Si Woo Kim surges into lead as Open Championship final round unfolds at Royal Birkdale

The 154th Open Championship reaches its climax today at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, with a tightly bunched leaderboard setting the stage for a dramatic finish to the final men's major of 2026.

A Wide-Open Race for the Claret Jug

Sam Burns entered Sunday's final round with a two-shot lead at 10 under par after setting the lowest consecutive 36-hole record in major championship history with rounds of 62 and 65. But the final round has reshaped the leaderboard, with Si Woo Kim surging to 10 under through nine holes, Cameron Young posting a 64 to finish at 9 under, and Ryan Fox climbing into contention. Burns, paired with Fox in the final group with a 9:20 a.m. ET tee time, faces pressure from multiple directions as Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion who won last year's Open at Royal Portrush, is also in the mix.wikipedia+4

How to Watch

NBC Comcast Corporation ↘ 0.95% holds the U.S. broadcast rights, with coverage split across its platforms. USA Network carried the early action from 4 to 7 a.m. ET, with NBC and Peacock providing coverage from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET. Featured group streams and additional feeds are available exclusively on Peacock throughout the day.nbcsports+2

In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports is broadcasting the final round across its Golf and Main Event channels, with streaming available through the Sky Go app and Now TV. Canadian viewers can follow the action on TSN, while Australian audiences have access through Fox Sports via Foxtel and Kayo Sports.cnet

The Stakes at Royal Birkdale

The tournament carries a purse of $17.75 million, and the winner will lift the Claret Jug at a venue steeped in Open history — this is the 11th time Royal Birkdale has hosted the championship. The course, playing to a par of 70, has tested the field across all four rounds, with only a handful of players managing to reach double digits under par.rte+1

For Burns, a victory would mark his first major title after a near-miss at the previous major earlier this year. For Kim, Fox, or Young, it would represent a career-defining breakthrough on one of golf's grandest stages.wikipedia