The Open is back for another year, with golf’s elite converging on the Royal Birkdale club in Southport.
It is the oldest golf tournament in history, starting back in 1860, with the first competition taking place at the Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland.
Now, it returns for its 154th rendition, with Rory McIlroy going up against the top names in the sport to try and win the coveted Claret Jug.
McIlroy, 37, is looking to claim a second Open title following his 2014 triumph at the Royal Liverpool Club in Hoylake.
Since then, he completed his career grand slam with the Green Jacket at Augusta, winning a maiden Masters last year in dramatic circumstances as he beat Justin Rose in a sudden death play-off.
He then repeated the feat this year, becoming the fourth man in history to defend the title. His 2025 victory ended a nine-year wait for a major title, and he followed that up with victory at Bethpage Black in the Ryder Cup last year, as Team Europe beat the United States 15-13, securing a first away victory in the competition since 2012.
How to watch the Open 2026
TV channel: All four days of the Open are being televised live in the UK on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage set to start at 6.30am.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can stream the action live on the Sky Go or Now TV app and website.
Free highlights: BBC Sport will air highlights of the rounds every evening, with round one’s round-up to be aired at 9pm BST on BBC Two.
