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Fox wins at Royal Birkdale
Ryan Fox won the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in England by draining a birdie putt on the 18th hole to beat American Cameron Young by one shot.
“La ronda dominical reunió todos los argumentos que se esperan de un final del Open Británico”
Fox finished with a 2-under 68 after trailing Sam Burns, who held a two-stroke lead coming into Sunday’s final round, and the final-hole birdie capped four birdies in the last six holes for Fox.
The decisive moment came after Fox needed a birdie on 18 to avoid a playoff with Young, and ESPN described Fox yelling "Be right!" as his approach landed 11½ feet from the hole.
Fox’s winning total was 10-under, and Golf Channel said the claret jug was secured when Fox birdied the 72nd hole.
Nerves, quotes, and pressure
After the win, Fox told Sky Sports, "To play that last hole how I did, I stood on the tee box and I said to my caddy, Dean, we’re going to try and win this," describing a final-hole mindset that came down to a par forcing a playoff and a birdie winning outright.
CNN reported that Fox said, "I don’t really know what to think at the moment," and added that his wife and kids were in Florida and that he spoke to them the night before.
Young, who finished one shot back, said, "I thought 10 [under] had a decent chance," and ESPN noted Young watched more than two hours of action from the clubhouse after carding a 6-under 64.
Burns, who came into Sunday with a two-stroke lead, was quoted by CNN saying, "(Fox) is a well-earned champion and hats off to him," after Burns finished with a birdie-free final 12 holes.
Prize money and next stakes
The Open Championship purse was increased by the R&A to a record $17.75 million, with the champion earning $3.2 million, and USA Today listed Ryan Fox’s first-place payout as $3,200,000.
“Ryan Fox took home the Claret Jug after draining a birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Sunday”
USA Today also reported the runner-up check for Cameron Young at $1,842,000 and listed Sam Burns at $1,181,000, while The Open’s prize structure placed Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood at $827,500 each for T4.
Beyond the immediate payday, Fox’s victory came with automatic entry into all future Open Championships until the age of 55 and five-year exemptions to play in The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and The Players Championship, according to NZ Herald.
The same sources framed the stakes for the next major season by noting that the 155th Open Championship will take place July 15-18 at St. Andrews in Scotland, and that the 2027 major season begins April 8-11 at Augusta National Golf Club with the Masters.
