The Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale Golf Club. Rory McIlroy leads the field, posting +0.8 strokes gained off-the-tee this season.
Source: NWS forecast (Southport, England) as of July 14, 2026. Conditions subject to change.
| Year | Champion | Score | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Scottie Scheffler Defending | -17 | Royal Portrush |
| 2024 | Xander Schauffele | -9 | Royal Troon |
| 2023 | Brian Harman | -13 | Royal Liverpool |
| 2022 | Cameron Smith | -20 | St. Andrews (Old Course) |
| 2021 | Collin Morikawa | -15 | Royal St. George’s |
| 2020 | CANCELLED | — | |
| 2019 | Shane Lowry | -15 | Royal Portrush |
| 2018 | Francesco Molinari | -8 | Carnoustie |
| Year | Finish | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | T16 | -7 |
| 2024 | CUT | +9 |
| 2023 | T10 | -4 |
| 2022 | T4 | -14 |
| 2021 | T33 | -2 |
Tommy Fleetwood, a Southport, England native, makes his 12th Open Championship start this week. He has recorded two top-10 finishes at the event, highlighted by a runner-up finish in 2019. At the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, the World No. 9 finished T27.
As the reigning FedExCup champion, Fleetwood seeks to become the first English winner of The Open Championship since Sir Nick Faldo in 1992. This season, he sits third in Strokes Gained: Around the Green (.522) and fifth in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (1.294) on TOUR. Through 15 starts this season, Fleetwood has compiled 11 top-25 finishes, including six top-10 finishes. He enters the week No. 9 in the FedExCup standings.
| Year | Finish | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | T4 | -11 |
| 2024 | T50 | +9 |
| 2023 | T41 | +2 |
| 2022 | T21 | -9 |
| 2021 | T26 | -3 |
Matt Fitzpatrick finished T4 at the 2025 Open Championship, marking his first top-10 finish in 10 tournament appearances. He is a five-time PGA TOUR winner with three victories this season: the Valspar Championship, RBC Heritage, and Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Fitzpatrick held the 54-hole co-lead at last week’s Genesis Scottish Open and finished T3. This result represents his seventh top-five finish in 17 starts this season.
With a win, Fitzpatrick would become the first player from England in the modern era to earn four wins in a season on TOUR. He would also become the first player to earn four or more wins in a season since Scottie Scheffler in 2025.
Fitzpatrick holds the TOUR’s current longest streak of consecutive made cuts with 28, with his last missed cut occurring at the 2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
| Year | Finish | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | T40 | -2 |
| 2024 | T25 | +5 |
| 2023 | T23 | E |
| 2022 | T8 | -12 |
| 2021 | 2 | -13 |
Jordan Spieth is a three-time major champion making his 55th major start. He has recorded 14 top-10 finishes and 45 made cuts across those starts. Since winning the 2017 Open Championship, Spieth has posted two wins and 45 top-10 finishes in 198 starts on TOUR.
Spieth stands as one of two players to win three of the four majors before age 24, alongside Jack Nicklaus.
Spieth has compiled eight top-25 finishes through 18 starts this season. His most recent top-10 came at the 2025 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, where he finished T7.
Spieth enters the week No. 54 in the FedExCup standings and No. 51 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
| Year | Finish | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | T4 | -11 |
| 2024 | CUT | +16 |
| 2023 | T33 | +1 |
| 2022 | T76 | +1 |
Wyndham Clark stands as a five-time PGA TOUR winner and two-time major champion, claiming victories at the 2023 and 2026 U.S. Open. He shot a final-round 73 to win the 2026 U.S. Open in wire-to-wire fashion. Clark now seeks to become the first player since Jordan Spieth to win consecutive majors, following Spieth’s 2015 Masters Tournament and 2015 U.S. Open victories.
Clark represents one of three wire-to-wire winners this season, alongside Justin Rose at the Farmers Insurance Open and Cameron Young at the Cadillac Championship. Over his last six starts on TOUR, he owns two wins at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and the U.S. Open while maintaining a T13 or better finish in every start.
Clark ranks as one of four players with multiple wins on TOUR this season. Matt Fitzpatrick leads that group with three victories, Chris Gotterup also owns three, and Cameron Young has two. At The Open Championship in 2025, Clark finished T4 in his best result across four career starts at that event.
| Year | Finish | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | T34 | -3 |
| 2024 | T75 | +15 |
| 2022 | CUT | +3 |
| 2021 | T19 | -4 |
Rai makes his fifth start at the Open Championship, with his best finish being T19 in 2021. This week marks his debut at Royal Birkdale.
As the reigning PGA Championship winner, Rai became the eighth Englishman to win a major championship since 1940. He seeks to become the 21st player to win the PGA Championship and Open Championship in their career. He also pursues becoming the eighth player to accomplish this feat in the same season and third consecutive player to do so (following Xander Schauffele in 2024 and Scottie Scheffler in 2025).
