The 154th Open Championship is being contested July 16-19, 2026, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, marking one of golf's oldest majors [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Scottie Scheffler, the world number one and defending champion, won last year’s Open by four strokes and enters as the favorite this week at odds around +700. Rory McIlroy, the 2026 Masters champion, is the second favorite with odds near +850, seeking his first Claret Jug since 2014 [1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9].
Scheffler’s form heading into the Open has raised questions. He missed the cut at the Scottish Open just a week prior, ending his streak of four years without a missed cut, and has yet to win a tournament in 2026 following only one victory in January’s American Express Tournament. Despite four runner-up finishes, including at the Masters, Scheffler acknowledged the challenge of the course, saying, "I didn’t really feel like I played that bad. This golf course can be just tough at times" [3, 8, 9].
The Royal Birkdale course is notable for its demanding layout. It features over 100 bunkers and is among the shortest on the current PGA Tour schedule, favoring precision and accuracy over driving distance. The summer heatwave affecting the region has left greens receptive due to slight moisture, possibly enabling lower scoring rounds [3, 10, 7].
Local hopes rest on Southport native Tommy Fleetwood, competing for his first major title and listed at roughly +1800 odds. Other contenders include Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Aaron Rai, Bryson DeChambeau, Wyndham Clark, Jon Rahm, Cameron Young, and Ludvig Aberg [2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11]. While DeChambeau is regarded as a risky pick due to recent poor form, with experts suggesting he may miss the cut, R&A CEO Mark Dardon confirmed his penalty during the event was "clear cut," and golf analyst David Bearman described his recent major performances as "downright awful" [10, 7, 8].
Jordan Spieth won the last Open staged at Royal Birkdale in 2017, providing a past benchmark at this venue [5, 7, 6]. Rory McIlroy praised the course setup, noting, "When you give professional golfers options, that’s when things start to get fun, especially for the viewer. Not so much for us, but that’s the sign of a good championship test" [3]. Aaron Rai also commented on the nature of majors, saying, "I think it provides a lot of validation. But every major provides such a different test and a different style of golf" [3].
The tournament entered its second round on July 17, with McIlroy and others competing strongly. The third round on July 18 featured impressive play by Ryan Fox and updates on overall player performances [2, 12, 10]. Next up, the final round is scheduled for July 19 to crown the 2026 Open champion.
