The Open Championship is always a special week in the golfing calendar and, for 2026, the historic championship will become even more special with the addition of a new event.
Announced on Monday, The R&A revealed a field of star names will take part in a fun celebration of golf when the Heroes Classic is held for the first time on Tuesday July 14th during the week at Royal Birkdale.
Padraig Harrington and Jordan Spieth, who claimed the Claret Jug in 2008 and 2017 when the Major was last staged at the course, will headline the event on Tuesday.
Joining the duo will be AIG Women’s Open champion Miyu Yamashita, as well as G4D Champion Brendan Lawlor.
Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose, as well as high-profile figures from sport and entertainment, including R&A ambassadors Bryan Habana and Kathryn Newton, will also be present.
The reason for the event is to celebrate the heroes of the sport, as well as highlighting the work of The R&A in developing and promoting golf globally.
Format-wise, the event will be contested in teams of three over the 1st, 2nd and 9th holes of Royal Birkdale, with a Texas scramble format present.
What's more, a scoring incentive will be in-play to ensure each participant gets to hit as many shots as possible to create team unity and enable friendly competition.
Speaking about the event, Spieth stated: "It’s special to come back to Royal Birkdale. This place means a lot to me and I’m looking forward to being part of something unique during Open week.
"Heroes Classic will be a fun way to bring people together and give fans another great experience at one of the best weeks in golf.
"It’s great to see something new being added to The Open, and with Royal Birkdale being such an iconic venue, I’m excited to be involved."
The introduction of the event is similar to that of The R&A's Celebration of Champions at The 150th Open Championship, where 48 former champion golfers played the 1st, 2nd, 17th and 18th of St Andrews' Old Course.
For 2026, the Heroes Classic will be introduced, as will the Last-Chance Qualifier, which takes place on Monday July 13th.
The Last-Chance Qualifier is a new event being introduced as part of a series of enhancements intended to elevate the experience of attending The Open by providing fans with drama and excitement as golfers compete to earn a single, coveted spot in The Open Championship.
A stroke play event, it will start on Monday morning and be contested over 18 holes at Royal Birkdale.
