The Open 2026: Qualifying Venues
The 154th Open heads to Royal Birkdale in July, and the long road there runs through some of Britain finest links. Here are the Regional and Final Qualifying venues for 2026, plus a brand new last chance event at Birkdale itself.
The road to Royal Birkdale
The 154th Open Championship will be played at Royal Birkdale on the Lancashire coast in July 2026, one of the most admired links on the rota. Most of the field earns its place through exemptions and world ranking, but a cherished handful of spots are still won the hard way, through open qualifying on links courses across Britain.
It is one of the things that makes the Open special. In theory, a club golfer can still tee it up in qualifying and play their way into the year final major. The 2026 pathway has three stages.
Regional Qualifying, 22 June
Regional Qualifying takes place on 22 June 2026 across a spread of venues, with Chart Hills in Kent added as a sixteenth course for this edition. This is the entry point, a one day shoot out that thins a huge field down to those who advance to the final stage.
The numbers are brutal and the romance is real: hundreds tee off, only a small fraction move on, and every so often a complete unknown plays their way into golf history.
Final Qualifying, 30 June
Final Qualifying is held on 30 June 2026 at four classic links: Burnham & Berrow in Somerset, Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, Royal Cinque Ports in Kent and West Lancashire near Liverpool. Each hosts a 36 hole test in a single day, with a set number of Open places on offer at each venue.
These are serious courses in their own right. Dundonald in particular is a modern Ayrshire links that visitors can play, so you can walk the same closing holes that will decide who makes the Open.
A new Last Chance Qualifier
For the first time, the R&A has added a Last Chance Qualifier in Championship week itself. Staged on Monday 13 July 2026 at Royal Birkdale, it offers one final place at the Open to a player who comes through it, a dramatic new twist that puts the last spot on the very course that will host the Championship.
It is a clever piece of theatre, and a reminder that the door to the Open stays open later than ever in 2026.
Play the qualifying courses yourself
The beauty of Open qualifying is that several of the venues are courses you can book and play. Dundonald Links sits in the heart of Ayrshire golf country, an easy pairing with the championship links of the coast. Royal Birkdale itself, the main event, is one of England most welcoming great courses for the visiting golfer. Our England and Ayrshire guides are built around exactly these links.
Follow the qualifying in June, then go and play the same ground yourself. It is one of the most rewarding ways to plan a links trip around the drama of the Open.
Plan a links trip around the Open
Follow the qualifying, then go and play the same links. We build Ayrshire and English coast itineraries around the great Open venues, tee times and all.
Questions
Where is the 2026 Open Championship?
The 154th Open Championship will be played at Royal Birkdale on the Lancashire coast of England in July 2026.
What are the 2026 Open Final Qualifying venues?
Final Qualifying on 30 June 2026 is held at four links: Burnham & Berrow, Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports and West Lancashire.
What is the Last Chance Qualifier?
For 2026 the R&A added a Last Chance Qualifier on Monday 13 July at Royal Birkdale, offering one final place in the Open during Championship week itself.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Venues and dates verified June 2026 from The Open and the R&A. Last reviewed June 2026.