Young Leads The Open 2026 at Royal Birkdale
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- Cameron Young finished the final round at 6-under to sit atop the leaderboard at -9, the only player in the clubhouse under par by that margin at Royal Birkdale
- Ryan Fox and Sam Burns are tied for second at -8, both through 15 holes and still on the course — Fox at even par for the day, Burns at +2
- The article's title declares "Ryan Fox wins," but the live leaderboard labels Round 4 as "In Progress" with Young holding the lead and Fox yet to finish his final three holes
- Scottie Scheffler signed for a -7 total after a -3 final round, leaving him tied for fourth with Tommy Fleetwood and Lucas Herbert
- Tommy Fleetwood, still playing at -7, sits as the leading Englishman and within striking distance of the Claret Jug on home soil at Royal Birkdale
- The total purse stands at $17,750,000, with NBC, USA Network, and Peacock carrying the final-round broadcast
- Southport, England is hosting The Open, with the field tightly bunched — 18 players sit within five strokes of Young's lead
Why it matters: Young is the only player in the clubhouse at -9, but Fox and Burns each have three holes left and sit one stroke back, meaning the Claret Jug and the $17.75M purse are genuinely up for grabs rather than decided. A live leaderboard showing "In Progress" undermines the headline's declaration of a winner, so the actual outcome remains unsettled as the final groups play out.
