Royal Lytham & St Annes has been confirmed as the host venue for the 2028 Open.The 156th edition of the most famous tournament in golf is heading back to Blackpool for the first time since 2012.The Open is heading back to Royal Lytham & St AnnesGettySouth Africa’s Ernie Els edged out Adam Scott to win the Claret Jug 14 years ago but now the game’s best will return to the iconic Lancashire course.The tournament’s date has been shifted from its traditional mid-July schedule to early August due to the LA Olympics.The Men’s Olympic golf programme will conclude on Saturday, July 22nd with the 2028 Open then being held from Thursday, August 3 to Sunday, August 6.Royal Lytham & St Annes, established in 1886 and host to 11 Opens, has undergone a major revamp over the last few years.There have been key improvements to infrastructure around the club, including a new road system, plus funds pumped into the practice areas and course upgrades.The 11th hole has been redesigned to create space for the new state-of-the-art practice ground while a number of new tees have been added to lengthen the course.Royal Lytham & St Annes has emerged as the favourite to host in 2028 over the last few weeks after seeing off competition from Trump Turnberry and Muirfield.Turnberry’s transport links remain problematic and are understood to be the main issue with hosting the Open again over anything political.A return to Muirfield is also seemingly on hold due to the logistical issues of it being in close proximity to the Renaissance Club, the host of the Scottish Open which is held the week prior.Royal Lytham & St Annes is a tight, compact site, surrounded by houses on all sides and not directly on the coast like most other links venues.Tiger Woods came third in the 2012 Open at Royal LythamGettyRory McIlroy in action at the 2012 OpenGettyIt has over 160 bunkers and is a challenging course, demanding shot accuracy, while redevelopers have also constructed new dunes to tighten in certain fairways and green complexes.The course also unusually begins with a par-3.Els won with a score of seven-under-par in 2012 and only eight players broke par for the week, including Tiger Woods, Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell.Scottie Scheffler won The Open last summer, cruising to victory at Royal Portrush while Royal Birkdale Golf Club will host the event this year.The 154th Open is be held from July 16-19 with the final round taking place on the same day as the World Cup final.The 2027 Open will then return to the Old Course at St Andrews, continuing its every-five-year inclusion on the rota and bringing up 31 times it has held the event.