Story perspectives

Underdog Ryan Fox Wins Open with Final Birdie

7/20/2026

Summary

Ryan Fox Wins

Ryan Fox won the 154th Open at Birkdale on July 19, 2026 with a 72nd-hole birdie.
He entered as a 200-1 outsider at Caesars and 150-1 at BetMGM.
He shot 2-under 68 for a 270 total, one stroke ahead of Cameron Young, and earned $3.2 million.
Attendance hit 306,000 as Fox tied a 62 in round three, becoming the second New Zealander to win the Open since Bob Charles in 1963.

Summary

Fox Wins Major

Fox, 39, became the third-oldest first-time major champion in a decade, joining Mickelson and Woods.
His victory left the United States with only one major title in 2026, the first single-champion season since 2014.
DeChambeau’s two-shot lie-improvement penalty drew criticism from Rory McIlroy, who called it “performative”.
The $17.75 million purse awarded $3.2 million to Fox, $1.842 million to Young, $1.181 million to Burns, and $827,500 each to Scheffler and Fleetwood for fourth place.

History

Historical Context

Bob Charles became the first New Zealander and first left-handed player to win a major when he captured the 92nd Open Championship at Royal Lytham on 13 July 1963, edging Jack Nicklaus by one stroke and then winning a 36-hole playoff by eight strokes. Ryan Fox’s 2026 Birkdale victory continues that New Zealand legacy, winning by one stroke over Cameron Young as the prize fund swelled to $17.75 million.

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Ryan Fox Wins

Ryan Fox won the 154th Open at Birkdale on July 19, 2026 with a 72nd-hole birdie.
He entered as a 200-1 outsider at Caesars and 150-1 at BetMGM.
He shot 2-under 68 for a 270 total, one stroke ahead of Cameron Young, and earned $3.2 million.
Attendance hit 306,000 as Fox tied a 62 in round three, becoming the second New Zealander to win the Open since Bob Charles in 1963.

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