The 154th Open will be played at Royal Birkdale in 2026, the R&A announced Tuesday.
The Southport links previously hosted golf’s original championship on 10 occasions, the last of which was in 2017 when Jordan Spieth emerged victorious in a memorable final-round duel with Matt Kuchar to lift the Claret Jug for the first time.
The American joined a celebrated roll of champion golfers at Royal Birkdale, including Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Ian Baker-Finch, Mark O’Meara and Padraig Harrington.
Scott MacPherson, author of Golf’s Royal Clubs, wrote of Royal Birkdale, “There are great clubs, there are great courses, and then there is Royal Birkdale — the combination of both.”
He’d get no argument from Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A.
“Royal Birkdale is a world class championship venue and its outstanding links will once again provide the world’s best men’s professional golfers with a tough but fair test of their talents and capabilities as they compete for the Claret Jug,” Slumbers said. “It has produced many memorable moments that are woven into the story of this historic Championship, including a dramatic final round in 2017 when Jordan Spieth won for the first time. We look forward to another special occasion in three years and it will be fascinating to see which player will emerge to join a list of renowned Champion Golfers to have won at Royal Birkdale.”
Royal Liverpool is set to host the 151st Open next week, with Scotland’s Royal Troon booked for 2024 and Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush set to have the honor in 2025. The 2026 dates for the 11th playing of the Open at Royal Birkdale are scheduled for the week of July 12-19.
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