Royal Birkdale hosts Open Championship as England seeks first major win since 1992
With three of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Rankings hailing from England, the field at Royal Birkdale offers the strongest opportunity for a home victory since Nick Faldo’s triumph in 1992.
The 2026 Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, marking the venue’s 11th hosting of the event, second only to St Andrews in frequency. This tournament presents a significant opportunity for English golfers to end a 34-year major championship drought, with Nick Faldo being the last Englishman to win the title in 1992. The field features a strong contingent of local talent, including Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, and Tyrrell Hatton, with three of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Rankings hailing from England.
Matt Fitzpatrick is currently leading the PGA Tour in wins this year and is a front-runner for Player of the Year honours. Justin Rose has recorded three top-11 finishes in three major attempts this year, including two runner-up results in The Open since 2018. Tommy Fleetwood expressed excitement about competing in the tournament in Southport, the town where he grew up, citing the special significance of playing in front of local supporters.
Aaron Rai won the PGA Championship at Aronimink in May, providing England with one major championship trophy in recent history. Royal Birkdale is hosting the championship for the 11th time, second only to St Andrews in frequency. Jordan Spieth (USA) and Padraig Harrington (Ireland) were the previous winners at this venue.
Tony Finau is a high-profile absentee from the field, having missed all four majors this season and dropping to number 123 in the Official World Golf Rankings. The American has struggled with consistency recently, missing two of his last three cuts at the venue.
In total, three of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Rankings hail from England. Five of the top 22 do too. There are 11 inside the top 100. For a country with so much golf history and with so much golfing form ahead of this year's Open, the argument can be made that this is as good a chance as they will have over the last three decades or so to come home with the Claret Jug.
