Sport· Round 1 begins
When Is The Open 2026 Championship Round Start Date?Match date
Scroll to release dateWhen does championship play start at The Open 2026? Thursday, July 16, 2026 at Royal Birkdale — Round 1; practice week July 12–15 is not competitive play.
Current target date: Thursday, July 16, 2026 (Round 1 begins). We update this page when The open publishes schedule changes.
The 154th Open’s championship Round 1 begins Thursday, July 16, 2026, at Royal Birkdale. Fan/practice days July 12–15 (including the Last-Chance Qualifier) are not Round 1. Final round is Sunday, July 19.
Round 1 begins
Thursday, July 16, 2026
July 16, 2026 — Round 1 begins at Royal Birkdale
Championship play at the 154th Open starts Thursday, July 16, 2026, on Royal Birkdale’s links in Southport. Four competitive rounds run through Sunday, July 19; this countdown is the first tee of Round 1, not Sunday’s Claret Jug ceremony.
The R&A’s fan week opens earlier (July 12–15), which is why ticket badges and hotel nights can look “Open-ready” days before a championship score is posted.
Confirmed: Thu Jul 16 Round 1 — not practice week, not Jul 19 final, not St Andrews
Confirmed: Royal Birkdale; championship July 16–19, 2026; Round 1 Thursday the 16th; practice/fan days July 12–15 with Last-Chance Qualifier and Heroes Classic; Birkdale’s 11th Open; first since 2017. Not confirmed as weather delays or exact first-tee minute until week-of notes. Fake “championship starts Monday” or “2026 Open is at St Andrews” stubs invent a R&A grid already published for Merseyside.
Practice week first — then the four days that count
- Jul 12–15 — practice / fan days (qualifier Mon 13, Heroes Classic Tue 14).
- Jul 16 (Thu) — Round 1 begins (this countdown).
- Jul 17 (Fri) — Round 2; cut.
- Jul 18 (Sat) — Round 3 Moving Day.
- Jul 19 (Sun) — Final round; Champion Golfer named (separate page).
How to book Thursday without buying Sunday by accident
- Round 1 tickets = Thursday, July 16 — not the July 12 grounds pass.
- Last-Chance Qualifier Monday is a different product from championship Round 1.
- US TV for Thursday is typically overnight Peacock / early USA Network windows.
- Final-round Sunday (Jul 19) is a separate SKU and countdown.
- St Andrews 2027 is next year’s Open — wrong links for this Thursday.
The Open site fills on July 12 — but the first championship score is not posted until Thursday the 16th
Southport will look Open-ready from Sunday, July 12: practice rounds, a Last-Chance Qualifier, Heroes Classic theater, and crowds on the dunes. None of that starts the 154th Open’s championship ledger. Round 1 — the first competitive tee that counts toward the Claret Jug — is Thursday, July 16.
That four-day gap is why “championship play begins” cannot share a countdown with Sunday’s final or with Monday’s qualifier. Same Birkdale week; different product. This page is only the Thursday open.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about this release date.
1When does championship play start at The Open 2026?
Thursday, July 16, 2026, at Royal Birkdale in Southport. That is Round 1 of the 154th Open — the first competitive tee of championship week, not practice-week Monday.
2Isn’t The Open already on from July 12?
Fans and practice programming fill July 12–15, including a Last-Chance Qualifier (Monday 13) and Heroes Classic (Tuesday 14). Championship stroke-play for the Claret Jug begins Thursday, July 16.
3When is the final round?
Sunday, July 19, 2026 — a separate countdown. This page is only the Thursday open of Round 1.
4Is 2026 at St Andrews?
No. The 154th Open is at Royal Birkdale. St Andrews is locked for The Open 2027.
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