Major contenders lead Open 2026 storylines

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy lead the field, though both face questions about their games heading into The Open at Royal Birkdale. Scheffler, aiming to become the first player to win back-to-back Claret Jugs since Padraig Harrington in 2008, arrives fresh off a missed cut at the Genesis Scottish Open. He has not played Birkdale before and sits outside the top 90 on the PGA Tour’s proximity-to-the-hole statistic, though he insists he wasn’t hitting it close enough during his Scottish exit.

Despite the familiar favorites, an American could claim the title. Four of the previous five winners have been from the United States, and several American contenders are showing strong form. Chris Gotterup finished third on his Open debut last year and is a three-time PGA Tour winner this season. Russell Henley, now inside the world’s top five, has five top-10s in his last nine majors. Wyndham Clark, a recent US Open champion, has also won two titles in 2026 and looks capable of securing a second major this year.

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World No. 3 Cameron Young is another popular pick, having finished runner-up at The Open before. Collin Morikawa and Brian Harman round out the American contingent. Harman, who won the event when it was last held in Merseyside in 2023, has three top-10s in his last four starts at the tournament. With over a third of the field and 11 of the world’s top 20 players from America, the international challenge appears thin.

There is a plausible scenario where an American golfer takes home the trophy this week, particularly if the wind picks up and favors powerful drives over the finesse shots often required on British links. The American contingent is physically imposing and statistically dominant in ball striking, which often provides an edge in links golf where the rough is penal. If the course setup favors length over precision, the American advantage could widen, making a homegrown champion unlikely unless the conditions punish aggression.

Bryson DeChambeau faces a steep uphill battle to avoid a “Grand Slam” of missed cuts in 2026. After a top-10 finish last year, he has suffered shock early exits at The Masters, the PGA Championship, and the US Open. His record at The Open is worse than at any other major, having missed the cut in 2017 as well. Questions over his swing mechanics and the long-term viability of LIV Golf have added pressure to his performance.

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The American needs to make it through to the weekend to avoid joining the exclusive club of players who have missed all four majors in a single season. Former PGA Tour player Johnson Wagner believes DeChambeau is not built for The Open Championship. Wagner noted that the only time DeChambeau played well recently was when the wind died down last year, suggesting that the unpredictable conditions of Royal Birkdale could spell disaster for the two-time US Open champion.

While England’s football team chases a World Cup title, English golfers are looking to break their own major drought. No Englishman has won The Open since Sir Nick Faldo in 1992, a gap of over 30 years. Hometown hero Tommy Fleetwood is the favorite to change that narrative. He has a massive mural on the Southport & Birkdale Sports Club wall and looks to claim his maiden major at the course he used to sneak onto as a child.

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Fleetwood arrives in good form, finishing no worse than 14th in his last five starts worldwide. Matt Fitzpatrick, a winner of three PGA Tour events this season, and Justin Rose, who finished fourth here as a teenager in 1998, are also strong contenders. Tyrrell Hatton, who won on LIV Golf last month, and Aaron Rai, the first Englishman in over a century to win the PGA Championship, add to the English challenge. Victory for England in their World Cup match against Argentina on Wednesday evening could even force the R&A to adjust final-round start times to avoid a conflict with the World Cup final.

Sky Sports is the exclusive home of The Open in the UK and Ireland, offering over 75 hours of live coverage from Royal Birkdale. Live coverage begins at 9am on each of the practice days, with the main event getting underway at 6:30am on Thursday on Sky Sports Golf. There will be at least 15 hours of action on both the first two rounds, with bonus feeds available on Sky Sports+ or the Sky Sports App. Extended coverage then starts at 9am on Saturday and 8am on Sunday.