Birkdale in the books - The numbers behind a record week at The Open

Monday, 20 July 2026

Ryan Fox produced a thrilling late rally to become a Major Champion and cap a record week at The 154th Open.

Here, we look at some of the key statistics from a memorable championship at Royal Birkdale.

1

With victory, Fox claims his maiden Major victory and is the second first-time winner of one of golf's four marquee men's championships in 2026.

Tommy Fleetwood was the only player to card four sub-70 rounds. He is now the 13th different player to score four consecutive rounds in the 60s at an Open.

Fox is the first player to birdie the final hole The Open to win since Cameron Smith at St Andrews in 2022.

2

He is the second men's winner of The Open from New Zealand after Bob Charles in 1963 at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Cameron Young finished as runner-up at The Open for the second time having also been second on his debut in 2022 at St Andrews.

5

Of the 12 DP World Tour members making their debut, five made the cut (Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Eugenio Chacarra, Casey Jarvis, Ryan Gerard, Hennie du Plessis). Jarvis finished tied sixth, while Neergaard-Petersen and Gerard both finished tied ninth.

6

Six former champions made the cut (Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler).

7

Tommy Fleetwood now has seven consecutive rounds under 70 in The Open (since second round in 2025), equalling the record held by Ernie Els (from the first round in 1993 to third round in 1994).

There were seven bogey-free rounds (Ryo Hisatsune, Kristoffer Reitan, Sam Burns, JJ Spaun, Scottie Scheffler, John Parry and Casey Jarvis). There were 14 when Birkdale last hosted The Open in 2017.

8

Fox has broken the record for lowest position on the leaderboard after the second round to come back to win The Open – Fox was tied 52nd, eight strokes behind the leader after the second round. The previous record was from 2001 when David Duval was tied 35th after the second round at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

13

Fox's win extends the current streak of first-time Open winners. The run, a record for the longest span of first-time winners at the championship, began with Phil Mickelson in 2013. The only span of first-time winners in Majors that is longer is the period of 19 winners of the PGA Championship between 1952 and 1970.

56

Coming into the week as the World Number 56, Fox is the lowest-ranked winner of The Open in the Official World Golf Ranking since Darren Clarke in 2011 (Clarke was 111th). Fox has risen to a career-high 22nd as a result of his success.