What is The Open Championship?

The Open Championship is one of the biggest events in British sport. Here’s your lowdown on everything you need to know about the iconic tournament.

Often referred to as The Open, this prestigious golf tournament is the oldest golf tournament in the world, having first been played in 1860.

It is also one of four major championships in men’s golf joining the Masters, the PGA Championship and the US Open as one of the most sought-after titles in the game.

The event is staged every year on different links golf courses around the United Kingdom, which makes it the only major to be staged outside of the United States.

How does The Open work?

The Open is a four-day tournament played from Thursday to Sunday. A field of around 156 golfers compete over 72 holes, with players completing 18 holes each day.

After two rounds, the leading players make the cut and continue into the weekend where they will play an additional two rounds. To play the weekend you need to finish in the top 70, and ties, after the first two rounds.

The winner is the player with the lowest total score after 72 holes. If two or more players are tied for the lead, a play-off is used to determine the winner.

Harry Vardon holds the record for the most Open victories with six. Scottie Scheffler was the most reason winner in 2025. Young Tom Morris won four Opens before his 22nd birthday and remains the youngest champion in the tournament's history.

Old Tom Morris became the oldest winner when he lifted the Claret Jug at the age of 46 in 1867.

Since 1873, the champion receives one of sport’s most iconic trophies, the Claret Jug, and are crowned The Champion Golfer of the Year.

The 2026 Open Championship will be held at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, along the North West coast of England, from July 16-19. It will be the 11th time the venue has hosted golf’s oldest major and the first since 2017 when Jordan Speith was the victor.

Golf's most famous and oldest venue St Andrews often hosts the Open, and the event has often stuck to a rota of re-visiting what is known as The Home of Golf every five years.

Players often face some of the most challenging, often typically British, weather conditions across the four days.

Past champions of The Open include Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson, and Rory McIlroy.