Now that the US Open is over and performed with, July approaches. And with July comes a weekend steeped in historical past, when The Open begins. The 154th Open Championship is ready to start out on ninth July, and the match shall be performed at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.
The course takes gamers by towering dunes, with flat fairways obscured from the remainder of the course, and the long-lasting Royal Birkdale clubhouse. It’s performed host to 10 Open Championships in its historical past, however who will win quantity 11? Right here’s a preview of the contenders, and who would possibly stroll away with the Claret Jug.
Scottie Scheffler
An apparent contender, as he’s at each match he participates in. The case in opposition to Scheffler is gathering some steam: he fell brief on the Masters, permitting Rory McIlroy to place one other inexperienced jacket in his cabinet, and had a fairly dismal US Open by his requirements.
Regardless of that, the case for Scheffler stays extremely robust. He’s the defending champion of the Open, having gained at Portrush final yr, he’s the clear greatest golfer on the planet, he’s ruthless in his consistency. For a course that rewards low hitters, Scheffler could make an important run at one other claret jug.
Rory McIlroy
With the Masters demons firmly dispatched with a second Masters victory and one other inexperienced jacket, McIlroy is arguably within the type of his life. Already an Open winner, he has nothing left to show to {the golfing} world, however his shut ties with hyperlinks golf provides him a lift right here.
McIlroy has described himself as extra motivated than ever after the second Masters, with a newfound drive to maintain including to his main tally. He’s actually the romantics’ choose as the following Open winner, however will he nonetheless have the fireplace in his stomach to win. Proper now, he’s behind Scheffler within the odds on the greatest betting websites in UK, however that didn’t cease him successful the Masters.
Xander Schauffele
Schauffele gained each the 2024 PGA Championship and the 2024 Open Championship, turning into the primary participant to win a number of majors in a season since Brooks Koepka in 2018.
He’s a confirmed Open champion on hyperlinks terrain, has proven the power to shut below stress, and goes into Birkdale with robust current main type, back-to-back prime tens to start out 2026. The priority is that 2025 was comparatively quiet on the main stage after a surprising 2024, but when he regains his type, he’s a severe contender.
Tommy Fleetwood
I take it again that Rory McIlroy is the romantics’ choose for The Open’s subsequent winner: it’s clearly Tommy Fleetwood. Fleetwood is likely one of the greatest golfers on the PGA Tour that also hasn’t gained a significant. He’s a Southport native, having grown up only a stone’s throw away from the course.
The emotional pull of successful The Open on the course you grew up beside is gigantic, and Birkdale crowds shall be firmly behind him. Will that lastly be sufficient to assist him get a win over the road?
