SOUTHPORT, England — The world’s greatest golfers will converge on Royal Birkdale Golf Membership this week for the 154th British Open Championship, as a lot of the nation turns its consideration to England’s spectacular bid to win its first World Cup since 1966.
A few of this nation’s {golfing} heroes will as soon as once more goal to finish Britain’s lengthy drought within the closing main championship of the season.
Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rye might be competing to develop into the primary British golfers to raise the Claret Jug since Nick Faldo received his third in 1992.
Rory McIlroy is once more the betting favourite and world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler is aiming to develop into the primary golfer since Padraig Harrington in 2008-09 to win back-to-back British Open titles.
This would be the eleventh time Royal Birkdale has hosted The Open. Jordan Spieth final received in 2017, when he famously bogeyed the thirteenth gap by dropping onto the follow vary from an unplayable lie. Spieth then performed the following 4 holes at 5 below, defeating Matt Kuchar by three strokes.
Golf programs have modified dramatically since then. The par 3 fourth has been prolonged by 20 yards to 219 yards. The par-3 fifth was shortened by 25 yards to develop into a driveable par-4. The par 3 14th turned a 602 yard par 5 and the par 5 15 turned a demanding 241 yard par 3.
Listed here are the favorites to keep watch over when the match begins Thursday.
1. Scotty Scheffler
Scheffler missed the lower for the primary time in almost 4 years by not taking part in on the Genesis Scottish Open over the weekend. This gave him an early likelihood to see Royal Birkdale, a membership he had by no means performed earlier than. Scheffler hasn’t received in 13 straight races for the reason that season opener at American Categorical. Nonetheless, final yr’s British Open champion stays one of many favorites each week. Scheffler has by no means completed outdoors the highest 25 in his 5 profession British Open appearances.
2. Rory McIlroy
It looks like McIlroy is making a cameo look on the PGA Tour schedule this season. The back-to-back Masters champion has solely began 10 video games. However McIlroy has constantly performed properly and loves taking part in within the wind and on hyperlinks programs. The 2014 British Open Championship winner may develop into the twelfth golfer to win at the least seven majors. He tied for fourth place on the 2017 British Open Championship at Royal Birkdale at 5 below, seven strokes behind Spieth.
3. Matt Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick, who has received thrice on the PGA Tour this season, seems greater than able to ending England’s lengthy drought on the British Open. Fitzpatrick struggled in tournaments final yr earlier than breaking by in a tie for fourth on the Royal Portrush match in Northern Eire. He was first on tour in strokes gained (.592), second in approaches (.766) and eighth in driving accuracy (.689) heading into final week, and this seems like a very good recipe for a win at Royal Birkdale.
4. Wyndham Clark
No golfer on the planet has performed higher than Clark over the previous two months. He received the CJ Cup with Byron Nelson and the US Open for the second time. Clark was again in competition for the Scottish Open after failing to complete outdoors the highest 11 in any of his earlier six appearances. Clark is probably not a fan favourite, however there is no denying his expertise. He ranks ninth on tour in strokes gained and twenty fifth in across the greens (.401) and placing (.391). Clark appeared to know hyperlinks golf when he tied for fourth finally yr’s British Open Championship. Will he be capable of discover sufficient fairways to compete once more at Royal Birkdale?
5. Chris Gottapp
Simply when Gotterup’s breakout season gave the impression to be slowing down, he received the John Deere Basic for the third time in 2026 and competed once more on the Scottish Open. He has a superb historical past on hyperlinks programs, successful the Scottish Open and ending third at The Open final yr. Royal Birkdale’s thick tough body neutralizes Gotterp’s size off the tee, however he’s a cast-iron participant and likewise putsts properly. He’ll should hit extra fairways. He was ranked 129th in driving accuracy (54.4%) heading into final week.
6. Cameron Younger
Younger has cooled down significantly since successful The Gamers and Cadillac championships and tying for third on the Masters. He has completed tied for forty third place or worse in his previous three appearances. Nonetheless, Younger has performed higher than anybody this season, which is why he has moved as much as No. 3 within the Official World Golf Rankings. He seems to be primed for his first main title, performing properly on the British Open, ending second at St. Andrews in Scotland in 2022 and tied for eighth at Royal Liverpool in 2023.
