up-and-down from just to the right of the green.

TOMMY IN TIGHT AT 11!

Fleetwood flights in a gorgeous short-iron into the front-left pin on 11 that settles within 4ft.

That will surely be a birdie to take him up to seven-under-par.

He has been excellent today.

FLEETWOOD BIRDIES 11

The Englishman makes 3 on the 11th and he is within one of the lead. Fantastic stuff.

EAGLE FOR RASMUS NEERGAARD PETERSEN

The Dane has just eagled the 17th to jump up to 8th position and is now just two back of the lead.

This really is anyone's Claret Jug.

FLEETWOOD'S BIRDIE ON 11:

SAM BURNS TAKES THE LEAD

Sam Burns loves being in the hunt in Majors!

The US Open runner-up moves to the top of the board after his fourth birdie of the day on the 8th. He's now nine-under and leading by one.

GREAT BREAK FOR FLEETWOOD

Fleetwood pulls a 6-iron into the 13th that narrowly avoids the front-left bunker and actually kicks forward and right towards the pin.

He never seems to get the breaks in Majors but that was certainly a good one.

HERBERT BACK TO 8

Lucas Herbert birdies the par 3 7th after a beautiful wedge to within around 8ft. He is back to eight-under, where he began the day.

DECHAMBEAU SET FOR BIRDIE AT 9

Bryson unleashes a drive on the 9th that almost finds the putting surface, and he hits a delicate chip to within 5ft. He should make that and get to six-under, which would put him three back of Burns.

NEERGAARD-PETERSEN IN WITH A 67

The Dane bogeys the 18th to shoot a three-under-par 67 and get inb the house at five-under.

Just as I write that, Si Woo Kim pours in a long putt on the 10th to move up to eight-under!

For those tuning in earlier, I did tell you to keep an eye on Kim.

BURNS BOGEY

The leader falls back after missing the green long on the 9th. He three-putts and cards his first bogey of the day. we now have a four-way tie at the top.

BIG CHANCE MISSED FOR BRYSON

After nearly driving the green at the ninth, DeChambeau plays a good chip but misses his birdie putt by a considerable margin.

That's a big miss for the American, who remains five-under after his front nine.

RORY REACTS

"I played okay for the most part. It was a little scrappy in areas.

"I feel like I could have probably shot 67 or 66. I think if I'm three back of Foxy going into tomorrow, I feel like I have a legitimate chance.

"I'm three back of that. I probably feel like I'm a little too far behind."

SAVE FROM SUBER

He dropped a shot at the seventh and, at the eighth, Suber leaves himself an eight-footer for par.

He doesn't want to make back-to-back bogeys and, thankfully, he doesn't with the American rolling in a good putt to remain at seven-under.

KIM JOINS THE LEADERS

YOUNG GOES OUT IN 33

A solid one-under 33 for Young means he remains seven-under on Saturday.

He is one back of Fox, Burns and Herbert, with the scoreable back nine coming up for The Players Championship winner.

BUNKER FOUND FOR TOMMY

His swing looked glorious, but a gust of wind brings Fleetwood's approach to the 14th short and into the bunker.

It won't be a tough up-and-down, but it's still a slight mistake from the home-hero, who is going along nicely right now.

EXCELLENT FROM HERBERT

He goes for the green at the par 4 ninth and, just coming up short, Herbert then plays a delightful putt from off the green that comes to rest inches from the hole.

When he rolls that putt in he will jump to nine-under and into the solo lead.

HERBERT LEADS

A birdie for Herbert at the ninth moves him to nine-under, with the Australian moving into the solo lead.

BIG SAVE FOR SCOTTIE

Scheffler finds the same bunker as Fleetwood at the 14th, with his bunker shot running eight-feet by.

His putting hasn't been great today, but his par attempt slides in the center of the cup and it's a good save for Scheffler, who remains five-under.

DROPPED SHOT FOR TOMMY

Fleetwood goes right of the green at the par 3 15th and, despite a good chip, he can't convert the par putt.

He drops to six-under, three back of Herbert, who finds the middle of the green at the par 4 10th.

SAFE PAR FOR THE LEADER

Herbert hits a great putt from 25-feet at the 10th, but it puts the brakes on and comes up inches short.

A simple par keeps him nine-under, one clear of Fox and Burns.

GREAT SAVE

Excellent work from DeChambeau, who makes an excellent par save at the par 3 12th.

Finding the bunker short with his tee shot, he splashes out to 12-foot, with his putt never looking anywhere else, as he converts to remain five-under.

What's more, at the next hole, he skirts the bunker and leaves himself a good looking approach to the green at the 13th.

ABERG ON A CHARGE

Firing a one-under 33 on the front nine, Aberg has birdied the 13th and 17th to move to six-under and three back of Herbert.

Making a charge, it's quite the opposite for Cameron Young, who bogeys the 11th and falls back to the same score of Aberg's.

HOW LUCKY FOR THE LEADER?!

Herbert slices his tee shot well right at the 11th but, somehow, it lands on the bank of the hazard and misses it by mere inches.

Faced with a good lie, the Australian then fires his approach over the flag and leaves himself 15-feet for a birdie...

YOUNG DROPS ANOTHER SHOT

Young plays a great chip at the par 3 12th, but his par putt from seven-feet slides by and it's back-to-back bogeys for the American.

SUBER BIRDIES THE 1TH

An excellent approach at the 11th is followed up by a great birdie putt that moves Suber to eight-under.

He is just one back of Herbert, who pars the same hole after a solid two-putt.

SUPER SWEDE

OH SCOTTIE...

His putter has been poor today and, at the par 4 16th, Scheffler misses a par putt from inside four-foot.

The World No.1 is frustrated, and he drops back to four-under-par, five back of leader Herbert.

EXCELLENT WORK FROM ABERG

A superb up-and-down at the final hole means Aberg fires a three-under 67 and leaves himself six-under for the championship.

He finished T23rd at The Open last year and is on-course for a great result this week.

Alongside Aberg is Shane Lowry, who fires a one-under 69 and is four-under for the championship.

BIRDIE FOR SUBER

UNREAL SHOT FROM WALLACE

That's so good from Matt Wallace at the par 3 15th, with the Englishman sticking it to three-feet, with it very nearly dropping in for a hole-in-one.

It's the best shot we've seen all day at the hole, with Wallace likely moving to four-under because of it.

TROUBLE FOR BRYSON

DeChambeau finds the bunker at the par 5 14th with his second shot, but it's right up against the lip and leaves a horrible lie.

Forced to play from a horrible stance, he does well to get it over the green, but leaves a tough up-and-down for par.

With his chip, the American puts it to three-feet and will, likely, not drop a shot to remain five-under.

ANOTHER MISSED PUTT

He has not made a thing today, and Scheffler pars the 17th after missing a seven-footer for birdie.

Sitting level-par for his round, the World No.1 is four-under for the championship.

BURNS JOINS THE LEAD

He's one of the best putters on the PGA Tour and, at the 14th, Burns rams his birdie putt home from 15-feet to join Herbert at the top of the leaderboard.

At the par 3 15th, he then puts it to 15-feet again, leaving a great chance to take the outright lead.

FLEETWOOD FINISHES UP

Although he finishes par-bogey, Fleetwood cards a one-under 69 and is five-under for the championship going into the final round.

He'll have a chance, as will Jon Rahm, who pars the final hole via an incredible up-and-down to sit four-under.

MISSED CHANCE FOR BURNS

After a great tee shot for Burns at the 15th, he narrowly misses his birdie attempt and settles for par.

He remains nine-under, with nearest challenger Herbert finding the fairway at the par 5 14th.

STATE OF PLAY...

We're edging towards the close of play at Royal Birkdale and the two leaders are still out on the course. Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns remain on -9, with Herbert having couple more holes to play with. Behind them is Ryan Fox, who earlier shot 62. The likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Jackson Suber are lurking, too.

CHANCE FOR HERBERT

Lucas Herbert has a birdie chance at the par-5 14th. He gets out of the rough and onto the green with his third. It won't be easy from the fringe of the green, but it's a chance of the solo lead.

LIP-OUT

Herbert's birdie chance now. He putts it delicately, as needed, and it looks good - until it just lips out and that'll be a par.

BRYSON CLOSE

Bryson DeChambeau with an improbable birdie chance at 16. From all of 47 feet, it looks in all the way, but it's not to be. It breaks right and he remains at -6.

RAHM MAGIC

A moment of brilliance from a few minutes ago that helped Jon Rahm save par at 18...

How crucial could that be come tomorrow evening?

BURNS COMES UP SHORT AT 16

From a similar distance to DeChambeau at 16, Sam Burns has a birdie putt for the solo lead, but that too doesn't quite make it.

BURNS IN LEAD

Lucas Herbert has a problem at 15. He's a good distance from the cup, and this is a par putt. It misses and that's a bogey. Sam Burns has the solo lead.

BRILLIANT BURNS

Sam Burns is on the cusp of going two clear. At 17, a par-5, he sends his approach to within six feet...

BURNS LEADS BY TWO!

Bryson DeChambeau refuses to lie down. He makes a birdie at 17 and now he's on -7, just two back of leader Sam Burns - at least momentarily.

Burns next to get to -10. And he holes it! A lead of two for Burns.

SI WOO IN THE MIX

Si Woo Kim is in the mix too, so much so that he has a chance of the clubhouse lead. At 18, he sends his second to within 19 feet for birdie.

HERBERT IN TROUBLE

There are signs things may be unravelling a little for Lucas Herbert. Just a few minutes ago, he had the co-lead. Now, he's two behind Sam Burns, and at 16 he leaves a 56-foot par putt...

BRYSON BIRDIE

Here's a look at Bryson DeChambeau's birdie putt at 17 from a few minutes ago...

KIM IN THE CLUBHOUSE

Si Woo Kim finishes for 67 to leave him two back of Burns.

At 16, Lucas Herbert stems the damage with a bogey. He falls three behind the leader.

BURNS WELL SET

Is this Sam Burns' time? He's come close to winning a Major on several occasions, not least at Shinnecock Hills with the US Open.

He's on the green with his second at 18. He should at least make par to head to the clubhouse with a two-shot lead,

BURNS COMPLETES ROUND OF 65

Burns with a birdie putt from more than 30 feet at 18. Can he head back to the clubhouse leading by three? Not quite. The speed is good, but it trickles right. He'll take a par for a lead of two.

DECHAMBEAU BOGEYS 18

Now DeChambeau with a tricky par putt at 18. It doesn't quite have the leags, and that leaves him on -6, four back. That'll sting, but he's still in it.

BRILLIANT, LUCAS HERBERT

Brilliant from Lucas Herbert at 17. After finding the native area with his tee shot, he takes a drop and with his third, smashes it unsighted onto the green and almost into the hole for the most improbable eagle you'll ever see.

It rolls beyond but he still has a look at birdie.

BOGEY FOR YOUNG AT 18

Not for the first time, it seems a Major win will elude Cameron Young. He finishes with a bogey to slip to -3, seven behind leader Sam Burns.

A costly last eight holes for him, which he completed in +4.

GERARD WITH PAR TO STAY IN THE HUNT

Ryan Gerard finishes for a 69 to sit T4 and very much in contention.

HERBERT STOPS THE ROT

Lucas Herbert can only make par at 17, and he looks crestfallen. But a few minutes earlier he looked likely to make a bogey at best. It stops the rot, anyway, and he remains three back.

FINAL GROUP ON 18

Lucas Herbert, in the final group, finds himself in more trouble at 18 after another tee shot goes left into the native area the wrong side of the fence and among some fans. He's in discussions with a rules official over something, too...

Over to playing partner Jackson Suber, who has no such trouble, finding the green with his second.

HERBERT FINDS GREEN AT 18

After a long discussion with the official, Lucas Herbert gets free relief. His second finds the green.

You get the feeling the end of the round is coming at the right time for him. Time for a reset and then go again tomorrow, with any luck no more than three back.

HERBERT SHOOTS 71

Lucas Herbert's very long birdie putt at 18 is nicely judged, leaving little more than a tap-in, and there is his par. A 71 and T4. Not bad going considering his travails of the last few holes.

SUBER FOUR BACK

Finally, that leaves Jackson Suber. He's -6 and looking to join Herbert in T4 with a birdie. It strays left and he takes a par. Still in contention with 18 to play.

Bryson DeChambeau says he is "disappointed" with his two-stroke penalty at The Open for a breach of Rule 8.1.

The two-time Major champion was deemed to have inadvertently improved the path of his swing by trampling down fescue rough to the right of the 5th hole.

His bogey was turned into a triple-bogey, causing his score to fall from seven-under to five-under.

DeChambeau spent over an hour deliberating with officials, which included a return to the exact scene of the alleged rules break, before walking past on-site media and heading for the driving range.

He was being asked if he would be playing 'tomorrow' but remained tight-lipped.

He spent 45 minutes hitting balls in the pitch dark before leaving at around 10.30pm local time.

While he did not give his take on the ruling, a short social media post told us he was disappointed with the ruling and also that he did not agree with it.

He seemingly confirmed he would be playing in round three after reports of him considering whether to withdraw from the event.

"Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it," he wrote on social media.

After three consecutive missed cuts in Majors, DeChambeau has been brilliant at the 154th Open so far.

He begins round three just three strokes behind leader Lucas Herbert and will play in the third-to-last group alongside Sam Burns.

Bryson DeChambeau has received a two-stroke penalty after it was deemed that he inadvertently improved his lie at the fifth hole during the second round of The Open Championship.

Carding a four-under 66 on Friday, the two-time Major winner reached seven-under through 36 holes to sit one back of Lucas Herbert, who carded an historic 62 earlier in the day.

In incredible scenes, DeChambeau was seen back at the area of the investigation in the right rough on the fifth where he was deliberating with R&A officials.

Returning back from the fifth hole, DeChambeau and R&A officials then congregated in the scoring tent, with further discussion then going on.

Eventually, DeChambeau's score was altered from seven-under to five-under, with a statement from Grant Moir, Chief Global Alliance Officer at The R&A released shortly after.

In the statement, it read: "Bryson has been penalized two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing, so intended backswing on the fifth hole when he was playing his second shot.

"Basically I'm going to explain the technicalities of the rule here for you. Ruling one restricts what a player may do to improve any of the protected conditions affecting the stroke, and this includes the area of the player's intended swing.

"So an improvement means to alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke so that the player gains a potential advantage for the stroke.

"Now, I'll stress that this applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson's case.

"The area of intended swing includes the entire area that might reasonably affect any part of the backswing, the downswing or the complaining of the swing for the intended stroke, and importantly, what the prohibited action here is that the player mustn't move, bend or break any growing or attached natural object.

"A player is allowed to fairly take their stance by taking reasonable actions to get to the ball and take a stance, if in some situations that improves the condition affecting the stroke, but when doing so, the player must take the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation and is not entitled to a normal stance or swing.

"I would reiterate this rule applies even when there's no intention to improve the area, as was the case with Bryson. That's all I have to say."

DeChambeau walked past reporters and headed straight to the driving range.

Under 'Rule 8.1 - Course Played as it's Found' it states that: "To support the principle of 'play the course as you find it', this Rule restricts what a player may do to improve any of these protected “conditions affecting the stroke” (anywhere on or off the course).

"For the next stroke the player will make: The lie of the player’s ball at rest, The area of the player’s intended stance, The area of the player’s intended swing, The player’s line of play, and The relief area where the player will drop or place a ball."

Adding further: "Actions That Are Not Allowed - a player must not take any of these actions if they improve the conditions affecting the stroke:

Move, bend or break any: Growing or attached natural object, Immovable obstruction, integral object or boundary object, or Tee-marker for the teeing area when playing a ball from that teeing area.

"Move a loose impediment or movable obstruction into position (such as to build a stance or to improve the line of play).

"Alter the surface of the ground, including by: Replacing divots in a divot hole, Removing or pressing down divots that have already been replaced or other cut turf that is already in place, or Creating or eliminating holes, indentations or uneven surfaces.

"Remove or press down sand or loose soil.(5) Remove dew, frost or water."

Breaching of Rule 8.1a meant a general penalty, which in this instance is a two-stroke penalty, meaning DeChambeau dropped from seven-under to five-under.

On Thursday, the two-time US Open winner declined to speak to media following his first round, but he did speak to the R&A where he gave a subtle response to Sir Nick Faldo's comments earlier in the week.

Faldo, while appearing on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, said DeChambeau has "zero strategy" for links golf, with the American responding by saying his strategy was very good in round one.

"I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places," he said.

"Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today."

The first two rounds of The Open featured some incredible highs and crushing lows for some in the field.

At the top of the leaderboard, both Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns got to grips with the dry, firm and fast course to equal the lowest round in a men's Major.

While they are safely into the third round, along with the likes of first-round leader Jackson Suber, 2014 winner Rory McIlroy, LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, for others, Royal Birkdale proved a more frustrating test.

While the top 70 and ties all have a tee time for Moving Day, some notable names are among those heading away from Southport with their tails between their legs.

Here are some of the big names to miss the cut at The Open.

Aaron Rai: +2 (71-71)

Aaron Rai’s bid to become a two-time Major champion fell just short at Royal Birkdale.

The Englishman, who held off Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley to win May’s PGA Championship, seemed on track to make it to the weekend.

That was until he slipped up at the 18^th on Friday with a bogey that made all the difference as he missed the cut by one to finish on two over for the tournament.

Cameron Smith: +2 (73-69)

The LIV Golfer faced an anxious wait to see if he’d done enough to make the cut after rounds of 73 and 69.

However, despite finishing one under on Friday, it wasn’t quite enough to scramble above the cut line.

The 2022 Champion Golfer of the Year missed out on the weekend by just one shot.

That means the only time he has made it past 36 holes in his last nine Major appearances was at the PGA Championship, where he placed T7.

Wyndham Clark: +3 (73-70)

Clark has been back to his very best in recent months, and after claiming his second US Open title in June, few would have bet against him doing well this week.

Another thing working in Clark's favor was a T4 achieved a year ago at Royal Portrush.

Could he build on that 12 months on? He had work to do after a three-over first round of 73.

His second round was erratic, to say the least, with three bogeys, two double bogeys, five birdies and an eagle, the upshot being an even-par 70, which wasn't enough to progress to the weekend.

Tom Kim: +3 (70-73)

After a prolonged struggle, in recent weeks, Tom Kim has reminded everyone of the talent that brought him three early PGA Tour wins. That culminated in victory at last week's Genesis Scottish Open.

With one week of brilliant links golf under his belt, he seemed like one to watch heading to The Open.

There was little untoward about his even-par first round of 70, but, needing a similar level of consistency on Friday, he couldn't quite find it, making six bogeys and three birdies to miss the cut.

Matt Fitzpatrick: +4 (72-72)

When the 2026 Player of the Year nominations are decided, it would be a surprise if Matt Fitzpatrick's name is not among them.

The Englishman has three PGA Tour wins this season, a record that had him earmarked as a potential winner at Royal Birkdale, particularly after a T4 a year ago.

Unfortunately for Fitzpatrick, he could only manage two rounds of 72, with a critical moment on Friday coming with a double-bogey at the 12th, leaving him a mountain to climb that he couldn't surmount.

Joaquin Niemann: +4 (76-68)

The talented Chilean would have headed to Royal Birkdale full of confidence after a recent victory at LIV Golf Korea followed by his best finish in a Major when he tied for seventh at last month's US Open.

However, things soon started going wrong for him, with a double-bogey on just the second hole of the first round on his way to a six-over 76.

He improved on Friday with three birdies and just one bogey, but it wasn't enough and he misses his second consecutive Open cut.

Justin Rose: +3 (75-68)

If Justin Rose ever wins an Open, it would surely make him one of the most popular champions in living memory. It was a big week for him returning to Birkdale, where he finished fourth back in 1998, but it won't be one to remember.

The Englishman has come close to the Claret Jug several times through the years, most recently with a tie for second two years ago. He'll need to wait another year for his next chance, though, after a poor start left him five-over after the first round.

