Royal Birkdale Golf Club. 최종라운드가 끝났다. Ryan Fox가 놀라운 드라마로 The Open Championship(영국 오픈)을 제패했다.
01폭스의 극적 우승 이야기
지난 10년간 메이저는 지배자들의 축제였다. Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth의 초월적 지배. Rory McIlroy의 커리어 그랜드슬램. Collin Morikawa와 Justin Thomas의 약진. Tiger Woods와 Phil Mickelson의 마지막 우승들.
2026년은 달랐다. Ryan Fox와 Aaron Rai가 거의 예고 없이 첫 메이저를 우승했다. Wyndham Clark이 U.S. Open을 제패했다. Rory McIlroy가 불안정한 드라이브를 안고도 Masters를 우승했다. 이 모든 것이 예상 밖이었다.
18번홀 스탠드에서 나는 Fox의 경기를 보고 있었다. 17번홀 par-5에서 Fox의 버디 퍼트가 빗나갔을 때, 나는 두 가지만 가능할 거라고 생각했다. Fox가 18번홀에서 par를 기록해 playoff에 가거나, Cameron Young이 우승하거나.
수분 후, Fox가 Claret Jug를 들고 있었다.
이게 역대 가장 예상 밖의 메이저 시즌일까?필자
2016년 Jimmy Walker와 Danny Willett의 우승? 2011년 Darren Clarke, Keegan Bradley, Charl Schwartzel? 최소한 올해 메이저 시즌은 그들과 같은 수준에 있다.
중요한 것은 이 모든 우승이 "운"이 아니었다는 것이다. 상대 선수의 붕괴로 인한 우승이 아니었다. 이들은 그저 예상 밖의 우승자들이었지만, 상대를 철저히 이겨냈다. 주변의 큰 이름 선수들이 있는 상황에서 기회를 잡았다.
Fox의 이야기는 특히 놀랍다. 6홀이 남았을 때 그는 Young에게 2타 뒤였다. 이 구간에서 보기가 있었지만, 우승으로 끝났다. 가장 어려운 마지막 홀인 18번홀에서 세 개의 완벽한 샷으로 birdie를 기록했다.
Fox는 17세에 골프를 시작했다. 프로로 전향한 것은 20대 중반. DP World Tour 신인은 30세, PGA 투어 신인은 37세였다. 지금 39세에 메이저 챔피언이 됐다.
정말 놀라운 이야기. 정말 극적인 결말이다필자
02샘 번스의 또 다른 아쉬움
54홀 리더 Sam Burns. 일요일 그는 우승할 준비가 되어 있었다.
목요일 73타(3오버)로 시작했고, 금요일 62타(코스 타이 기록)로 복귀했다. 3라운드를 마친 그는 2타 리드를 가지고 있었다. 2라운드에서 2번홀의 버디로 리드를 3타로 늘렸다. 11언더까지 나아갔다.
하지만 우승은 더 빨리 떠나갔다. 4~6번홀에서 연속 보기. 프론트 9를 끝내기도 전에 리드가 사라졌다. 그 후 더 이상의 birdie는 나오지 않았다. 최종적으로 73타를 기록했다. 8언더로 3위.
이제 Burns에게는 불편한 패턴이 있다. 올해 U.S. Open에서 그는 준우승(클락 우승). 입술 한 줄 차이로 playoff를 피했다. 봄 Masters에서도 최종라운드에 가까이 있었지만 후퇴했다. 그리고 이번 The Open에서도 54홀 리더에서 우승을 놓쳤다.
흥미로운 것은 Burns가 이곳에 거의 없을 뻔했다는 것이다. 딸의 조산과 아내의 권유로 The Open에 출전했고, 금요일과 토요일의 뛰어난 경기로 우승의 가능성까지 열렸다. 그러나 일요일은 다른 이야기가 됐다.
Burns는 Tom Lehman(1996~1997) 이후 연속 메이저에서 54홀 리드를 잃은 첫 선수가 됐다. 5승의 PGA 투어 우승자이자 확실한 재능을 가진 선수지만, 그의 이력에는 아직도 메이저 우승이 없다.
