2026 Open Championship: Scheffler and McIlroy Lead Field at Royal Birkdale

The 154th Open Championship begins Thursday at Royal Birkdale, where Rory McIlroy arrives following a 6-under 64 final round at the Scottish Open.

The 154th Open Championship commences this Thursday at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, marking the final major of the 2026 season. Rory McIlroy enters the week as a betting favorite alongside Scottie Scheffler after McIlroy secured a tie for seventh at last week’s Scottish Open, highlighted by a 6-under 64 on Sunday. During that performance, McIlroy led the field in strokes gained: off the tee at 5.981 and hit 61.5% of fairways. Conversely, Scheffler arrives seeking to rebound from his first missed cut in 78 starts, a streak spanning nearly four years. Though Scheffler has four runner-up finishes this season, he has not recorded a victory in his last 14 outings. At the Scottish Open, Scheffler struggled with accuracy, hitting only 11 of 24 fairways and 23 of 36 greens in regulation while averaging 1.8 putts per hole in the second round.

Statistical Leaders and Contenders

Tom Kim enters the 2026 Open Championship in peak form after winning the Scottish Open by two strokes, defeating a field that included Min Woo Lee and Robert MacIntyre. Kim, who tied for second at the 2023 Open at Royal Liverpool, currently leads the tour in scrambling at 66.7% and ranks 29th in driving accuracy at 63.8%. Matt Fitzpatrick also looms as a threat, leading the tour in strokes gained: approach (.846) and around the green (.533). Fitzpatrick has three wins this season and finished tied for third last week. His younger brother, Alex Fitzpatrick, is also in the field, alongside 45-year-old Justin Rose, who famously tied for fourth at this venue as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998.

Chris Gotterup represents a significant threat with three PGA Tour wins this season and a previous victory at the Scottish Open. Viktor Hovland enters following a playoff victory over Scheffler at the Travelers Championship and a top-15 finish last week, despite missing two cuts in majors earlier this year. Ludvig Åberg, who recorded a T-4 at the PGA Championship, remains a factor despite a collapse at the Players Championship. From the LIV Golf League, Joaquín Niemann looks to build on a seventh-place finish at Shinnecock, where he played the final 54 holes in 7-under par despite carding an 11 on a single hole during his opening round. Data Golf currently ranks Niemann in the top five for approach play this season.

Royal Birkdale Course Modifications

Royal Birkdale features significant layout changes for this edition of the tournament. The par-3 fourth hole now measures 219 yards after a 20-yard extension, while the fifth hole has been shortened by 25 yards to become a drivable par 4. The original par-3 14th has been replaced by a 602-yard par 5. Additionally, the former par-5 15th has been converted into a 241-yard par 3. The greens at Birkdale are notably small, averaging approximately 5,000 square feet. Warm temperatures and dry conditions have baked the Merseyside coastline, leading Justin Rose to observe that the rough is burning out, potentially allowing players to take aggressive lines over corners.

Weather and Wind Impact

Wind direction remains the primary defense for the Southport track. During practice rounds, Jon Rahm noted that players utilized 5- or 6-irons off the tee on the 434-yard 11th hole due to wind conditions. On the 393-yard 16th, mid-iron tee shots were reaching bunkers, while the 502-yard 13th and 508-yard 18th holes played directly into the wind. Jordan Spieth, the 2017 Claret Jug winner at this site, described the venue as potentially the most difficult Open rotation course depending on the weather. Tommy Fleetwood, a Southport native, will make his 45th major start this week, while Aaron Rai and Tyrrell Hatton are also expected to compete for the host nation's first home-soil win since 1969.