Rai has two TOUR victories: the 2024 Wyndham Championship and the 2026 PGA Championship. He enters the week at No. 28 in the FedExCup standings and No. 17 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
| Year | Finish | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | T16 | -7 |
| 2024 | T2 | -7 |
| 2023 | CUT | +6 |
| 2021 | T46 | E |
| 2019 | T20 | -1 |
Making his 23rd Open Championship appearance, Rose brings substantial experience to the pursuit of major championship success. He finished as runner-up in both 2018 and 2024, narrowly missing victories in consecutive decades.
Rose’s history at Royal Birkdale spans three decades. As a 17-year-old amateur, he earned the Silver Medal with a T4 finish at the 1998 Open Championship. He returned to the same venue in 2008, finishing T70, and again in 2017 with a T54 result. Rose stands among only four players in the field who competed in all three Open Championships at Royal Birkdale—Stewart Cink, David Duval, and Padraig Harrington share this distinction.
At 45 years old, Rose seeks to become the oldest major winner since Phil Mickelson, who won the 2021 PGA Championship at 50 years, 11 months, 7 days. A 13-time PGA TOUR winner, Rose secured his most recent victory earlier this season at the Farmers Insurance Open. Rose currently ranks No. 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking and No. 21 in the FedExCup standings.
| Year | Finish | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | -17 |
| 2024 | T7 | -1 |
| 2023 | T23 | E |
| 2022 | T21 | -9 |
| 2021 | T8 | -7 |
Scheffler won the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, defeating Harris English by four strokes. This victory marked his fourth major title. He shot 17-under 267 with rounds of 68-64-67-68. Among Open Championship winners, he became the seventh to record four rounds in the 60s and the first since Collin Morikawa in 2021. Scheffler also became the second player in history to win The Open Championship as World No. 1, joining Tiger Woods, who accomplished this feat in 2000, 2005, and 2006.
Scheffler became the first player in the modern major championship era to win his first four majors by three-plus strokes. These victories came at the 2022 Masters Tournament by three strokes, 2024 Masters Tournament by four strokes, and 2025 PGA Championship by five strokes. The 2025 Open Championship victory extended this pattern of decisive major wins.
As World No. 1, Scheffler seeks to become the first player since Rory McIlroy to successfully defend a major title. McIlroy achieved this at the 2026 Masters Tournament. Scheffler also pursues becoming the first player to defend The Open Championship since Padraig Harrington in 2008.
Scheffler stands as a 20-time PGA TOUR winner on his career. He remains in search of a second victory this season, having won The American Express earlier. He enters the week off a missed cut at last week’s Genesis Scottish Open, his first missed cut since the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship across 78 starts.
Scheffler leads the TOUR in SG: Total at 2.154. He also leads in GIR% at 72.22%, Scoring Average at 68.94, and Birdie Average at 4.76 per round.
| Year | Finish | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | T7 | -10 |
| 2024 | CUT | +11 |
| 2023 | T6 | -6 |
| 2022 | 3 | -18 |
| 2021 | T46 | E |
McIlroy won the 2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. He has recorded eight top-10 finishes across 16 starts at the event. In 2017, he finished T4 when The Open Championship was last played at Royal Birkdale.
McIlroy is a six-time major champion. His victories came at the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, 2014 Open Championship, and 2014 PGA Championship. He also won the 2025 Masters Tournament and the 2026 Masters Tournament. His 2025 Masters victory made him the sixth player in history to complete the Career Grand Slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.
McIlroy seeks to become the ninth player to win the Masters Tournament and Open Championship in the same season. He would become the first to accomplish this feat since Tiger Woods in 2005.
As World No. 2, McIlroy holds the most wins (6), top-three (13), and top-10 finishes (33) in majors since 2010. He is a 30-time PGA TOUR winner with the most wins of any player in the field. Scottie Scheffler ranks next with 20 wins.
This season, McIlroy has recorded four top-10s across 10 starts. He won the Masters Tournament, finished T2 at The Genesis Invitational, T7 at the PGA Championship, and T7 at the Genesis Scottish Open.
McIlroy is the most recent player to defend a title on TOUR with his 2026 Masters Tournament victory. He has won in nine consecutive seasons, the longest active streak on TOUR. He seeks his fifth consecutive season with multiple PGA TOUR titles, having recorded 3 wins in 2021-22, 2 in 2022-23, 2 in 2024, and 3 in 2025.
The Open Championship marks the 30th event of the FedExCup Regular Season, with only four weeks remaining until the FedExCup Playoffs begin. This event serves as the final major championship of the 2026 season, following victories by Rory McIlroy at the Masters Tournament, Aaron Rai at the PGA Championship, and Wyndham Clark at the U.S. Open.