03Original (English) — PGA TOUR
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Ryan Fox went out and earned that. What a crazy finish …
SOUTHPORT, England – For the better part of a decade, we were spoiled at major championships.
We watched Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth go through periods of transcendent dominance. We witnessed Rory McIlroy win the career Grand Slam. We enjoyed young superstars-in-the-making in Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas grab their first (and second) major titles. We were privileged to see old titans in Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson win their last.
We've been treated to a certain type of major champion for many years running. Boy, did we break the mold this year.
After years of the stars dominating, 2026 had us watching Ryan Fox and Aaron Rai win their first majors with little warning they were about to do so. We saw Wyndham Clark leave the U.S. Open a hero, 12 months after he left it as a martyr. We watched Rory McIlroy win the Masters (again) with one hand tied behind his back, unable to drive it effectively.
To be clear: This year's majors weren't any better or worse, but they sure were more unexpected.
That was my prevailing thought as I stood in the 18th bleachers at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, stunned at what I was watching. When Fox missed his birdie putt at the par-5 17th, I was sure there were only two outcomes: Fox would make par at 18 and force a playoff or Cameron Young would win outright, with Fox understandably struggling on the most difficult hole on property.
Within minutes, Fox was holding the claret jug.
At that point, I wondered to myself: Is this the weirdest major season ever?
I'm sure the golf historians that subscribe will throw out a litany of years that rival 2026, but in recent history, I couldn't name one. Was Jimmy Walker and Danny Willett more improbable in 2016? Or Darren Clarke, Keegan Bradley and Charl Schwartzel in 2011? At a minimum, this year belongs alongside them.
What's more: None of this year's wins felt fluky. They weren't the result of someone else's epic collapse. These were just unexpected winners who thoroughly outplayed their opponents. Winners who seized the moment with other big names around them.
Fox's victory was remarkable. With six holes left, he trailed Young by two strokes. He beat Young by one, despite a bogey in that stretch. He made birdie at the most difficult closing hole in The Open rota (for my money) with three perfect shots.
Fox didn't pick up the game until age 17. He didn't turn pro until his mid-20s. He was a DP World Tour rookie at age 30 and a PGA TOUR rookie at 37. Now he's a major winner at 39.
What a story. What a conclusion.
So long, 2026 major season. You were incredible, and you were weird.
For a fleeting moment Sunday, it looked as though Sam Burns had finally outrun the label.
The 54-hole leader arrived to Royal Birkdale with a two-shot cushion, and he wasted little time stretching it to three with a birdie at the par-4 second. At 11-under par, Burns looked poised to complete a remarkable week that began an unsteady 3-over 73 on Thursday and was rescued by a record-tying 62 on Friday. Instead, the championship unraveled almost as quickly as it came together.
Burns bogeyed Nos. 4, 5 and 6 in succession, surrendering the lead before the front nine was complete. He never made another birdie, grinding through a joyless Sunday 73 to finish 8 under and alone in third, one shot behind Cameron Young and two back of champion Ryan Fox.
It marked the continuation of an uncomfortable pattern.
Burns was one lip-out away from forcing a playoff at this year's U.S. Open, where he finished runner-up to Wyndham Clark. Earlier this spring, he entered the final round of the Masters within striking distance before fading. This Sunday marked yet another major championship where Burns began the day with destiny squarely in front of him but watched it drift away.
The irony is that Burns nearly wasn't here at all. But his daughter's premature arrival – and his wife's insistence that he play The Open – followed by stellar play on Friday and Saturday set him up for a storybook ending. Instead, his name will go into the history books for an unfortunate statistic.
According to Justin Ray, Burns is the first player since Tom Lehman in 1996 and 1997 to lose an outright 54-hole lead in back-to-back major championships. For a player with five PGA TOUR victories and undeniable talent, the résumé remains absent of the game's biggest prize.
By now, no one will be surprised if Burns finds himself on more major championship leaderboards. Unfortunately, we might be shocked if he closes one out.
– Jimmy Reinman
The PGA TOUR season continues with a three-week sprint to the FedExCup Playoffs. We'll be back Scrolling at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
