ESPN has assembled comprehensive coverage for the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, publishing a central guide titled “2026 Open Championship: How to watch, plus news and analysis from Royal Birkdale,” credited to ESPN Staff. The package collects viewing information, schedules and topical reporting for the championship week, according to ESPN.
Companion pieces include tee times for the first and second rounds, published by ESPN staff, and a UK viewing guide that outlines TV channels and schedules, both noted on ESPN’s golf pages. ESPN also published a top-25 ranking of favorites for Royal Birkdale by Mark Schlabach, providing context on likely contenders ahead of the tournament.
Feature reporting on local interest and qualifying pathways appears in the ESPN run-up. Mark Schlabach wrote about hometown favorite Tommy Fleetwood, describing being in the Open as a “dream,” while Tom Masters contributed pieces on what happened the last time the Open visited Royal Birkdale and on the Open Last-Chance Qualifier, including timing and field details, according to ESPN.
Recent form items tied into the Open build included coverage of the Genesis Scottish Open. ESPN’s leaderboard shows T. Kim finishing at 17-under with a winner’s payout of $1.6 million. ESPN also reported that a resurgent Kim carded a 64 to claim the Scottish Open, while other Scotland coverage noted that Matthew Fitzpatrick and Mac Me-? (reporting identified Fitzpatrick and M. Thorbjornsen as leaders in foggy conditions) and that Rory McIlroy and Collin Cantlay were among players involved in ties earlier in the week, as detailed on ESPN’s tournament pages.
For schedules, tee times and the full slate of features and analysis from Royal Birkdale, consult ESPN’s dedicated Open Championship coverage, which aggregates the how-to-watch guide, tee times, feature stories and rankings, according to ESPN.
