The Open 2026: Ryan Fox wins first major title after cooling off at Brickdale Heat

As the drama unfolded on the course, Young took out his locker in the Birkdale clubhouse.

The 29-year-old American has already done his best on the links and put nine targets below par, hoping the rest won’t catch on.

“I thought he had a good chance at 10 (under par),” he said after bogeying the final hole.

The young man did not want to see the action. Instead, he said he would grab a bite to eat at the players’ restaurant “before packing my locker for efficiency.”

He can also have a claret jug – the prize given to the Open champion – to pack and take home.

But, as he prepares for a playoff on the range, Fox can hear exactly what he did nearby on the 18th with a cacophony of celebratory cheers.

Young shot a six-under 64 in Sunday’s final round to make the most of early conditions, which may have been enough to finish clear of the field.

Young started the final round more than two hours before the last group left and, playing in light winds, threatened to shoot his fourth record-tying round of 62 this week.

A poor bogey on the 18th – driving into the fairway shield and hitting the lip on the second shot, finding greenside sand on the third, before chipping in – ended his chances of adding to that history.

While it ultimately hurt his hopes of becoming the first major champion, Young pointed to his one-over-par 73 on Saturday as the reason.

“I’m going in there feeling like I can win on a C-plus day,” he said.

“It’s not that the golf was bad, but the first couple days were good. If you gave me those high B’s, C-plus days and of course one day today, I felt like I had a chance to win, not with everything I’ve got.”