That meant he needed to go low on Friday to have a chance, and despite an impressive 68, he couldn't do enough to reach the weekend.

Viktor Hovland: +4 (70-74)

The Norwegian has found some brilliant form in recent weeks, with third at the RBC Canadian Open and his eighth PGA Tour win at the Travelers Championship.

He demonstrated his links golf credentials with a tie for 13th at the Genesis Scottish Open, but he couldn't take that into Royal Birkdale.

Hovland began well enough with a round of 70 on Thursday, but he struggled for consistency on Friday, not least on the front nine, leaving him five over for the day by the turn. It proved too much to overturn and he heads home early for the third consecutive Major.

Jason Day: +4 (73-71)

The Australian claimed his best Open finish three years ago, sharing the runner-up position with three others at Royal Liverpool, but he's still waiting for his second Major title to add to the 2015 PGA Championship.

We now know that won't be coming in 2026. The former World No.1 finished the last Major of the year after a three-over 73 in the first round and failing to do enough on Friday.

Brian Harman: +9 (74-75)

Three years ago, Brian Harman produced a putting masterclass at Royal Liverpool to secure his maiden Major title in style.

Back then, players had to contend with cold, rainy conditions - the polar opposite to the heat, sun-backed fairways and fast greens of Royal Birkdale.

While Harman got to grips with the weather better than anyone in 2023 - this year - he didn't get close, finding himself four-over after the first round and unable to claw his way back into things on Friday. It ends his run of ten consecutive Major cuts.

Gary Woodland: +9 (78-71)

Few things have been more heartwarming in 2026 than the return to form of the ever-popular 2019 US Open champion.

As well as completing an inspirational comeback win at the Texas Children's Houston Open, Woodland has also shown encouraging form in the Majors, including T7 at the US Open.

That deserted him at Royal Birkdale with a nightmare first round featuring four double-bogeys to leave him eight over.

Perhaps nothing summed up his week more than a moment in his second round, when he hit his tee shot at 11 just 29 yards into the native area, finishing with a triple-bogey.

Jordan Spieth: +10 (73-77)

Nine years ago, Jordan Spieth tamed Royal Birkdale to claim his third Major title when he beat Matt Kuchar by three.

It's been over four years since his last win, but given his history at the course, he would have been optimistic of a strong performance this week.

It wasn't to be. Spieth was three over after the first round, with a costly double-bogey at the par-4 sixth partly responsible.

Another double came at the seventh in his second round as he failed to build the momentum needed to clamber above the cut line and into the weekend. He then proceeded to card a nine on the 17th and drop another shot on the last to post a score of 10-over-par. Not the Birkdale return he was hoping for.

Other notables to miss the cut at the 2026 Open:

• +2 Billy Horschel
• +2 JT Poston
• +2 Henrik Stenson
• +2 Jake Knapp
• +2 Tom McKibbin
• +2 Sam Stevens
• +2 Harris English
• +3 Keith Mitchell
• +3 Maverick McNealy
• +4 Harry Hall
• +4 Joe Dean
• +4 Akshay Bhatia
• +5 Max Greyserman
• +5 Haotong Li
• +5 Michael Kim
• +6 Daniel Berger
• +6 Rasmus Hojgaard
• +9 Padraig Harrington
• +11 David Puig

Lucas Herbert produced a slice of history on Friday at The Open Championship, with his eight-under round of 62 becoming just the sixth ever in a men's Major.

Narrowly missing a short putt on the last for a 61, which would have been a new Major record, the Australian was on fire at Royal Birkdale, producing nine birdies and a sole bogey to finish his day at eight-under and at the top of the leaderboard.

Prior to the start of the week, it was Herbert's equipment set-up that had people talking, as it was reported the 30-year-old wouldn't be using a driver around the links layout.

Now, speaking after Herbert's historic round, his caddie Nick Pugh confirmed that a driver wasn't in-play on Thursday, but was on Friday.

Speaking to Golf Monthly, Pugh stated: "We played a practice round early last week - Wednesday and Friday - and that was a north/north westerly breeze and we decided that there weren't any holes where we really need to hit driver.

"Yesterday, the wind was more easterly and it's really a day-by-day wind and what the forecast is telling us. So, we had no driver yesterday and we probably missed it on one hole, which was the 14th.

"For today (Friday), we put the driver in-play and took the 2-iron out. The 2-iron is probably less missed than the driver, but I'll have to look at the weather forecast to see whether it's going back in again for the weekend."

Possessing one of the more unique bags in golf, a total of six different brands are represented in just clubs alone through Herbert's bag.

Using a Callaway driver, Ping fairway wood, Srixon and Miura irons, as well as Titleist wedges and a L.A.B Golf putter, it's the golf ball where thorough testing has been undertaken by the seven-time professional winner.

Previously, Herbert had been using TaylorMade TP5 golf balls from 2019 but, after the model went out of production, Herbert was left to find a new golf ball.

According to Pugh, Herbert trialed 27 different golf balls at the end of 2025, eventually landing on the Bridgestone Tour B X, which is also used by the likes of Chris Gotterup and Jason Day.

Providing high launch and low spin, Herbert has used it to much success throughout 2026, claiming his maiden LIV Golf victory in Virginia.

He also finished runner-up at the New Zealand Open on the Asian Tour in March to qualify for this week's Major.

The 2026 Open featured some surprise names near the top of the leaderboard over the first two rounds.

One was Jackson Suber, who led the way after 18 holes, before another player yet to make his mark at a Major, Lucas Herbert, took his place following a brilliant 62 in the second round at Royal Birkdale.

Given his career and recent form, perhaps it shouldn’t come as such a surprise that Herbert took proceedings by the scruff of the neck, though.

Herbert has been a professional for 11 years, but the groundwork was laid well before he left the amateur game behind in 2015.

The 30-year-old was born near Victoria, Australia, and it didn’t take him long to develop a fascination with the game, picking up his first club at the age of three before going on to play junior golf at Neangar Park Golf Club and Commonwealth Golf Club.

One of the highlights of his amateur career came just a year before he turned pro, when he represented his country in the Eisenhower Trophy.

There, he finished with the joint-second-best individual score, three strokes behind none other than Jon Rahm.

All the signs were that Herbert was set for a solid career in the game, and so it has proved.

After a spell on the PGA Tour of Australasia to begin life in the professional ranks, he graduated to the DP World Tour in 2018 via sponsor exemptions.

Titles soon began to come his way, beginning with one of the biggest events on the circuit, the Dubai Desert Classic, which Herbert won in 2020.

Two more DP World Tour wins followed, while he also claimed a maiden PGA Tour win in 2021, beating Danny Lee and Patrick Reed by one at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

In 2024, LIV Golf came calling, with Herbert linking up with 2022 Open winner Cameron Smith as part of the all-Australian Ripper GC team.

Another big win came in 2025, when Herbert won the Asian Tour’s prestigious International Series Japan, further cementing the notion that he can be a man for the big occasion.

Finally, just two months before teeing it up at Royal Birkdale, he claimed his first LIV Golf title, beating Sergio Garcia by four shots in Virginia with the help of his long-time caddie Nick Pugh, the latest indication that he was ready to shine on one of the biggest stages of all.

Lucas Herbert Facts

1. Lucas Herbert was born on December 5, 1995 in Bendigo, Australia.

2. He represented Australia in the 2014 Eisenhower Trophy and finished with the joint-second-best individual score, three strokes behind Jon Rahm.

3. Herbert turned professional at the end of 2015 and began on the PGA Tour of Australasia. He has also played on the DP World Tour, the Asian Tour and the PGA Tour. In 2024, he joined LIV Golf.

4. His first DP World Tour title came at the 2020 Dubai Desert Classic. Herbert defeated Christiaan Bezuidenhout in a playoff. He won his second DP World Tour title at the 2021 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, going wire-to-wire. His third was at the 2023 ISPS Handa Championship in Japan.

5. Other big wins in Herbert's professional career include the 2025 International Series Japan and the 2026 LIV Golf Virginia, where he beat Sergio Garcia by four shots.

6. In his first LIV Golf season, Herbert helped his Ripper GC team win the Team Championship title.

7. Before the 2026 Open, his best finish at a Major was T13 at the 2022 PGA Championship.

8. Herbert is a supporter of Aussie Rules side, Western Bulldogs, who play in Melbourne.

Lucas Herbert Bio

Lucas Herbert Pro Wins

The second round of The Open produced record-equalling rounds, some big names moving up the leaderboard, others missing the cut and late controversy at a sun-baked Royal Birkdale.

The upshot of it is that LIV Golfer Lucas Herbert leads the way, but he will face a stern test of his nerves on Moving Day with some big names in pursuit.

The big talking points of the morning wave belonged to Herbert and Sam Burns.

Herbert, whose best Major finish was T13 at the 2022 PGA Championship, produced a sublime round of 62 to take command of proceedings, overtaking first-round leader Jackson Suber on eight under.

It could have been even better for the Australian, but his short putt for par at the 18th missed left, seeing him miss out on the lowest men's Major score in a single round in history by just one.

As it is, he joined Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry as players with the joint-lowest score.

On the bittersweet moment at 18, Herbert said: “I’m absolutely disappointed, and at the same time, so proud of today. Very, very proud to put my name on that list of guys that have shot 62 in a Major championship.”

Incredibly, it only took a few more minutes until the latest name was added to that exclusive list, when Sam Burns also shot 62 to move to five under. He did it in dramatic circumstances, too, with a birdie at the 18th from a greenside bunker, to the delight of the crowd.

Burns admitted afterwards he wasn’t aware of his achievement until later on, saying: “Yeah, I had no idea until they told me up there. I didn't realise that was the case. Yeah, I'm very pleased with it.”

At that stage, many of the really big guns had yet to begin, but when they did, it wasn't long until they began making some stories of their own.

One of the game’s superstars with an outside chance is Rory McIlroy, whose two over on Thursday left him with some work ahead to make the cut. In the end, he managed it comfortably enough thanks to a 67 to move to one under.

With a deficit of seven, McIlroy won't feel as though he's out of contention just yet, but some other high-profile players will feel far more confident of their chances.

One is the defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, whose two under leaves him tied for eighth, four back of Herbert.

He's joined in that position by local hero Tommy Fleetwood, who had the backing of a raucous crowd as he made three birdies in his last five holes.

Jon Rahm is another in T8 following a 67 that leaves him well-placed for a run at his maiden Open title despite receiving a code of conduct warning for throwing his club.

However, none appeared able to match a resurgent Bryson DeChambeau, who thought he had shot a brilliant 66 to move just one behind Herbert in solo second.

Not so fast, though. Once the LIV Golfer had completed his round, he was summoned to the fifth, where he had earlier hit a provisional after finding the thick rough with his initial tee shot.

Surprisingly, a marshal found his original ball, which he played on the way to making a bogey. While it seemed he’d done a reasonable job of damage limitation, later, there were rumblings over whether he had improved his lie.

The potential penalty facing DeChambeau? Two shots and dropping three back of Herbert.

Back at the scene of the alleged offence, DeChambeau's body language suggested he was struggling to make his case and, sure enough, news later came that the LIV Golfer would be handed the penalty for a violation of Rule 8.1.

Part of a statement read by Chief Global Golf Alliance Officer of The R&A, Grant Moir, explained: "Bryson has been penalized two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing so the intended backswing on the 5th hole when he was playing his 2nd shot.

"Rule 8.1 restricts what a player may do to improve any of the protected conditions affecting the stroke. And this includes the area of the player’s intended swing."

That decision ensured that a day of talking points continued as the sun began to set.

As a result of the penalty, DeChambeau drops to T5. In a tie for second and two back of the lead are Suber, Cameron Young and Ryan Gerard, who, along with Herbert, are all eyeing the chance of a maiden Major title, with star players lurking.

While the top of the leaderboard contains a fascinating mix of Major winners and tournament outsiders, other big names, including Matt Fitzpatrick, Jordan Spieth, Wyndham Clark and Cameron Smith, all missed the cut following a day of drama and controversy amid some brilliant Open golf.

The Open leaderboard 2026

The Open projected cut: +1

NOTABLES TO MISS THE CUT:

• +2 Cameron Smith (F)
• +2 Aaron Rai (F)
• +3 Justin Rose (F)
• +3 Tom Kim (F)
• +3 Wyndham Clark (F)
• +4 Matt Fitzpatrick (F)
• +4 Joaquin Niemann (F)
• +10 Jordan Spieth

The Open quick links

• The Open Cut Rule 2026
• How Much It Costs To Play Royal Birkdale
• How To Watch The 2026 Open
• The Open Future Venues
• Royal Birkdale Past Winners

Live updates from...

HELLO AND WELCOME

Welcome to Golf Monthly's second round coverage of the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale.

Today could be an historic one with Lucas Herbert currently nine-under-par for his round. A par-par finish will set the lowest score ever recorded in a Major.

HERBERT ON FIRE

Lucas Herbert has just hit a wonderful pitch shot from the dirt, left of the 17th green, and he has 10ft for his tenth birdie of the day!

LUCAS HERBERT CHASES HISTORY

The Australian's birdie effort slides by the left side on 17, meaning he will head to the 18th tee at nine-under-par for the day.

A par to finish and he'll shoot a 61, the lowest round in men's Major history.

HERBERT IN TROUBLE ON 18

The Australian pulls driver out and hits a slice up the right rough. Not in too much danger but certainly not ideal.

BRILLIANT FROM POTGIETER

The South African only got into the field via Louis Oosthuizen's withdrawal on Monday, and he will be here for the weekend after an eagle-par finish to post +1 for his opening two rounds.

HERBERT'S SECOND SHOT INTO 18

Remember he needs a par to shoot 61, the lowest ever round shot in a men's Major...

Herbert has an okay lie in the dry, wispy rough and from 173 yards he pulls out a 9-iron. It's straight at the flag but comes up just short of the green.

Up and down for history.

HERBERT FOR BIRDIE

The Australian putts it from the fairway from some 70ft and it comes up around 5ft short.

He'll have that putt to shoot 61.

HERBERT FOR HISTORY

Lucas Herbert steps up for par on 18...and he pulls it left. Ouch.

The lowest round in men's Major history remains 62.

WHAT A ROUND

MATT FITZPATRICK IN REAL DANGER OF MISSING CUT

The World No.3 was among the tournament favorites this week but he is +2 for the day and +4 for the tournament with just three holes remaining. Unless he finishes spectacularly, he will be one of the big names heading home early.

HERBERT'S MISS ON 18 FOR A 61...

WHY HERBERT AVOIDED A RULES PENALTY AFTER RANGEFINDER CONFUSION...

Confusion arose on Friday, as Herbert's caddie was seen using a rangefinder during The Open Championship, but all was cleared up just moments later.

Read more: Why Lucas Herbert Avoided A Rules Penalty At The Open Championship After Rangefinder Moment

MCILROY UPDATE

Rory McIlroy has been excellent today, carding four birdies and one bogey through 15 holes.

It means he has jumped from +2 to -1 and can now start to forget about the cut and think about making his way into contention.

SAM BURNS SHOOTS A 62

The American holes it from the bunker at the 18th and ties Herbert's eight-under round of 62!

He goes from three-over-par to five-under, with Burns currently in a share of third.

GOTTERUP STAYS TWO-UNDER

He's playing some excellent golf and, on Friday, Chris Gotterup fires a two-under 68 to finish his day two-under.

He is just outside the top 20 and will safely make it through to the weekend.

ANOTHER HISTORIC 62 FROM SAM BURNS

LOWRY BIRDIES 18

The Irishman cuts a very happy figure after a birdie on 18 to shoot 68 for a three-under-par total.

SCHEFFLER UP NEXT

The World No.1 is next on the 1st tee alongside Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton.

CUT IS CURRENTLY AT LEVEL PAR

The cut has moved to level par but it will surely move back this afternoon as the course continues to firm up. The afternoon starters definitely have tougher conditions vs the morning wave.

MCILROY PARS 17

The World No.2 misses a 15ft birdie putt on 17 and will head to the 18th tee at one-under.

If he can make a 3 and reach two-under, he is well in this still.

WHO HAS SHOT 62 IN MEN'S MAJORS?

Today is the third day in the history of men's Major golf where there have been multiple 62s. There have now been sevens 62s, shot across four different days.

The last time that happened was three years ago at the 2023 US Open at LACC, where Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele shot the score.

• Branden Grace: 2017 Open, Royal Birkdale, 3rd Round
• Rickie Fowler: 2023 US Open, Los Angeles Country Club, 1st Round
• Xander Schauffele: 2023 US Open, Los Angeles Country Club, 1st Round
• Xander Schauffele: 2024 PGA Championship, Valhalla, 1st Round
• Shane Lowry: 2024 PGA Championship, Valhalla, 1st Round
• Lucas Herbert: 2026 Open, Royal Birkdale, 2nd Round
• Sam Burns: 2026 Open, Royal Birkdale, 2nd Round

ADAM SCOTT ON LUCAS HERBERT:

"He's got a lot of game. He's a big, strong guy. This is a pretty out there comment because I don't know his game inside and out, but I would fancy him around a links. I see him playing shots.

"So when he's on, I feel like the links kind of would really suit him because he can be creative and get more reward for it on the links rather than some other tracks.

"I think he grew up down in Melbourne, as well, on some firm and fast conditions. I'd say he's probably got a pretty high level of comfort for it."

CAM YOUNG UP TO SIX-UNDER

The World No.3 goes 67-67 to put himself right in the mix for a maiden Major title this weekend.

Young was 2nd at the 150th Open four years ago and played in the final group of the 2026 Masters so he'll feel very comfortable on Saturday.

RORY MCILROY ON 18...

The World No.2 misses the green left on 18 from just 160 yards to leave a tricky pitch shot over a bunker.

It's a gorgeous chip that settles just a few feet beyond the pin and that'll be a par for a three-under-par 67. Good day's work.

CAM SMITH ON OPEN LEADER, AND RIPPER GC TEAMMATE, LUCAS HERBERT:

"Yeah, just he works hard. He keeps wanting to get better. He was already good when he come and joined the Rippers a couple years ago, and you've seen him go from strength to strength. I feel like the team environment has really helped him, and he's asked questions.

"Now I think he's learned everything he needs to learn, and he's taking advantage of it and playing really good golf. And he's so confident at the moment. Like once he gets going, like this morning I'm sure he's just hitting it in there to three and four feet on every hole and making putts. Like once he gets his irons going, it's pretty cool to watch."

ALEX FITZPATRICK TO FOUR-UNDER

The Englishman makes his third birdie of the day at the 12th to move into a tie for 6th.

There will only be one Fitzpatrick here this weekend, and it's not World No.3 Matt

AMATEUR UPDATE

Sadly there are no amateurs inside the cut line as things stand.

2025 US Amateur champion Mason Howell shot 69 today courtesy of three birdies in his final five holes and is at two-over-par, which could well advance if winds get up this afternoon and the course continues to firm up.

LUCAS HERBERT: DISAPPOINTED AND PROUD

"I'm absolutely disappointed, and at the same time, so proud of today," he said.

"Very, very proud to put my name on that list of guys that have shot 62 in a Major championship. So it's kind of holding two emotions there at the same time.

"It's a tricky one, and I'm sure once the dust settles, I'll be able to sort of decompress it a little bit. Right now I've sort of got both going on, and it's a pretty good problem to have too, to be disappointed you shot 62."

FLEETWOOD BIRDIE

A huge roar erupts at the 2nd as home favorite Tommy Fleetwood rolls in a 15-footer for a birdie 3. A fist-pump too!

That gets him up to two-under-par.

RYO HISATSUNE'S BOGEY-FREE STRETCH ENDS

The Japanese PGA Tour player has just made a bogey at the 5th, meaning he started the 154th Open with 22 bogey-free holes. Impressive stuff.

One impressive streak that hasn't ended is his run of 19 consecutive PGA Tour cuts made, which is the third-longest on tour.

