New Zealand’s Ryan Fox wins the 154th Open with a birdie on the 18th hole. He won by one shot over Cameron Young who finished hours earlier and was hoping for a playoff. Sam Burns held on for a 3rd place finish.
Fox not only takes home the Claret Jug but also a check for $3.2 million.
His record-matching Saturday 62, fired him into contention, and he saved his very best until last, a run of four birdies in his last six holes sealing victory in style.
He has become his country’s fourth major winner, following in the footsteps of Michael Campbell, Lydia Ko and Sir Bob Charles, who lifted the Claret Jug at nearby Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1963.
Fox had to hit his tee shot out sideways from a pot bunker on the 15th hole resulting in bogey. A fast player, Fox saw his ball in the bunker, walked quickly in and chipped out, without any fuss. He made bogey on the hole but bounced back to birdie four of the final six holes to win the championship.
The R&A issued strict player conduct and code of conduct policy for The Open. It was introduced by the major championships to enforce higher standards of professionalism and curb on-course outbursts. The policy explicitly states that tournament officials are not required to give an official warning before applying a penalty stroke or outright disqualification.
Bryson DeChambeau was assessed a two-stroke penalty at The Open Championship for violating Rule 8.1 of the Rules of Golf which prohibits a player from improving the area of their intended swing or backswing.
The violation occurred during his second round at Royal Birkdale when his drive landed in the thick, tall fescue rough on the par-4 fifth hole.
Replays and officials determined that as he approached his ball, he stepped down on and flattened the tall grass behind it. Even though The R&A conceded that the action was accidental, the rule dictates that accidentally trampling or altering natural objects to potentially gain an advantage—such as clearing a path for a backswing—still results in a penalty.
The two-shot sanction was applied to his score on the fifth hole, changing his score from a bogey to a triple bogey. As a result, his stellar second round dropped from a 66 to a 68, shifting him out of contention for the tournament lead and into a tie for fifth place heading into the weekend.
DeChambeau argued with the rules officials that he did not violate the rule and even threatened to withdraw from the tournament. His actions delayed starting times the following day until he arrived for his tee time. His action truly violates the spirit of the game. Under the code of conduct policy issued by the R&A, perhaps he should have been disqualified.
Ironically, during Sunday’s final round, DeChambeau hit his tee shot on the par-4 11th hole into the deep, thick fescue grass and after failing to locate his original ball in the rough, was forced to take a penalty and hit a fifth shot from 118 yards, ultimately leading to an expensive triple-bogey 7. I am not sure how much effort was made by the fans attending to find the ball- Karma is a powerful thing
It was an amazing Open Championship. Scottie Scheffler fought valiantly to defend the Claret Jug which he won last year. Cameron Young played with abandon on Sunday and nearly won the Championship, losing by one shot. Sam Burns was in the mix again, as he was at the U.S. Open- he will win a Major Championship soon.
Cheers for local Tommy Fleetwood of “come on Tommy Lad” echoed around Royal Birkdale all week. He came up a bit short in the end, finishing 4th.
After his final round at The Open at Royal Birkdale, Tommy Fleetwood described the walk down the 18th hole as “heavy stuff” and “very, very special”.
He noted that the crowd’s ovation and support exceeded anything he ever imagined as a kid, adding, “my dream of winning The Open will carry on and I’ll continue to chase it”.
Golf is about dreams of winning Championships, winning your Club Championship, breaking 80, one more round with your pals, and just one more round with a family member. Keep dreaming.
The Men’s Major Championship tournaments are over for this year. Mark, your calendar for the President’s Cup at Medinah in Chicago, September 24 – 27.
The next men’s golf major is the 2027 Masters Tournament, which will take place from April 8–11, 2027. It will be held at its traditional home, the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
Following the Masters, the remaining 2027 men’s major championship schedule is:
- PGA Championship: May 13–16, 2027, at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas.
- U.S. Open: June 17–20, 2027, at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California.
- The Open Championship: July 15–18, 2027, at The Old Course at St Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland.
If you love links golf like I do, be sure to watch the
LPGA ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, taking place from July 23–26, 2026, at the Dundonald Links in North Ayrshire, Scotland.
The following week the LPGA will play the 2026 AIG Women’s Open (the 50th staging of the Championship) from July 29 to August 2, 2026. The tournament will be held at the historic Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England.
Enjoy your golf.
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