The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale heads into its final day on Sunday, July 19, 2026, with American Sam Burns leading the field at 10 under par. Southport's Tommy Fleetwood sits five shots behind after a third round of 69, leaving him at 5 under and tied for 10th place.
Leaderboard After Round Three
Sam Burns holds a two-shot lead at 10 under par. Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim are tied for second at 8 under. Ryan Gerard and Lucas Herbert are a further shot back at 7 under. Ludvig Aberg, Bryson DeChambeau, and Jackson Suber are at 6 under, while Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Tommy Fleetwood are at 5 under.
Fleetwood's third round included three birdies and one bogey, leaving him visibly disappointed after a bogey on the 18th. He remains a crowd favorite, with fans cheering his every move.
Bryson DeChambeau Penalty
Bryson DeChambeau was handed a two-shot penalty during the second round for inadvertently improving his lie by trampling down rough on the fifth hole. The R&A enforced the rule, which altered his score and dropped him to 4 under after round three. Fans at Royal Birkdale made their feelings clear, with mixed reactions as he played on Saturday.
Tommy Fleetwood's Chances
Speaking to the media after his third round, Fleetwood remained realistic but upbeat. "It will be difficult to get to the top of the leaderboard, but you never know," he said. The Southport native is five shots off the lead, but with 18 holes to play, a low round could put pressure on the leaders.
Fleetwood's round of 69 included a strong front nine of 32, with birdies on the fifth, seventh, and 11th holes. He struggled slightly on the back nine, dropping a shot on the 15th before a bogey on the 18th.
Final Round Tee Times
The final round begins at 07:40 BST, with the leaders teeing off at 14:20. Tommy Fleetwood will play alongside Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen at 13:40. Other notable pairings include Rory McIlroy with Jordan Smith at 11:30, and Scottie Scheffler with Jose Luis Ballester at 12:45.
Full tee times (BST):
- 07:40: Jesper Svensson, Keegan Bradley
- 07:50: Matthew Southgate, Laurie Canter
- 08:00: Jack McDonald, Ben Griffin
- 08:10: Peter Uihlein, Kazuki Higa
- 08:20: Sepp Straka, John Parry
- 08:30: Andy Sullivan, Aldrich Potgieter
- 08:40: Marcus Plunkett, Ryo Hisatsune
- 08:50: Min Woo Lee, Tyrrell Hatton
- 09:00: Nick Taylor, MJ Daffue
- 09:15: Eugenio Chacarra, Rickie Fowler
- 09:25: Naoyuki Kataoka, Thomas Detry
- 09:35: JJ Spaun, Victor Perez
- 09:45: Chris Gotterup, Patrick Cantlay
- 09:55: Michael Brennan, Kurt Kitayama
- 10:05: Brooks Koepka, Bud Cauley
- 10:15: Alex Fitzpatrick, Pierceson Coody
- 10:25: Corey Conners, Johnny Keefer
- 10:40: Patrick Reed, Adam Scott
- 10:50: Michael Thorbjornsen, Shaun Norris
- 11:00: Marco Penge, Alex Noren
- 11:10: Russell Henley, Matt Wallace
- 11:20: Francesco Molinari, Collin Morikawa
- 11:30: Jordan Smith, Rory McIlroy
- 11:40: Hennie du Plessis, Sahith Theegala
- 11:50: Casey Jarvis, Kristoffer Reitan
- 12:05: Cameron Young, Robert MacIntyre
- 12:15: Nico Echavarria, Im Sung-jae
- 12:25: Jacob Bridgeman, Justin Thomas
- 12:35: Max Homa, Alex Smalley
- 12:45: Jose Luis Ballester, Scottie Scheffler
- 12:55: Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry
- 13:05: Cameron John, Daniel Brown
- 13:15: Hideki Matsuyama, Kazuma Kobori
- 13:30: Eric Cole, Xander Schauffele
- 13:40: Tommy Fleetwood, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
- 13:50: Jackson Suber, Bryson DeChambeau
- 14:00: Ludvig Aberg, Lucas Herbert
- 14:10: Ryan Gerard, Kim Si-woo
- 14:20: Ryan Fox, Sam Burns
Fan Atmosphere and Local Support
Thousands of golf fans have descended on Royal Birkdale, with many showing strong support for local hero Tommy Fleetwood. Bradley Stubbs, director of Scottsdale Golf, told the ECHO: "He's just such a loveable guy, he's so humble and down to earth. He's got time for everybody. If he won, it would make our week. It's history for this area, Tommy Fleetwood all day."
Fans from across the globe, including Chris and Brandy from Florida, USA, have been spotted on the course. The atmosphere is described as electric, with many hoping for a Fleetwood victory.
Other Notable Events
Sunday also features England vs India in the third ODI at Lord's and the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. Fans not at Royal Birkdale are expected to enjoy a marathon of sport.
