Ryan Fox Wins the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale

Ryan Fox birdied the 72nd hole to win the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, closing at 10 under to beat Cameron Young by one and claim his first major title at 39. Fox is the first New Zealander to win The Open since Bob Charles in 1963, and he got there from nowhere, sitting tied for 52nd at the halfway point before a weekend that flipped the tournament on its head.

His winning line, a 330-yard drive and an approach to just under 12 feet on the hardest hole on the course, was the calm ending to a chaotic Sunday. Fox admitted he could barely hold the putter together.

"I'm not sure how I hit the putt straight to be honest, everything was shaking, trembling. I know that's what people practice sometimes, you know, I've got a putt to win a major; it's a whole lot different in real life."

How Fox Closed It Out

Fox began the final round two behind and even par through the turn after a bogey at the ninth, then dropped another shot at the 11th. From there he flipped it, birdieing four of his last six holes to force his way in front. His card of 68 gave him rounds of 72-68-62-68, that Saturday 62 the engine of the whole week.

Cameron Young made it a fight to the end. Young posted a 64, the low round of the day, to reach nine under and set the number Fox had to beat. When Fox rolled in the birdie at the last, there was no playoff and no reprieve. The 18th at Birkdale played as the toughest hole in the field, yielding only a handful of birdies all week, and Fox took one when it mattered most.

The comeback itself was historic. Fox was tied for 52nd after 36 holes, and the last player to win a major after sitting that far back at halfway was David Duval at the 2001 Open. His closing 36 holes of 130 ranked among the best major weekends on record.

The Leaderboard Story: Burns Folds, Scheffler Falls Short

Sam Burns held the 54-hole lead at 10 under and could not close it. He opened the final round with three bogeys in a stretch around the turn, signed for a two-over 72, and finished solo third at eight under. Burns is now one for six when carrying a 54-hole lead into the final round.

Scottie Scheffler, the pre-tournament favorite, gave himself a chance. He birdied the 17th to get within one of the lead, then bogeyed the last to close a 67 and tie for fourth at seven under alongside Tommy Fleetwood, the Southport local who had the crowd behind him all week. Si Woo Kim and Lucas Herbert, the Friday 62 man who could not sustain it over the weekend, shared sixth at six under. Rory McIlroy, who scraped through the cut on the number, never contended and tied for 40th at one under.

Betting Impact: One of the Great Longshot Cashes

Fox was a genuine outsider. DraftKings had him at +17000 to win the week when play began, and his price ballooned to +200000 during a rough opening round before he turned it around (DK Network, published July 19). One DraftKings bettor turned a 55 dollar wager at that number into a 110,000 dollar payout when Fox lifted the Claret Jug. Even entering the final round, after that Saturday 62, Fox was still +780 on the board.

That is the shape of this Open for anyone with money on it. The pre-tournament favorite, Scheffler, never led outright. The 54-hole leader, Burns, folded. The winner came from a triple-digit price and a halfway position almost nobody backs. For outright bettors, Birkdale was a reminder that links golf in tough scoring conditions rewards the field, not the chalk, and that in-tournament live prices on a hot hand can pay when a pre-event ticket never had the number.

For future majors, Fox is now a name to price up rather than throw out. A 39-year-old first-time major winner with a closing 130 is not a fluke card, and his number will not be 170-to-1 next time.

What to Watch Next

The PGA Tour's summer runs toward the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and the story lines out of Birkdale carry forward. Watch whether Scheffler, still the world's best player and still without an Open, treats another near miss as fuel, and whether Fox uses a major title to lock down status and starts he has chased for years. Burns, meanwhile, has another 54-hole lead that got away to answer for.

Chad AI tracks every outright, matchup and make-the-cut market inside the StatSniper app. The AI sports picks hub has the model's read on the golf board, and the Chad picks hub covers the rest. For how the weekend set up, see our Open Championship moving-day recap. Full results are at The Open.

FAQ

Who won the 2026 Open Championship? Ryan Fox won the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, finishing at 10 under to beat Cameron Young by one shot. It was his first major title.

How did Ryan Fox win The Open? Fox shot a final-round 68 and birdied the 72nd hole to reach 10 under. He was tied for 52nd at the halfway point before a Saturday 62 and a closing 68 completed one of the biggest comebacks in major history.

Where did Scottie Scheffler finish at the 2026 Open? Scheffler tied for fourth at seven under after a closing 67. He birdied the 17th to get within one but bogeyed the 18th and never held the outright lead.

Is Ryan Fox the first New Zealander to win The Open? Fox is the first New Zealander to win The Open since Bob Charles in 1963. He won his first major at age 39.

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