Hisatsune is currently three-under in T12th.

RORY MCILROY (-1) AFTER HIS 67:

"I think the main objective today was to be here for the weekend, which I am," he said.

"I felt like I left a couple out there. Then you look at the board and you see a couple of 62s, and you feel like you could have done a bit better.

"Yeah, get off to a decent start tomorrow. There's a couple of guys up there, this will be sort of their first experience of playing in the lead at a Major championship on the weekend, so there's obviously some that are very experienced at it like Cam and like Sam as well.

"I think if I can get off to a decent start tomorrow, be 4- or 5-under for the tournament, I'll be right in it."

STEADY START FROM THE MARQUEE GROUP

Scheffler pars the third and remains level, while both DeChambeau and Hatton also par to remain on the same score for the round.

WE CAN'T RELATE

FITZPATRICK REACTS

Arguably, the biggest surprise of the week has been Matt Fitzpatrick, who misses the cut despite showing incredible form coming into the championship.

Speaking after his round, the Major winner stated: "This week, you've just got to look at three or four holes for me.

"I've hit decent shots, gotten no luck and come away with four-over-par. That's the way links golf is. You need to have that rub of the green sometimes, and I didn't have it this week.

"I didn't feel like I hit many bad shots all week. It's a golf course that's just awkward when it plays like this."

BRYSON BIRDIES

Impressive birdie from DeChambeau at the par 3 fourth, with the American following a great tee shot with a 20-foot birdie putt. He moves to four-under.

In the group, meanwhile, Scheffler pars and Hatton drops a shot to fall back to level-par.

GO ON BOBBY MAC

It's been a muted round from Robert MacIntyre, so far, with the Scotsman making just one bogey and 12 pars.

At the par 5 14th, though, he slams his birdie putt in from 15-feet to get back to level-par for the round and three-under for the championship.

SHOT FROM TOMMY

Fleetwood produces an excellent tee shot at the par 3 fourth, leaving himself around 15-feet for a birdie. He narrowly missed one at the third, but is one-under for the round today.

Rahm finds the greenside bunker, while Spieth also finds the short grass, leaving 25-feet for birdie. He just gained a shot at the third following a nice putt.

MOLINARI ROLLING BACK THE YEARS

OH BRYSON...

After birdieing the fourth, DeChambeau carves his tee shot miles right at the driveable fifth, with it landing in the hazard.

He will have to reload as that is certainly lost.

GO ON TOMMY LAD

Fleetwood's hot start continues, with the Englishman birdieing the par 3 fourth.

He has made an excellent start, sitting two-under for the round and three-under for the championship.

DROPPED SHOT FROM RAHMBO

Rahm plays a good bunker shot at the fourth, but is unable to convert the par putt. He drops back to one-under.

Up ahead, Scheffler goes for the green and finishes left of the bunkers. Hatton, meanwhile, finds the greenside bunker and will have a tricky shot coming up.

DeChambeau, with his provisional, pulls his drive left and will have work to do to make a bogey.

WORK TO DO FOR HOVLAND

Not the start he was looking for, as Viktor Hovland drops four shots in three holes.

He bogeyed the fourth and double bogeyed the fifth, with his putt at the sixth missing on the right-side.

Hovland was level-par, but drops to four-over and has work to do to make the cut.

HUGE BREAK FOR BRYSON

Somehow, the marshals locate DeChambeau's first tee shot at the fifth and he is able to play it forward from the thick rough.

Using his power, the ball comes out well and races across the green. He will have a tough up-and-down coming up, but that is a big break for the two-time Major winner.

BIRDIE CHANCES FOR SCOTTIE AND TYRRELL

Both Scheffler and Hatton play great shots in to the fifth, with both leaving six-footers for birdie.

ALEX FITZPATRICK GOING WELL

He's three-under for his round through 15 holes and is four-under for the championship.

Brother Matt may have missed the cut, but Alex is in contention going down the last few holes.

WHAT ON EARTH?

Im has a hybrid in hand but, from a downhill lie, he fires the shot into the base of a bunker a few yards in front of him and that is a big mistake from the South Korean.

He's going along nicely at four-under, but will have work to do to save par at the par 5 14th.

SCHEFFLER BIRDIES

Hatton misses his short birdie attempt at the par 4 fifth, while Scheffler birdies to get to three-under.

DeChambeau, meanwhile, gives back his birdie from the fourth, as he bogeys the fifth following a missed putt. Given the tee shot, that's not a bad score for the American.

NEVER IN DOUBT

After that bizarre shot from Im, he manages to save par from the fairway bunker... never in doubt!

BIRDIE FOR RAHM

After dropping a shot at the fourth, Rahm plays a great chip at the fifth and taps in for birdie. He goes back to two-under.

Fleetwood pars and remains three-under, while Spieth also birdies and is now inside the cutline at one-over. Good start for the 2017 champion.

BROWN STILL FIGHTING

Birdieing the 14th, Daniel Brown moves to three-under and his love affair with The Open Championship continues in Southport.

He finished T10th in 2024, and is currently T13th right now. One-over for the round, he is three-under for the championship.

LIV GOLFERS GOING WELL

Thomas Detry pars the final hole and he produces a one-under 69 on Friday. He is four-under overall and the joint best LIV Golfer, so far.

Victor Perez, who enjoyed a good week at the Genesis Scottish Open, makes back-to-back birdies at the 11th and 12th to move to four-under also.

DARTS FROM THE MARQUEE GROUP

Scheffler and Hatton fire in absolute darts at the par 3 seventh, with their tee shots right down the flag and finishing 15-feet short.

DeChambeau, meanwhile, also finds the green, but is slightly further away than his playing partners.

TEAM FLEETWOOD

SHOTS FOR TEAM EUROPE

Rahm's inconsistent start continues, with the Spaniard bogeying the sixth. That's two birdies, two pars and two bogeys to begin his second round.

Fleetwood does well to save par at that par 4, rolling in a 10-footer to keep three-under.

Up ahead, Hatton birdies the seventh and moves back to one-under for the championship.

WE AGREE TIGER

EAGLE FROM MACINTYRE

His round had been missing excitement but, at the par 5 17th, MacIntyre finds the green with his second and holes a 40-footer for an eagle!

He goes from three-under to five-under, and finds himself in a share of fourth alongside Sam Burns. Excellent from the Scotsman.

FITZPATRICK TO FIVE-UNDER

Incredible birdie from Fitzpatrick at the par 5 17th, who plays one of the shots of the championship.

Up against the lip of the greenside bunker, he takes an almighty swipe and manages to get it to three-feet.

It deserved a birdie, and that's what he gets, as Fitzpatrick moves to five-under.

SPIETH GOING BACKWARDS

He started so well, but Spieth bogeys the sixth and then double bogeys the par 3 seventh.

What's more worrying is that the American three putted from four-feet... He drops back to four-over-par and is well back of the cutline.

OUTRAGEOUS FROM FITZY

PARS AT THE EIGHTH

Hatton and Scheffler leave good birdie chances at the eighth, but both miss their putts on the low-side.

DeChambeau, meanwhile, finds the greenside bunker with his approach, but plays a great third to three-feet. He converts and that superb save keeps him three-under.

HOMA MAKES THE WEEKEND

That is so gutsy from Max Homa, who finishes birdie-par-eagle-par to finish even and make the cut.

Excellent golf from the American, who seems to be starting to find some form over the last few weeks.

BRYSON GOES FOR THE GREEN AT THE NINTH

Rory McIlroy drove the green again today and, at the ninth, DeChambeau pounds his tee shot over the corner and just misses the short grass to the right hand side.

CLOSE APPROACHES

Rahm and Scheffler show off their skills at the eighth and ninth, with both sticking their second shots to around six-feet.

In Rahm's group, Fleetwood is unable to get up-and-down for par, with the Englishman finding the bunker off the tee. He drops to two-under.

RAHM CONVERTS

Sure enough, Rahm converts the birdie and he is now two-under-par.

Up ahead, DeChambeau nearly chips in for an eagle at the ninth. He'll make birdie and move to four-under.

MACINTYRE BOGEYS THE LAST

This eagle put him to two-under, but MacIntyre makes a bogey at the 18th and signs for a one-under 69.

He is four-under at the halfway stage and well in contention going into the weekend.

FRONT NINE COMPLETE

Fleetwood narrowly misses his birdie attempt at the ninth and he goes out in one-under. Currently, he is two-under for the championship.

Rahm, following a great approach, sees his birdie putt slide by the right-side and he matches Fleetwood in being one-under for the round and two-under for the championship.

Spieth, meanwhile, pars the eighth and ninth to remain four-over.

GREAT SHOT FROM SCOTTIE

From the thick rough, Scheffler controls his shot perfectly with a wedge in hand. He leaves himself a great look at birdie on the 10th.

Hatton and DeChambeau, meanwhile, also find the short stuff, but are significantly further away than the World No.1.

TOUCH FROM BRYSON

ANOTHER MISSED PUTT FOR SCOTTIE

His putter has been ice cold today and, at the 10th, Scheffler pulls his birdie attempt left. It's another good chance missed for the World No.1.

BROWN DROPS A SHOT AT THE LAST

It's a rollercoaster finish for Brown, who finishes eagle-bogey to fire a one-over 71.

Sitting three-under, it's still a good day for the Englishman, who is just five back of leader, Herbert, going into the weekend.

JT BATTLING HARD

He started his second round with a double bogey, but Justin Thomas is battling hard on Friday.

Since that double, he has been three-under and has left a great chance for another birdie at the par 4 11th.

RAHM MAKES A MOVE

We're seeing some fist pumps now in the evening sunshine. Ryan Gerard makes a par at the ninth to stay at four-under, shortly before Rahm rolls in a birdie at the 10th. He's at three-under now.

FRUSTRATION FROM ROSE

It doesn't look like it's going to be Rose's year. The Englishman misses a par putt at the par-3 12th and falls back to four-over. The cut line looks to be staying at one-over. As it misses, Rose shows some animation - a rare sigh from him.

SCHEFFLER AND DECHAMBEAU IN CLOSE

Scheffler and DeChambeau are in really close at the par-4 11th. Both produce delightful approaches with Scheffler at 15-20 feet or so and DeChambeau at kick-in range.

Elsewhere, Josele Ballester eagles the 17th to reach two-over and give himself a shot of making the cut with a birdie at the last...

ONE MISSED, ONE MADE

Scheffler takes a solid run at it, but the ball lips out. More frustration for the World No.1. They're just not dropping like they used to. But they are for DeChambeau.

The LIV man is up to five-under and into a tie for fourth after knocking in a three-footer.

CHANCE FOR FLEETWOOD

A perfect tee shot leaves Fleetwood around 150 yards into the par-4 11th. He produces one of his trademark cut-off follow throughs and the ball lands 12 feet away long and left. That's a good look at birdie.

TOUGH 12TH

The flag on the par-3 12th looks so tough to access. It's only 175 yards but it's tucked on the right side with danger all around. Plus the wind is out of the right. DeChambeau gets lucky as his ball just about stays on the putting level out to the left.

Meanwhile, Hatton and Scheffler are on the green and have mid-to-long-range looks at birdie. Scheffler, as you might expect, is hole-high.

HENLEY EASES CUT FEAR

Russell Henley sinks an absolute bomb at the par-4 13th to reach even par and ease his concerns regarding the cut. That looks almost certain to stay at one-over now.

BALLESTER SNEAKS IN

What a way to make the cut! Josele Ballester needed a birdie at the 18th to finish on one-over for the Championship, and he's going to do it courtesy of an absolute dime! The approach ends at a distance not even I could miss and the Spaniard should now be here at the weekend. Bravo.

SLIP FROM HATTON

A three-putt at the par-3 12th is going to cost Hatton a shot and he's now at even par. The Englishman is ticking as well, slamming down his putter and muttering a curse word or two on his way off the green.

His playing partners, Scheffler and DeChambeau, go close but it's no cigar and they walk off with pars.

UP AGAINST IT

Fleetwood's tee shot at the par-3 12th isn't quite right. He over-draws the ball down into a little area off the left side. From there, the putt is far too heavy-handed and the Englishman will have an awkward left-to-right slider down the hill for par from about six feet.

TOMMY BOGEY

And it doesn't drop, despite burning the edge. Fleetwood falls back to one-over, and he knows that was a poor hole from him.

BRYSON EYEING UP SECOND

Woof, what a shot from DeChambeau at the par-4 13th. He took an 8-iron from 223 yards, which is a wild statement in itself, and poked it to eight feet or so courtesy of subtle draw. Delightful. If he can make that, it'll be a share of second at six-under.

Scheffler follows him in to the centre of the green, but he's a little farther out. More like 30 feet.

GERARD HUNTING BIRDIES

Ryan Gerard is just behind these marquee groups, but he's playing just as well - if not better - than most of them. He almost reaches six-under at the 11th, but it's a kick-in par instead.

WIDE RIGHT

DeChambeau wastes that world-class approach by pushing his birdie attempt out to the right at the 13th. Scheffler had already gone close as well. Nothing happening at the moment for this group as Hatton scrambles a par from the green-side pot bunker.

PEREZ BOGEY AT THE LAST

How on earth has stayed up? Victor Perez hits a solid putt at the last for par, but it lips out via a 270-degree tour of the top and he'll sign for a 69 today. Three-under for The Open.

ROSE STAYING ALIVE

He's running out of time to save his Open chances, but Rose just cannot afford bogeys at this stage. A par at the 14th isn't ideal, but it keeps him alive with chances to come.

PUTTS NOT DROPPING

Fleetwood and Rahm are suffering from similar issues. They're hitting good putts at great paces, but they're just not dropping. Another set of pars for Team Europe's Ryder Cup heroes at the 13th.

ROCKET DRIVES

It's driver for all three at the par-5 14th, but only two end up miles down the runway. DeChambeau goes first and fires one to the moon. That is huge and could have put 350 yards in danger. It has to be over 350, surely.

Scheffler's tee shot is a cracker as well, right down the middle and around the 350 mark, just a little less.

It's not so good for Hatton, however, who draws his ball so far left it's landed in a spectator area left of the rough. In a way, that's a good break, but the Englishman looked like he considered snapping his driver at one point as he walked off the tee.

MCDONALD HOLE-OUT

Ooh what a moment for Scotland's Jack McDonald! At the par-4 10th, the young pro holes out from 114 yards for eagle. That shifts him up to one-over par and inside the cut line. He celebrates with two arms in the air. What a shot!

WIZARDRY FROM THOMAS

Justin Thomas doesn't have the best Open record, but it looks as though he will certainly make the cut this year at worst. He's currently into the top-20 after a beautifully delicate bunker shot at the par-5 14th which presented him with a kick-in birdie.

DENIED

The 14th is just shy of 600 yards and it's playing every inch of that at the moment. Hatton and Scheffler both come up just short in two, as does DeChambeau. It looked as though the LIV man was just going to sneak it on, but Royal Birkdale's mounds had other ideas. Denied.

All three will be chipping to try and make another birdie.

DECHAMBEAU DUFFS IT

That is a poor chip from Bryson. He makes nowhere near the right contact and leaves his ball about halfway between himself and the pin. Very unlike him.

Hatton was much more crisp with his pitch shot and has no more than 10 feet remaining.

Scheffler's chip was an awkward one from the closest range, but he should be able to make birdie from four feet. That was a delicate touch from the World No.1.

FINAL GROUP RACING THE SUN

The final group out today are only just finishing up at the 10th. The sun goes down in around two hours and 20 minutes' time. Good luck completing today, chaps.

HATTON REVERSES RECENT MOMENTUM

Hatton is a top putter, and he uses that skill to slam the brakes on this negative momentum via an excellent birdie putt at the 14th. He's back to one-under.

On the flip side, almost, Scheffler finally makes a putt! The World No.1 currently ranks dead last in terms of SG: Putting this week but is first for driving accuracy and 4th in terms of SG: Approach. He potentially begins an upward climb with the flat stick and is now at four-under.

Meanwhile, DeChambeau goes close from 23 feet but it doesn't drop.

CAN HE?

Justin Rose pops in a mid-range birdie putt at the par-4 16th... A par five and the 18th to come. There might still be hope for Rose. One-over is the target and he's currently at three-over.

TOP LAG PUTT

Scheffler lag putts from range at the par-3 15th, and it's a really good effort despite still have three or four feet left. There was a dip right at the end which he had to judge almost perfectly, and he pretty much did.

DeChambeau and Hatton once again run their golf balls close, but neither drop home. It's a round of pars, which only Scheffler will really be happy with, you'd have thought.

Elsewhere, Fleetwood just about finds the birdie at the 14th, with his ball doing a full lap of the circumference before sinking.

FLEETWOOD ON BOARD

After that birdie at the par-5, can Fleetwood go again at the par-3 15th? He's done the hard bit by finding the heart of the green from 211 yards, and he's probably no more than 20 feet away. The crowd seem very happy with it.

Up ahead, Min Woo Lee has just missed a short birdie putt on the 17th. He's at two-over so knows he needs a birdie at the 18th or he'll be heading back to the US early.

WAYWARD RAHM

The Spaniard pulls his tee shot at the par-3 15th and then tosses his club down in frustration. I'm not sure that will be a penalty, but an official might be having a word with him and could be handing out a warning...

PIN-CLIPPER

Oh my goodness that was close! Tyrrell Hatton takes dead aim from 150 yards and his ball lands right next to the hole. I could have sworn it clipped the flag. Either way, it's stopped at gimme range and he'll move up to two-under at the 16th.

HOME BOY SENDS THE CROWD WILD

Here he goes! Tommy Fleetwood is cooking late on. The Southport-born pro sends a 25-footer into the hole and the cheers echo around Royal Birkdale. Three more holes to go.

I really wouldn't be surprised to see Fleetwood finish the day at five-under, or maybe better...

COLD PUTTER

Scheffler once again sees a solid putt finish a matter of inches away from the hole. He's exasperated. He's two-under with two to go, but Scheffler could be leading this comfortably on another day.

HATTON FINDS ANOTHER

The Englishman is charging towards the line. That sensational approach just now has given him renewed hope with the par-5 to come.

ROSE DREAM IS OVER

It looks as though Justin Rose is going to miss the cut at Royal Birkdale. His birdie try at the 17th drifts by and he now needs an eagle at the most difficult hole on the course today.

FLYING FLEETWOOD

Tommy Fleetwood is on it now. He really is. From 156 yards, the man with eyes as blue as the cap he's wearing today draws a crisp wedge right below the flag and it pops up to no more than three feet. How's that five-under score looking now?

PUTTING THE 'WOO' IN MIN WOO LEE

What a putt from Min Woo Lee! The Australian just about sinks his birdie putt on the 18th to reach one-over and sends a huge roar back at those supporting him. He's pumped, and so he should be. One of the most popular players on tour will be around for the weekend.

SHOCKER

Stunned silence around Royal Birkdale as Fleetwood misses an incredibly short putt at the 16th. That's an even more painful par given what was going on for the home favorite.

HIT TOO WELL

While Scheffler and Hatton fail to reach the green in two due to poor tee shots (Hatton) or approaches (Scheffler), DeChambeau is in prime position on the baked fairway.

From 252 yards, DeChambeau pipes a long iron towards the flag, but he almost hit it too well as he bounds through the putting surface and out the back. Still, if you're going to miss somewhere, that's the place to try and get up and down from.

ALL OVER FOR JUSTIN

It's not going to be for Justin Rose, and he rolls in a putt for par at 18 to leave him on +3, two below the cut line.

Gracious as ever, he's all smiles as he takes the applause coming his way. Next year, Justin!

BRYSON IS BACK!

Bryspn DeChambeau got a bit unlucky with his second at the 17th.

On a great line, it took a big bounce on the green, scurrying off to the back of the putting surface. That's a deft putt back onto the green. though, leaving just a tad more than a tap-in for a birdie and a tie for second.

BIG NAMES IN POSITION

It may have taken until almost the halfway stage but, slowly but surely, some familiar names are finding their way into the upper echelons of the leaderboard.

