The Open 2026 begins at Royal Birkdale: Scheffler defends, McIlroy and Fleetwood lead the chase for the Claret Jug

The final men's major of the 2026 golf season gets underway on 16 July at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, a par-70 links course playing 7,223 yards with a $17.8 million purse. The course, browned out by dry conditions, will present a firm, fast test that several players have compared to a classic, old-style Open.

The defending champion and the world number one

Scottie Scheffler arrives as the defending champion after a four-stroke victory at Royal Portrush in 2025. He is attempting to become the first player to successfully defend the Claret Jug since Padraig Harrington in 2008-09. His preparation, however, hit an unexpected bump at the Genesis Scottish Open last week, where he missed the cut for the first time since the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship, ending a streak of 78 consecutive made cuts. Scheffler will tee off in Round 1 at 4:58 a.m. ET alongside Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau.

The home hopes and the English drought

A generation of English players sees Royal Birkdale as the venue to end a long wait. No Englishman has won the Open on English soil since Tony Jacklin at Royal Lytham & St Annes on 12 July 1969. Nick Faldo won three Opens, the last in 1992, but all were in Scotland. Tommy Fleetwood, born minutes away in Southport, is among the leading contenders and will play the first two rounds with 2021 champion Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth, who won the last Birkdale Open in 2017. Matt Fitzpatrick, the world number three, and Aaron Rai, the reigning PGA Champion, add further English strength. Justin Rose, who finished fourth at Birkdale as an amateur in 1998, called the Open "the pinnacle of the game" for a British player.

The Open Championship for a British player is the pinnacle of the game. It's the one that I would love to win the most.

McIlroy and the chasing pack

Rory McIlroy enters as the two-time reigning Masters champion and the second favourite in betting at +900, behind Scheffler at +750. He closed with a final-round 64 at the Scottish Open last weekend. McIlroy, who has twice played a home Open at Royal Portrush, noted the extra weight of expectation that comes with a home major.

It's a tough environment. You just feel the extra expectation on your shoulders, and you feel like you're trying to play well for everyone else and not for yourself.

Other notable names include Tom Kim, who won the Scottish Open last week, and Christopher Gotterup, listed at +2800. Since the start of 2025, only Scheffler and McIlroy have more PGA Tour wins than Gotterup. Sam Burns, the PGA Tour's best putter, has finished in the top seven at three of his last five major appearances.

The course and the conditions

Royal Birkdale is hosting its 10th Open since 1954. The R&A and the club have introduced significant modifications since the 2017 championship, including two new holes, new tees, and substantial re-bunkering. Jon Rahm summed up the changes in his press conference.

They've wanted to make the golf course harder - they've done that.

Forecasts call for relatively calm, warm weather, but the browned-out turf has already influenced player strategy. Several have added 2-irons to the bag and removed higher-lofted fairway woods to keep the ball low on the firm fairways. In 2008, no player broke par over 72 holes at Birkdale; in calmer 2017 conditions, Jordan Spieth won at 12-under.

How to follow the action

Round 1 coverage begins Thursday at 1:30 a.m. ET on Peacock, moving to USA Network at 4:00 a.m. ET. Weekend coverage shifts to NBC after 7:00 a.m. ET. The tournament runs through Sunday, 19 July.

Notable Round 1 tee times

Scheffler goes out at 4:58 a.m. ET with Hatton and DeChambeau. The Fleetwood-Rahm-Spieth group follows at 5:09 a.m. ET. The afternoon wave features Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy at 10:15 a.m. ET, while Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark and Cameron Young tee off at 10:04 a.m. ET.