Can England erase nearly six decades of hurt – in golf?

Even as England’s football team go into the World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday seeking to erase six decades of hurt, English golfers will also be hoping to do the same, by winning the British Open at Royal Birkdale after nearly six decades.

No Englishman has won the Open Championship in England since Tony Jacklin in 1969. Indeed, since Jacklin, only one Englishman has won the Open and that was Nick Faldo – three times (1987, '90 and '92) and all of them in Scotland.

"It would be mega," said Matt Wallace, one of 21 English golfers in the field for the final major of 2026 taking place on the northwest coast of England from Thursday.

Tommy Fleetwood might be England's best bet this year, and the locals would celebrate a win just a tad more than other fans around England.

As a kid, Fleetwood lived just round the corner from Royal Birkdale, which he'd sneak on when accompanying his father, Peter, on evening dog walks.

He's the poster boy for this championship but is aware he's sharing the limelight with the country's more globally recognised football players this week.

"For those guys, they definitely carry a nation on their shoulders a lot more than we do," the No 9-ranked Fleetwood said. "They've been doing a great job."

On Monday, Matt Fitzpatrick – the highest-ranked English golfer at No 3 – pleaded to be given a later tee time for the first round on Thursday. The England-Argentina game kicks off at 8pm local time on Wednesday night and wouldn't finish until close to 11pm if it goes to extra-time and penalties.

"If anyone's listening, ... it would be nice if all the English lads were late/early," Fitzpatrick said of the Thursday/Friday tee times. "That would be great."

They weren't so lucky. Each of the first eight groups to go out in the first round on Thursday will contain an Englishman.