Bryson DeChambeau is now tied for second, with Cameron Young for company. Scottie Scheffler is also lurking in T7, just four back of leader Lucas Herbert.

Not too far back are the likes of Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Aberg and Jon Rahm.

EAGLE CHANCE FOR RAHM

At the par-5 17th, Jon Rahm, on -3, is sensing an eagle opportunity. His second hits the middle of the green and rolls magnetically towards the hole. It's leaves a lengthy-ish putt, but more than makeable for the Spaniard.

HATTON IN CONTENTION

Another notable name putting himself in contention is Tyrrell Hatton, helped by this lovely birdie putt at 17...

RAHM AND FLEETWOOD MAKE BIRDIES

Jon Rahm misses his eagle attempt at 17, but he taps in for birdie and he moves to T7 on -4!

He's joined there moments later but Tommy Fleetwood thanks to his birdie at 17. Safe to say the locals enjoyed that one.

DECHAMBEAU TAKES THE APPLAUSE

Bryson DeChambeau sets up another great birdie chance at 18, leaving perhaps 15-20 feet and the chance to move solo second.

He laps up the applause as he strides down the fairway - let's see if he can get to -7.

DECHAMBEAU FINISHES WITH A FLOURISH

A hush descends on Royal Birkdale as DeChambeau lines up his birdie putt at 18. This for solo second. That brings the noise back! In it goes and the LIV Golfer finishes with 66 to move to -7, just one back of Lucas Herbert.

SCHEFFLER FINISHES WITH PAR

Scottie Scheffler is next to finish, his par putt almost staying out before thinking twice about it. That leaves him on -4 in T7 heading to Moving Day.

Next, Tyrrell Hatton completes a round of 68 to finish on -3. It's all bubbling away nicely.

MORE BIRDIE CHANCES AT 18

Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm both set up birdie chances at 18. Fleetwood's approach momentarily looks like it may drop in before rolling a few feet past the pin. Rahm gets even closer, landing his ball a foot or two from the hole.

ALL OVER FOR JORDAN SPIETH

While the big names have been making moves at the top, for 2017 champion Jordan Spieth it's all over. Any remote hopes he had of making the cut went with a quadruple bogey at 18 and he finishes on +10.

Fleetwood, in the same group, narrowly misses his birdie putt.

Can Rahm do better and get to -5? From just over four feet, he steadies himself but pushes it left! He can barely believe it, but the par still leaves him well set in T8 heading to the third round.

PENALTY TROUBLE FOR BRYSON?

There is a suggestion that Bryson DeChambeau could face a two-stroke penalty for improving his lie at the fifth. He headed back to the scene of the alleged crime with officials to discuss what happened and we await an outcome...

DECHAMBEAU HANDED TWO-STROKE PENALTY

The ruling is in and Bryson DeChambeau has indeed been handed a two-stroke penalty. Here is the statement released by Grant Moir, Chief Global Golf Alliance Officer, The R&A:

"Bryson has been penalized two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing so the intended backswing on the 5th hole when he was playing his 2nd shot.

"Rule 8.1 restricts what a player may do to improve any of the protected conditions affecting the stroke. And this includes the area of the player’s intended swing.

"So an improvement means to alter one of more of the conditions affecting the stroke so the player gains a potential advantage for the stroke.

"I would stress that this applies even when the action is accidental as it was in Bryson’s case. The area of intended swing includes the entire area that might reasonably affect any part of the backswing, the downswing or the completion of the swing for the intended stroke.

"And importantly what the prohibited action here is the player must not move, bend or break any growing or attached natural object.

"The player is allowed to fairly take their stance by taking reasonable actions to get to the ball, and take a stance if in some situations that improves the conditions affecting the stroke.

"But when doing so the player must take the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation and is not entitled to a normal stance or swing. I would reiterate that this rule applies even when there is no intention to improve the area as was the case with Bryson."

After the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale, The Open heads back to Scotland for what will be a very special week.

St Andrews' Old Course will host its 31st Open in 2027, when it stages the 155th edition of golf's oldest Major. That will mark five years since the historic 150th playing, where Cameron Smith took down Cameron Young and Rory McIlroy to lift the Claret Jug.

There will be a return to Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2028 for the first time in 16 years, but beyond that we do not know where The Open is heading - despite knowing the US Open venues up until 2051.

Here's a look at the future Open venues and our speculation on where it could be heading beyond the years confirmed...

Future Open Championship venues

2027: 155th Open Championship - St Andrews Old Course

The Open heads back to St Andrews' Old Course in 2027 for the 155th edition.

It will host for the first time in five years after Cameron Smith's victory in 2022.

The iconic links is one of the most famous golf courses in the world and has seen memorable wins from the likes of James Braid, Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods through the years.

2028: 154th Open Championship - Royal Lytham & St Annes

Lytham will stage its 12th Open and first since Ernie Els' victory in 2012, when the South African won his second Claret Jug and fourth Major title after Adam Scott finished with four consecutive bogeys to agonizingly miss out.

The championship will take place from August 3-6 in two years' time, having moved later in the schedule due to the 2028 Olympics.

Royal Lytham and St Annes also hosts the 2026 AIG Women's Open, after last staging the Ricoh Women's British Open, as it was known then, in 2018 when Georgia Hall triumphed to win her maiden Major title.

Where will The Open take place in 2029?

The R&A rarely hosts The Open in the same country in back-to-back years, so it is unlikely we'll see an English venue in 2029 - although Royal St George's could be in the running as that is on the south coast and hasn't staged an Open since 2021.

With Royal Portrush hosting as recent as 2025, it would be a surprise to see it return so quickly so we'd hazard a guess it will go back to Scotland. A Muirfield return is highly anticipated, but there are logistical challenges, while the same story can be said about Turnberry.

Royal Troon last hosted in 2024 so that would be a quick return. If it goes back to Scotland, Muirfield or Turnberry may be in the running but the favorite could be Carnoustie.

The Angus links last hosted in 2018, when Francesco Molinari became the first Italian winner of the Claret Jug.

The R&A could throw in a curveball, though, as speculation continues to mount that Portmarnock will host The Open in the not-too-distant future.

The Open has never left the United Kingdom before, but the club, which is located on the north-east edge of Ireland's capital, Dublin, has long been tipped to host golf's oldest Major Championship.

Ahead of the 154th Open, R&A chief Mark Darbon said "we're getting pretty close" to a Portmarnock Open. "That work is pretty much done. We've confirmed that we believe we can take an Open Championship there," he said.

So, we'd make Carnoustie or Portmarnock the favorites for 2029, with Muirfield, Turnberry and Royal St George's in the running.

A total of 156 players began the final men's Major of the season at Royal Birkdale with lofty ambitions and dreams of stamping their names into golfing folklore with an Open Championship victory.

After one round, the focus now turns to the cut - and there are some big names needing strong second rounds to make the weekend. Justin Rose (+5) is among them needing a low one on Friday, with Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick at +2 and Jordan Spieth +3.

But for some, those hopes will be dashed all too early and they will have to wait at least several more months before having another crack.

Of all four men's Majors, The Open presents the most likely chance that golfers will compete in all four days, however.

The Masters is the strictest with just the top-50 and ties making it through, while the US Open is 60 and ties and the PGA Championship is the top-65 and ties.

The Open cut rule 2026

The Open Championship cut ensures that the top-70 players and ties make it through to the weekend to battle it out for the famed Claret Jug.

That means, of the 156 competitors that begin with high hopes on Thursday, around half are likely to be sent packing after 36 holes.

Last year, exactly 70 players made the weekend at Royal Portrush, with a total of +1 or better required to make the weekend.

Up until 1985, The Open made two cuts - one after the second round and another after the third round. But the rules were changed the following year, leaving just one cut after 36 holes.

There is no 10-shot rule at The Open either, which was a common system used in various tournaments in the past, but it is no longer a feature in the Majors.

Quite simply, the 10-shot rule meant that golfers within 10 strokes of the lead made the cut, no matter what position they were in. The highest number of players to make it through to the weekend was 113 at the 1991 Open at Royal Birkdale.

Given the vagaries of links golf, the cut mark can vary dramatically from year to year. Two years ago at Royal Troon, it fell at six-over as five of the world's top-10 went home early. At Royal Liverpool in 2023, the cut was made at three-over with 76 players making it through.

Do you get paid for missing the Open cut?

Even if a player's week is cut short, pros still receive a share of The Open prize money - which is a record $17.75m this year.

The top-10 professionals who don't make the weekend in Southport will still earn $12,900 as a consolation. The next 20 will receive $10,750, while everyone else will walk away with $9,100 just for making it to The Open.

The Open Cut Line History

* Lowest tournament score to par

It was a mixed day for Rory McIlroy in the first round of The Open.

The 2014 champion struggled for consistency at Royal Birkdale, particularly with his short game and putting, resulting in him making six bogeys and four birdies to finish two over.

That leaves the Masters champion seven shots behind first-round leader Jackson Suber and tied for 85th in pursuit of his second Major title of the year.

However, McIlroy is determined to take the positives from his performance despite an up-and-down first round.

He said: “I'll start with the positives. I drove the ball incredibly well. I took the golf course on off the tee. Obviously with the positions that I put myself in off the tee, I feel like I obviously should have shot a better score. Played the hard holes well. Birdied 13, 15 and 18 on the back.”

While there was much to admire off the tee from McIlroy, he acknowledged that there were too many mistakes further on, which included missing several putts from inside four feet to leave him 148th out of 156th for Strokes Gained: Putting.

He added: “The two bogeys on the par-5s wasn't great and I struggled the first two holes to get the speed of the greens.

“I felt like they were very inconsistent, just because some parts of the greens are still alive and growing and other parts have went really dead.

“It's like, you've got this - sort of reminds me a bit of Pebble Beach when Pebble Beach gets like that for a US Open. It's just hard to judge the speed sometimes. Struggled with that early on.

“Sort of felt like I got it going a little bit, but yeah, just too many stupid mistakes. But every time I made a stupid mistake, thankfully I made a birdie to sort of keep myself in it."

Recent history tells us McIlroy isn't out of it just yet. After all, he was also seven behind after the first round of the 2025 Masters before going on to complete his career Grand Slam.

Perhaps even more crucially, McIlroy was also in the afternoon wave in the first round of The Open, where the wind became more of a factor and the already firm, fast conditions became increasingly difficult to contend with.

McIlroy believes with the benefit of a morning tee time on Friday, he could yet surge up the leaderboard if he can take advantage of the more benign conditions that are expected to greet the earlier starters.

He said: "Not too far away. Hopefully we'll get the better conditions tomorrow and maybe the greens are a little bit smoother in the morning. Go out there and shoot a good one and get myself right back in it for the weekend."

Elaborating on the probability of kinder conditions, he added: “If you look at the discrepancy between the scoring this morning and the scoring this afternoon, it looks like that's going to be flipped tomorrow with the conditions again.

“Hopefully I can take advantage of the more benign conditions in the morning and shoot one under par and get back in it.”

McIlroy's round finished on a high with a birdie, and he revealed he'll try to take that bit of momentum into Friday.

He said: "Yeah, a little bit. I felt like I learned quite a bit today about how the course is playing, how the ball is reacting out of the first cut of rough. Definitely when it gets that burnt and that dry, it can sort of do some weird things.

"I feel like it exaggerates the spin quite a lot. If you're hitting a draw or hitting a fade, it seems to exaggerate the spin on the ball a lot. Happened to me a few times out there."

McIlroy may have plenty of work ahead of him, but he reiterated that, despite the gap between himself and the leader, he doesn’t need to fix too much to haul himself into contention.

“I'm not going to go back to the house and analyze it too much tonight,” he said. “Again, focus on the positives, which was I took it on off the tee and drove the ball very, very well, hit some really good shots. I made too many sloppy mistakes and just need to cut those out.”

McIlroy begins the second round at 10.09am local time alongside Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick.

Round one is in the books at the 2026 Open and we're on to Friday where the cut will be decided.

Jackson Suber shot the lowest round on day one courtesy of a five-under-par 67, while a host of big names are in position like Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Young.

World No.2 Rory McIlroy will be the star attraction on Friday morning, with the 2014 Open winner out at 10:09am alongside Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick. They follow the trio of Young, Wyndham Clark and Ludvig Aberg.

Defending champion and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler goes out in the afternoon at 3.04pm with Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau. They play in the tee time before Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm.

Take a look at all of Friday's second round tee times for the 2026 Open...

The Open Championship tee times - round two

All times BST; For Eastern Time -5hrs

• 6:35am: John Parry, Eric Cole, Tiger Christensen
• 6:46am: Eugenio Chacarra, Matt Wallace, Max Greyserman
• 6:57am: Michael Brennan, Sahith Theegala, Laurie Canter
• 7:08am: Cameron Smith, Keith Mitchell, Stuart Grehan (a)
• 7:19am: Sepp Straka, Joaquin Niemann, Kurt Kitayama
• 7:30am: Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber
• 7:41am:  Darren Clarke, Adrien Saddier, Bernd Wiesberger
• 7:52am: Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis
• 8:03am: Matt McCarty, Harry Hall, Haotong Li
• 8:14am: Padraig Harrington, Marco Penge, Michael Hollick
• 8:25am: Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Mason Howell (a)
• 8:26am: Johnny Kiefer, Pierceson Coody, Keita Nakajima
• 8:47am:  Aldrich Potgieter, Jesper Svansson, Jack Buchanan (a)
• 9:03am: Bud Cauley, Jayden Schaper, Lucas Herbert
• 9:14am: Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, J.T. Poston
• 9:25am: Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott
• 9:36am: Collin Morikawa, J.J. Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard
• 9:47am: Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka
• 9:58am: Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Luvig Aberg
• 10:09am: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick
• 10:20am: Jacob Bridgeman, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Tim Wiedemeyer (a)
• 10:31am:  Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria
• 10:42am: Peter Uihlin, Alistair Docherty, Francesco Laporta
• 10:53am: Cameron John, Austen Truslow, Sam Bairstow
• 11:04am:  Naoyuki Kataoka, Marcus Plunkett, Baard Bjoernevik Skogen
• 11:15am:  Kazuki Higa, Jiho Yang, Nevill Ruiter (a)
• 11:41am:  Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas
• 11:52am:  Michael Kim, Daniel Hillier, Andy Sullivan
• 12:03pm:  Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Matthew Jordan
• 12:14pm: Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean
• 12:25pm: Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick
• 12:36pm: David Duval, Martin Couvra, Matthew Southgate
• 12:47pm: Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee (a)
• 12:58pm: Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Jordan Smith
• 1:09pm:  Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin, Lev Grinberg (a)
• 1:20pm: Hennie Du Plessis, Jose Luis Ballester, Dan Bradbury
• 1:31pm: Angel Ayora, Victor Perez, Mateo Pulcini (a)
• 1:42pm:  Stewart Cink, Scott Vincent, Joakim Lagergren
• 1:53pm: Michael Thorbjornsen, Kota Kaneko, Travis Smyth
• 2:09pm: Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune
• 2:20pm: Akshay Bhatia, Harris English, Rasmus Hojgaard
• 2:31pm: Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee
• 2:42pm: Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland
• 2:53pm: Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day
• 3:04pm: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau
• 3:15pm: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm
• 3:26pm: Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor
• 3:37pm: Ryan Gerard, Maverick McNealy, David Puig
• 3:48pm: Kazuma Kobori, Tom Sloman, David Howard (a)
• 3:59pm: Antoine Rozner, Ren Yonezawa, Caleb Surratt
• 4:10pm: MJ Daffue, Frederic Lacroix, Jack McDonald
• 4:21pm: Jeongwoo Ham, Ryutaro Nagano, Alejandro De Castro Piera (a)

As first impressions go, it’s safe to assume Jackson Suber is loving his initial experience of Europe.

The American had never set foot on the continent until just five days ago, when he arrived to prepare for his maiden appearance at The Open.

However, following a brilliant five-under first round of 65, he headed back to the clubhouse the surprise leader at Royal Birkdale, ahead of superstars of the game including defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy.

After his first 18 holes, Suber revealed that, as well as being new to Europe, he was also a stranger to links golf before this week.

He said: “This is my fifth day here. Monday was my first round of links golf, so I've played 27 holes before I played the first round today. I've never been to Europe.”

Suber, who left the amateur game behind in 2022 but is yet to win professionally, headed to England in a good run of form.

One standout performance was responsible for him being in the field in the first place, a T4 at last month’s RBC Canadian Open, which was enough to book his spot via the Open Qualifying Series.

He acknowledged that, while he’s not sure how he has adapted to his new surroundings so quickly, his form heading into the Major will have had something to do with it.

He said: “I'm not really sure, but I feel like I've just been playing good the last few months and just knowing that good golf is going to take care of everything, and really trusting my caddie to figure out where we're going to hit it.”

Suber also finished in the top 10 of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and the John Deere Classic in recent weeks, but what is responsible for his current run of impressive form?

“A lot of factors,” he explained. “I've switched to the new Pro V1. I was playing an old Titleist ball for a while and switched to that.

“The new Titleist driver, I switched to that, and I started driving it really well, which was never my strength. Then working with one of my old college coaches on my mental game and that's really helped, too.”

Suber also revealed he had prepared himself for the unique challenge of links golf by watching a YouTube video of Royal Birkdale.

He said: “I think I watched a YouTube video on every hole at Birkdale on Friday last week or Thursday, but besides that, yeah, just - I have a stats guy that's helped me, of course, so just knowing that the pot bunkers are no good and stay out of those.”

It’s not just on the Royal Birkdale layout where Suber seems perfectly at home – he’s also taken advantage of his downtime with a spot of tourism.

He said: “Yeah, it's awesome. The golf is really cool, and just the towns, how the train system works. We went into Liverpool the other day with my fiancée and Pierceson Coody and his wife, so that was really cool to see a European city and enjoy that.”

Considering Suber’s strong form and the way he has embraced his first trip to Europe, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the 26-year-old remains near the top of the leaderboard as the tournament continues.

The simple answer is paradise. A golfer’s paradise. If you’ve been following The Open this week, you’ll no doubt be aware that Royal Birkdale, located on the outskirts of Southport, is surrounded by a couple of other historic links courses - and there are many more world-class layouts in this part of England… many more.

Running between the Fylde Coast and the Wirral Peninsula, 'England's Golf Coast' boasts an unparalleled depth of links golf, many of which you will find on our list of the best links golf courses in England.

Those drone shots during Open week have a special effect on golfers - they never fail to entice players from all over the globe to what many regard as one of the finest pieces of golf country in the world, with both Hillside and Southport & Ainsdale (S&A) right next door.

Just six miles away - and you can hop on Merseyrail to cover that distance in just six minutes (Hillside to Freshfield) - you’ll find Formby (below) and Formby Ladies; carry on a little further (disembark at Hall Road), another of the GB&I's Top 100, West Lancs.

In all, England’s Golf Coast is made up of 12 championship golf courses, including the three Royals of Birkdale, Lytham & St Annes and Liverpool, all of which feature on The Open’s rota of courses.

It’s why this particular part of the northwest of England is so highly regarded - although it’s not just the Royals that attract discerning golfers and links connoisseurs from all corners of the world.

"While the three Open Championship venues of Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool & Royal Lytham & St Annes quite rightly garner most of the headlines, it is the strength in depth of the golf offer on England’s Golf Coast that really sets it apart," says Geoff Harris, manager of England's Golf Coast.

"With five more courses ranked in the Top 100 golf courses in GB&I (Formby, Hillside, S&A, Wallasey, and West Lancashire) and a strong supporting cast beyond that, there are few better places in the world to spend a week on the links."

With Wallasey, St Annes Old Links, Hesketh, and Fairhaven completing this special collection of courses, England’s Golf Coast is a dream golf destination - one that should be on your list, especially if you’ve yet to venture to the northwest coast.

How many of the courses on England's Golf Coast have you played? And where does this collection of world-class links layouts rank on your list?

