24 articles
AP's July 19, 2026 close-call report plus current R&A TIO guidance and Open local rules checked July 22 show Scottie Scheffler's relief at Royal Birkdale was allowed, which is exactly why the rule now feels too generous.
Official Open coverage and AP reporting checked July 20, 2026 make Ryan Fox's Royal Birkdale win feel important not just because it was dramatic, but because it broke the usual superstar-only major script.
AP's July 19, 2026 report and The Open's official final-round coverage show Ryan Fox won The 154th Open at 10-under with a birdie on the brutal 18th, one shot ahead of Cameron Young.
AP's July 18, 2026 report plus The Open's official Saturday recap and Sunday leaderboard show Sam Burns starts the final round at 10-under, two clear of Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim, with Tommy Fleetwood, Bryson DeChambeau, and others still close enough to make Royal Birkdale uncomfortable.
Official Open coverage checked July 19, 2026 shows Tommy Fleetwood starts the final round five back at Royal Birkdale, and that is a much better hometown-major script than a neat little coronation would have been.
AP's July 17, 2026 report and The Open's official round-two coverage show Lucas Herbert shot a record-tying 62 to lead Royal Birkdale at 8-under, Sam Burns matched him, and Bryson DeChambeau's late two-shot penalty reshaped the weekend.
Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns tied the men's major scoring record on Friday, July 17, 2026, but AP and official Open coverage make clear Royal Birkdale still produced exactly the kind of messy, strategic weekend golf should want.
Jackson Suber led Royal Birkdale after round one on July 16, 2026, and AP plus official Open coverage showed he was hardly the only debutant in the mix. That is a feature, not a flaw.
AP's July 16, 2026 report and The Open's official round-one coverage show Jackson Suber shot 65 in his Open debut to lead Royal Birkdale, with Sungjae Im and Daniel Brown one back and the favorites already chasing.
AP's July 15, 2026 Birkdale setup report and The Open's July 16 forecast say Royal Birkdale opens firm, fast, and warm, with lighter morning winds before afternoon gusts around 21 mph.
AP's July 15, 2026 Birkdale report and The Open's official course guides show this week's real distance debate is about runout, angles, and restraint. Golf should want more majors that force brains before bravado.
Associated Press reporting published July 14, 2026 says Jon Rahm supports The Open's player-conduct policy but questioned jumping straight to penalties and argued slow play deserves more real enforcement. He is right about at least half of that.
AP and official Open materials checked July 14, 2026 show Joe Dean shot 2-under 68 to win Royal Birkdale's inaugural Last-Chance Qualifier, beating Andrew Wilson by one and earning the final place in The 154th Open.
AP and The Open's official course materials checked July 14, 2026 show Royal Birkdale's new par-3 15th, redesigned fifth and 18th, and firm yellow turf should make this week's Open far less nostalgic and far more interesting.
Associated Press reporting published July 12, 2026 says Tom Kim won the Genesis Scottish Open with a bogey-free 64 for his first PGA Tour title since 2023. That does not make him the Open favorite, but it absolutely makes the week better.
AP and official Open materials checked on July 12, 2026 show Max Homa earned a Royal Birkdale spot through the July 5 OWGR cutoff after Ben Kohles' late John Deere miss changed the ranking math.
Scottie Scheffler's 78-event made-cut streak ended on July 10, 2026 at the Genesis Scottish Open. That is bad news for him this week, but very good news for the tension level at Royal Birkdale.
The Open's official July 7-8, 2026 materials say Royal Birkdale will host a 12-player, 18-hole last-chance qualifier on Monday, July 13 for one final spot in the championship. That is a rare major-week add that actually makes sense.
Associated Press, Sky Sports, and The Open materials checked on July 10, 2026 say Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Tom Kim, Bernd Wiesberger, and Rasmus Hojgaard opened the Genesis Scottish Open at 5-under 65, with Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka still close enough to matter.
DP World Tour's June 26, 2026 field announcement says six of the world's top 10 are in Scotland this week, and The Open qualification tracker confirms three more Royal Birkdale spots are still on the line.
Golf Monthly's June 29-30, 2026 coverage framed Open final qualifying as a possible victim of too many big names. The better takeaway is that famous players having to survive the same 36-hole mess is part of the charm.
Golf Monthly's June 30, 2026 final-qualifying coverage says 20 players earned Open Championship spots at Royal Birkdale, with Caleb Surratt, Peter Uihlein, Matthew Southgate, and Matthew Jordan among the most interesting names.
Golf Monthly's June 28, 2026 Italian Open reporting says Eugenio Chacarra won his second straight DP World Tour title, locked up an Open Championship berth, and moved to third in the Race to Dubai. That is a real pathway story, not a fake redemption montage.
Golf Monthly's June 26, 2026 report says Rory McIlroy used Travelers week for an early Royal Birkdale scouting trip and plans to play only the Scottish Open before The Open. That sounds smart, not scandalous.