Originally scheduled for 15–18 July 2021, the championship was put back one year after the 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that the sesquicentennial celebration was at the "home of golf".

On the final two days, players tee off in reverse order of aggregate score, with the leaders last.

[2] The most recent was in 2015, when Zach Johnson won the four-hole playoff for his second major title.

The Open Championship field is made up of 156 players, who gained entry through various exemption criteria and qualifying tournaments.

The criteria included past Open champions, recent major winners, top ranked players in the world rankings and from the leading world tours, and winners and high finishers from various designated tournaments, including the Open Qualifying Series; the winners of designated amateur events, including The Amateur Championship and U.S.

Top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for Week 21, 2022 5.

Winner of the 2022 Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup 20.

Top two players on the 2020–21 Japan Golf Tour Official Money List 21.

[12] In order to fill additional places or replace exempt players who had withdrawn prior to the start of the Championship, and maintain the full field of 156, additional players were either taken in ranking order from Official World Golf Ranking at the time they were added, or from Final Qualifying.

[6] Thursday, 14 July 2022 PGA Tour rookie Cameron Young had a two-shot lead after a bogey-free round of 8 under par, two shots ahead of pre-tournament favourite Rory McIlroy.

[14] Defending champion Collin Morikawa opened with a level-par 72 while three-time winner Tiger Woods double-bogeyed the first and continued to struggle there on, finishing at 6 over.

Cameron Young made an eagle on the final hole to finish one stroke back.

Viktor Hovland, the other third round co-leader, shot a two-over-par 74 to finish tied for fourth with Tommy Fleetwood.

Smith's total of 20 under par tied the to-par record in a major, last reached by Dustin Johnson at the 2020 Masters Tournament.