Let us know by leaving your comments in the box below.

Not for the first time, many Canadian golf fans were left frustrated when, instead of live coverage of the first round of The Open on the Golf Channel, they found a golf instruction show instead.

Customers of cable provider Rogers were among those affected by the issue, which the company later acknowledged via its official support channel on X.

The account wrote: “We're sorry to hear the feed for the British Open Championship wasn't airing as it should be this morning on The Golf Channel, we have advised our partners who are investigating.”

However, that wasn’t enough to placate everyone, with one customer responding: “Just fix it already it’s been 5 hours.”

The problem appears to have been caused by little more than an oversight, with some local affiliates forgetting to switch over to the feed from Royal Birkdale, where Scottie Scheffler is defending his title, as coverage began in the early hours of Thursday.

Per TSN’s Senior Reporter and Golf Analyst Bob Weeks on X, other cable companies also failed to provide coverage, despite it being listed in the schedule.

Considering the tournament’s status as the final Major of the year and one of the most beloved events in the golf calendar, it is hardly a surprise that the situation drew further complaints on social media.

In response to one customer, Rogers wrote: “Definitely not the viewing experience anyone was expecting today. Thanks for flagging it. We're aware of the Golf Channel programming issue and are working with our partners to get things sorted out as quickly as possible.”

Incredibly, it doesn’t appear to be the first time customers have been affected by the problem, with Weeks also stating there was a similar issue a year ago, when the tournament came from Royal Portrush.

He wrote: “So it appears for the second year, the folks at Rogers cable haven’t flipped the switch to allow the Open coverage on Golf Channel over its cable network in Canada.”

Weeks also acknowledged that another major cable provider in Canada, Bell, as well as other providers, were showing the coverage.

It’s not the first time this year where TV viewers have been left frustrated by TV coverage of a Major.

At The Masters, CBS Sports found itself in the firing line for its coverage of the final round, with shots and holes missed and the coverage seemingly behind proceedings at times.

The angle used to show Rory McIlroy's winning putt also wasn't ideal, as it was impossible to see whether he had actually sunk the one-footer as he was blocking the hole.

There was also a social media backlash due to late final-round coverage of women’s Major the Chevron Championship.

Assuming there are no similar problems in Canada on Friday, viewers will be able to find live coverage of the second round of The Open on the Golf Channel.

TSN will have coverage of the closing two rounds on Saturday and Sunday.

And the award for the best tour bag of the week goes to… TaylorMade.

You might have your own view on that one, but there can be no question that the ‘King’s Guard Collection’, which also includes headcovers, is the most well-thought-out.

TaylorMade staffers Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, the top two players in the world, are showing off the Southport-inspired bags this week - or rather, Ted Scott and Harry Diamond, their caddies, will be.

And here’s the story behind the eye-catching designs.

Keen to pay homage to the much-loved seaside town and 11-time Open venue Royal Birkdale, which is located just a few stops away on the train, TaylorMade’s design team has come up with something special for the final men’s Major Championship of the season.

It might look like ‘just’ another tour bag on television. Up close, however, it’s the details that tell the story: TaylorMade, in bold red lettering inspired by a seaside carnival, spans the body of the bag, an amusement-park flourish rendered with the polish of a royal warrant, and a crown crest, a nod to the royal designation bestowed upon the course.

The best touch, though, has to be the pocket interiors, which are lined with the newsprint of a proper fish and chips wrapper, printed with Southport-inspired headlines.

And when you reach for the handle, you’ll find “Ta’ra,” a Northern England way of saying goodbye.

It’s not the first time that TaylorMade has dabbled with limited-edition runs. In fact, the brand rarely fails to miss an opportunity to get creative around Major Championships.

However, the King’s Guard Collection might just be the best yet, with the six headcovers, which are also lined with the same fish and chips newspaper print, telling a similar story (maybe not what you want to see mid-round if you're feeling really hungry).

“Whether it sits atop a wood or a putter, every headcover carries a piece of Southport spirit with it,” says TaylorMade.

These accessories are sure to be popular with golfers on ‘England’s Golf Coast’, which is home to some of the world’s best links golf courses, including the three Royals of Liverpool, Lytham & St Annes and Birkdale.

As good as they are, however, McIlroy doesn’t appear to be willing to swap his driver headcover, the much-loved St. Bernard.

Travis Smyth is not the most experienced when it comes to Majors. This year marks just his second appearance at The Open, while it’s only his third Major start in total.

However, there’s nothing like picking up some tips from the best, and the day before the first round, the Australian played alongside World No.1 Scottie Scheffler in a practice round.

Despite observing defending champion Scheffler at close quarters on Wednesday, Smyth admitted that his playing partner was so good at times that it took the wind out of his sails.

Following his first round of 71 at Royal Birkdale, Smyth said: “Yeah, yesterday was sweet, playing with Scottie for the first time.

"Watching the precision of his iron play was amazing. It was kind of demoralizing a little bit. It was like, damn, when I play good, I don't think I have that in me.”

While Smyth’s experience alongside Scheffler demonstrated the gap he’d need to bridge to reach his level, he intends to use it to motivate him.

He added: “But it was good. It lights a fire in my stomach and makes me want to work hard. Now that I've seen what No. 1 in the world looks like, a little bit of a taste - it was only nine holes, but it was a great experience watching him play.”

It wasn’t just Scheffler’s iron play that left its mark on Smyth – he was also impressed by Scheffler’s character, explaining: “He's a lovely guy, really down to earth, which I'm happy about. He's not like a d***head or anything. So it was good.”

Thanks to Smyth’s one-over 71 on Thursday the day after his brush with greatness, he has an excellent chance of making his first cut at a Major.

However, despite the LIV Golf reserve’s admirable performance, he admitted teeing it up in a Major was still a nerve-wracking occasion.

He said: “I think I'm ready to compete this time. Last time I was just like a deer in headlights; didn't really know what was going on. Everything was a completely new experience.

“This is a different experience, too, to that. I've only played three Majors. I still s*** myself on the first tee. It's still not easy yet. It's never going to be easy.

“It's just great. Majors is where you want to play, and it's awesome. Pretty much every hole, apart from 16, was filled, just filled with people that are just parked up there for the day, plus people walking around. The atmosphere was incredible.”

The tension at Royal Birkdale is palpable, with the hard-baked course set to play like a classic links for the duration of The Open 2026. We have all the info on how to watch The Open 2026 highlights for free online and on TV.

When Scottie Scheffler raised the Claret Jug for the first time 12 months ago, few would have imagined that 2026 would be such a slog. He's still the world No.1, but he's not won a tournament since January and missed his first cut in four years last weekend. Perhaps it provided a much-needed reset.

With three titles to his name this season, Matt Fitzpatrick is the obvious candidate to become the first English golfer in 88 years to be named "The Champion Golfer of the Year" on English soil. Playing in his home town of Southport could either make or break Tommy Fleetwood's tournament.

One golfer who seems to be going under the radar, meanwhile, is Chris Gotterup. The 26-year-old is level-pegging with Fitzpatrick on three titles for the season, the most recent being last month's John Deere Classic, and he has superb pedigree on links courses.

In this guide, Golf Monthly brings you all the details on how to watch The Open 2026 highlights online, on TV, and from anywhere in the world.

Watch The Open 2026 highlights for free

Free-to-air BBC Two will air a 90-minute The Open 2026 highlights show after each day of play, which you can also live stream via BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer requires an account, a UK postcode (e.g. PR8 2LX) and a valid TV license.

The schedule is as follows:

- Thursday: 9pm-10.30pm BST
- Friday: 9pm-10.30pm BST
- Saturday: 8.30pm-10pm BST
- Sunday: 9.55pm-11.25pm BST

Outside the UK at the moment? Use a VPN to stream from anywhere in the world — more on that below.

Watch The Open 2026 highlights from anywhere

If you are outside your usual country, you can still access the streaming services you subscribe to, even when you're away from home, thanks to a handy piece of software known as a VPN.

Our expert colleagues over at TechRadar have tested loads of VPNs and they reckon NordVPN is the best VPN provider out there right now.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

The Open has become such a behemoth of an event that, sadly, there are many forgotten venues no longer suitable for hosting.

The battle for the Claret Jug has grown so much since even the turn of this century that far more than just a quality golf course is required to satisfy the R&A. There will be 300,000 fans in total on-site throughout the week at Royal Birkdale, which is up from the 235,000 in 2017 when it last hosted.

On-site, plenty of spare ground is required to accommodate the countless structures that go up for players, fans and sponsors alike, while the logistics are a huge consideration. What are the transport links like and is there additional space for car parking?

There is so much that goes into it now that even iconic venues like St Andrews are at their limit.

The R&A also has a rota of venues it uses, and it doesn’t get added to regularly.

With all that in mind, it is inevitable that some great links courses have to miss out. Here are some ancient layouts across the UK and Ireland we wish could host a modern-day Open.

Royal County Down

Opened in 1889, Royal County Down is renowned as one of the best courses in the world. Ranked No. 1 on Golf Monthly’s Top 100 Courses in the UK and Ireland, with a mountain range in the background and the Irish Sea close by, it boasts some of the most spectacular views you could wish to see while venturing out for 18 holes.

The visual spectacle is matched by the test provided on the Championship course. Weaving golfers through the dunes with some blind shots and devilish bunkers lying in wait, it would surely make for a thrilling Open venue.

It has hosted five Irish Opens but whether it would be capable of taking on a Major – well, we might never know.

Royal Dornoch

Royal Dornoch is another highly rated links, which is situated in the north of Scotland. Opened in 1877, it sits fifth in our Top 100 UK and Ireland list for a reason.

It provides a brilliant test of golf, with loads of variety and stunning views across the Dornoch Firth. The set of par-3s, in particular, must be among the finest of any course in the world.

Seeing the pros test themselves against this legendary layout would be a treat, but there are too many factors working against Dornoch for that to ever become a possibility.

Ballybunion

Next on the list is Ballybunion Old. Situated in County Kerry in Ireland and opened in 1893, it has a worldwide reputation among golfers of all levels.

Tom Watson certainly has a huge affinity for the club. In fact, such is his love of the place he once said that “after playing Ballybunion for the first time, a man would think that the game of golf originated here.”

Through the dunes and sandhills this course takes golfers, with some holes precariously close to the edge of the cliffs. A true thriller, then, and one that we would love to see host the game’s best players.

Royal Porthcawl

There have been murmurings about The Open and Royal Porthcawl, but, so far, that is how it has remained. Porthcawl is regarded as the best course in Wales and is a permanent feature in our Top 100 UK and Ireland rankings.

Unlike some links layouts, there are no dramatic dunes here. Rather, it is slightly flatter, meaning views of the sea are on offer from practically every hole.

Superb variety is on display through demanding par-4s and tricky short par-3s, making it a great test, one that has graced out TV screens during the 2014, 2017 and 2023 Senior Open.

North Berwick

Where to begin with North Berwick? For starters, it is perhaps one of the most fun courses anyone could wish to play. It isn’t likely to intimidate players through its length but some of the green complexes will undoubtedly leave golfers in a spin.

Strategy is all important here, as is taming the typically ferocious wind that blows off the Firth of Forth. Once you play North Berwick, you will want to return again and again, as the pros do when the men’s Scottish Open is on just up the road at the Renaissance Club.

Like Dornoch, though, it is far too tight a piece of land to ever stand a chance of taking on an Open.

Prestwick

The host venue for the first 12 Opens and none since, it would be fascinating to see how this legendary Ayrshire links would stand up to the best players in the world today.

With several whacky greens and some blind shots to navigate, it’s a quirky course that splits opinion. Some love it, while others prefer courses that lay things out in front of you.

But, given the distances the best male players now hit the ball and the tight space restrictions, it won’t be hosting its 13th Open anytime soon.

Cruden Bay

Cruden Bay is situated on a big piece of land, but even at that there probably is not enough space for the requirements of an Open. It would also be a logistical nightmare for players and fans to get to.

And all of that is a shame as it is a stunning golf course. Dunes feature prominently, as do spectacular elevated tee shots. It is a gem well worth playing for anyone considering it.

West Lancashire

Founded in 1873, West Lancashire is a proper links test. Golfers will need their wits about them to tame this course that has less dunes and more humps and hollows.

With everything in front of players, it is about as fair a challenge as you could wish to get at a links venue. If you play well and hit the rights shots, you will be rewarded. Fail to do that, though, and punishment awaits. Views of the Mersey Estuary and across to the mountains of Wales will ease your suffering, though.

It has hosted some of the game’s most prestigious amateur tournaments and is a Final Qualifying venue for The Open, so it has serious championship pedigree.

Royal North Devon

Last on the list is England’s oldest golf course, Royal North Devon. This is about as raw as golf gets, with horse and sheep free to roam the fairways.

It might be less of a visual spectacle than others, but it is no less worthy of its strong reputation. Changes have been made recently due to coastal erosion but it remains a brilliant test of golf, albeit one the pros won’t get to take on at an Open.

Which ancient links courses would you like to see The Open visit? Let us know in the comments section below.

The 154th Open got underway at 6.35am local time at Royal Birkdale on Thursday, with the first group featuring Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry and James Nicholas.

For Baldwin, who is a member of Royal Birkdale, it was his first experience of a Major since 2019, after coming through Final Qualifying to make the field.

That would be enough to give most players a few nerves, although it was compounded by the fact that he had the honor of the first tee shot on one of the toughest opening holes on the Major's rota.

In the end, he dealt with the pressure well, finding the fairway to open proceedings, and afterwards he described the emotions of the moment.

He said: “It was an incredible feeling. It was terrifying. It was overwhelming. But it's something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Considering the Southport-born star was playing in his hometown, it was hardly surprising that he had plenty of local backing, not least from family and friends, although he admitted their presence hadn’t been top of his list of priorities as he prepared to take his tee shot.

He explained: “I'm not even sure I lifted my head, if I'm honest. I remember waving at a couple of people, but at the end of the day, your focus is obviously hitting the golf shot, isn't it. There's time to wave at people after, I guess.”

Regardless, the 40-year-old, who is playing in his fourth Open, received quite the ovation, and he added: “Yeah, it was amazing. I couldn't have asked for more, support-wise. It took me back, to be honest.”

After going on to make par at the opening hole, Baldwin completed a two-over round of 72, featuring three birdies and five bogeys in the firm and fast conditions, and he believes with a bit of work, that sets him up well for the second round.

He said: “I played nice. I played a little bit in and out. Didn't putt amazing but then had a little period where I holed some putts as well, so it was a bit of a strange round, really. I think if I can tighten some things up, I could have a good day out there tomorrow.”

As a member of 23 years, Baldwin knows Royal Birkdale as well as anyone else in the field, but even he admitted that, thanks to the dry conditions, some parts of the course had taken him by surprise.

He said: “It's obviously a lot drier and a lot faster. Caught me by surprise in places, the speed of the greens and stuff.

“I mean, as members, I'd say the rough is thinner now than it would be for the members. However, it's obviously been a really dry period.

“But I think it plays a little bit wider, as well. They've brought it in, dried it out. Yeah, I think it's incredible.”

So, what does he think a good score would be for players to aim for in the opening round? He said: “Oh, 1-under or better, 2-under or better. I think 5, 6 by the end of the day. I might be wrong; it might go 7 or 8. I'd have been absolutely over the moon with 1- or 2-under.”

Royal Birkdale, located around a 45 minute drive north of Liverpool, was founded back in July 1889. It hosted The Open for the first time in 1954 when the Australian legend Peter Thompson defeated American Bobby Locke by one shot.

This year, the venue is hosting The Open for the 11th time. It's also been the stage for the Women's Open seven times. From deep fairway bunkers, to the towering dunes, the course is blessed with all the features of a traditional links challenge.

The current men's course record was set in 2017, so who does it belong to?

Royal Birkdale course record

During his third round of the 2017 Open, Branden Grace would make history - becoming the first golfer ever to card a 62 in a men's Major.

The South African started the day at four-over-par, ten shots behind the leader, Jordan Spieth. Sinking a 15 foot putt for birdie on the first hole launched him into a round that included eight birdies.

He explained “For me it’s a big thing if I get off to making a good putt on the first hole, I feel good about the putting for the rest of the round."

After a few simple pars, Grace stepped up and holed a 40ft birdie putt to get him two-under for his opening four holes.

With momentum on his side, Grace proceeded to drive the fifth green, where another birdie was added to his card. Gaining two more strokes on the eighth and the ninth, Grace made the turn in five-under-par (29).

Entering the back nine full of confidence, Grace made four pars in a row before another lengthy putt dropped on the par three 14th to get the South African to six-under-par with four holes to play.

Unable to convert a birdie opportunity at the par-five 15th, Grace made amends quickly when he sunk another birdie putt at the 16th.

Finishing the last two holes with a birdie and a par, Grace walked away with a 62, eight-under-par, beating the previous course record by one shot and setting the lowest ever round in a men's Major.

The South African combined composed course management with a superb display on the greens, building momentum through his back nine to set the new course record.

This was a round for the history books. An incredible bogey free 62, in the oldest golf Major, is something that many professionals dream of doing.

Royal Birkdale women's course record

The women's course record was set in 2010 at the Women's Open by America's Morgan Pressel.

Pressel started her third round at four-over-par, and after back-to-back bogeys, she was sitting at six-over-par.

Despite this poor start, the American's round turned a corner from that moment onwards, displaying a remarkable comeback.

Pressel went on to card eight birdies and one eagle to shoot a superb seven-under-par (65).

The American reflected on her round and explained that "I made a lot of putts today, if you can hit greens out there you can score pretty well."

It’s one of the vagaries of professional golf. As an individual sport played outdoors over several hours, the elements can, and often do, play a major role in determining which player prevails. And this is especially true when it comes to links golf.

We have seen several instances of players finding themselves on the ‘wrong’ side of the draw when it comes to the weather at The Open.

In 2009 at Trump Turnberry, the early starters on Friday for the second round had to deal with strong wind and rain before the conditions eased for the afternoon wave.

The same scenario played out at Royal Troon for the 2016 Open. After an idyllic Thursday and a calm Friday morning, some of the worst weather imaginable rolled through the west coast of Scotland, leaving those with a late second-round tee time at a serious disadvantage.

There are various other examples littered through the years. But what does the weather have in store for golfers at Royal Birkdale this year? And will it favor one half of the draw over the other across the first two days in particular?

Let’s take a look.

Thursday

The weather in the build-up to this year’s edition of the game’s oldest championship has been unusually brilliant. A long spell of sunshine has left the course looking baked, setting up the prospect of a firm and fast links feast.

And the forecast is for more sun across the four tournament days, so players should not have any rain to contend with. But the ever-present wind could have a role to play.

For Thursday’s opening round, players out early have got the best of the conditions, having to deal with a wind of just 4-8mph and manageable gusts of 13mph. Making the most of that could set the early Thursday wave up for a charge at claiming the Claret Jug.

The late first-round wave will have it slightly harder. The wind is forecast to get up to 10-15mph with gusts of 22mph. They will have played in worse but it’s not an insignificant increase from the morning.

Friday

Into Friday’s second round and the outlook is similar. And by similar, it is set to be identical.

Those out in the morning will have contend with a 4-8mph wind and gusts of 13mph, while for the afternoon starters, it is to blow at 10-15mph with gusts of 22mph.

That could allow players who have made a poor start in the stronger wind on Thursday to put themselves back into the mix, while those who took advantage of the favorable early first-round conditions could come back to the field.

So, does one wave have an advantage?

With conditions set to be virtually the same across the first two days, and, looking ahead, for the entire tournament, conventional wisdom would be to say that neither side of the draw has it better than the other.

However, given the early tournament nerves that will be pulsing for the first round in particular, the calm Thursday morning could give the early-late wave the slight edge

The Open 2026 final round is here and you can watch featured coverage for free thanks to R&A TV and main feed coverage via free trials.

The final major of the season sees the top players from across the world feature at Royal Birkdale.

