The Open Championship Aftermath: Winners, Losers, and Golf’s Wild Ride

So, the dust has settled. Another Open Championship in the books. And man, what a ride it was. You had a guy you probably never saw coming, a few established stars looking a bit lost, and some downright gut-wrenching moments that’ll stick with you. This is where we break down who’s riding high and who’s maybe looking for a new strategy after the drama at Royal Birkdale.

Ryan Fox: From Unknown to Unforgettable

Let’s start with the big story. Ryan Fox. The 39-year-old Kiwi. Suddenly, he’s a major champion. This is the stuff you dream about, right? A lifetime of work, a few wins here and there, and then BAM. You’re holding the Claret Jug. His stock? Through the roof. We’re talking all-time highs. You can bet the Ryan Fox Inc. stock is going to the moon. He’s not just a good hang, he plays fast, he’s got dignity, he’s got that even keel you want to see. He’s exactly the kind of personality you’d hope wins one of these things. Doors are gonna open for this guy. Presidents Cup, here he comes. Honestly, if his career highlight is stuffing that jug into an overhead bin on a plane, he’s probably gonna be just fine with that.

It’s wild how one putt can change everything. One moment, you’re just another pro. The next, you’re a major champion. That’s the beauty of Sunday at a big one. It’s instant. It’s forever. Everything before just… disappears. And Ryan Fox? He’s the guy now.

Scottie Scheffler: The Head Game

Now, Scottie Scheffler. World No. 1. He had a “disappointing” major season, they say. Three top-10s, a runner-up at the Masters. Yeah, tough break. But here’s something I saw that made me think. Late Saturday night, after a round that looked like it was driving him nuts – brilliant irons, but missing short putts like crazy – he hit the practice green. With his putting coach, Phil Kenyon. He was working on the exact kind of putt he’d been leaving short all day: a 10-footer with a little bit of break. And for three minutes, he just poured them in. Six straight. From all angles. The odds of that? Astronomical. Like, 1 in 252. When the sixth one dropped, he just laughed. Alone. Like, ‘Oh great, NOW they’re going in.’

What that told me is this isn’t about ability. He’s got that in spades. This is about what’s going on between his ears. He’s in his own head a bit. And when he figures out how to get out of his own way, he’s going to start running roughshod over everyone again. I’m betting on it. Sooner rather than later.

Bryson DeChambeau: Drama and Disappointment

Bryson DeChambeau. What a week. An all-around messy one. He played some decent golf, sure, but it was overshadowed by all the controversy and his refusal to talk to the press. I get the emotional struggle, especially after that penalty on Friday. It must’ve been tough to regroup when your tournament gets messed with like that, especially when it felt out of your control. But that’s why these guys get paid the big bucks, right? Resiliency. And honestly, I was disappointed to see his week end with two over-par rounds, mostly out of contention. Three missed cuts and a T14. Not exactly a banner year for the most talked-about guy in the sport.

You can’t judge Bryson’s week on golf alone. His golf was secondary to the biggest drama of the Open. He might not have won any friends at the R&A with his antics, but he definitely earned a pint at every pub in England. Forgetting the golf for a second, he’s still the guy who moves the needle in the post-Tiger era. Nobody else is like him. Even when he’s being a petulant brat and blowing off the media.

Cameron Young: So Close, Yet So Far

Two hours waiting in player dining for a playoff. Only to lose on the 72nd hole with a soul-crushing birdie. That’s golf, man. That’s the kick in the pants you sometimes get. And you know what? I weirdly think if he got another shot at a major like that, he wouldn’t smoke his 6-iron into that 18th-hole bunker again. But should he have known better? Of course he knew better. But until you’ve watched one slip through your fingers like that, you don’t really know how careful you have to be. Especially on the last hole. That had to hurt. Like hell.

Jordan Spieth: The Mystery Lingers

The last time we saw Spieth at Birkdale, he was playing maybe the most memorable final round of the last decade. He was on top of the world. Staring down a decade of dominance, like Tiger Woods. Fast forward nearly a decade, and he misses the cut. And it barely even registers as news. The word “belief” gets thrown around with Spieth a lot. I don’t think that’s fair. Of course, he believes. He should believe. That golfer is still in there somewhere. But I’m not sure we’ll ever find a good reason for what’s happened over the last nine years. He’s a great guy. It’s a Sisyphean burden he’s carrying. I hope there’s a reason for all this suffering, a moment that makes it all worth it. I’m just scared there might not be.

Tommy Fleetwood: The Hometown Hero’s Dilemma

For Tommy Fleetwood, the hometown kid, it’s hard to see how the week could have gone any better, short of winning the whole damn thing. He soaked up the crowd’s adoration for four days. Shot four straight rounds in the 60s – the only guy to do it. He was in contention the whole time. Made clutch putts. Stayed in the hunt right to the bitter end. And yet… it felt like so many other major weekends for him. He’s a victim of his own success. He’s good enough to win a major. And until he does, everything else feels like a failure. It’s a tough spot to be in.

Sam Burns: The Near Coronation

Sam Burns. He’s on that super-short list of the best players in the world right now. He’d stepped it up a notch this year. Woke up Sunday morning with a two-shot lead, no real challengers. I thought, ‘Here it is. The coronation.’ Then came a dispiriting Sunday performance. Followed by a few other Sunday major duds. If he’d shot just one under, on the same course Cam Young shot nine under, this whole column would be about him. Instead, he missed a birdie putt on the last hole and lost by two. The good news? I still think that coronation is coming. Eventually. The bad news? If it wasn’t going to happen at Birkdale, when’s a better chance going to come?

But it’s not all bad for Burns. He’s had some good press lately, sharing the story of how he even got into the event after his daughter was born. And then, while all eyes were on his playing partner, Ryan Fox, Burns did something pretty impressive. He stopped and gave a genuine round of applause for the winner. He had to be gutted, but that shows what kind of guy he is. It makes you want to believe in him. Whether you jump on that bandwagon is up to you.

Si Woo Kim: Choke and Own It

Si Woo Kim’s stock right now is like a company that messes up big time, gets called out, but then investors reward them for being honest about it. Did he choke on Sunday? Coming home in 40 after leading at the turn? Yeah. He did. Did his willingness to admit it on Instagram help my perspective? Yeah. It did. It’s a strange kind of honesty that gets a pass, but here we are.

Casey Jarvis: The Surprise Package

Somewhere in South Africa, there’s a group of people who probably bought $500 worth of Casey Jarvis stock a few years back as a joke. He was ranked like 2,000th in the world, missing cuts. Then Sunday happened. Their investment? Worth about half a million dollars. Jarvis’s charge up the leaderboard at Birkdale, finishing T6 for his first major top-10, was inspiring. The Open is all about making a name for yourself. One good week, and you’re somebody. On Monday, Casey Jarvis is a guy with a major top-10, a big payday, and trending status on the DP World Tour. And the best part? We might not have seen the last of him. Let’s hope those guys back home aren’t ready to sell just yet.

The beauty of golf, man. You never know who’s going to step up. One week it’s the established stars, the next it’s a guy you’ve barely heard of. That’s why we watch. That’s why we play.

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