7. Tommy Fleetwood
Native residents had been anticipating Mr Fleetwood’s return to his hometown of Southport for months. There’s a mural of him on the wall of Southport & Birkdale Sports activities Membership and one other on the lawns of Liverpool Purchasing Heart. The sport is heating up for Fleetwood as they goal to win their first main championship. The reigning FedEx Cup champions are winless this season, however have performed constantly properly. He ranks third on tour in strokes gained (.377) and across the greens (.520).
Residence of the British Open, Tommy Fleetwood is honored with a large-scale mural https://t.co/x8OupCSZdv
— Golf Week (@golfweek) June 30, 2026
8. Ludwig Oberg
Oberg hasn’t received on tour for the reason that 2025 Genesis Invitational, so it was lengthy overdue for him to get a win. He has had a very good likelihood to win the previous two seasons, beginning 15 video games in 2026, ending within the high 10 six occasions and ending within the high 25 10 occasions. This might be his third begin on the British Open, the place he tied for twenty third final yr. His iron play continues to be glorious and his tee photographs are correct, permitting him to remain out of bother. If Oberg is again in competition, can he shut out the match?
9. Xander Schauffele
High-10 finishes within the majors had been Schauffele’s vacation spot — he has 19 top-10 finishes and 29 top-25 finishes in 37 profession begins within the main leagues. Schauffele hasn’t been in competition for a championship since successful the 2024 British Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland, however he has completed within the high 12 in six of his previous seven begins. He hasn’t been feeling properly these days. He completed tied for 51st on the Vacationers Championship, lacking out on qualifying for the Scottish Open.
10. Tyrrell Hutton
The passionate British golfer entered the week in nice kind, having received Spain’s LIV Golf League and tied for seventh on the US Open at Sinek Hills. Hatton has a superb monitor report on hyperlinks programs. He’s a three-time winner of the Alfred Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship on the DP World Tour. He has completed within the high 10 solely twice in 13 matches on the British Open, however seems prepared to show issues round on the US Open.
11. Collin Morikawa
Morikawa has been battling a again harm in current months, however has continued to play surprisingly properly. He shot a 9-under 61 within the closing spherical of the Vacationers Championship, ending third and lacking out on the playoffs. Morikawa, the 2021 Champion Golfer of the Yr at Royal St. George’s, leads the tour in method (.842) and is seventh in driving accuracy (69.4%). However he might want to do extra from his quick recreation this week if he’s to win his second Claret Jag.
12. Jon Rahm
Rahm seems to be taking part in in golf’s switch portal with uncertainty over the way forward for LIV Golf and when he might be in a position or allowed to return to the PGA Tour. He missed out on the U.S. Open, however completed within the high 10 in three of his final six main appearances. He has carried out properly on the British Open, ending within the high 11 in 4 of his previous six appearances. Rahm turns into the second Spanish golfer to raise the Claret Jug, following his admired Seve Ballesteros, who received it thrice (1979, 1984 and 1988).
13. Viktor Hovland
After lacking out on the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, Hovland defeated Scheffler in a Monday playoff on the Vacationers Championship for his eighth PGA Tour win. His outcomes on the British Open had been blended. He tied for fourth in 2022, however missed the lower, and tied for 63rd in his previous two appearances. Hovland believes there’s a whole lot of disappointment from native residents after England beat their native Norway 2-1 within the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
14. Justin Rose
It was greater than 1 / 4 of a century in the past that 17-year-old Rose completed fourth as a low beginner on the 1998 British Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Now 45 years previous, Rose continues to be looking for his first Claret Jug. He’s a two-time runner-up on the British Open and is taking part in among the greatest golf of his profession at majors. He tied for third on the Masters, tied for tenth on the PGA Championship, and tied for eleventh on the U.S. Open. There’s little doubt who the gallery might be rooting for this week.
