This is the question I get asked most often right now: 'How do I get tickets for The Open?' The short answer is: go to theopen.com and buy them. The longer answer involves understanding what you're actually buying, which days are worth attending, and how to avoid wasting money on the wrong ticket for your situation.
Where to buy — official and only
Tickets for The Open Championship are sold exclusively through The R&A at theopen.com. There is no other official source. If you're buying from a reseller, you're paying a markup for the privilege. Secondary market tickets exist, but The R&A's face-value allocation is your first call. Register for updates — they announce when new ticket types go on sale.
Practice round tickets (Mon–Wed, 13–15 July)
Practice round tickets are significantly cheaper than championship days and offer something the championship rounds don't: access. You can walk the course freely, position yourself near players during warm-ups, and get within a few metres of the world's best golfers without a grandstand between you. If you've never been to The Open before, a practice day is genuinely the best introduction.
- →Typically £30–£50 per day depending on the day
- →Monday (13 Jul) is the most casual — players experimenting, low pressure
- →Tuesday (14 Jul) usually features the Celebrity Pro-Am in the afternoon
- →Wednesday (15 Jul) is the most serious practice day — final prep, best player access
- →Children under 16 free with a paying adult on practice days
Championship round tickets (Thu–Sun, 16–19 July)
Championship days are more expensive and more atmospheric. The leaderboard is live, the pressure is real, and the crowd reacts to every shot. These tickets sell out faster and cost more — but this is The Open in the proper competitive sense.
- →Thursday and Friday (Rounds 1 & 2): typically £60–£80 per day
- →Saturday (Round 3): premium pricing, this is the most sought-after day
- →Sunday (Final Round): similar to Saturday — book early or you'll miss it
- →Under 16s still go free with a paying adult on championship days
Which day should you go?
If I could only go once: Saturday. Moving Day at The Open is one of the great days in sport. The leaderboard reshapes, there are birdies and bogeys everywhere, and the atmosphere has the edge that comes from knowing the champion will emerge in 24 hours. Friday afternoon is the second choice — cut day, drama on every hole.
If you want value and proximity: Wednesday practice day. You get within a few metres of the players, you see the course at its best, and you can go at your own pace rather than fighting for grandstand position.
Hospitality packages
There are official hospitality packages at The Open — grandstand seats, private lounges, catering included. These are significantly more expensive (think £300–£700+ per person per day) and are mostly aimed at corporate buyers. Worth knowing they exist if you're organising something for clients during Open week.
🎫Register at theopen.com for ticket alerts — they notify you when new allocations go live. Championship day tickets often sell out within hours of release. Don't wait until you 'decide' to go and then find there's nothing left.
The honest picture on availability
As of early 2026, championship day tickets for Saturday and Sunday are already very limited. Practice round tickets have more availability. If you're reading this and haven't bought yet, act now. The Open at Royal Birkdale will not have tickets to spare. This is a once-in-several-years event and people plan for it years in advance.
Sorted your tickets? Start planning where to stay — hotels near the course are almost gone.
Open 2026 accommodation guide →Terry
Chief Editor, SouthportGuide.co.uk — Lives in Churchtown with his wife,
four kids, and Frank the bulldog.
