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The Open 2026: Si Woo Kim Stuns Field, Seizes Lead — Live Updates!
The Open 2026: Final Round Live Updates Explained for Beginners
What Is Happening? (The Big Picture)
Imagine the biggest kid’s race of the year, but with golf! A major champion (the big winner) will be crowned on Sunday. This is the final round of the 2026 Open Championship, which is one of golf’s four super-important tournaments.
- It is being played at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.
- After 54 holes (that means three days of playing 18 holes each), Sam Burns is leading by 2 shots.
- He is trying to win his first major (a big deal!).
- Other famous players still in the running include Bryson DeChambeau, Si Woo Kim, Ludvig Aberg, and Tommy Fleetwood.
You can follow along with Golfweek for live scores, highlights, and news from Sunday’s final round.
How to Watch The Open 2026
Want to watch on TV or online? Here is the simple schedule for Sunday (times are Eastern Time in the USA):
- USA Network: 4–7 a.m. ET
- NBC / Peacock: 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET
You can watch The Open on Peacock, and USA Network on Fubo (a streaming service).
Live Leaderboard: What Happened Step by Step
A "leaderboard" is just a scoreboard that shows who is winning. Here is how the final round played out:
- Happy Championship Sunday! It’s the last day of the men’s major golf season. We find out who wins the Claret Jug (the trophy), but then we wait 9 months for the next major.
- Weather: Sunny, gentle breeze, low 70s°F. Early starters Matthew Southgate (4 under) and Rickie Fowler (3 under) played well.
- Sam Burns starts: He begins with a par (normal score), still leading by 2 over Cameron Young, Si Woo Kim, and Ryan Fox.
- Tommy Fleetwood: Sinks a 73-foot putt (super long!) on the first hole — wow!
- Cameron Young: Starts with two birdies (one shot better than par), then goes out in 29 (5 under on first 9 holes!). He is 8 under, 2 behind Burns.
- Scottie Scheffler: Begins birdie-birdie (two birdies), reaching 6 under.
- Burns and Fox: Both birdie the 2nd hole. Burns goes to 11 under, Fox at 9 under.
- Burns bogey: He bogeys (one worse than par) holes 4 and 5, drops to 9 under. Now a four-way tie with Fox, Kim, and Young.
- Si Woo Kim birdies 6th to take solo lead at 10 under.
- Cameron Young reaches 10 under after 17 holes, tied for lead with 1 to play.
- Cam Young finishes: He makes bogey on 18th, posts 9 under (round of 64). Kim back to solo lead at 10 under with 10 holes left.
- Chasers: Scheffler and Fleetwood move to 8 under.
- Robert MacIntyre gets a warning for slamming his club (not allowed!).
Important Point: A "birdie" means you finished the hole in one shot less than the standard. A "bogey" means one shot more. "Under" means total shots less than the course standard.
Prize Money and Purse
- The winner gets $3.2 million (18% of the total).
- Total purse is $17.75 million — the largest in Open history!
- But it is still the smallest of the four men’s majors.
Future Sites and Past Winners
Where is it next?
- 2027: St. Andrews, Old Course (Scotland)
- 2028: Royal Lytham & St. Annes (England)
Last 10 winners:
- 2025: Scottie Scheffler
- 2024: Xander Schauffele
- 2023: Brian Harman
- 2022: Cameron Smith
- 2021: Collin Morikawa
- 2019: Shane Lowry
- 2018: Francesco Molinari
- 2017: Jordan Spieth (last time at Royal Birkdale)
- 2016: Henrik Stenson
- 2015: Zach Johnson
Summary
The 2026 Open Championship final round was a crazy day at Royal Birkdale! Sam Burns started with a 2-shot lead, but many players caught up. Si Woo Kim grabbed the solo lead at 10 under, while Cameron Young, Scottie Scheffler, and others chased hard. The winner gets $3.2 million, and we now look ahead to 2027 at St. Andrews.
FAQ
Q: What does "under" mean in golf scores?
A: It means the player has taken fewer total shots than the course’s expected number (par). For example, 10 under is really good!
Q: Who was leading at the end of the updates?
A: Si Woo Kim was the solo leader at 10 under, with others like Cameron Young close behind.
Q: How can I watch The Open?
A: On USA Network (early) or NBC/Peacock later, both on Sunday per the schedule above.
Q: What is the Claret Jug?
A: It is the special trophy given to the winner of The Open Championship.
