Royal Birkdale demands shots most players rarely need. Here are the five essential shots pros are cramming into their practice ahead of the Open Championship, from the off-green putt to the chunk-and-run.
Tyrrell Hatton is never one to talk himself up, and Royal Birkdale is no exception. The self-proclaimed doubter rates his game a five out of 10 ahead of the Open Championship, and jokes about his Sunday chances.
The Open Championship keeps growing, bigger crowds, more hospitality tiers, a redesigned Royal Birkdale. But is that growth coming at the expense of what makes this major different from every other?
From a Ukrainian-born teenager to an Irishman living with cystic fibrosis, here are the ten amateurs chasing the Silver Medal at the Open Championship, awarded to the low amateur through 72 holes.
Cameron Smith says his game is coming together at the perfect time as he returns to Royal Birkdale, four years after lifting the claret jug at St Andrews.
Travis Smyth has earned his place as one of seven Australians in the Open Championship field at Royal Birkdale, while Min Woo Lee also arrived in form.
The Open Championship’s total prize pool has risen to AU$25.2 million for 2026, with the winner at Royal Birkdale set to take home AU$4.6 million. Here’s the full payout breakdown for every finishing position.
Rory McIlroy’s stock draw turned into ugly left shots after range conditions at the Scottish Open masked a growing swing flaw. Here’s the technical breakdown of what went wrong, and how he plans to fix it before Royal Birkdale.
Royal Birkdale has burned brown and firm ahead of the Open Championship, the driest it’s played since Carnoustie in 2018. Jordan Spieth and others weigh in on what that means for the week ahead.
The R&A celebrates ten years of Greenlinks at Royal Birkdale, with the Open Championship achieving a 93 per cent cut in on-site emissions and zero waste to landfill for the past five years.
Min Woo Lee falls just short at the Scottish Open, finishing runner-up to Tom Kim, but leaves North Berwick with real confidence heading into the Open Championship. Quinn Croker and Cameron Percy also impress in strong Australian weeks.
Rory McIlroy slipped out of contention with a rough third round at the Scottish Open, but a final-round 64 offers positive signs ahead of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
In exchange for volunteering two hours a week to maintain Royal Birkdale, 32 tradesmen and locals earn free membership to one of the world’s top links courses. Meet the Artisans, a club within a club with roots dating back to 1931.
Australian Golf Digest
