Ryan Fox, the son of a New Zealand rugby legend and grandson of a cricket captain, is the 2026 Open champion. The 39-year-old birdied the final hole to finish at 10 under par, one shot ahead of American Cameron Young, at Royal Birkdale.
Decisive Final Hole
Fox and Young were tied at nine under par as they approached the 18th tee. Young had finished more than two hours earlier, his total of nine under looking increasingly promising as contenders faltered. Fox, however, thrived under pressure. He drove 330 yards down the fairway, hit an iron to 11 feet, and holed the birdie putt to secure the Claret Jug.
Young, who found a bunker off the 18th tee and then thick grass with his second shot, scrambled for a bogey five. A par would have forced a playoff at 10 under. “It’s a sore one,” Young said, as he became a major nearly man once again.
Contenders Wilt Under Heat
Sam Burns, the 54-hole leader at 11 under, wobbled after reaching that mark inside two holes. He regressed to eight under at the turn and finished there. Fox, meanwhile, dealt best with the scorched-earth conditions.
Tommy Fleetwood, the hometown hero, could not end his major drought. He kissed his hand and waved to the galleries after a birdie on the 72nd hole, finishing tied for fourth at seven under. “The crowd was incredible,” Fleetwood said.
Scottie Scheffler, aiming for back-to-back Opens, shot 32 putts in round two and never recovered. He flew from the traps on Sunday, playing the first five holes in three under, but slipped to six under before roaring back. A birdie at 16 and 17 left him one from the lead, but he carved his tee shot right at the last, missed the green, and took three more, finishing tied for fourth. “I guess it just wasn’t my week,” Scheffler said.
DeChambeau and McIlroy
Bryson DeChambeau, hit with a two-stroke penalty on Friday for errant footwork, hovered on the leaderboard before a triple-bogey seven on the 11th. He tied for 14th, his best major finish of 2026. The R&A quietly breathed a sigh of relief that he did not close only two from the lead.
Rory McIlroy, the Masters champion, signed off with a 71 for a one-under total. Asked whether he would welcome DeChambeau at the Irish Open, which takes place at Donald Trump’s Doonbeg resort, McIlroy said, “I think that would be great for the tournament, absolutely. Having someone like Bryson at the Irish Open, it would be great for the tournament.”
Other Notable Performances
Kim Si-woo took the lead after holing from off the green at the 6th but faded on the closing stretch, sharing sixth with Casey Jarvis and Lucas Herbert. Bob MacIntyre received a code of conduct warning after slamming his driver into the ground. “I’m going to do it for the rest of my career,” the Scot said. “Part of my DNA.”
Fox’s victory cements a remarkable family dynasty. His father, Grant, was a rugby legend for New Zealand; his grandfather, Martin Donnelly, captained the country’s cricket team. Three generations, three sports, one Claret Jug.
