English golfer seeks home Open win after 57-year drought
7 reported
According to a BBC Sport report, no English golfer has won The Open Championship on home soil since Tony Jacklin at Royal Lytham in 1969. The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale this week offers several strong English contenders, including Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, and Aaron Rai. Fleetwood, a local from Southport, called winning an Open at Birkdale "the ultimate" and "Mount Everest." Fitzpatrick, who has won three PGA Tour events this year, said the fairways at Birkdale appear tighter than most links courses. The report notes that English world number ones Lee Westwood and Luke Donald never won the Open, and that Rose returns to Birkdale where he finished fourth as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998. The article is based on a single source and has not been independently verified.
What’s reported
Tony Jacklin won The Open at Royal Lytham in 1969, the last English winner on home soil.
Sir Nick Faldo is the only other English winner of The Open, with all three victories in Scotland.
Matt Fitzpatrick has won more PGA Tour tournaments this year than any other player.
Tommy Fleetwood is ranked ninth in the world and has finished runner-up at the Open once.
Justin Rose finished fourth at Birkdale as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998.
Aaron Rai became the first Englishman to win the US PGA in over a century in May 2026.
The 154th Open Championship runs 16-19 July at Royal Birkdale, Southport.
Key figures
Tony Jacklin, English golfer, 1969 Open winner
Sir Nick Faldo, English golfer, three-time Open winner
Matt Fitzpatrick, English golfer, world number three
Tommy Fleetwood, English golfer, world number nine
Justin Rose, English golfer, 2013 US Open winner
Aaron Rai, English golfer, 2026 US PGA winner
Rory McIlroy, Northern Irish golfer, 2014 Open winner
Robert MacIntyre, Scottish golfer
Scottie Scheffler, defending Open champion
Sources: BBC News
