The 2026 season has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. The big four delivered undeniable levels of excitement, culminating in the most historic wins. Rory McIlroy donned the green jacket for the second time at the Masters, and Aaron Rai won the PGA Championship. The US Open at Shinnecock saw its fair share of controversy and brilliance as Wyndham Clark lifted the trophy amid a cacophony of jeers. Finally, the final major of the year saw a new winner, Ryan Fox.

Looking back, each major had a nuanced story of its own. But the golf world is still relishing the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Rightfully so, the 154th Open produced a much longer list of winners and bruisers than just the leaderboard shows. Here’s who actually came out ahead at Royal Birkdale and who faltered.

Real Winners at Royal Birkdale 2026
Record High Spectators and £200 Million Boost for Liverpool

The prestigious Open Championship was first contested in 1860. Only in 1873 did the winners lift the champion trophy, the now-iconic Claret Jug. Each year, the buzz is unparalleled as fans wait to witness the champion lift the Claret Jug and enjoy the experience on the ground. Naturally, the 154th edition was no exception.

🤔 golf trivia

This Should Be an Easy One, Right?

01/10

How Many Kiwi Golfers Have Won a Major?

3451

Oops, bogey!

But don’t worry, there’s still the back 9 to prove your high golf IQ

PLAY GOLF TRIVIA

This year, over 300,000 spectators attended the championship, with some reports marking the official number at 306,000. If that number sounds staggering, that’s because it broke a record that had stood for four years. The previous benchmark was set at St. Andrews in 2022, when 290,000 flocked in for the 150th edition. No edition managed to top that figure until last week. Attendance dipped to 261,180 in 2023 at Royal Liverpool, before shooting up to 258,174 at Royal Troon the following year. Royal Portrush then upped the ante to around 278,000 last year.

While the spectators enjoyed a tough competition on the course, the economic bounce matched the crowds.

The Liverpool City Region mayor, Steve Rotheram, put the local benefit at £200 million. Such was the delight that a fan jokingly asked him to add his own £73 hotel stay to the tally, prompting a sly and playful reply from Rotheram as he placed the exact figure at £200,000,073.  Regardless, the real figure, per independent estimates, sits comfortably ahead of the £187 million generated by Royal Liverpool in 2023.

The bigger win for Liverpool arrives days later. The Combined Authority and R&A signed a new memorandum of understanding, guaranteeing the region three more Opens before 2050. This also came as a replacement for an agreement that was set to expire after the 154th Open. Rotheram announced it on X.

“On the back of that success, we’ve signed an MOU to host at least three more championships in the region before 2050,” he wrote.

Ryan Fox’s Win & His Putter

All that spectator investment and the excitement indeed finished on a worthy note. Ryan Fox became only the second New Zealander in 63 years to win the Open Championship after Bob Charles. He finished with an 11-foot 7-inch birdie on the 72nd hole. The moment was remarkable in its own right, as Fox raised his fist in the air and was later seen in tears as he spoke to his family.

The story behind that putt is almost as good as the putt itself. As reported by Australian Golf Digest, a slight peek at Ryan Fox’s golf bag revealed a 40-inch KBS C-Taper shaft instead of a standard putter. Yes, the jargon is complicated, but its PVD 8-iron shaft allowed a loft double the norm at 6.5 degrees.

Fox led the entire field in strokes gained putting for the week and made 11 one-putts on Sunday alone. It is the same club that has been in his bag at the last three of his PGA Tour victories.

Remarkable Breakout by Casey Jarvis

Along with the championship winner, elite Tour pros like Cameron Young, Sam Burns, and Lucas Herbert made headlines for their record-breaking performance. Further down the leaderboard, however, 22-year-old Casey Jarvis put together the best week of anyone not holding the Claret Jug.

The South African arrived at Birkdale off a breakout stretch that included back-to-back DP Tour wins in Kenya and South Africa. He briefly lost his momentum by missing the cut at the Masters and finishing T-65 at the PGA Championship this year. However, a bogey-free closing of 66 at the Open Championship changed that. It moved him into a tie for sixth at six under, just four shots behind Fox. It became his first career top-10 finish at the major.

His performance was rewarded with $550,883, but more importantly, he was given PGA Tour special temporary membership with unlimited sponsor exemptions through the FedEx Cup fall. If Jarvis matches or beats the FedEx Cup points total by the season’s end, he could lock up a full card for 2027.

Real Losers at Royal Birkdale 2026

Robert MacIntyre & His Follies

That said, as memorable as Royal Birkdale was, the week also produced its share of unbecoming moments. And no, it was not Bryson DeChambeau’s two-stroke penalty. This time, the spotlight fell on Robert MacIntyre.

The Scot endured a frustrating final round, but that was only part of the story. He received a code of conduct warning for slamming his club into the tee box on the 16th hole. That marked his second such outburst of the day.

During the opening round, he refused to tee off until a drone overhead had stopped. Furthermore, in the opening round on the 18th hole, his second shot ended up in the native area, and he was heard speaking on the mic, “Such a s*** golf hole innit? It really is.”

When asked about the warning afterwards, he offered no apology. Speaking to the Sunday Press, he insisted his actions were simply part of his personality.

“I’m going to do it for the rest of my career. I try and toe the line, but when you feel you’re playing golf for score, then you can hit it pretty much anywhere, and there’s no real punishment,” he insisted. “Again, I’m going to react aggressively at times; it’s part of my DNA.”

His behavior didn’t go unnoticed, especially since officials had urged against any rowdy behavior for spectators and players alike. Etiquette aside, it capped a miserable major season for MacIntyre, which included missed cuts at the Masters and the PGA Championship.

Kevin Kisner & Broadcast Banter

Another aggressive argument came from Barstool analyst Kevin Kisner. He spent the broadcast booth contradicting himself in real time. One minute he backed Sam Burns to shoot 10 under in a single round before suggesting that Bryson DeChambeau would need to light it up to get within range of four back.

Kyle Porter shed light on this contradiction in an X post, perhaps jokingly. Kevin Kisner clearly wasn’t too pleased with the reception, as his reply to the post made it apparent.

He wrote, “I seriously don’t get you and how you pick and choose what you use of what I say to attack me. I’ve never met you or heard of you. I also said that only five of the last 18 guys broke par yesterday and only two lower than 68. So that makes total sense to me.”

The conversation featured many fans and analysts criticizing him for his behavior. Further jibes came from the No Laying Up podcast, which echoed Porter’s comments and accused Kevin Kisner of blaming officials for Bryson DeChambeau’s foul ruling. The American golfer fired back with a quip regarding viewers’ “tour starts.” A point about deflection and an onslaught of retorts followed, ensuring the conversation remained a back-and-forth affair, with Kisner also refusing to back down.

American Broadcast & Fan Experience

Last, but certainly not least, perhaps the biggest paradox of the week. While we talk about the soaring high numbers of fans visiting Royal Birkdale, there’s another chunk of fans who were glued to the couch, waiting for the broadcasters to catch every little detail from the ground.

However, that turned problematic as soon as NBC’s open coverage drew fresh complaints about commercial overload. Fans accused them of cutting off crucial points on the course, such as Sam Burns’ record 62, and giving Scottie Scheffler excessive screen time. The controversy and backlash were similar to ones NBC and American broadcasters had faced just a month ago at the US Open.

The debate ultimately faded without a formal response from the broadcasters, but many were dissatisfied with the experience.

All in all, Royal Birkdale delivered everything. Unforgettable golf, record-breaking crowds, a breakout performance, and a fair share of controversy. Which story of the week was your favorite?