The 2026 Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale for the 11th time, hosting the event in 1954, 1961, 1965, 1971, 1976, 1983, 1991, 1998, 2008, 2017, and 2026. Royal Birkdale ranks second-most among all courses to host The Open Championship, trailing only St. Andrews.
American golfers have dominated recent Open Championships. An American won four of the last five Open Championships: Scottie Scheffler in 2025, Xander Schauffele in 2024, Brian Harman in 2023, and Collin Morikawa in 2021. Additionally, the last 12 winners of The Open Championship won the event for the first time, starting with Phil Mickelson in 2013, marking the longest streak of first-time winners at The Open. The previous longest streak ran from 1994 to 2004.
The assembled field reflects elite competition across multiple measures. The field includes 30 of the top 30 in the FedExCup standings and all 50 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. Ten past FedExCup champions compete this week: Henrik Stenson (2013), Billy Horschel (2014), Jordan Spieth (2015), Rory McIlroy (2016, 2019, 2022), Justin Thomas (2017), Justin Rose (2018), Patrick Cantlay (2021), Viktor Hovland (2023), Scottie Scheffler (2024), and Tommy Fleetwood (2025). All eight Signature Event winners this season are in the field.
Fourteen past Open champions appear in the field: David Duval (2001), Padraig Harrington (2007, 2008), Stewart Cink (2009), Darren Clarke (2011), Rory McIlroy (2014), Henrik Stenson (2016), Jordan Spieth (2017), Francesco Molinari (2018), Shane Lowry (2019), Collin Morikawa (2021), Cameron Smith (2022), Brian Harman (2023), Xander Schauffele (2024), and Scottie Scheffler (2025).
Royal Birkdale has hosted The Open six times since 1998, creating overlap with the current field. Forty-one players in the field competed at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, including six that finished in the top 10: Jordan Spieth (winner), Haotong Li (3rd), Rory McIlroy (T4), Brooks Koepka (T6), Alex Noren (T6), and Matthew Southgate (T6).
Seven players competed at the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale: Padraig Harrington (winner), Henrik Stenson (T3), Adam Scott (T16), Alex Noren (T19), David Duval (T39), Justin Rose (T70), and Stewart Cink (MC). Five players competed at the 1998 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale: Justin Rose (T4), David Duval (T11), Stewart Cink (T66), Darren Clarke (MC), and Padraig Harrington (MC).
International representation runs deep in this week’s field. Twenty-eight different countries are represented in the field; with the exception of Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, only Americans and Australians have won The Open at Royal Birkdale. Eighty-two of the 156 players in the field competed at last week’s Scottish Open, including 10 that finished in the top 10: Tom Kim (winner), Min Woo Lee (2nd), Matt Fitzpatrick (T3), Robert MacIntyre (T3), Keita Nakajima (T3), Johnny Keefer (T3), Rory McIlroy (T7), Michael Thorbjornsen (T7), Si Woo Kim (T9), and Victor Perez (T9).
Ten amateurs compete in the field this week. The last seven winners of the Silver Medal at Royal Birkdale have been from England, and this year there are no English amateurs in the field.
Tom Kim seeks to become the first player since Rory McIlroy to win on TOUR and win a major the following week, referencing McIlroy’s victories at the 2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and 2014 PGA Championship. Adam Scott is scheduled to make his 101st consecutive major championship appearance, dating to the 2001 Open Championship; only Jack Nicklaus with 146 has played in more than 100 straight majors.
Rickie Fowler is making his 15th start at the Open Championship with a best finish of T2 in 2014. He has 13 top-10 finishes in major starts, the most top-10 finishes without a win in majors since 2010.
Scottie Scheffler holds a 182-point lead in the FedExCup standings over Matt Fitzpatrick, with Scheffler at 3,511 points and Fitzpatrick at 3,329 points. Matt Fitzpatrick and Chris Gotterup lead the TOUR with three victories each this season; they join Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Ben Griffin as the only players to earn three or more victories in a season on TOUR since 2024.
There have been nine international winners on TOUR this season with 11 wins combined. Five first-time winners have captured victories in the first 29 events on TOUR this season: Jacob Bridgeman (The Genesis Invitational), Ricky Castillo (Puerto Rico Open), Alex Fitzpatrick (Zurich Classic of New Orleans), Kristoffer Reitan (Truist Championship), and Bud Cauley (RBC Canadian Open).
The 54-hole leader or co-leader has gone on to win 10 of 28 individual stroke-play events on TOUR this season. The 54-hole leader or co-leader has won three of the last seven Open Championships: Scottie Scheffler in 2025, Brian Harman in 2023, and Shane Lowry in 2019.
Source: PGA TOUR Media