The Open 2026: How fast Fox trumped divisive DeChambeau to win at Royal Birkdale - BBC

What the report says

BBC News reported that New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox won the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale on 20 July 2026, securing the title with a rapid 11-foot birdie putt on the 18th green. Golf correspondent Iain Carter highlighted that only 22 seconds passed between Sam Burns finishing his round and Fox taking the decisive stroke, a moment that made him champion golfer of the year by one shot.

The BBC framed Fox’s victory as both dramatic and distinctive because of his unusually fast style of play. Fox told BBC Sport that his approach is to see the shot and hit it, saying he prefers to choose quickly before doubts enter his mind. His weekend scores of 62 and 68 helped him close out the championship, and the BBC noted that it was the first time since Tom Watson in 1977 that a birdie on the 72nd green had won The Open by a single stroke.

The win also shifted attention from controversy involving Bryson DeChambeau, who received a two-shot penalty during Friday’s second round after officials ruled he improved the area affecting his swing path in rough near the fifth hole. Some players defended him, including Scottie Scheffler, who said DeChambeau was not a cheater, while the BBC reported that officials considered the rules breach clear-cut.

Fox’s victory adds a major title to a career that developed relatively late. The BBC noted his sporting family background, including father Grant Fox, an All Blacks great, and said Fox had previously won on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour before capturing golf’s oldest major.