The Open Championship is back in 2024 as the last of golf's four majors and the only men's Grand Slam event to take place outside of the United States.
All eyes are on the Royal Troon Golf Club's historic Old Course in South Ayrshire, Scotland, from Thursday, July 18, through Sunday, July 21, as it hosts the British Open, as it's known stateside, for the 10th time and first since 2016.
Henrik Stensson was victorious there eight years ago, winning the only major title of his career thus far by finishing 3-under par. Returning in 2024, Stenson is joined by 155 of the world's best players, all hoping to claim victory at Royal Troon, which is one of five Scotland-based courses that plays host to the Open Championship.
Located on the west coast of Scotland, Royal Troon offers scenic views aplenty for any fans taking a break from the world-class golf on show.
This major rotates each year among different venues in the U.K. with 11 currently on the so-called "rota." Last year's championship was played at Royal Liverpool in England's northwest.
MORE: Dates, tee times, schedule for 2024 Open Championship
Brian Harman (minus-13) was last year's champion at Royal Liverpool, defeating his closest pursuers — Jason Day , Tom Kim, Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka — by six strokes. With this year's three majors having all been won by different players, expect another tight contest as the 156-strong field gets narrowed in the final two rounds.
Here's what you need to know about where the Open Championship is being played, as well as course details for the weekend:
Where is the Open Championship in 2024?
- Course: Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course)
- Location: Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland
The 2024 Open Championship will be played at the Royal Troon Gold Club in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland. The club opened in 1878 — modeled on neighboring Prestwick, where this event began in 1860 — and hosted its first Open Championship in 1923.
This weekend's 152nd edition of the Open will be the 10th at Royal Troon, 101 years after Englishman Arthur Havers won the inaugural Championship here. Six of the nine winners so far have been American, including Arnold Palmer collecting the second of his back-to-back titles in 1962.
MORE: Buy tickets to the 2024 Open Championship in the UK
Below is a list of the previous Open Championships played at the Royal Troon Golf Club's Old Course.
| Year | Champion |
| 2016 | Henrik Stenson (Sweden) |
| 2004 | Todd Hamilton (USA) |
| 1997 | Justin Leonard (USA) |
| 1989 | Mark Calcavecchia (USA) |
| 1982 | Tom Watson (USA) |
| 1973 | Tom Weiskopf (USA) |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer (USA) |
| 1950 | Bobby Locke (South Africa) |
| 1923 | Arthur Havers (England) |
For the complete list of Open winners, dating to 1860, check the Open Championship's official website.
Royal Troon Golf Club course details
- Par: 71
- Distance: 7,175 yards
The Old Course at Royal Troon will host this year's Open Championship, and is the longest of the three available courses at the club that has 45 holes in total. The starting point is just a few dozen yards from the beaches of Scotland's western coastline that bring winds and breezes that can threaten to knock the players off-course early.
Here is a complete look at the course details, including the yardage for each hole.
| Hole | Par | Yards |
| 1 | 4 | 370 |
| 2 | 4 | 391 |
| 3 | 4 | 379 |
| 4 | 5 | 560 |
| 5 | 3 | 210 |
| 6 | 5 | 601 |
| 7 | 4 | 305 |
| 8 | 3 | 123 |
| 9 | 4 | 423 |
| OUT | 36 | 3,462 |
| 10 | 4 | 438 |
| 11 | 4 | 490 |
| 12 | 4 | 431 |
| 13 | 4 | 472 |
| 14 | 3 | 178 |
| 15 | 4 | 483 |
| 16 | 5 | 542 |
| 17 | 3 | 222 |
| 18 | 4 | 457 |
| IN | 35 | 3,713 |
| TOTAL | 71 | 7,175 |
MORE: Schedule guide to the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon
Future Open Championship sites
| Year | Site | Last hosted |
| 2025 | Royal Portrush Golf Club | 2019 |
| 2026 | Royal Birkdale Golf Club | 2017 |
Only two future Open Championship sites are known at this time.
The tournament will head to Royal Portrush Golf Club next year, the only course on the current rota located across the Irish Sea in Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Championship then returns to England in 2026 at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, Merseyside.
The courses last hosted the Open Championship in 2019 and 2017, respectively, with those editions being won by Shane Lowry and Jordan Speith —both of whom are in the running to claim a second title at Royal Troon this weekend.
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