The final round looks intriguing, to say the least. Sam Burns currently holds the lead after shooting consecutive rounds of 62 and 65 to put him at -10 for the event. Behind him, Si Woo Kim (-8), Ryan Fox (-8) and Lucas Herbert (-7) are all in the mix.

Some of the big names aren't out of it either, with Bryson DeChambeau (-6) and hometown favourite Tommy Fleetwood (-5) still in contention if they can produce brilliant final rounds.

So read on as we show you how to watch free R&A TV live streams and free trials from anywhere in the world using a VPN.

The Open 2026: Free Trials

In the US, coverage is split across Peacock, NBC, and USA Network, with the key broadcast hours divided between the latter two.

The best way to access these channels for free is via a cord-cutting free trial. YouTube TV (10 days) and Fubo (5 days) both offer extended free trial periods that cover the full weekend, allowing you to watch The Open at no cost.

Abroad? Use NordVPN to unlock these free trials from anywhere in the world.

Watch The Open 2026 from anywhere

If you are outside your usual country, you can still access the free Open coverage even when you're away from home, thanks to a handy piece of software known as a VPN.

Our expert colleagues over at TechRadar have tested loads of VPNs and they reckon NordVPN is the best VPN provider out there right now.

R&A TV: Free Stream

R&A TV are providing free featured live coverage of The Open with a multitude of viewing options.

🌎 Can't watch for free? You need a VPN — NordVPN is our favourite to unblock R&A TV.

The Open Free Coverage: Need to Know

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Watch The Open Championship 2026 as the world's best players compete in golf's final men's Major of the year, with all the details on TV coverage and live streaming here in Golf Monthly's in-depth guide.

Sam Burns will go out last on Sunday, at 2.20pm local time, leading by two shots in quest of his first Major title.

He will be paired by Ryan Fox, who ensured Moving Day lived up to its reputation by moving 50 places up the leaderboard on Saturday with his third round 62. That 62, which equalled the lowest round in men’s Majors, is the third 62 this tournament.

With players capable of extracting low scores from this layout, this Open is indeed wide open. The top 10 on the leaderboard are separated by only five shots and nineteen players are within six shots of the lead.

The top 10 contains only one player, Bryson DeChambeau, who has won a Major. Who will handle the tension and conditions the best? If they stumble, there is also a bevy of Major champions tied in 11th, six shots off the lead, in Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry and Hideki Matsuyama.

Will we see a new name join the pantheon of Major winners? Will we see a fourth round of 62? There is one way to find out!

Read on for Golf Monthly's guide on how to watch The Open online, on TV, from anywhere in the world.

Can I Watch The Open Championship for free?

The Royal & Ancient will provide some free coverage via its streaming platform, R&A TV. You can stream four featured groups a day and a "Live at the Range" feed as well.

Looking for full access to the main Open coverage? In the US, you can watch live for free on USA Network and NBC with free trials from services such as YouTube TV (10 days) and Fubo (5 days).

In the UK, BBC Two are showing daily highlights which are also available on BBC iPlayer for free.

Abroad for The Open? Unlock your free streams and trials with NordVPN (75% off).

Watch The Open from anywhere

Away from home during The Open? Most streaming platforms are geo-restricted, meaning they don’t usually work abroad. A VPN can change your virtual location, allowing you to access your usual golf streaming services wherever you are in the world.

Our expert colleagues over at TechRadar have tested loads of VPNs and they reckon NordVPN is the best VPN provider out there right now.

Watch The Open Championship 2026 in the US

NBC Sports owns the US broadcast rights.

The main action will air on NBC and USA Network, with NBC coverage available to live stream on the online platform, Peacock. Peacock will also be showing the early coverage on the first two days as well as providing dedicated feeds for Featured Groups and the Par-3 Channel throughout each day.

If you haven't got NBC or USA Network on cable then a cord-cutting service is your best option. Our favourites include YouTube TV, Sling, DirecTV Stream and Fubo.

Full US TV schedule is below.

Watch The Open Championship 2026 in the UK

In the UK, Sky Sports will exclusively televise the live action from The Open Championship 2026.

The main feed will be shown on Sky Sports Golf, Sky Sports Main Event, and Sky Sports+. The Sky Sports App will show the Featured Groups and Par 3 Channel.

Sky Sports prices start from £20/month for existing customers, with £35/month the typical rate for those without an existing package.

NOW Sports is another option with the cord-cutter carrying Sky Sports channels for £14.99/day or £34.99/month.

Watch The Open Championship 2026 in Australia

In Australia, you can watch The Open Championship 2026 on Fox Sports 503, Fox Sports 503 or on Kayo Sports, the streaming platform of Fox Sports.

Kayo plans start from $30 per month, with a 7-day free trial available for new customers.

Watch The Open Championship 2026 in Canada

In Canada, live action from The Open 2026 is being broadcast by TSN. TSN, TSN2 and TSN5 will carry all of the action.

To access these channels you can either add them to your cable package or stream via TSN+ with subscriptions starting from CA$29.99/month for the Direct streaming package.

The Open Championship: Rest of the World Broadcasters

• Brazil, Argentina, Chile: ESPN Latin America / The Golf Channel Latin America
• Denmark / Norway / Sweden: V Sport Golf
• France: Canal Plus Golf +
• Germany / Austria / Switzerland: Sky Germany
• Italy: Sky Italia
• Japan: U-Next / JGN
• New Zealand: Sky TV
• South Africa: SuperSport Africa
• South Korea: JTBC

The Open Championship Leaders' Tee Times: Round 4

Times in ET (BST). Scores after 54 holes in brackets

• 7.45am (12.45pm): Jose Luis Ballester (-3), Scottie Scheffler (-4)
• 7.55am (2.55pm): Jon Rahm (-4), Shane Lowry (-4)
• 8.05am (1.05pm): Cameron John (-4), Daniel Brown (-4)
• 8.15am (1.15pm): Hideki Matsuyama (-4), Kazuma Kobori (-4)
• 8.30am (1.30pm): Eric Cole (-4), Xander Schauffele (-4)
• 8.40am (1.40pm): Tommy Fleetwood (-5), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (-5)
• 8.50am (1.50pm): Jackson Suber (-6), Bryson DeChambeau (-6)
• 9am (2pm): Ludvig Aberg (-6), Lucas Herbert (-7)
• 9.10am (2.10pm): Ryan Gerard (-7), Si Woo Kim (-8)
• 9.20am (2.20pm): Ryan Fox (-8), Sam Burns (-10)

Preview

Defending champion and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler entered the year’s final Major as favourite. However, he has not won since January and missed the cut at last week’s Scottish Open, ending his remarkable streak of 78 consecutive cuts made. A successful title defence would also end a long wait for a repeat Open champion, with the last back-to-back winner being Padraig Harrington at Royal Birkdale in 2008.

Rory McIlroy already has a Major victory this season and finished tied fourth the last time The Open was held at Royal Birkdale in 2017, although the course has undergone significant changes since then. That year’s championship was won by Jordan Spieth.

Matt Fitzpatrick, who finished tied fourth in last year’s Open, arrives in strong form with three victories already this season and is bidding to become the first Englishman to lift the Claret Jug since Nick Faldo in 1992.

Chris Gotterup, third at last year’s Open at Royal Portrush, also heads into the week with three wins in 2026 and will be looking to build on his recent Major form.

Justin Rose returns to the venue where he announced himself on the world stage, finishing fourth at Royal Birkdale in 1998 as a 17-year-old.

The Open Championship 2026: TV Schedule

Sunday 19th July – Round Four
US (ET): 4am-7am (USA Network); 7am-2pm (NBC)
UK (GMT): 10am-7.30pm (Sky Sports Golf & Sky Sports Main Event)
Australia (AEDT): 6pm-6am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

The last of the four men’s Majors of 2026, The Open, sees more LIV Golf representation than the previous three.

At The Masters in April, just 10 players from the circuit teed it up at Augusta National, with 11 playing in the PGA Championship at Aronimink.

The third Major of the year was the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, where 13 LIV Golfers appeared, while 15 will play in The Open at Royal Birkdale. It would have been 16, too, but 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen has withdrawn because of a back injury.

While there are still five more LIV Golfers than at The Masters, the number is still four fewer than a year ago, when the tournament came from Royal Portrush.

The reduced number is down to various factors, including 2016 champion Henrik Stenson’s LIV Golf relegation, Phil Mickelson’s continued absence from the game, and Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed’s decision to end their LIV Golf careers.

Nevertheless, there will still be plenty of optimism in the LIV Golf hierarchy that the 15 representing the circuit at the Major will perform well, and that one of them can become the first active LIV Golfer to lift the Claret Jug.

Here are the LIV Golfers in The Open field, and how they qualified.

Josele Ballester

The Fireballs GC player has only played in The Open once before, resulting in a missed cut at Royal Liverpool in 2023, and he will be confident of a stronger performance at Royal Birkdale during a season that sees him a creditable 15th in the Individual Championship.

The Spaniard shot a nine-under at West Lancashire during Final Qualifying to ensure his first Major appearance of the year.

Laurie Canter

Laurie Canter had seemed set for a stint on the PGA Tour after claiming his card thanks to his finishing position on the DP World Tour’s 2025 Race to Dubai rankings.

However, he instead opted for a second bite of the LIV Golf cherry, joining Majesticks GC for the start of the season.

It’s thanks to Canter’s finish in the previous season’s Race to Dubai rankings that he lines up at The Open, though.

The top 25 of the rankings all claim a spot, and as a result, Canter will make his seventh appearance at The Open.

Bryson DeChambeau

The Crushers GC captain has endured a nightmare Major season so far, with three missed cuts leading up to The Open.

After a T10 a year ago, though, he’ll surely feel confident of a strong display at Royal Birkdale, despite Sir Nick Faldo’s claim that he has “zero clue of strategy” when it comes to links golf.

DeChambeau qualifies thanks to his win in the 2024 US Open, and he will surely be out to prove his doubters wrong and finish his Major campaign on a high.

Thomas Detry

The 2026 LIV Golf season saw the introduction of world ranking points for the first time. One player who has taken advantage of that is Thomas Detry.

Thanks to some consistent performances in his debut LIV Golf season, he has remained high enough in the world rankings to make the field as one of the highest-ranked players not otherwise exempt on July 5th.

Because of that, the Belgian makes his fifth Open start.

Tyrrell Hatton

Tyrell Hatton has made a habit of performing well in Majors since joining LIV Golf, and that has continued in 2026 with two top-10s in the big events.

He has yet to win a Major, but, playing in his homeland, the Englishman will be expected to do well this week.

Hatton has two top-10 finishes at The Open, the most recent coming in 2019 with a T6.

Thanks to his position in the top 50 of the world rankings after week 21, he has another chance to impress.

Lucas Herbert

The Ripper GC player makes his second Major appearance of the year, having missed the cut at the US Open.

Herbert’s best finish at The Open came in 2022, when he placed T15 at St Andrews, and he’ll be hoping for another strong performance in what will be his sixth appearance at the Major.

Herbert heads to Royal Birkdale off the back of some recent success, including victory at LIV Golf Virginia in May.

However, it’s thanks to his runner-up at the New Zealand Open that we will see him at Royal Birkdale, which was enough to claim his spot via The Open Qualifying Series.

Tom McKibbin

Another player indebted to a strong performance in an Open Qualifying Series tournament is the Northern Irishman.

McKibbin won the Asian Tour’s Hong Kong Open in 2025 to book his place for Royal Birkdale. Because of that, he will make his third appearance at The Open, having placed T66 in 2024 and missed the cut in 2025.

At the very least, he will be hoping for his best Major finish, which is currently a T41 achieved at the 2024 US Open.

Joaquin Niemann

One of LIV Golf’s most gifted players, Joaquin Niemann, has yet to fully translate his huge success onto the Major stage, with two top-10 placings from 28 appearances in the big tournaments to date.

They both came in the last two years, though, suggesting the Chilean may finally be ready to become a consistent challenger in Majors.

So far, he has made seven appearances at The Open, with a best finish of T53 four years ago. He gets his eighth chance to impress thanks to being the highest-placed LIV Golfer in the Individual Championship not otherwise exempt after its Andalucia event.

Victor Perez

The Cleeks GC player is yet to make a real impression in Majors, with his Open record reading two missed cuts, one T34 and one T41.

However, he heads to Royal Birkdale in good form, having produced three top 10s in recent weeks, including T9 at the Genesis Scottish Open.

That performance was enough to ensure his fifth Open appearance, where he joined PGA Tour pros Johnny Keefer and Michael Thorbjornsen as a top-three finisher not otherwise exempt via The Open Qualifying Series.

David Puig

Spaniard Puig is one of LIV Golf’s most talented young players, as demonstrated by some consistent performances since joining the circuit, along with a couple of Asian Tour wins.

Five top-10 finishes on LIV Golf so far in 2026 meant he was able to maintain a high enough world ranking to reach The Open as a player not otherwise exempt on July 5th.

As a result, he will make his second appearance at The Open after missing the cut at Royal Troon two years ago.

Jon Rahm

While Puig is a promising Spaniard in the LIV Golf ranks, in Rahm, it has the best the country has to offer.

The former World No.1 was assured of his place thanks to his most recent Major win, which came at the 2023 Masters, but his world ranking would have also seen him qualify comfortably.

After some uncertain form in Majors following his LIV Golf move, Rahm has shown signs of returning to his best at the events, with three top 10s in his last five starts.

His best finish at The Open came with a T2 in 2023. Is this the year he adds a third Major title to get three-quarters of the way to his career Grand Slam?

Cameron Smith

A LIV Golfer with some disappointing recent Major form is Cameron Smith. He has missed seven of the last eight cuts at the tournaments, including a year ago at Royal Portrush.

One ray of light came with a T7 at this year’s PGA Championship, and that could well spur him on to a good week.

After all, Smith has already won the Claret Jug, when he beat Cameron Young in the 150th Open at St Andrews in 2022.

Not only did that give the 32-year-old his maiden Major title, but it also ensured he’ll be able to play in The Open until the age of 60 thanks to being grandfathered in to play until that age as a winner before the limit was lowered to 55.

Caleb Surratt

The Legion XIII player’s maiden Major appearance came at the 2026 US Open, where he missed the cut after making it into the field via Final Qualifying.

It was also through Final Qualifying that he will make his Open debut this year, having finished nine-under at Burnham & Berrow to book his place at Royal Birkdale.

Like Ballester, McKibbin and Puig, Surratt is regarded as one of LIV Golf’s stars in the making, and he’ll be hoping to demonstrate those credentials on one of golf’s biggest stages.

Peter Uihlein

Peter Uihlein is another LIV Golfer who reached The Open thanks to his performance in Final Qualifying, where he shot nine-under at Royal Cinque Ports.

Uihlein will be making his fifth appearance at The Open thanks to that achievement, although it’ll be his first since 2018.

On that occasion, he missed the cut. A year earlier, he played at Royal Birkdale, where he achieved what remains the best Major finish of his career, a tie for 44th.

He’ll be hoping to at least better that this week.

Scott Vincent

Scott Vincent will tee it up for only the third time in a Major at Royal Birkdale.

The South African missed the cut in his maiden appearance at the 2022 Open at St Andrews. He had to wait four years for his second Major appearance, which came in the 2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills, where he also failed to make it to the weekend.

Will it be third time lucky at The Open? That will certainly be the HyFlyers GC player’s aim, where he gets his chance thanks to his placing in the top five of the Federation Ranking List after week 21 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

In addition to the 15 full-time pros in the field, LIV Golf reserves Travis Smyth and Jeongwoo Ham are also playing.

For Smyth, who qualified via the same category as Vincent, it's his second Open appearance after a missed cut in 2023. Ham makes his debut after winning the Singapore Open.

Whether you like him or not, everyone seems to have an opinion about Bryson DeChambeau - and most of it in the build-up to the Open Championship has been negative.

Is it because he plays on LIV Golf? Is it his obsession with YouTube? Could it actually be that his 3D printed irons and single length shafts are all just too technical for pursists to understand?

"You always fear what you don't understand" is a great quote from the movies (Batman Begins I think?) and that could well apply here - as critics pile on Bryson's baffling equipment setup as a reason for missing all three cuts in the Majors this year.

Then Brandel Chamblee blamed his pursuit of YouTube fame - saying DeChambeau is more bothered about chasing Grant Horvat's viewing figures than Rory McIlroy's Major wins these days.

And just to stick the boot in further, Sir Nick Faldo slammed Bryson's tactical approach to links golf, saying he had "zero strategy" to playing in the Open Championship.

It all seems a bit much considering he's not yet hit a ball in competition at Royal Birkdale - and things such as his equipment and playing on LIV didn't seem to hamper him when he won the 2024 US Open and was the main man to beat in the men's Majors.

And yes, it's unusual for a multiple Major champion to struggle so much - if DeChambeau misses the cut this week he'll be the first such champion to fail to make the weekend in all four since 1998.

It's clear DeChambeau rubs some people up the wrong way - there's obviously the LIV issue but also his love of doing YouTube does irk the more serious golfing fans.

As DeChambeau has such immense talent that he could win a good few more Majors, and some do feel frustrated when it seems he'd rather have a viral hit YouTube video than add to his two US Open titles.

Bryson's had a lot on his plate this year too - as the face of LIV Golf he's been heavily involved in the search for new financial backing with the Saudi PIF pulling out. That's no real difference to when Rory McIlroy was wheeled out by the PGA Tour to fend off LIV's early advances - and that took it's toll on him too.

So is DeChambeau actually playing badly enough to deserve this criticism?

Is DeChambeau's form really that bad?

DeChambeau has missed four cuts in five Majors, so obviously he's playing way below the level he himself would expect - but in the last two years before this one he's won one Major, finished runner-up twice and had further T6, T5 and T10 results all in the space of eight Majors.

Even this season, he's won twice on LIV Golf and had two thirds - and whatever you think of the quality of that tour winning golf tournaments is always tough - he's just not translated it.

The manner of his Major exits hit hard, as he had some sloppy short game moments and he admittedly was struggling with his wedges - which led to the outrage at him daring to have those single shaft lengths again.

But he's won Majors doing that, so that's not really the issue is it? Maybe he's just struggling to maintain a sky-high level of consistency like almost every single pro golfer before him.

His Open form isn't great, that's true, and yes his early attempts to overpower links courses saw him come up well short - but maybe he found something at Portrush last year.

A nightmare 78 on Thursday was followed by rounds of 65-68-64 as he was better than anyone else over three rounds, if he takes that into Birkdale he'll have a huge chance - although it's a very different challenge this year.

'It's just golf' - DeChambeau relaxed at Royal Birkdale

If DeChambeau is feeling the pressure of those three missed cuts he's not showing it, as he appeared on Sky Sports during his final practice round and was in a hugely relaxed mood.

"It's disappointing but life goes on man," he said of his Major displays this year.

"I mean there's plenty more opportunity, and I'm excited for this week no matter if I do well, or miss the cut, make the cut, win or don't win - it's just golf guys.

"That's the one thing I care about most is having fun, learning, and trying to get better. I feel like my game's got better, my wedges have been really good this week so we'll see."

That's certainly the right attitude to take into the Open after the year he's had, but if he fails to make the weekend then you just know the storm of criticism will grow even bigger. Perhaps that's the price of fame.

The Open Championship is taking place at Royal Birkdale for the 11th time ever in 2026, having first staged the historic Major as recently as 1954.

Since then, all of the game's greats have walked these fairways and many have won here - including Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Laura Davies.

It remains one of the most breath-taking layouts anywhere in the British Isles and currently ranks sixth in Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK&I Course Rankings in association with Peter Millar, consequently making it the best golf course in England in our view.

The Southport links was originally designed in the late 1890s by George Lowe before being raised to championship quality and status in the 1920s by Hawtree and Taylor.

In the years that followed, it has welcomed a decade of Open Championships, six Women's British Open Championships and two Ryder Cups.

Royal Birkdale is renowned for its towering dunes and has witnessed many memorable moments through the years, most recently in 2017 when Jordan Spieth lifted the Claret Jug.

