Sam Burns enters the final round of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale with a two-stroke lead, positioning himself to secure the first major championship title of his career.
Burns’ Path to the Lead
Burns, a five-time PGA Tour winner, has maintained a high level of performance throughout the tournament. After matching the lowest round in major championship history with a 62 on Friday, he followed up with a 65 on Saturday. This performance gave him a total of 127 over the last 36 holes, the lowest scoring total across consecutive rounds in any men’s major championship.
Entering Sunday at 10 under par, Burns holds a two-stroke advantage over his nearest challengers, Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim. Despite his lead, Burns acknowledged the volatility of major championship golf. Ultimately, it comes down to I can't control anything anyone else does,
Burns said. Someone's going to go out and play a great round of golf, maybe a few people. It's pretty much a given.
A Crowded Leaderboard
The 2026 Open has been characterized by high scoring and a crowded leaderboard. Ryan Fox, who shares second place, also carded a 62 during the week, marking the third time that score has been achieved at this year’s Open. The feat was previously reached by both Lucas Herbert and Burns on Friday. The current leaderboard features a significant shift in the field’s composition; among the top 10 players, Bryson DeChambeau is the only golfer with a major championship title on his résumé. The tournament has seen significant movement, with many players benefiting from power off the tee and favorable course conditions at Royal Birkdale.
For more on this story, see Sam Burns Leads 2026 British Open After Surprise Royal Birkdale Surge.
Record Purse at Royal Birkdale
The R&A announced that the 154th Open Championship features a record total purse of $17.75 million. This represents a $500,000 increase from the 2025 event. The winner of the Claret Jug will receive $3.2 million, a $100,000 increase from the previous year. While this represents the largest purse in the history of The Open, it remains the lowest among the four men’s major championships. For context, the U.S. Open and the Masters currently offer purses of $22.5 million, while the PGA Championship purse stands at $20.5 million. The prize money for this week’s event has grown significantly since 2017, the last time The Open was held at Royal Birkdale, when the total purse was $10.25 million.
This follows our earlier report, Travelers Championship 2026 Round 3: Tee Times, Pairings & How to Watch.
Final Round Stakes
The final round on Sunday, July 19, will determine the Champion Golfer of the Year.
As Burns looks to secure his first major, he remains focused on executing his game plan rather than the variables outside his control.
I'm going to have to do the same. I'm going to have to go out and execute,
Burns said. Ultimately, whatever happens, I know that I can accept the outcome, and life's going to move on. I'll get to go home and see my family. I hope I'm taking some hardware with me, but if I'm not, that's fine, too.
Coverage of the final round is scheduled to begin at 4 a.m. ET on NBC, with various featured group and par-3 channel broadcasts available on Peacock throughout the morning.
Read also: Wyndham Clark Breaks Shinnecock Record: 2026 U.S. Open Friday Leaderboard Update.
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