Royal Lytham & St. Annes is getting the British Open back after a long wait.
The R&A has named the historic links as host of the 2028 Open Championship, marking its 12th time hosting golf’s oldest major and first since 2012. That’s a 16-year gap between tournaments at the Lancashire venue.
The 2012 Open at Royal Lytham featured one of the more dramatic finishes in recent memory. Ernie Els claimed the claret jug after Adam Scott’s stunning collapse, where the Australian bogeyed his final four holes to lose by a single shot.
This won’t be the longest drought between Opens for Royal Lytham, though. The course waited 26 years between its first Open in 1926 (won by Bobby Jones) and its second.
“This is one of golf’s most cherished and historic venues,” said R&A chief executive Mark Darbon. “The Open’s return to these famous links will spark huge interest among fans to be part of one of the world’s great sporting events and celebrate the rich traditions of golf’s original championship.”
Turnberry hasn’t hosted since 2009, when 59-year-old Tom Watson heartbreakingly lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink. Muirfield, which last hosted in 2013 when Phil Mickelson won, was also passed over for 2028.
To host the Open, size matters
The R&A has clearly prioritized venues with larger capacity in recent years. St. Andrews, the most frequent stop in the rotation, set an attendance record of 290,000 spectators in 2022. Royal Portrush drew nearly 280,000 fans in 2019 and will host again in 2025.
Royal Birkdale gets this year’s Open, while the championship returns to St. Andrews in 2027.
The 2028 tournament at Royal Lytham will run August 3-6, later than the typical July date. This scheduling shift avoids a conflict with the Olympic golf tournament at the Los Angeles Games that summer.
