The final men's major of 2026 is underway at Royal Birkdale. Before the leaderboard settles, the first round is already asking the field to solve the central links question: when to attack and when to protect position.
Key points
- The 154th Open is being played at Royal Birkdale from 16 to 19 July.
- Royal Birkdale is hosting the championship for the 11th time.
- The opening round begins four days of links golf on the Southport coast.
The major season reaches the links
The Open has returned to Royal Birkdale for the first time since 2017, bringing the men's major season to a course defined by exposed lines, deep bunkers and decisions that can change with the wind. The championship runs from Thursday through Sunday.
Opening rounds at links venues are difficult to compare across the full field because weather windows can alter the same hole within hours. Early scores therefore need context: tee time, wind direction and the player's ability to keep the ball in playable positions.
Position can be more valuable than distance
Royal Birkdale does not remove the advantage of length, but it makes direction and landing angle expensive. A powerful drive that finds a pot bunker can create a larger penalty than a shorter shot that preserves a clear route to the green.
That trade-off is the central first-round test. Players must gather information about bounce and wind while still posting a score, knowing that an aggressive decision may be correct on one hole and unnecessarily costly on the next.
Thursday is about building options
No championship is won in the opening round, but a player can lose too much freedom. A controlled Thursday keeps multiple strategies available for Friday and avoids turning the second round into a chase for the cut line.
The leaderboard will become more meaningful as both sides of the draw experience the course. Until then, the most useful signal is decision quality: who accepts the links conditions, limits compound mistakes and leaves Royal Birkdale with room to adjust.
Sources reviewed
- 01The OpenHow to follow The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale13 Jul 2026
- 02PGA Tour MediaThe Open Championship 2026 tournament informationAccessed 16 Jul 2026
- 03The GuardianThe Open 2026 day one updates from Royal Birkdale16 Jul 2026