Why The Open Championship is being moved to August in 2028

Follow us on Google Discover

The Open Championship is the oldest and most prestigious golf tournament in the game.

The main reason why The Open is so highly revered is because it is governed by traditions which are rarely seen in the game today.

The Open has been won by the greatest golfers of all time including the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.

It has been played during some truly horrendous conditions like at Muirfield in 2002 but we’ve seen some magnificent weather during Open week as well.

Who could forget the Duel in the Sun at Turnberry in 1977 or the 2013 Open at Muirfield when Phil Mickelson won around a baked out golf course after a mini heatwave baked out the golf course.

While British weather is unpredictable, the reason the tournament is held in July is to provide the golfers with the best chance of avoiding inclement weather.

However, things will be changing in 2028, albeit only for one year.

Why The Open Championship is being moved to August in 2028

The Open is traditionally held in mid-July, but that will not be the case in 2028.

Golf’s oldest major championship will be moved to August.

The reason for the change, according to Reuters, is to avoid clashing with the Olympics in Los Angeles which is being held from the 19th-29th of July.

This one does seem slightly strange.

While the Olympics obviously attracts a global audience, the time difference means that The Open would be finished at around 10 am.

Perhaps the R&A are simply covering all bases to ensure that The Open receives maximum exposure.

When the last Open Championship wasn’t held in July

The last Open Championship not to be held in July was at Royal Liverpool way back in 1936.

So in 2028, a 92-year run of Opens held in July will finally come to an end.

The change of date shouldn’t affect course conditions with August historically being very similar to July in the UK temperature-wise.

As things stand, the venue for the 2028 tournament is still yet to be decided.

However, what we do know is that for the first time in 92 years, The Open will not be held in its usual July slot on the calendar.