15. Aaron Rye
Rai will obtain a hero’s welcome when he returns to his native England this week as a serious champion. He grew up in Wolverhampton, lower than 150 miles from Royal Birkdale. After a shocking win on the PGA Championship in Might, Lai additionally tied for eleventh on the U.S. Open. Few golfers are as correct off the tee. He ranks second in driving accuracy (72.4%). Rai didn’t qualify after successful the Scottish Open in 2020.
16. Russell Henry
Nobody on tour hits drives as precisely as Henry, who ranks No. 1 in driver accuracy (73.4%). His iron play is not pretty much as good because it was, however he nonetheless has loads of greens to hit this week. Henry has had back-to-back high 10 finishes on the British Open, ending fifth solo in 2024 and tied for tenth final yr.
17. Robert McIntyre
McIntyre bounced again from a tricky post-Masters scenario and completed within the high 10 on consecutive events. He tied for tenth within the Vacationers and was in competition to win Sunday’s Scottish Open. McIntyre has completed within the high 10 in three of his final six British Open appearances. He turns into the primary Scottish golfer to win the Claret Jug since Paul Lawrie in 1999.
18. JJ Spahn
Spawn missed the lower in every of his first three majors, however has performed pretty properly in non-major tournaments. He received his second Valero Texas Open and has 4 top-10s and eight top-25s. Spawn tied for twenty third place in his British Open Championship debut final yr. He is likely one of the greatest iron gamers on tour and might discover the green off the tee, which is all-important at Royal Birkdale.
19. Sam Burns
Burns is taking part in the most effective golf of his profession when it issues most, ending tied for seventh on the Masters, tied for twenty sixth on the PGA Championship and solo second on the U.S. Open at Shinnecock. His Open profession hasn’t been nice — his greatest end was a tie for thirty first in 2024 — however his efficiency at Shinnecock, one other troublesome links-style course, ought to give him confidence.
20. Tom Kim
After struggling together with her placing stroke and confidence in 2025, Kim lastly figured issues out once more. Kim tied for sixth on the Myrtle Seashore Basic and tied for fifteenth on the RBC Canadian Open, completed third on the U.S. Open and received the Scottish Open, her first championship in almost three years. Let’s not overlook that he completed tied for second on the 2023 British Open Championship earlier than issues fell aside.
21. Patrick Reed
It will not be lengthy till Reed is ready to return to the PGA Tour on Aug. 25, and the previous Masters champion has been taking part in as a lot as he can till then. After failing to qualify for the U.S. Open, he tied for forty fifth on the Italian Open and missed the BMW Worldwide Open over the weekend. He tied for thirteenth place on the Scottish Open. Reid final completed within the high 25 on the British Open in 2019, when he completed tenth solo.
22. Brooks Koepka
Koepka’s inconsistent putter has been holding him again since he returned to the PGA Tour in February. However the five-time main champion was taking part in fairly properly till he withdrew from the Canadian Open as a result of a hand harm, lacking out on the U.S. Open and Scottish Open. He tied for sixth place on the 2017 British Open.
23. Harris English
English, who completed runner-up finally yr’s PGA Championship and British Open Championship, had a good season in 2026. In 17 begins, he completed within the high 10 as soon as and within the high 25 9 occasions. England’s iron play was the perpetrator. He ranks 118th in approaches (-.210). If English can discover extra greens in regulation, he could possibly be a sleeper. He ranks sixth in placing (.581) and hits extra fairways than most.
24. Corey Connors
Connors broke away from mediocre golf by tying for twenty third on the U.S. Open and seventh on the Vacationers Championship. He has completed within the high 25 in three of the previous 5 British Open Championships, together with a tie for tenth final yr. His iron play ranks among the many greatest golfers on the planet, however his quick recreation, particularly his placing, struggles.
25. Nikolai Huygaard
Huygaard, a three-time DP World Tour winner, has completed inside the highest 25 in two of the previous three British Open Championships. In 2023, he tied for twenty third place, and final yr he tied for 14th place. Though he has but to win on the PGA Tour, he has been in competition this season with a tie for third on the WM Phoenix Open and runner-up finishes on the Texas Kids’s Open and Twist Championship. One concern: He ranks 139th in driving accuracy (52.5%) and will not work at Royal Birkdale.
