The 2026 Open continues into Round 2 with 54 holes of golf remaining as the R&A seeks to crown a Champion Golfer of the Year at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, for the first time in nine years. The best golfers in the world convene again on Friday, all seeking to move into position entering the weekend so they can raise the Claret Jug on Sunday.
While only one will be lucky enough to carry the hardware, a stacked field of 156 golfers should offer an incredible run from start to finish. The 2025 Open champion, Scottie Scheffler, entered as the favorite once again, and after 18 holes, he proved that he’s up for the challenge of defending his crown. Rory McIlroy began the tournament second on the odds board, but he struggled all afternoon with the tough test Birkdale presents, and now, he will begin the second round seeking to find his way inside the cut line.
Follow complete coverage of Round 2 at The Open with our live updates, leaderboard changes and highlights from Friday at Royal Birkdale.
The story of the week was the English golfers setting foot on the hallowed grounds of Birkdale in front of their adoring faithful. While the national team was unable to bring the World Cup back across the pond, the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose were just a few names who offered England a legitimate chance to see one of their countrymen crowned Champion Golfer of the Year for the first time since 1992. Unfortunately, few took advantage of the conditions with Daniel Brown and Jordan Smith closest to the top of the leaderboard. Matt Wallace, Tyrrell Hatton, Fleetwood and Alex Fitzpatrick all have an opportunity to make some headway in Round 2.
One of the most surprising stories from Thursday was the strong play of Bryson DeChambeau. After missing the cut at the first three major tournaments, DeChambeau fired a 3 under in Round 1 to position himself near the top of the leaderboard. He’ll need to do more of that on Friday to avoid an embarrassing distinction on his year that nobody could have seen coming.
There is so much to follow this week that it can be overwhelming at times. No worries: We have you covered. CBS Sports is offering live coverage of the 2026 Open from start to finish. Check out how you can watch the Open on Friday.
All times Eastern
Round 2 — Friday, July 17
Round 2 start time: 1:30 a.m.
Open live stream: 1:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Peacock
TV coverage: 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on USA Network
