2026 Open Championship: Ryan Fox Wins the Claret Jug

It was the Putt that decided everything. Ryan Fox stood on the 18th green at Royal Birkdale, twelve feet from the hole, with the heart of an entire nation beating in his chest—and sank the ball with a steady hand. Birdie. Claret Jug. Champion Golfer of the Year.

With a final round of 68 (-2) and a total score of 270 strokes (-10), the 39-year-old New Zealander won the 2026 Open Championship, capping off one of the most surprising career achievements golf has seen in recent memory. Fox won by one stroke over American Cameron Young, making history in the process: He became the first New Zealander since Bob Charles in 1963 to claim the world’s oldest major trophy.

Here is the final leaderboard for the 2026 Open Championship.

The underdog from Auckland wins the 2026 Open Championship

Anyone familiar with Ryan Fox knows he’s a player who has won all over the world—on the DP World Tour and, most recently, on the PGA TOUR with victories at Myrtle Beach and the 2025 RBC Canadian Open. Yet in 28 major starts, he had never finished in the top 10. Ranked 56th in the world—not a name you’d expect to see at the top of the pairing list on the final day of a major.

That changed abruptly on Saturday. With a flawless 62 (-8)—the lowest 18-hole round in major history, tied for the record—Fox catapulted himself into the final round and into the last pairing alongside 54-hole leader Sam Burns.

His formula on the final day: a cool head, precise Iron play, and four Birdies on the last six holes. “I told my caddie Dean after the first eight holes: I feel much better than expected,” Fox said after the victory. The veteran’s nerves of steel paid off. On the legendarily difficult final hole—a par-4, 508-yard hole, the toughest of the week—his tee shot found the middle of the Fairway, his 8-iron reached the green, and his putt found the hole.

“To be honest, I don’t know how I made that Putt. My hands were shaking. I just took a deep breath and tried to play the line,” Fox admitted. The fact that the ball still dropped was “surreal.” Now his name stands alongside those of Nicklaus, Palmer, Watson, and Tiger on the Claret Jug—a thought that visibly overwhelmed him: “Seeing my name immortalized in the history of golf means everything to me.”

See here how much prize money the players earned at the Open Championship.

Young’s Heroic Feat—and a Fateful Bunker

If the 2026 Open Championship has a second star, it’s Cameron Young. The 31-year-old American, winner of the 2026 Players Championship, started Sunday seven strokes behind Burns—practically written off. What followed was a front nine for the history books: five consecutive threes, four Birdies, and a 29 on the front nine. Young climbed inexorably up the leaderboard, sank his seventh Birdie of the day on the 17th, and headed into the final hole at -10—tied with Fox, who was still on the course at that point.

But the 18th hole showed no mercy. Young’s drive found the Fairway bunker; his subsequent 6-iron attempt bounced off the edge of the Bunker and landed in the fescue. Bogey. Clubhouse lead at -9.

“I was really trying to get the ball on the green. I believed I could do it. I truly believed that -10 was a realistic chance to win the tournament,” Young said. He then waited more than two hours on the practice green—for a miracle that never came. Nevertheless, Young looked back on the day with remarkable composure. He had used an unusual method as mental support for the final round: “I counted my breaths today. I just had to have something to hold on to.”

Burns Collapses, Fleetwood Nearly in Tears

Sam Burns was the one who should have won. The American started the final round at ten under Par and two strokes ahead of the field—but his game fell apart on holes 4 through 6. Three consecutive Bogey shots, including an unplayable ball after a drive into the ditch on the 6th, threw him off his rhythm. He was unable to make another Birdie. Third place (-8) was the sobering result in the end.

Meanwhile, Tommy Fleetwood provided the most emotional story of the day. The Englishman was born and raised in Southport—Royal Birkdale is practically his backyard. A strong start put him in contention, but Bogey shots on holes 9, 10, and 11 cost him his chance to catch up. In the end: fourth place (-7), but a reception on the 18th hole that visibly moved him.

“The walk down the 18th was very emotional. It was beyond my wildest imagination,” said Fleetwood. “My dream of winning the Open continues. But what happened this week—I’ll never forget it.”

Scottie Scheffler, the world’s number one, played solidly from a technical standpoint but struggled with a cold Putter. With Birdies on 16 and 17, he put himself back within striking distance, but on 18, his chip rolled past the hole. A Bogey, fourth place. “It just wasn’t my week. But I fought hard and I’m proud of my mental toughness,” Scheffler summed up.

A Week Full of Records—and a Controversy

The 2026 Open Championship offered more than just sporting drama. Three players shot a 62 this week—Burns and Lucas Herbert on Friday, Fox on Saturday—setting the major record for the lowest 18-hole round.

Bryson DeChambeau also made headlines after receiving a two-stroke penalty on Friday for unintentionally improving his swing area in the Rough on the 5th hole. He refused all media interviews for four days and finished tied for 14th place. He thus put the tournament behind him—at least on the leaderboard.

The total prize purse of $17.75 million was the highest in the history of the Championship. Fox took home $3.2 million of that.

St. Andrews Awaits the 155th Open Championship

The next Open Championship will be held in St. Andrews in 2027—on the holiest ground in golf. Ryan Fox will then compete as the defending champion. For many others, most notably Young and Fleetwood, the hunt for the Claret Jug is far from over.