Who will win the 2026 Open? Scottie Scheffler’s struggles, Rory McIlroy’s lead field schedule

As it will be the last major championship of the season, 154th British Open Championship appearance That may be exactly what it says: wide open. Returning to Royal Birkdale for the first time since 2017, the British Open heads to Southport, England. Local players will be cheering on their own there, while those from the other side of the Atlantic will be hoping to follow the fate of the past three annual champion golfers.

Since the 2020 event was canceled, four of the past five winners have represented the red, white and blue, with Scottie Scheffler hoisting the Claret Jug at the last Royal Portrush competition. Scheffler’s name fits right in with the Royal Birkdale champions having a long list of American players including Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Mark O’Meara and Jordan Spieth, complementing the rest of the squad featuring Peter Thomson (twice), Ian Baker-Finch and Padraig Harrington.

All of these players have won the British Open at Royal Birkdale, and while on paper it may look like just another major championship packed with players from April to July, the event requires a certain type of appetite to feast, as these players once did.

Poor bounce, golf balls flying around forever, and awkward stances are always a sight for yoga instructors to drool over.

But the physical game is just one ingredient in the recipe for a British Open champion. What lies between the ears supports the rest – determination, perseverance, and mutual acceptance – and it’s a week of trials and tribulations that’s really fun to watch unfold.

Introducing the story of the 154th British Open in detail.

Schaeffler’s defense

At this point last season, Scheffler could have done no wrong. From the Masters to the British Open, the world No. 1 played in nine tournaments, won a major championship and two other titles, and finished as good as T8 in every event. At the same time on the calendar this year, Scheffler has played in nine tournaments, finished runner-up four times and finished outside the top 10 several times, including last week’s Scottish Open, where he missed the cut for the first time in four years.

The questions that have haunted Scheffler all season, whether fair or not, will inevitably come to the British Open given his looming early withdrawal for the final major championship of the season. The question is, “What’s the problem?” And what we should focus on is that area, the proximal area.

Schaeffler approach from 2024 to 2026

Rory runs lightly

Rory McIlroy feels his energy is better overall (both literally and figuratively), and he’s three tournaments shy of the 2025 British Open. His motivation was clear last year as he competed in the Open hosted by his home country (Northern Ireland) and this time it will be held in England, but his intention remains the same: to win golf’s most coveted trophy.

McIlroy’s main problem with this light schedule was not playing in the first two rounds. He had a chance ahead of the weekend’s U.S. Open before a round of 73-73. A similar story played out at the Scottish Open, where he finished inside the top 10 after splitting the lead at the 18- and 36-hole marks.

“The benefit is that I get to see my family more,” McIlroy said at the Scottish Open. “I feel like I have a little more balance in my life, and the challenge is that even though I’ve played pretty sparsely over the past few months, I feel like the starts to the tournament have all been really good.

“So it’s not like I’m coming in and starting slow and I think a little bit of extra practice has actually helped in some ways. The other benefit for me is that I’ve been doing this for almost 20 years so I need to do everything I can to keep my enthusiasm as high as possible and playing a light schedule definitely does that.”

A full circle moment?

No player has finished in the top 10 in all three majors this season. Want to know who’s the closest? It’s Justin Rose, who has finished T3, T10, and T11 in his first three majors, and is close at the Masters in April. He entered his second ninth on Sunday with a two-stroke lead.

Closer to 50 than 40, Rose’s window is more closed than open, but if there’s ever a week when the golf gods answer his (and many fans’) prayers, you have to imagine it will happen at Royal Birkdale, where Rose burst onto the scene as an amateur in 1998 and finished tied for fourth.

english golf

This might be the group’s best chance for a really long time. In a year ripe for harvest, British golfers have done their fair share of damage, with Matt Fitzpatrick leading the PGA Tour in wins, Rose running away with the Farmers Insurance Open and Aaron Rye taking the PGA Championship. Then there’s Tyrrell Hatton, who recently won LIV Golf, and Tommy Fleetwood, aka Mr Reliable, who is a hometown kid at Southport this week.

In the lead-up to the Scottish Open, British golfers represented five of the top 21 players and three of the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking. This is significant not only because the British Open is being held in England, but also because no Briton has hoisted the Claret Jug since Nick Faldo in 1992. Faldo is a three-time Champion Golfer of the Year and the only British player to win the British Open since Tony Jacklin in 1969.

first time

Since 2014, no major season has ended without a first-time major winner. Rye ensured the continuation of his winning streak with his epic victory at the PGA Championship, but some may be hoping for a year like 2022 with multiple first-timers winning in clutch time.

The British Open represents the last chance for immortality on the calendar, and there are many contenders looking to make their mark on history. Surprisingly, most of them have also had a chance at this major championship, with recent podiums being seen by Cameron Young, Chris Gottapp and Tommy Fleetwood.

Notable players who have never won a major championship

Freshly baked Royal Birkdale

Since 2017, there have been many changes to Royal Birkdale. In order to keep up with the times, the R&A suggests that these changes were made to make the British Open more effective.

The par 4 9th and par 3 7 on the outbound leg have been redesigned with new tee boxes. Both holes have short playing times. Now, the old par-3 14th has been removed and the old 15th has been renumbered to 14th. There is a new par 3 on the 15th, and some changes have been made to the 16th and 18th.

The biggest highlight is number 13. that No. 13 — No. 13, where Spieth moved up one right and hit that infamous bogey on his way to victory. All of this comes as the heat and lack of rain continues to set Royal Birkdale a test, burning yellow and crispy.

nearly ten years ago

If you’re a Spieth fan, the last nine years have taken more than a decade out of your life. (Or maybe it was just the life stolen from him on the back nine at the 2017 British Open.) With a three-stroke lead going into the final round, Spieth came back and came through the fourth green to take a share of the lead.

That’s where he stood alongside Matt Kuchar on the 13th tee before the bogey of all bogeys. Spieth, who hit an unplayable third shot atop a sand dune from a practice field next to an equipment track and somehow missed just one, summoned the magic only he could have conjured nine years ago, en route to winning his third and latest major title.

He finished the final round with bogey, birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, par for an incredible three-stroke victory. The difference was that he was in the lead going into the final round. He’s only won twice since that rollercoaster rally at Royal Birkdale, and while his recent form doesn’t suggest another victory is coming anytime soon, returning there still evokes emotions, memories and, if he’s lucky, past matches.

Best day in British sporting history?

This week could be an Old English Double. England’s men’s national team has reached the World Cup semi-finals for the fourth time, with plenty of British players on the golf course and firmly positioned as serious contenders for the British Open in England.

There are reports that the R&A are already planning to move up tee times if the England team advances to the final, which is scheduled to start at 3pm ET on Sunday. This could coincide with the end of another British Open drought for British golfers.

Come Sunday, you’ll probably find your way home in a variety of ways.