The Open Championship 2026: Golf’s Greatest Major Comes Home

Next week, golf’s oldest major returns to a course it knows well. The 154th Open Championship takes place from 16 to 19 July 2026 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, the 11th time the Southport links has staged the tournament. It’s the final men’s major of the year, and it arrives at a venue with a habit of producing finishes people still talk about years later.

A Links Course With Real Pedigree

Royal Birkdale was established in 1889 and redesigned in 1922, creating the layout that winds through towering sand dunes still in play today. Since its first Open in 1954, it has been the most frequently used venue after St Andrews. That puts this year’s tournament in serious company, and it’s part of why Birkdale is treated as one of the fairest tests on the rota rather than a course built purely to punish.

The back nine has changed since the Open was last here in 2017, with the old par-3 14th removed, the par-5 15th shifted to become the new 14th, and a fresh par-3 15th added in its place. Players who competed here eight years ago will find a course that rewards the same discipline off the tee, but asks a slightly different question coming down the closing stretch.

Royal Birkdale’s champions’ board reads like a history of the game. Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Ian Baker-Finch, Mark O’Meara and Padraig Harrington have all lifted the Claret Jug here. The most recent name on that list is Jordan Spieth, and his 2017 win is the reason most fans still associate Birkdale with one of the great final rounds in major championship golf.

That Sunday came down to a duel between Spieth and Matt Kuchar, remembered above all for the moment Spieth had to play his tee shot on the 13th from the driving range after finding trouble off the tee, an episode that held up play for the best part of half an hour before he somehow salvaged bogey and went on to win. It’s the kind of story that makes a returning venue feel like an event in itself, regardless of who’s playing.

Tournament Gossip Ahead of Royal Birkdale

There’s plenty to talk about before a ball is struck. This year’s Open introduces themed practice days, including a new Last-Chance Qualifier held at Royal Birkdale on the Monday of tournament week, where invited players compete over 18 holes for the final spot in the field. It’s a new addition to Open week and one worth watching if you enjoy the qualifying drama as much as the tournament itself.

The R&A has also introduced The Open Experiences at Royal Birkdale, a new range of ticket and hospitality options for fans attending the Championship. Combined with the return of a proper Southport crowd, expect the atmosphere around the course to be as significant a storyline as anything on the leaderboard.

Who’s Fancied to Win

Scottie Scheffler arrives as defending champion and the clear market favourite, having won last year’s Open at Royal Portrush by four shots. It will be his first appearance at Royal Birkdale, and a win would move him to five major titles. Form hasn’t been quite as relentless in 2026 as in previous seasons, but he remains the man to beat until someone proves otherwise.

Rory McIlroy sits second favourite, arriving off the back of a second straight Masters title, though his major form cooled after a strong PGA Championship showing faded at the U.S. Open. Birkdale has previously been kind to him, and a strong week would keep his career Grand Slam ambitions firmly alive.

The home crowd’s attention will inevitably fall on Tommy Fleetwood, a Southport native playing a course he grew up near, still searching for a first major title despite a runner-up finish at the 2019 Open and three top-10s in his last six appearances. Few storylines would land better for the R&A than a home win on home links.

Beyond the leading three, Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick round out the group of leading contenders, while Viktor Hovland arrives with genuine momentum after beating Scheffler in a play-off at the Travelers Championship. Bryson DeChambeau’s price has drifted out after a difficult run through this year’s majors, a reminder that not every big name in golf is built for a firm, wind-affected links.

Looking Further Ahead: The Open Keeps Coming Home

Royal Birkdale isn’t the only stop on a well-worn path in the coming years. The Open returns to the Old Course at St Andrews in 2027 for the 155th Championship, before moving to Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2028 for the 156th, a Lancashire links known for dramatic finishes and past champions including Seve Ballesteros and David Duval. Between St Andrews’ spiritual home status and Lytham’s history of late drama, golf’s oldest major has two more classic venues lined up before the rota turns again.

Bring the Major Championship Feeling Closer to Home

Watching the world’s best play a links course is one way to get your fix. Playing your own round at a course built to the same standard is another. Our ICON Golf Day at The Grove gives you and your group the chance to actually get out on the course yourselves, rather than just spectating, with the setting and level of detail you’d expect from a major.

Whether you’re planning a client day out, a group celebration, or simply want a proper day on the course with friends, get in touch with the team and we’ll help you find the right package.

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