Ryan Fox Wins 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, Beats Cameron Young by One Shot for First Major Title

Ryan Fox is a major champion at last. The 39-year-old New Zealander birdied the par-4 18th hole at Royal Birkdale on Sunday, draining an 11-foot, 7-inch putt to win the 154th Open Championship at 10-under par, edging Cameron Young by a single shot and claiming his first career major title.

Fox’s breakthrough caps an unconventional rise for a player who didn’t start competitive golf until age 18. A veteran of the DP World Tour who has steadily climbed the world rankings in recent years, Fox entered the week as a respected but unheralded figure outside golf’s biggest stages. That changed for good on the links of Southport, England, where he became just the third New Zealander to win a men’s major championship, joining Bob Charles, the 1963 Open champion, and Michael Campbell, who won the 2005 U.S. Open.

A Record-Tying 62 Set the Stage

Fox’s Saturday third round was the story before it became the footnote. His 62 tied the all-time major championship scoring record, matching the same number posted earlier in the week by Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns, both of whom carded 62s in Friday’s second round. That trio pushed the tournament to eight total rounds of 62 in major championship history, produced by seven different players — with three of those rounds coming during this single Open Championship week alone.

The round vaulted Fox into serious contention, and he became just the second player ever to shoot a major-record-tying 62 and go on to win that same championship, joining Xander Schauffele, who accomplished the feat at the 2024 PGA Championship. Overnight leader Sam Burns could not sustain his pace on Sunday, carding a final-round 72 to finish alone in third at 8-under. Scottie Scheffler shot a closing 67 and Tommy Fleetwood posted a 68, and the two shared fourth place at 7-under.

Young Waits Over Two Hours as Fox Closes It Out

Cameron Young, the American who has flirted with major glory before without breaking through, set the target at 9-under and then had to watch from the clubhouse as Fox played the back nine. The wait stretched beyond two hours. Fox’s final round was far from tidy — three bogeys threatened to unravel his round — but he answered adversity with two birdies over his last three holes, sealing the Claret Jug with the putt on 18 that dropped him past Young for good.

With the win, Fox becomes the oldest men’s major champion in a decade, a distinction that underscores just how patient and unconventional his path to this moment has been. He’ll collect $3.2 million as Champion Golfer of the Year from the tournament’s $17,750,000 purse, and with major championship glory finally secured, sportsbooks and bettors alike will be watching closely to see how his odds shift heading into the PGA Tour’s next marquee events, where DraftKings promo code offers are already circulating for golf markets.

What Comes Next for Fox

A first major at 39 typically reshapes a player’s remaining schedule and expectations, and Fox is no exception. He now heads into the second half of the season as a validated major champion rather than a steady journeyman, a shift that could open doors to more marquee pairings, higher-profile sponsor’s exemptions, and a firmer grip on his career-high world ranking. For New Zealand golf, the win offers a rare moment in the global spotlight, placing Fox alongside Charles and Campbell in a short but storied list of the country’s major winners.

For a tournament that will be remembered as much for its record-breaking scoring as its champion, Royal Birkdale delivered exactly the kind of drama major championship golf is built on — low numbers, late nerves, and a first-time winner whose putt on the 72nd hole will be replayed for years to come.