Royal Lytham & St Annes Confirmed for The Open 2028

The R&A has confirmed that The 156th Open Championship will be staged at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in 2028, marking the return of one of golf’s most historic venues to the rota for the first time since 2012.

The Championship will take place from 3–6 August 2028, as The Open continues its tradition of rotating among the UK’s most iconic links courses.

The announcement comes with a reshaped near-future schedule for golf’s original major. This year’s Open will be held at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, before the tournament returns to the ‘Home of Golf’ at St Andrews Links in 2027. The move to August in 2028 also ensures the Championship avoids a scheduling clash with the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Royal Lytham’s return has been widely welcomed. The Lancashire links last staged The Open in 2012, when Ernie Els lifted the Claret Jug for a second time, joining a prestigious list of champions that includes legends such as Bobby Jones, Seve Ballesteros, Gary Player and Tony Jacklin. The club will also host the AIG Women’s Open earlier in 2028, underlining its growing importance in elite championship golf.

Mark Darbon, chief executive of The R&A, praised the venue’s pedigree, highlighting its status as “one of the world’s finest links courses” and a stage that has produced some of golf’s most memorable moments since its first Open in 1926.

However, the latest rota update also confirms that two notable venues remain outside the immediate plans.

Trump Turnberry Golf Club will not host The Open in the foreseeable future, despite long-standing ambitions for a return. The Ayrshire course last staged the Championship in 2009, but the R&A has repeatedly cited logistical and financial challenges linked to its remote location, alongside concerns about the focus surrounding the venue.

The R&A has also maintained its position on Muirfield Golf Club, which last hosted The Open in 2013. Although the club now allows female membership following a rule change in 2017, it has yet to be reinstated into the rota. A return is not expected until at least 2031, with scheduling constraints further limiting opportunities in the short term.

Darbon has previously stated that discussions remain open with both venues, but reiterated that any future return would depend on resolving key operational considerations.

For now, The Open continues to balance tradition with practicality, with Royal Lytham & St Annes stepping back into the spotlight as one of golf’s most celebrated stages prepares to welcome the world once again in 2028.