And as we all watch on in 2026, many people will begin to dream of teeing it up there one day and playing their own miracle shot.

The good news is, you can. As with all Open Championship venues, Royal Birkdale accepts green fee-paying visitors. The bad news is, there are a couple of key caveats.

One being the course is closed from November through to the end of February. The second being it is only possible to play as a visitor on select Mondays and Thursdays for the remainder of 2026 at least.

Yet, at the time of writing, there are a number of different days still available, including on Wednesday, July 29th.

On that day, the golf club is hosting a 'Birkdale Open Experience' where golfers can experience 18 holes just as those in the year's final Major would have days earlier.

As well as full round, a meet and greet, a gift from a professional, a photo with the replica Claret Jug and a two-course bistro is also included in the package.

Tee times range from 10:20am BST through to 2pm, and the day will cost you £565 (approx. $756) per person.

Alternatively, a regular tee time on the few remaining days left open for visitors at Royal Birkdale in 2026 will cost you £495 ($663).

The price during March and April in 2026 was £450 ($602), but Royal Birkdale has not yet published any tee times for 2027 at this stage.

Just four years ago, the highest rate at Royal Birkdale was £300 ($402) for a tee time and it was T9th among the 20 most expensive green fees in the UK and Ireland.

While it is certainly nowhere near first place in 2026, which belongs to Trump Turnberry and its £1,000 maximum green fee, Royal Birkdale remains one of the priciest tee times around.

Still, if you're playing an Open Championship layout and it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, maybe you can save up and enjoy that dream day out?

The Old Course at St Andrews has hosted The Open more than any other venue, with the Major held there on no fewer than 30 occasions.

Despite that, it is always a special occasion when The Open comes from the Home of Golf, with its next visit coming just a year from now for the 155th edition.

In 2022, the Old Course was the scene of the 150th Open, and it produced a climax befitting the occasion, when Cameron Smith came from four back of third-round leaders Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland, eventually edging out Cameron Young by one.

Other memorable Open moments at the Old Course include Costantino Rocca’s miracle putt on the 18th before missing out to John Daly in 1995, Tiger Woods’ dominant display in 2000 and Jack Nicklaus’s farewell appearance five years later.

It’s not just the players who wow golf fans each time The Open returns to the Old Course either.

The layout is as revered as those who tee it up there thanks to its rich history, famous landmarks, including The R&A Clubhouse and the Swilcan Bridge, and challenges including 112 bunkers and the notorious Valley of Sin, from which Rocco made his famous putt in 1995.

As a result, demand for tickets – even at prices that have left golf fans divided – is sky-high.

So, how can you get them?

The Open will be held the week of July 11th to the 18th and the primary route for fans to acquire general admission tickets is via The Open ticket ballot.

Tickets are priced at £150 ($202) for the opening two rounds, £170 ($229) for Saturday and £190 ($256) for Sunday's final round.

However, under-16s go free when accompanied by an adult.

Applications via the ballot are being accepted until 3pm BST (10am ET) on Friday July 24th 2026. To enter the ballot, fans need to be a member of The One Club, a free-to-join membership program that requires registration.

There, fans can also upgrade to One Club Advantage to have a better chance of acquiring tickets through the ballot.

Once you’ve registered for The One Club, you can enter your details via the ticket ballot section of The Open website.

Be warned, though - there is no guarantee of a ticket. Chief executive of The R&A Mark Darbon spelled out the incredible demand via the ticket ballot, saying: "The ballot for the 155th Open Championship at St Andrews opened last week, and we're seeing that demand continue to grow.

"We've already had approaching three-quarters of a million applications for tickets in just the first nine days of that process."

Not surprisingly, there is likely to be more chance of acquiring tickets for practice days than championship days, with ticket applications for the four rounds around 10 times oversubscribed in the past.

There is also the Ticket Plus option, which offers access to a special area offering exclusive food and beverage options. Championship days are sold out, but there is the option to join the waiting list in case anything else becomes available.

For those wishing to guarantee tickets to The Open, there are Hospitality and Destination packages, which are currently available. However, they are selling fast, with some options already sold out.

Destination packages combine any ticket type with tailored accommodation and travel options, from The Open Camping Village, with prices beginning at £355 (around $477) per person, to various hotel packages.

I thought I'd seen everything at the Open Championship, but Wyndham Clark's coat hanger was not on my bingo card.

Many of you will likely have seen this and be wondering what Wyndham Clark was doing with a coat hanger at The Open, but this unique training aid has been used by top coaches for decades and is a great ball striking drill for amateurs to try if they struggle with clubface control.

Essentially, the coat hanger helps to maintain a better wrist angle throughout the swing - helping you to control the clubface through impact with instant feedback provided.

In the interest of finding out more details on how it helps to improve your game and provide a step-by-step guide for you to try the coat hanger drill for yourself, I reached out to Top 50 Coach Ged Walters who provided his expert guidance on the matter...

Wyndham Clark's Coat Hanger At The Open 2026 Explained

For those of you who prefer to see instruction tips on a video, with visual examples from a top PGA pro, I've got just the thing for you.

In the video below, Ged Walters explains the reason why Wyndham Clark is using a coat hanger at The Open and how it could help your ball striking- plus if you stay to the end you can see me use Ged's tips to give it a go myself.

Why Is Wyndham Clark Using A Coat Hanger?

The coat hanger drill has been around for decades, but it's still just as effective today as when it was first used.

The purpose of the drill is to provide instant feedback and a deeper understanding of how to control the clubface.

Lots of people say it's just to fix a slice, but that's not true as it can help to solve many common amateur faults that stem from not being able to control the clubface.

In his press conference ahead of the Open Championship this week, Wyndham Clark said:

"Mondays are my technical days. You won't see me doing a bunch of that stuff the rest of the week.

"My swing's gotten a little off. I kind of hit it kind of crappy, especially on Sunday - or just yesterday. The coat hanger is for wrist angle, trying to get a little more inflection in my left wrist so I can square the face more. That's just what it is".

How To Try The Coat Hanger Drill

In the video above, I am using a plastic hanger as it's easier to grip with the club.

Place the hanger on top of the grip and take your normal grip. Your hand should be in the middle of the hanger and the butt end of the hanger should rest against the lead forearm.

The idea is to maintain connection between the hanger and the forearm throughout the golf swing, as this keeps the wrist in a more neutral position and promotes better clubface control through impact.

If you start to swing out-to-in, or increase the loft by slicing across the ball, the hanger is likely to have disconnected away from the forearm at some point during the golf swing.

This is one of the best golf drills because it gives instant visual feedback, but it's also so easy to set up and carry out when you practice on the driving range.

You can also work on this at home, without hitting any golf balls, focusing on keeping that hanger in contact with the lead forearm throughout the entire swing.

If you have a mirror or you record your swing, you will see the wrist and the clubface are in a much more neutral position at the top which will ultimately help you to find a centred strike with your irons more often.

How Did Baz Get On?

After listening to Ged tell me all about the drill, and after seeing Wyndham Clark putting coat hangers on the map at The Open, I decided to head straight to the range to try it for myself.

After warming up, I hit five balls without the hanger. The pattern, as you can see in the video, detailed my usual left-to-right wipey slice.

However, after adding the coat hanger I striped one with a little baby fade on my first attempt. The drill takes some getting used to, so I won't lie and say they were all perfect, but that feeling of connection definitely helped me to feel the clubface and strike the ball with a nicer shape.

I'm going to commit to further practice with this interesting training aid, so stay tuned for updates (if you care about my awful golf game).

Why not try it yourself? Let me know how you get on in the comments below - I am more interested in your game than you are in mine!

As the last of the year's four men's Majors, players wouldn’t expect anything less than a stern challenge as they tee it up at The Open.

This year, the tournament comes from Royal Birkdale for the 11th time.

There, as you’d expect, the field will face all the potential pitfalls you’d expect from an Open venue, offering a pure links test with demanding holes, punitive rough and the ever-present chance of wind to add to its already daunting challenges.

One of the favorites to lift the Claret Jug in 2026 is Jon Rahm. The LIV Golfer’s best finish at the Major is a T2 achieved at Royal Liverpool in 2023, while his only other Open appearance at Royal Birkdale resulted in a T44 nine years ago.

Therefore, it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about what it takes to navigate the unique challenges presented by The Open – and what Royal Birkdale has in store.

But how would a recreational golfer fare at Royal Birkdale under the same conditions awaiting the field? Let’s just say the Spaniard's not optimistic.

Rahm gave his thoughts on the score an 18-handicapper could hope to shoot to Callaway Golf Europe, and he’s not even confident many would make it past the turn – and that’s even with a more forgiving front nine!

He said: “I would say most of them would leave after nine. Honestly, there’s no… the front nine you may survive, the rough isn’t as thick as it’s been in the past. You could do OK. I just think a lot of them wouldn’t finish.”

Rahm thinks the wind, in particular, would be the downfall of many 18-handicappers, believing some would struggle to make the green in regulation on at least two of the holes.

He explained: “I mean, some of those holes like 13, it’s just it would be especially… the wind we had today with 13 and 18, 500 yards playing straight into the wind. When pros are hitting driver-two irons, driver-four irons…”

Despite the brutal test of The Open, the average winning score at Royal Birkdale is approximately nine-under-par - around 276 strokes. Meanwhile, last time it was held there, in 2017, Jordan Spieth bettered that by six when he finished on 12-under to lift the Claret Jug.

So, what does Rahm think an 18-handicapper would shoot at the par-70, assuming they finished all 18 holes? Needless to say, his answer highlights just how incredible the achievements of those who’ve won The Open at Royal Birkdale have been.

He added: “I would say, so 18, back tees… I mean, nothing shy of 120. We’re going north of that. It’s a very large number.”

What do you think of Rahm's estimation? Let us know in the comments below.

The R&A has no plans "at this stage" to move Sunday's final round of the Open Championship forward to avoid a clash with the World Cup final - even if England make it into the big game for just the second time in history.

However, CEO Mark Darbon says that final plans for Sunday are not set in stone, and that he would "finalize our position after the semi-final" which is scheduled for Wednesday night.

England face Argentina in the second World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night and if they're victorious they will play Spain in Sunday's World Cup final in New Jersey.

The kick-off time in the UK is 8pm for Sunday's World Cup final, while the final round of the Open is set to conclude around 6:40pm - and despite initial talk of the R&A being prepared to move tee times forward if England get through, Darbon says there's no plans to do that at this stage.

A playoff at Royal Birkdale would move proceedings even further back, and that could run the risk of fans flooding out of the course to head home or into Southport and Liverpool to watch the World Cup final - but Darbon feels there is still time for that even if sticking to the original schedule.

Darbon said in his pre-Open press conference on Wednesday that at this stage the R&A had no plans to bring Sunday's tee times forward to avoid a clash, although it very much sounded like he was keeping his options open until after England play their semi-final.

"I'm an England football fan so that would be a great problem to have, but also because I'm an England football fan we should probably wait and see how the semi-final goes before we get too far ahead," said Darbon.

"In the background we've been doing a lot of thinking about this. Our final putt is currently scheduled for around 6.40pm on Sunday. We think that even if we go to a three-hole playoff we've got time to complete the championship.

"So at this stage no plans to alter anything but we'll maintain that under review and we'll finalize our position after the semi-final."

It's a slight change of stance from previously, with Darbon saying back in April that they would want to avoid a clash with such a huge global sporting event - especially if England were participating.

"We're obviously conscious of other events happening on that date," Darbon said in April.

"As we approach the championship, we'll ensure we try and avoid that clash wherever possible.

"Of course some things are out of our control in terms of playoffs and the like, but we will attempt to avoid a clash, yes."

That seemed sensible, as even with a scheduled finish of around 6.40pm there is the distinct possibility of fans leaving early and missing the trophy presentation to go and watch the Three Lions appear in a first World Cup final since 1966.

It sounds like the R&A could reconsider if England do manage to beat Argentina on Wednesday, but for now the plan is to stick to the original start times.

What's your view? Should the R&A move the Open forward on Sunday if England make the World Cup final? Have your say and join the conversation below...

English golfers face semi-final dilemma

The R&A didn't help out many of the English golfers in the field in terms of watching the semi-final - with most of them handed early tee times on Thursday morning despite an 8pm kick-off for the Three Lions on Wednesday night.

Matt Fitzpatrick made a plea before the tee times were released, saying: "If anyone's listening, I really hope it's a late/early. It would be nice if all the English lads were late/early. That would be great."

But it seems only Fitzpatrick got his wish. His brother Alex tees off at 7:19am on Thursday, while Matthew Baldwin will hit the opening tee shot of the tournament at 6:35am.

As a member at Royal BIrkdale though, Baldwin will struggle to sleep anyway as he gets the honor of kicking off the tournament on his home course.

There's an English player in each of the first eight groups to go out on Thursday morning, with Justin Rose teeing off at 9:36am. But despite his meticulous preparation he admits he'll still be watching Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham's side in action.

"I was hoping for a later tee time," said Rose. "I'd take a win on penalties if it happened, but we're looking for a short, sharp match and a reasonable bedtime.

"I'm going to watch it with an eye on what's important for me and not get too high and low and keep my own emotions in check. We've got big things as well to do this week.

"It's a match where if you think that you're not going to watch it, you're probably kidding yourself."

If the likes of Rose, Fitzpatrick or Tommy Fleetwood are in contention on Sunday they'll obviously be thinking of nothing else but the Claret Jug and they'll happily miss the start of even a World Cup final to celebrate winning The Open.

But other players and fans might face a bit of a rush to get away from Birkdale and sat in front of the TV to watch the Three Lions if they have a chance to make their own bit of sporting history.

With Royal Lytham & St Annes finally returning to the Open Championship rota in 2028, it leaves just two famous old venues still out in the cold in terms of staging the battle for the Claret Jug.

Royal Birkdale hosts this year and after the regular stop at St Andrews in 2027 the Open Championship is returning to Royal Lytham in 2028 for the first time since 2012.

Every Open Championship venue is special, but some have fallen off the rota with the likes of Royal Liverpool and, more recently, Royal Portrush becoming more regular hosts.

Lytham is back after being overshadowed by its North West of England neighbors, but two famous old Scottish courses are missing out - with Trump Turnberry and Muirfield not looking like regaining tournament hosting duties anytime soon.

But why? With 20 Opens between them nobody doubts the history, or indeed the quality, of the golf courses in question, but a controversial owner at one and some logistical problems at both limit their chances of getting back on the Open rota.

So why are Muirfield and Turnberry missing out and what are the chances of them hosting The Open again? Let's find out...

Trump Turnberry no closer to Open return

Only four Opens for Turnberry but each one high quality - including the very first in 1977 when Tom Watson edged his 'Duel in the Sun' against Jack Nicklaus - while the final one in 2009 saw Watson, now a veteran, make headlines again as he fell just short of an amazing victory at the age of 59 when losing a playoff to Stewart Cink.

But while US President Donald Trump is still leading the free world, it will not host The Open, as stated by former R&A CEO Martin Slumbers who said the publicity would detract from the Open.

“We cannot allow external media noise to overshadow what remains the original and most historic championship in golf," Slumbers told Golf Channel in 2024. "The tournament’s integrity demands that golf alone commands the spotlight.”

Trump has campaigned for a return, and new R&A boss Mark Darbon told the BBC "we'd love to be back there" but said that infrastructure is now the main problem given the size of The Open these days.

As many as 120,000 fans attended the 2009 Open at Turnberry but 278,000 visited Royal Portrush last year and over 300,000 are expected at Birkdale in 2026. So as fantastic as the Ailsa Course is, there are concerns the local transport and accommodation at the Ayrshire venue just couldn't cope.

"At Turnberry, there are definitely some logistical and commercial challenges that we face around the road, rail and accommodation infrastructure," Darbon added.

Darbon is sounding more positive about Turnberry in terms of Trump's ownership, but those logistical challenges could mean the wait for an Open return to Turnberry will go on for some time.

Muirfield could face 20-year wait for Open return

Phil Mickelson last won there in 2013, and the Open Championship will eventually return to Muirfield - but the question of when it will return is still one without any definitive answer.

With 16 Opens held at the East Lothian venue, only St Andrews on the current rota has staged more, and it's now back under consideration after being axed in 2016 when the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers voted against allowing women members.

The vote was eventually passed and Muirfield returned to the Open rota, while in 2022 it held the AIG Women's Open to show that it was back in favor with the R&A, but as with Turnberry logistical aspects make a return tough to see in the near future.

"We love the golf course at Muirfield," said Darbon. "We're in discussions with the venue right now. There are some things we need to evolve at Muirfield, the practice ground in particular is a challenge for us with a modern Open.

"And there's some work to facilitate some infrastructure we need, but there's some good dialogue and we'd love to go back there in the future."

There's also the fact the Scottish Open takes place the week before at the neighboring Renaissance Club which is a problem, so that would likely have to move venue to allow The Open to take place at Muirfield.

Darbon also said that history could be made as Portmarnock near Dublin is being considered as an Open venue - which could also see Muirfield being forced to wait.

All those factors mean that we're unlikely to see Muirfield host the Open again within the next five years or so, maybe even longer, although something like a 20-year wait for a return seems like far too long for a course like Muirfield.

As always though, golf has to move with the times and the size and scale of a modern Open Championship commands a huge footprint for host courses - one that as it stands Muirfield can't provide.

Forgotten Open venues

Ready to host for an 11th time in 2026, Royal Birkdale has seen plenty of Open Championship golf over the years.

The north-west English layout first welcomed the world's oldest championship in 1954 and has witnessed great performances from the likes of Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Johnny Miller in the years since.

Last time out was another magical display, this time from the clubs of Jordan Spieth as he produced one of the all-time Open Championship shots in the final round on his way to claiming the Claret Jug by three strokes.

His 12-under winning total wasn't the lowest ever seen at Royal Birkdale, though, with Trevino's incredible 14-under score back in 1971 remaining the benchmark.

Also in 2017 arrived Branden Grace's third-round 62. At that stage, it was the first time anyone had ever carded a 62 (or better) at a Major championship.

On the flip side, The Open has twice been claimed at Royal Birkdale with scores of even par or worse. Mark O'Meara triumphed in a playoff against Brian Watts in 1998 - the pair just holding off a young Tiger Woods who finished solo third on one-over.

Then, 10 years later, Padraig Harrington managed to reign supreme on three-over-par. Only four players managed to end a round leading the championship under par, with a baked-out Birkdale pushing everyone back over the weekend.

But, more often than not, the winning score relative to par has ranged between four-under and nine-under.

In fact, the average winning total of The Open at Royal Birkdale is less than seven-under (-6.9). That equates to 278.7 strokes overall, with Royal Birkdale having begun life as a par-73 at The Open before flicking down to a par-70 via the intermediate numbers.

Spieth is the only player to have broken 270 strokes across four rounds here so far because Birkdale was a par-70 last time out, and will continue that way in 2026. Whereas when Trevino lifted the Claret Jug with 278 shots, the course was a par 73.

Interestingly, the average winning score of The Open across all of its historic sites used in the modern era is around two strokes lower than at Birkdale, making the Lancashire layout one of the tougher courses on the rota.

The average winning score at The Open is approximately nine-under-par - so around 276 strokes.

Yet, Henrik Stenson and Cameron Smith have both won the Claret Jug with a score of 20-under (Royal Troon and St Andrews) while Paul Lawrie's six-over total at Carnoustie in 1999 remains the highest victorious figure since 1947.

THE OPEN WINNING SCORES AT ROYAL BIRKDALE

The Open draws a conclusion to the 2026 men's Major golf season with the sensational Royal Birkdale hosting the world's best.

Scottie Scheffler is favorite to retain his Claret Jug ahead of the likes of Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm, but with the unpredictability of links golf, it could be anyone's tournament to win.

So that's why we've had a look at some longshots worth backing, especially as we've seen some players contend at very big odds in recent years.

