Scottie Scheffler Wins The Open

Congratulations, Scottie! We’re already looking forward to your defense of the Claret Jug in 2026 at Royal Birkdale.

Already the long-standing world No. 1, Scottie Scheffler produced a dominant performance at Royal Portrush to win The 153rd Open in style. The American delivered a masterclass on the County Antrim coast, finishing at 17-under-par (267) and winning by four shots.

If you’re a golfer in the UK, you know there’s only one “Open Championship” — the one that crowns the Champion Golfer of the Year and hands over the legendary Claret Jug. Winners receive a replica, while the original trophy remains at The R&A clubhouse. It’s one of golf’s most iconic prizes, styled after the old wine pitchers used for serving claret.

The Open Championship is the oldest of the majors, established in 1860 and organized by The R&A. It’s played in July and is the last of the four major championships each year (along with the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the U.S. Open).

What makes The Open feel so different is the venue: it’s played on links courses — the oldest, most traditional kind of golf course, built on sandy coastal ground with dunes, few trees, and (usually) plenty of wind. Links golf demands low shots, imagination, and the kind of creativity you don’t always get to use on parkland tracks.

The current Open rota includes these courses:

• Scotland: St Andrews, Carnoustie, Muirfield, Royal Troon, Turnberry
• England: Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool, Royal St George’s, Royal Lytham & St Annes
• Northern Ireland: Royal Portrush

In the U.S., golfers commonly call it the British Open. But when Americans say “the Open,” they’re usually talking about the United States Open Championship. And for the record: never say “soccer” to a Brit — it’s “football” over there.