The 2026 British Open Championship format remains unchanged this year, with the PGA Tour-recognized and R&A-conducted major championship event played at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England.
The 2026 British Open Championship field is 156 players.
The British Open Championship field is made up of a variety of players, namely all 50 top-50 players in the world.
British Open Championship format
The British Open Championship format is a 72-hole event. The field is divided into morning and afternoon waves for the first two rounds, with players competing in threesomes each day. The same groups play together in each of the first two rounds, with groups playing once in the early and late windows, all off the 1st tee.
A cut is made after 36 holes to the top 70 players and ties. All players who make the field and complete four rounds are eligible to finish the event.
For the third and fourth rounds, the pairings and tee times are made based on each player's total score through two and three rounds, respectively. Players with the highest total score go first, then in descending order until the two players with the lowest total score in the final group.
The player with the lowest total score after 72 holes is the winner and will earn the 2026 British Open Championship winner's share of the purse.
The winning player will get a two-season PGA Tour exemption. The winner is exempt into other tournaments as well. The winner earns 750 FedEx Cup points and 100 Official World Golf Ranking points.
British Open Championship playoff format
A playoff to settle any ties after 72 holes will be played under PGA Tour rules. The British Open Championship playoff format is an aggregate-score format, with three holes played by any qualifying players. The lowest combined score for those three holes wins. In the event of a tie after three holes, the tied players compete hole-by-hole until a winner is determined by a player scoring the lowest among the remaining players.
