Southport, England – Ryan Fox has won 2026’s The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. This marks his third PGA Tour win and his first major win. This win also earns him $3.2 million in prize money, the Gold Medal, the coveted Claret Jug, and the title of Champion Golfer of the Year. He becomes only the second New Zealander to ever win The Open.
The 39-year-old Fox really launched himself into a position to win after matching the lowest single round in the history of The Open Championship on Saturday with a 62. He would go on to shoot a 68 in the final round and match the lowest final 36-hole score of any Open Championship.
His quick and calm play was a sight to behold. In his last six holes, he carded four birdies, including a 12-foot birdie on the final hole to win by one with a score of 10-under par. His putter was the key, as he led the tournament this week in strokes gained putting thanks to his long PING 2D Anser putter.
Another notable performance was that of Cameron Young, who would ultimately finish just one stroke behind Fox. With a final score of 9-under par, Young carded the lowest score of the final round. With seven birdies on the last day, he flew 18 spots up the leaderboard to nearly become the second-largest come-from-behind win in the history of this tournament.
Nearly perfect weather all week meant that Royal Birkdale was proving scorable for the field, too. Both Sam Burns and Lucas Herbert also shot record-low rounds of 62 this week. They would go on to finish in 3rd and T6, with final scores of 72 and 71, respectively.
Next week is another open, the 3M Open. Kurt Kitayama will look to defend the title he won there last year. After finishing in a tie for fourth this week, world number one Scottie Scheffler will be the headlining golfer there looking for his 21st PGA Tour title. Other notable golfers who have committed to playing include Tom Kim, Tony Finau, and Hideki Matsuyama.
Ryan Fox’s What’s In The Bag:
Driver: Srixon ZXi RKT LS+ (10.5°) / Fujikura Ventus Black 7 TX
3 Wood: Srixon ZXi RKT / Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 8 X
3 Iron: Srixon ZXi5+ / Ventus Blue VeloCore+ 10 X
Long Irons: Srixon ZXi5 (4 & 5) / True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Short Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (6 thru PW) / True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50° 10 Mid, 56° 10 Mid, 60° 06 Low) / True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (50°) and True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (56°, 60°)
Putter: Ping Anser 2D
Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV
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