Royal Birkdale Returns to the Spotlight for the 2026Open Championship

Royal Birkdale is ready to welcome golf’s oldest championship back to England’s

northwest coast, and the 2026 Open Championship arrives with both history and

intrigue. The Southport links has hosted The Open ten times before and will stage it for

the 11th time in 2026, putting one of the game’s most respected championship venues

back at the center of major-championship golf. The R&A announced Royal Birkdale as the host of the 154th Open, noting that the venue last produced a memorable final-

round duel in 2017, when Jordan Spieth held off Matt Kuchar to lift the Claret Jug for the

first time.

A Classic Links Test Built on Precision

Royal Birkdale is widely regarded as one of the fairest but sternest tests on The Open

Rota. Unlike some links courses that rely heavily on blind shots and hidden hazards,

Birkdale usually shows players the challenge in front of them. The fairways run through

corridors framed by high dunes, rewarding accurate driving and smart angles while

punishing shots that drift into bunkers, fescue, run-offs, or awkward dune-side lies. It is

a course where power matters, but patience, trajectory control, and disciplined course

management matter more.

For 2026, players will encounter a Royal Birkdale that has changed since Spieth’s

victory. Reports ahead of the championship note that several holes have been altered,

including a more tempting drivable par-4 fifth, a reworked 14th that now plays as a par

five, and a new longer par-3 15th measuring around 241 yards. Those changes sharpen

the late-round drama: the closing stretch can create eagles and birdies, but it can just

as quickly turn a contender’s Open dream into a scramble for survival.

Weather, Firm Turf, and the Demands of Links Golf

The defining variable at Birkdale is always the seaside environment. Wind off the Irish

Sea can shift club selection by several clubs, while firm, fast-running turf asks players to

use the ground as much as the air. Approach shots may need to land well short and

release, chips may be played from tight lies, and putts from off the green can become

safer than lofted shots. In dry conditions, which this year’s event will feature, the course

can turn brown, bouncy, and unpredictable, the kind of surface that brings imagination

into every decision.

A Roll Call of Champion Golfers

Royal Birkdale’s Open history is defined by the caliber of its champions. Peter Thomson

won there twice, in 1954 and 1965, while Arnold Palmer’s 1961 victory helped elevate

The Open’s global profile. Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Ian Baker-Finch,

Mark O’Meara, Padraig Harrington, and Jordan Spieth have also joined the club’s

celebrated list of Champion Golfers. Few venues have produced such a clean line of

major champions across eras, which is why Birkdale carries a reputation for identifying

players with complete games.

Spotlight: Jordan Spieth’s Wild 2017 Triumph

The last Open at Royal Birkdale delivered one of the most dramatic finishes in modern

major history. Jordan Spieth led after each of the first three rounds in 2017, but his final

round took a chaotic turn at the par-4 13th. After a wayward tee shot, a lengthy rules

discussion, and a penalty drop near the practice ground, Spieth somehow escaped with

what became a famous bogey. At that moment, he had lost the lead to Matt

Kuchar—but the championship was about to tilt back in spectacular fashion.

Spieth responded with a closing burst that remains the stuff of Open lore: birdie at the

14th, eagle at the 15th, birdie at the 16th, and another birdie at the 17th. That five-shot

surge over four holes transformed a near-collapse into a three-shot victory over Kuchar.

At 23, Spieth captured the third major title of his career and added his name to

Birkdale’s distinguished roll of winners. As the championship returns in 2026, his 2017

performance will hover over the week as both memory and measuring stick.

What to Watch in 2026

The 2026 Open should reward players who combine elite ball-striking with creativity

around the greens. Driving accuracy will be vital because Birkdale’s bunkers and dune-

lined corridors can quickly remove aggressive options. Approach play must be precise,

especially on firm greens and exposed par threes. And if the wind rises, the champion

may be the player most willing to accept par, choose conservative targets, and wait for

the brief scoring windows that links golf provides.

Royal Birkdale rarely feels accidental. Its champions tend to be worthy, its closing

stretches tend to be revealing, and its history tends to echo loudly when the Claret Jug

is on the line. Nine years after Spieth turned chaos into glory, the Southport links is

poised to write the next chapter.

Here is who our team thinks will hoist the Claret Jug in 2026.

Scott Warren: I am going to stick with my United States Open choice, Matthew

Fitzpatrick. He was in the thick of the chase at Shinnecock Hills headed into the final

round and I think this time he will close the deal.

Alexis Ryder: My pick is Scottie Scheffler, it is hard to imagine the best player in the

world not winning one of the four major championships this year.

Brendon Phillips: I'm picking Justin Rose. He always seems to be in the hunt at major championships and I think this is where he wins his second ever major. In 1998 as a 17 year old amateur he finished 4th at the Open Championship on this very course.