The final major of the 2026 season is upon us, with the brilliant Royal Birkdale set to host the Open Championship for the 11th time.
Scottie Scheffler returns as the defending champion following his win at Royal Portrush last year, but he's coming off his first missed cut in 78 tournaments last week. Should he lift the Claret Jug again, he would end a streak of 12 straight first-time Open champions.
Here's everything you need to know for the Open Championship, including picks to win and two potential long shots.
Jump to: How to watch | The course | Previous winners | The favorites | Picks to win | Long shots
📺 How to watch
United States
| Date | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| July 16 | 1:30 - 4:00 a.m. | Peacock |
| 4:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | USA | |
| July 17 | 1:30 - 4:00 a.m. | Peacock |
| 4:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | USA | |
| July 18 | 5:00 - 7:00 a.m. | USA |
| 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | NBC | |
| July 19 | 4:00 - 7:00 a.m. | USA |
| 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. | NBC |
Canada
| Date | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| July 16 | 4:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. | Golf Channel |
| July 17 | 4:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. | Golf Channel |
| July 18 | 5:00 - 7:00 a.m. | Golf Channel |
| 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | TSN 1 | |
| July 19 | 4:00 - 7:00 a.m. | Golf Channel |
| 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. | TSN 3 |
⛳️ The course
Royal Birkdale Golf Club
- 7,223 yards, par 70
- Redesigned in 1932 by Fred Hawtree and John Henry Taylor, with multiple generations of the Hawtree family working on the course over the past 75 years
- Latest renovation by Tom Mackenzie presents multiple new challenges from the last Open played at Birkdale in 2017
- Hosting The Open for the 11th time, second all time to only the Old Course at St. Andrews
- Impressive list of past winners including Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, and Jordan Spieth
- One of the flattest courses in The Open rotation, with level holes framed by massive dunes that often look more like Ireland than northwest England
🏆 Previous winners
2025: Scottie Scheffler (-17), Royal Portrush
2024: Xander Schauffele (-9), Royal Troon
2023: Brian Harman (-13), Royal Liverpool
2022: Cam Smith (-20), St. Andrews
2021: Collin Morikawa (-15), Royal St. George's
2020: No tournament
2019: Shane Lowry (-15), Royal Portrush
2018: Francesco Molinari (-8), Carnoustie
2017: Jordan Spieth (-12), Royal Birkdale
🏌️ The favorites
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +800 |
| Rory McIlroy | +900 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | +1400 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +1400 |
| Jon Rahm | +2000 |
| Xander Schauffele | +2500 |
| Cam Young | +3000 |
| Chris Gotterup | +3000 |
| Collin Morikawa | +3000 |
| Justin Rose | +3000 |
| Ludvig Aberg | +3000 |
| Robert MacIntyre | +3000 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | +3000 |
| Viktor Hovland | +3000 |
Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler is still listed as the favorite, but we haven't seen a +800 beside his name in years. He was priced at just +475 two majors ago at the PGA Championship, but some less-than-stellar play - at least by his outrageous standards - has him close to McIlroy for top spot. Although Scheffler missed his first cut in 78 starts last week at the Scottish Open, he's the defending champion and remains the World No. 1 for a reason. If you were ever looking to put Scheffler on a betting card, this is almost unheard-of value for the 30-year-old.
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy is coming off a sizzling final round at the Scottish Open, and he has a strong track record at Royal Birkdale with a T-4 showing in 2017. He's firmly established himself as one of the best links players in the world of late with three top-seven finishes in his last four Open Championships.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Both men listed at +1400 would be extremely popular winners in northwest England, with either Fitzpatrick or Tommy Fleetwood capable of ending the 34-year drought for an Englishman at The Open. Despite his English roots, Fitzpatrick hasn't exactly been a links master in his career, but he did post a fourth-place showing at last year's Open Championship. He enters in perhaps the best form of his life with three wins, two runner-up showings, and two other top-four finishes in his last 12 events.
Tommy Fleetwood
Sunday has the potential to be an all-time day for residents of Southport, with a potential combo of an England World Cup title and an Open Championship for the hometown lad. Fleetwood will receive the most support this week with Birkdale just minutes from his childhood course, Formby Hall.
💵 Picks to win
🏌️ Bet: Rory McIlroy to win (+900)
He's rested and prepared, he's got great history at Birkdale, and he's playing links golf better than he ever has before. There's a ton of reasons to back McIlroy to claim his second Claret Jug and seventh major title this week.
🏌️ Bet: Matt Fitzpatrick to win (+1400)
We mentioned Fitzpatrick's incredible form, and his game is a perfect fit for Birkdale. Firm conditions will level the field in terms of distance, placing increased importance on approach and around-the-green play. Fitzpatrick leads the PGA TOUR in both those statistical categories this year.
🏌️ Bet: Collin Morikawa to win (+3000)
You might not fancy Morikawa in traditional Open Championship conditions, but he already has a Claret Jug in his trophy case from ideal weather in 2021 at Royal St. George's. Few people on the planet are better at controlling the ball with their irons than Morikawa, and he enters with a third-place showing in his last start.
💥 Long shots
🏌️ Bet: Hideki Matsuyama to win (+7500)
A course that places a premium on iron play and shots around the green? That's Matsuyama's music. The Japanese star has steady but unspectacular results thus far this season. He does have a promising history at Birkdale, however, with a T-14 at this layout in 2017.
🏌️ Bet: Jordan Spieth to win (+9000)
Does anything in Spieth's form suggest he should win this week? No. Is there some trend in recent majors that makes him a likely Open champion for the second time? Also no. However, Spieth has never missed a cut in the Open, and he's back at the site of perhaps his greatest triumph in 2017. If that's not enough justification to take a flier on him at +9000, nothing is.
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