Seven years is a very long time to attend. That’s how lengthy it has been since a European golfer final gained the Open Championship, the continent’s solely main match. And if the most recent betting odds forward of the 2026 showpiece are something to go by, that wait could possibly be set to proceed.
Scottie Scheffler arrives on the 2026 Open Championship because the clear favorite to defend the Claret Jug, with the most recent odds from Fortunate Insurgent Sportsbook positioning him because the clear 5/1 frontrunner. And but, for all of the Texan’s dominance, he’s navigated three majors this yr with out including to his assortment. In truth, regardless of heading into every of the Masters, the US Open, and the PGA Championship because the overwhelming favorite to reign supreme, he by no means really threatened to win at any of them.
That brings us to the Open, the place he’s the favorite as soon as extra. However Europe’s most interesting, particularly Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, are each sizzling on his tail. So, what occurred the final 3 times a European golfer reigned supreme right here? Let’s have a look.
Shane Lowry — 2019, Royal Portrush
Each pre-tournament dialog heading into The Open’s return to Royal Portrush after sixty-eight years away centred on McIlroy, who had posted a legendary newbie rating right here as a sixteen-year-old. He was the favorite, whereas Brooks Koepka, winner of 4 of the earlier ten majors, was additionally thought-about a contender. Shane Lowry arrived ranked thirty third on this planet, carrying the ghost of his 2016 US Open collapse at Oakmont — 4 photographs clear on Sunday, then nothing — and having missed 4 consecutive Open cuts.
Thursday shattered the script. McIlroy made a quadruple bogey on the first gap and staggered to a 79, whereas Lowry shot a quiet 67 to share the lead. By Friday, Wee Rory had missed the minimize by one and left in tears, whereas Lowry added one other 67, tied with the unheralded J. B. Holmes on the midway mark. Then got here Saturday — a bogey-free 63, the course file and the Open’s 54-hole scoring file, sending lots of of 1000’s of spectators into delirium. Lowry entered Sunday 4 photographs away from Tommy Fleetwood.
The ultimate day was brutal. Wind snapped umbrellas; barely anybody completed underneath par. Lowry made bogeys, however Fleetwood compounded his place with a double bogey on the fourteenth. Six photographs clear strolling up the final, Lowry eliminated his cap as the group sang him residence — a closing 72, fifteen underneath par, the primary champion over par on Sunday since 1996.
Francesco Molinari — 2018, Carnoustie
Defending champion Jordan Spieth dominated the pre-tournament narrative. Dustin Johnson was the world primary. Koepka had claimed three of the earlier six majors. Francesco Molinari existed within the margins — ranked sixth and barely mentioned, regardless of successful the BMW PGA at Wentworth in Might and the Quicken Loans Nationwide three weeks earlier by eight strokes. Even par by way of thirty-six holes, tied twenty ninth, the dialog had moved on.
Saturday modified the whole lot. A bogey-free 65 vaulted the Italian into the ultimate Sunday pairing alongside Tiger Woods, who had surged into rivalry with a blistering 66. Sunday produced probably the most chaotic leaderboards in Open historical past — Kevin Kisner doubled the second, Spieth discovered gorse on the sixth and made double bogey, and Xander Schauffele collapsed on the seventh.
Woods led briefly after birdieing the ninth, then doubled the eleventh and unravelled. Molinari opened with 13 consecutive pars, birdied fourteen and eighteen, and was the one participant within the discipline to finish Sunday with out a bogey. His two-under 69 gave him eight underneath complete, two clear, making certain that he grew to become the primary Italian to ever win a significant. His 2019 Masters collapse, surrendering a two-shot lead with consecutive doubles at twelve and fifteen as Tiger claimed a fifth inexperienced jacket, stays the good what-if.
Henrik Stenson — 2016, Royal Troon
By forty years outdated and after forty main begins with out a win, Henrik Stenson occupied a peculiar class — universally admired as one of many most interesting ball-strikers of his era, twice world quantity two, but in some way unable to shut. He’d come closest at Muirfield in 2013, ending runner-up to the identical man he now confronted at Troon: Phil Mickelson. The American veteran had opened with an astonishing 63 — agonisingly lacking a putt that might have been the primary 62 in main historical past — to steer by three.
Stenson’s bogey-free 65 on Friday drew him to inside one, and by the weekend, the 2 had pulled fourteen photographs away from the sphere. Saturday left Stenson one forward. What adopted has been ranked as one of many biggest performances in main championship historical past.
Mickelson birdied the primary; Stenson birdied again instantly. Each eagled the fourth. They traded blows by way of 13 holes earlier than Stenson drained a 51-foot putt on the fifteenth. Mickelson wanted an eagle at sixteen to stage. He missed. Ten birdies, a final-round 63, twenty underneath par — a brand new main file by three strokes. Mickelson shot a bogey-free 65 and nonetheless misplaced by three.
