Open Championship 2028: Royal Lytham and St Annes is the venue

The Open Championship 2028 will be held at Royal Lytham & St Annes on England's northwest coast. This means that golf's most traditional major will return to a course that is already deeply rooted in the tournament's history: The Open will be decided on the Fylde links for the 12th time - for the first time since 2012.

Open Championship 2028: The most important facts at a glance

• Venue: Royal Lytham & St Annes (Lancashire, England)
• Edition: The 156th Open (156th Open Championship)
• History: 12th staging in Royal Lytham, last in 2012
• Tournament days: August 3-6, 2028 (Thu-Sun)

When is The Open 2028 - and why exceptionally in August?

The Open is normally held in July. in 2028, however, the tournament will be moved back once so that it does not clash with the Olympic golf competitions in Los Angeles, which take place at the end of July. The R&A has therefore deliberately set the date so that the Open is not decided until the beginning of August.

Return after 2012: Ernie Els' victory as the last Lytham Open

The last time The Open was held at Royal Lytham & St Annes, Ernie Els won the Claret Jug - his second Open Championship triumph. Since then, the course has not been on the men's major's tournament calendar. in 2028, the break ends: The Open returns to Lancashire and will once again be played on a course known for challenging links conditions and an uncompromising test from Tee to green.

Why Royal Lytham & St Annes? Traditions, class - and big names

Royal Lytham & St Annes has been one of the iconic stops on the Open rotation for decades. The list of winners who have won the Claret Jug here reads like an excerpt from the history book of golf - from Bobby Jones to later champions such as Gary Players, Seven Ballesteros, Tom Lehman and David Duval.

Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, emphasized the sporting and historical significance of the venue in the announcement: "Royal Lytham & St Annes is widely regarded as one of the best links courses in the world and has seen many great championship moments since The Open was first played there in 1926 when the legendary Bobby Jones won."

Darbon also categorized the return as a strong signal to fans and the golfing public: "This is one of the most cherished and historic venues in golf - and the return of The Open to these famous links will generate great interest from fans to be part of one of the world's greatest sporting events and celebrate the rich Traditions of golf's original championship."

100 years after Bobby Jones: The club links the award with an anniversary

The club itself is also placing the 2028 event in a special context. Tim Walker, Chairman of Council at Royal Lytham & St Annes, pointed out that the decision comes at a historic time: "It is fitting that this announcement comes at a time when we are marking 100 years since Bobby Jones won here in 1926 and we were awarded our Royal status." (Source: theopen.com)

Classification: How Lytham fits into the Open rotation

Royal Lytham & St Annes is the next venue in the rotation. Before that, The Open is scheduled to take place in Royal Birkdale, followed by St Andrews - before returning to Lancashire in 2028. Where the tournament will be played in 2029 remains to be seen.

Outlook: Women's Open in Lytham beforehand

Even before the men's Open Championship, Royal Lytham & St Annes will be the focus of world golf: The course will also host the AIG Women's Open (end of July/beginning of August), putting the course and the region in the international spotlight in advance.