Harris English finished 2nd at 110/1 last year with 350/1 Haotong Li in 4th. Two years ago, 250/1 Billy Horschel finished 2nd, just ahead of 600/1 Thriston Lawrence in 4th.

Three years ago, Brian Haman won at odds of 110/1, which were the same as Zach Johnson's in 2015 when he triumphed at St Andrews.

So, which potential Open contenders are being overlooked this week in the odds? Here are some of our team's picks...

2026 Open outsider betting picks

Eugenio Chacarra

There are lots of extremely good options at 100/1 and beyond, and Casey Jarvis at 250/1, Bernd Wiesberger at 400/1 in some places and Haotong Li at 200/1 have really caught my eye.

However, my pick is Eugenio Chacarra at 150/1.

Those odds are incredible for someone who has won two times in their last three starts in Europe.

He's never played The Open before, which is an obvious negative, but at that price, I'm taking the gamble.

Max Homa

I would like to caveat this by saying that I can't see anyone north of 40/1 winning this tournament, but if I had to pick a 100/1+ punt this week with some each-way value... I'd speculatively opt for Max Homa.

He seemed to have found something at the John Deere Classic, when finishing runner-up, but he was also T9 at The Masters this year - so perhaps Max is on his way back to his best. Homa also has two top-20 finishes at the Scottish Open and has a 10th place finish at The Open on his CV.

I was also close to going for Marco Penge at a big price, but I will side with Max on this occasion.

Read more: Bazza's Best Bets For The 2026 Open

Corey Conners

One of the best ball-strikers on the planet, Corey Conners also has a sneaky good record on links courses.

The Canadian was T10th at Royal Portrush last year and has a top-10 at the Scottish Open in 2024, too.

Too often, he's let down by his putter at these championships, but even a solid week could see Conners create history by becoming the first Canadian ever to win the Claret Jug.

As I said, he's a top ball-striker and Royal Birkdale requires precision. A good week on the greens and he could prove to be a shock winner.

Brian Harman

What about the Champion Golfer of the Year of just three years ago who’s finished in the top 10 at the Open Championship in three of his last four appearances?

Brian Harman has some top Claret Jug credentials but is still a big outsider.

The left-hander lapped the field at Hoylake, admittedly in much different conditions to Birkdale this week, but fast and firm means accuracy is key over length, precision over power, and lag putting, even from way off the greens, needs to be on point.

Harman’s recent form has been stinky, but he made the cut in Scotland at least and he really turns it on at The Open. He’s gone 10-60-1-6-19 in his last five Opens with his scoring average of 69.60 the fourth best over that spell – only Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele can better that.

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Ryan Gerard

I admit he's making his Open Championship debut, but Gerard is showing some excellent form in 2026, with some great results coming in notable events.

Producing three runner-up finishes this season, including The Memorial Tournament, the American finished T26th at last week's Genesis Scottish Open, indicating that he does have form on links layouts.

What I particularly like about Gerard is his overall game statistics. When it comes to Strokes Gained, he ranks inside the top 50 for every metric on the PGA Tour, aside from Around-the-Green.

On a Royal Birkdale layout that promises to be firm and fast, control of the golf ball will be key, which is why I really like Gerard at a high price.

Jordan Smith

The Englishman could well earn punters some money this week at such long odds.

He has enjoyed a steady 2026 but showed glimpses of some superb form in Scotland last week, most notably his second-round 63.

He eventually finished in a tie for 21st but, trending in the right direction, he could be in the mix at Royal Brikdale

Jason Day

I believe the Open champion will be the player who chips and putts the best this week at Royal Birkdale, and there aren't many better than Jason Day.

The former World No.1 is understandably at high odds due to his withdrawal from the US Open last month, but he did play all four days at The Travelers before two full weeks off before the year's final Major.

Hopefully his body can stand up to the test and we can see some vintage Day over the Southport links. He missed The Open cut last year but was T13 in 2024 and T2nd in 2023 so I'll be hoping for something similar this week.

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The 154th Open Championship will be a fast and firm affair at Royal Birkdale meaning only the most skilled golfer will be able to claim the Claret Jug on Sunday.

The Golf Monthly crew have already had their say on who will triumph, while we've got our best bets and also some dark horse sleeper picks for the week along the Southport coast.

But as always there's a plethora of other betting markets to look at in the search for some value, and we've got our pick of the bunch right here.

First-round leader

Favorite - Matt Fitzpatrick

We had a five-way tie at Royal Portrush last year with some big prices on the likes of Harris English, Christian Bezuidenhout and Jacob Skov Olesen.

There's a couple of players from that group last year though that are worth looking at again as part of a three-pronged attack we've got on the first-round leader market.

Firstly the favorite of our three and that's Matt Fitzpatrick at +3300 to lead the way again just as he did at Portrush last year, albeit in a big tie.

Fitzpatrick looks primed for another Major at some point so we're expecting a challenge, and starting in a group alongside Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele will be right up his street.

He ranks fourth on the PGA Tour in first round scoring average and has first round scores of 67-67-64-67 in his last four starts, while he's also thrown in a 65 at both the Phoenix Open and RBC Heritage. Fitz won't be scared of a fast start.

Back Matt Fitzpatrick first round leader at +3300 (33/1) with BetMGM

Each-way - Brooks Koepka

At almost twice the price we have Brooks Koepka at +6000 (60/1) to finish in the lead after 18 holes - and he's done it before at Royal Birkdale after shooting 65 in the opening round here in 2017.

He's also finished third at Portrush and Hoylake recently after round one, and even though he's struggled of late he kicked off with a 64 to lead the Canadian Open and shot 66 in Scotland before missing the cut.

So even in bad form he can still pump out those fast starts - and back on familiar ground where he's done it before he could easily do it again.

Back Brooks Koepka first round leader at +6000 (60/1) with BetMGM

Value pick - Haotong Li

And finally, at a huge price we'll try Haotong Li to repeat last year's Open success, where he played in Sunday's final group after starting the tournament sharing the first round lead.

The Chinese star can obviously play links golf, he can obviously start fast, and he obviously likes Royal Birkdale too - as he made his Open debut here back in 2017.

Oh, and on that debut at Birkdale he just so happened to shoot 63 on Sunday to finish T3 - that's serious course form to take into consideration for at least a live each-way shout.

Back Haotong Li first round leader at +12500 (125/1) with BetMGM

Top 10 finish - Cameron Young

The Players Championship winner has already proven he's got the game to win a Major - as he came so close to converting at the Masters this year.

That was his seventh top 10 in 21 Majors, which includes two at the Open Championship including that flying finish at St Andrews where he almost pinched it from Cameron Smith.

Results have just tailed off lately, but he's won twice this year and with his creativity around the greens he's well capable of finding form again and going close at Birkdale.

Back Cameron Young top 10 finish at +335 (10/3)

Top 20 finish - Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth is hoping a return to Birkdale can spark him into life as he looks to bring his bizarre Major drought to an end.

He may not be able to lift the Claret Jug again but he says his best form is close so you can't rule out him from at least being near the sharp end of the leaderboard.

He's never missed the cut at the Open and even when struggling over the last few years his form hasn't been so bad with two top 10s in the last five and further finishes of T23 and T25 so he should be there or thereabouts.

Back Cameron Young top 10 finish at +275 (11/4)

Double chance - Fitzpatrick & Fleetwood

If you can't quite decide on who'll win this week you can always double your chances by taking a shot at some double chance betting - and what about a rare home win for England.

Tommy Fleetwood is the hometown hero and Matt Fitzpatrick the World No.3 so both of them have huge chances heading to Birkdale.

Either would be quite the story but with hardly anything between them you can back them at +900 on the double chance so if either wins you can go collect!

Back Fleetwood/Fitzpatrick double chance at +900 (9/1)

Bryson DeChambeau to miss the cut - again!

Who'd have believed Bryson DeChambeau would be this short a price to miss the cut at a Major having been THE guy in golf's biggest tournaments the last few years?

But he's missed all three cuts this year and four out of the last five - and now the pressure will be on at Birkdale to avoid the ignomy of missing every cut in the same year.

That should spur him on, but could also work against him as his attacking style just doesn't seem to sit right with links golf - especially fast and firm links golf such as this week.

He got a top 10 last year in soft conditions at Portrush but Sir Nick Faldo says he doesn't have a clue about strategy on links golf - if that's true then he'll struggle this week.

Back DeChambeau to miss the cut at +138 (11/8)

In an exclusive interview with Golf Monthly, Jon Rahm has given his take on whether or not the sport’s distance problem can be solved by simply limiting the height players can tee up their drivers.

It is one of the most fiercely debated topics in golf. The governing bodies – the R&A and USGA – previously announced they would implement a golf ball rollback in the men’s professional game in 2028 but, following negative feedback from several major stakeholders, that has been pushed back.

January 2030 is now the planned date for the implementation of a rolled back golf ball for everyone, pros and amateurs alike.

It is something that has split opinion. Most in favor want to see the game become more of an all-round test again, while the detractors insist those in charge are searching for an answer to a problem that does not exist.

There have been plenty of differing ideas floating around that would likely be easier to put in play, and one such came from Sir Nick Faldo.

The six-time Major winner believes limiting the height of tees to one inch would have the desired impact as it would stop players from being able to really optimise how they deliver their driver.

“What is the goal of the rollback, to make the golf ball go shorter,” Faldo says in an upcoming episode Golf Monthly's Kick Point podcast.

“It's pretty harsh to say off you go, you've got to go retool, which I assume costs hundreds of thousands, and how do they market this ball that goes 15% shorter than last year, good luck with that one.

“So as I said, it's right under our noses, give them a short tee.”

Faldo even revealed he has proof it works after convincing Bryson DeChambeau and Kyle Berkshire to try hitting a driver off a one-inch tee.

Now Rahm has had his say on the idea.

Put to him ahead of The Open at Royal Birkdale, the Spaniard told Golf Monthly: “That's a very, very specific question!

“I think I’d need to get into the physics of the game, but the tee height would actually be counteractive to the ball rollback.

"So If you're a person that hits down on the ball, even with the ball rollback, you wouldn't lose that much distance.

“An example [would be] Gary Woodland with his dynamics, he's down on it, more spin. With the rollback, you will lose one to two yards.

"A person like Rory McIlroy, let's just say with the same ball speed because he hits up with it, it's a more efficient ball flight and he would lose up to 16.

“So if you reduce the tee height then you’re almost doing everybody a favor.

"I think we would adapt, honestly. It would change a little bit, but manufacturers spend so much money on finding out the most efficient way for all of us to be able to play the clubs and play at our highest [level].”

Rahm's fellow multiple Major winner Padraig Harrington agrees that players would quickly adapt.

"We’d adapt very quickly to a shorter tee peg. No doubt about it, we can change our spin lofts, the equipment, we can adapt our own physical self to tee heights and things like that. We would adapt, no doubt about it," Harrington told Golf Monthly.

"I wouldn’t disagree with them doing it," the two-time Open champion continued.

"I’m all for it, if you want to reduce the tee height, great. If you want to reduce the size of the heads, great. If you want to reduce the length of the clubs, great.

"If you want to reduce the number of clubs, think that would be fantastic, great. If you want to make sure the putter has to be the shortest club in the bag, great.

"If you want to stop anchoring, great. They did change the grooves, that really hurt my game back in the day but it was the right thing to do, great.

"We want to make the game the most rewarding you can to the most skillful player. Being powerful is part of being skillful so I don’t have a problem rewarding the most powerful player. This idea of the rollback will actually advantage the more powerful and stronger player.

"But we do need to roll back something because you can go to any golf club now and you’ll find ten youths who hit the ball with 190mph+ ball speed and have no idea where they hit it.

"And they don’t even know they hit it that fast.

"You can go out there and all the kids hit it 300 yards plus. When I played if you hit it wild you hit the treeline, now if you hit it wild you carry that treeline and pitch in the next fairway.

"So every club in Dublin is defunct because of the equipment. All the parkland courses in Dublin and courses are closing holes, you see golf courses where you can only hit an iron off this tee, you can only play to the corner, you’re not allowed to do this, do that.

"The rollback is not needed in America because they have more land. It’s so much needed in Ireland, in the summer and with the young guys."

The rollback debate will surely rage on... Stay turned to Golf Monthly for all the latest news and updated.

As ever, all eyes will be on Rory McIlroy as he begins his quest for a second Open win and a seventh Major title at Royal Birkdale this week.

The Northern Irishman has enjoyed another stellar campaign so far, with his second successive Masters victory in April the obvious highlight. And he has a chance to cap off another superb men’s Major season in Southport in the coming days.

McIlroy’s sole Open win came all the way back in 2014 at a rather green and damp Royal Liverpool. He has come close to claiming a second Claret Jug since, but he has yet to make it happen.

Time is still on his side to further enhance his legacy in the game’s oldest championship, so how is he feeling ahead of the challenge that awaits at Birkdale? And what are his thoughts on other hot topics in the game at the moment?

Here are five things we learned from his Open press conference...

He's Not 'So Bad At Golf'

McIlroy went viral on Sunday at the Scottish Open after he was caught on camera scolding himself for an errant iron shot.

“I'm so bad at golf,” McIlroy said to himself.

He later explained how practising in left-to-right winds on the range at the Renaissance Club had put his swing out of sync, so, two days on, has he managed to address the gremlins?

“Depends what hour of the day you get me,” McIlroy said. “It's funny, I felt really good the first two days in Scotland and then felt like my game just sort of deteriorated as the week went on. Even though I shot a good score on Sunday, it didn't feel very good.

“I've done a good bit of work the past couple days getting the TrackMan out, seeing what my numbers are, and just trying to match up the feels of my swing with what I'm seeing.

“Also, I played 30 holes on Sunday. I felt a little bit tired yesterday, so I didn't make it on the course, but that allowed me a bit more time to hit some balls and dig into the swing a little bit. Felt good on the range. Felt good out on the course today. Definitely trending in the right direction.”

Has Weather Lessened Challenge?

Much has been made of the Open weather forecast in the build-up this week. Birkdale is baked out, ready to present the best players in the world with the type of firm and fast challenge that has become such a modern-day rarity.

But has it actually made the course easier?

“I think it's a double-edged sword,” McIlroy continued.

“I think all this dry weather and sun and a little bit of wind is obviously great for the course in one way, but when I was here a couple weeks ago, the rough was a lot more penal than it's going to be this week. It's definitely burnt out a lot.

“The big thing, especially off the tee here, is the fairway bunkers and avoiding those. You might see some guys being more aggressive off the tee, taking driver, trying to take the fairway bunkers out of play.

"Okay, it might be in the rough, but it's not that penal, so you get a wedge in your hand and you can figure it out from there.”

McIlroy Has Say On Fan Behaviour

Ahead of this year’s tournament, and amid a growing trend of unruly fan behavior, The R&A has put a new spectator code of conduct into play for the crowds this week.

It involves respecting the players, the course and enjoying the championship responsibly.

Gambling has been blamed for most of the abuse that players receive online and on-site - with Matt Fitzpatrick speaking out on fan behavior in regards to gambling - but McIlroy thinks the issue is being blown out of proportion.

“We've had gambling over here for forever, and I would say the crowd behaviour has been pretty good for the most part. Obviously it's a newer thing in the United States. Yeah, you could see how people that have a bet could… it's a very easy game to influence. The crowd aren't far away from you.

“I feel like certain things have happened to me over the years where it's definitely been because of that, but it's very rare, I would say.

"But certainly it's a thing that we've definitely talked about when I was on the board of the PGA Tour, like whenever gambling or sports betting in the United States was coming into golf in a big way, it was something we talked about and how do we place it to make sure the integrity of the competition isn't jeopardized by letting this stuff happen.

“I feel like it's policed pretty well. In every crowd of thousands of people, you're going to have your few bad eggs here and there, but for the most part, I think golf crowds are pretty respectful.”

Course Changes An Overall Positive

Many holes at Birkdale have been revamped for this year’s Open. (For those who haven’t yet seen them, the flyover video comparing it in 2017 to now is well worth a watch.)

Some of them are quite extreme, with greens raised to create dramatic run-offs and a brutish new 241-yard par 3 15th sure to cause some chaos. But McIlroy thinks they will provide a brilliant experience for those watching at home and at the venue.

“I think most of the changes are very good,” McIlroy added. “I really like the 5th hole. I like the change to the 7th. Some of the greens are maybe a little unnatural with the run-offs and sort of what they've tried to do with the mounding.

“But it creates a good challenge, and it creates options for if you do miss the green, whether it's a putter, a bump-and-run, some guys might choose lob wedge, and I think what we all know, even going back to Shinnecock a few weeks ago, when you give professional golfers options and you can create a little bit of doubt in their minds in terms of what shot to play, that's when things start to get fun, especially for the viewer.

“Not so much for us but... that to me is the sign of a good championship test.”

The Major Season Is Too Short

Blink and you’ll miss it.

That’s how the men’s Major season feels. Not long ago McIlroy was slipping on the Green Jacket for the second year in a row and now we’re just days away from The Open.

On Sunday evening, we will have to wait almost nine months for the next men’s Major, and McIlroy thinks it has become too condensed.

He said: “I guess I see pros and cons in both. I'd like to see the Major season spread out a little bit longer. The Masters is always going to have the build-up, but I think then the PGA [Championship] into the US Open, US Open into here, it just seems like it's very, very quick.

“From a player perspective, if you get on a bit of a run, it's nice to be sort of playing well and go from one straight into the next.

“But for the sport as a whole and for, I guess, the general interest in the game, obviously I can see the positives in that Major season being stretched out a little bit longer.”

Royal Birkdale’s clubhouse will provide the backdrop to what is one of the greatest scenes in sport this weekend, as one player prevails above the rest to get their hands on the Claret Jug.

While the best golfers in the world battling it out for The Open will rightly take the headlines, the story behind Birkdale’s iconic clubhouse is one that will deserve whatever level of coverage it gets through the week.

As soon as you lay eyes on it, it stands out. For one, it’s white, and for another, it is an unusual ship-like shape. Why, then, does it look the way it does?

Well, it’s because the chance to design Birkdale’s clubhouse was actually put up as a prestigious competition prize almost 100 years ago.

That competition was won by local architect, George E. Tonge, and his vision for the clubhouse came to life in 1935.

Detailing the thought process behind his design choices, in quotes from the official Royal Birkdale website, Tonge said, “I visualised the kind of clubhouse that I thought ought to intrude itself onto this lovely course.

"I imagined the lines of a liner at sea; the perfect balance of the ship at whatever angle and from whatever side it was seen.”

The result is an eye-catching and grand Art Deco building that adds another elegant touch to Birkdale as an Open venue.

Art Deco features sleek, clean lines and bold geometric shapes. It was very popular in the 1920s and 1930s, with Tonge's Birkdale design in the Streamline Moderne style.

Tonge has another Art Deco building local to Southport in his portfolio. On the site where the old Opera House had burned down in 1929, he designed the Garrick Theatre, which opened in December 1932 and seated 1,600 people.

It was turned into a bingo hall in the 1960s and was given listed status in 1999, with plans now in place to turn it into a hotel.

While not the typical design choice for a clubhouse, it is not wholly unique. As well as Birkdale, Cabot Highlands, formerly known as Castle Stuart, in Inverness and Hayling Golf Club on England’s south coast feature an Art Deco clubhouse.

All of the game's greats have stepped foot inside Birkdale's clubhouse and wandered its corridors that feature some amazing portraits and memorabilia from years gone by.

It also provides a superb view of the 18th green for its lucky members, one that will be extra special this week.

The club gained its Royal status in 1951 and has hosted numerous prestigious events.

Among them, six Women’s Opens have taken place over the links, as have two Ryder Cups, one Senior Open and four British Amateur Championships.

But it is for The Open that Birkdale is most known.

As the club prepares to host the game's oldest championship for an 11th time, another chapter will be written into the club's history in the coming days, and with the course already baked out and more sun on the forecast, it promises to be an absolute classic on one of the finest links layouts in the world.