The 154th Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, running Thursday, July 16 through Sunday, July 19, 2026, and golf's oldest major arrives on a links baked firm and fast by a dry English summer. Scottie Scheffler defends the Claret Jug he won at Royal Portrush in 2025, Rory McIlroy chases the season's final major, and a hometown favorite named Tommy Fleetwood carries the hopes of Southport on a course he used to sneak onto as a kid. Here is the full preview: the field, the favorites, the course, the storylines, the community odds, and a reasoned read on who to watch.
Quick comparison: the favorites board
| Player | Angle |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | Defending champion and the man to beat, atop the board despite a rare missed cut |
| Rory McIlroy | Second favorite, off strong Scottish Open play and Birkdale prep |
| Tommy Fleetwood | Hometown story from Southport, still chasing a first major |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | Standout 2026, third at the Scottish Open with elite iron play |
| Robert MacIntyre | Value dark horse, a Scot with a strong Open record and T3 last week |
Event: The 154th Open Championship, a golf major
Dates: Thursday, July 16 to Sunday, July 19, 2026
Venue: Royal Birkdale, Southport, England
Watch (US): Peacock for early coverage, then USA Network and NBC across the weekend
Tournament overview: dates, course, and how to watch
The Open is the final major of the 2026 season and the only one played outside the United States, on the traditional links turf of England's northwest coast. Royal Birkdale has hosted the championship ten times between 1954 and 2017, and its list of past champions reads like a golf hall of fame: Peter Thomson twice, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Ian Baker-Finch, Mark O'Meara, Padraig Harrington and, most recently, Jordan Spieth in 2017.
For US viewers, coverage begins in the early hours because of the time difference. Peacock carries exclusive early coverage of Thursday's opening round and Friday's second round, with USA Network taking the bulk of the daytime action. NBC picks up the weekend broadcast alongside USA, so the leaders come down the stretch on network television both Saturday and Sunday. Featured-group coverage streams throughout on Peacock.
The course: a firm, approach-first Birkdale
The most important variable this week is the ground. Royal Birkdale is playing firm and fast with little rain in the forecast, and that changes how the course rewards players. From a data standpoint, distance is a relative non-factor here, which is unusual for a modern major. Instead, approach play and work around the greens are expected to be the deciding skills. Precise iron players who can control spin into firm greens have the edge over pure bombers.
The layout itself has been lengthened since 2017. Royal Birkdale now stretches to roughly 7,223 yards, about 67 yards longer than its last Open setup. There is a new par-3 15th that plays around 241 yards and typically downwind, and a repositioned par-5 14th that runs about 602 yards. Both par-5s sit on the inward nine, which creates uneven scoring chances across the round. Wind direction will swing the setup too, with northerly winds expected in the early rounds and the chance of a southwesterly breeze arriving by the weekend.
Contenders to watch at Royal Birkdale
Scottie Scheffler: the defending champion
Scheffler is the world's best player and the reigning Open champion after his win at Royal Portrush in 2025, which is exactly why he tops the board. The one caveat is timing: he arrives off his first missed cut since 2022, his roughest stretch in some time. Even so, the completeness of his game travels to any setup, and a firm, second-shot golf course plays to his strengths. If his irons are sharp, he is the standard everyone else is chasing.
Rory McIlroy: the season's final major shot
McIlroy comes in off strong play at last week's Scottish Open and has spent time preparing at Birkdale. The links game has broken his heart before, but few players in the field can match his ceiling when his driver and long irons click. This is his last major chance of 2026, and motivation will not be an issue.
Tommy Fleetwood: the hometown hero
Fleetwood grew up in Southport and has spoken about watching The Open at Royal Birkdale as a child and sneaking onto the course with his father on evening dog walks. Now he tees it up as one of the favorites on the very links he grew up on, still searching for a first major title. A Fleetwood win would make him the first Englishman to be crowned Champion Golfer of the Year since Sir Nick Faldo in 1992. The support will be enormous. The question is whether the weight of the moment lifts him or presses on him.
Matt Fitzpatrick: iron play that fits the test
Fitzpatrick has been one of the most consistent players in the world this season, with eight top-10 finishes across 17 worldwide starts. He arrives red hot, having finished third at last week's Genesis Scottish Open, where he led for a good portion of the weekend and ranked second in the field in approach play. On a course where iron play is the separator, his profile fits about as well as anyone's.
Robert MacIntyre: the value dark horse
MacIntyre is the kind of name that wins an Open on a firm links. The Scot finished T3 at the Scottish Open last week, gaining nearly two and a half strokes on the field with his approach play, and he already owns a strong Open resume with a T6 in 2019, a T8 in 2021, and a T7 last year. He knows how to handle wind and bounce, and he is playing the best golf of the group entering the week. This could be the setting for his first major.
Longer shots with a case
Beyond the top tier, keep an eye on Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm, two proven major performers who can win at any venue, and Bryson DeChambeau, whose power and touch make him a threat even where distance is muted. Among the true longshots, 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry is a live sleeper who thrives in wind, and Sam Burns is a name several forecasters flagged as a value pick this week.
Storylines and history at Royal Birkdale
The big narrative is Fleetwood on home soil chasing the drought-ending win no Englishman has managed since Faldo. Layered on top is Scheffler's bid to become the first back-to-back Open champion in years while shaking off a rare bad week, and McIlroy's continued pursuit of a Claret Jug at a venue where the ground game suits patient links play.
There is also a warm-up form line worth noting. Last week's Genesis Scottish Open, the traditional final tune-up, was won by Tom Kim, who closed with a bogey-free 64 to reach 17 under and claim his first win in three years. The Renaissance Club is a different links test than Birkdale, but the players who contended there, Fitzpatrick and MacIntyre among them, carry momentum into the major.
A firm, approach-first Birkdale rewards precise iron play over raw power. That is why the form of Fitzpatrick and MacIntyre matters as much as the star power at the top of the board.
The Open Championship odds: community board and market read
Here is a BettorEdge community snapshot of the outright market for the 2026 Open Championship. Outright prices on a full field move constantly as the leaderboard develops, so treat these as a starting point rather than a settled number.
| Player | Community odds (to win) |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +680 |
| Rory McIlroy | +800 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +1800 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | +1800 |
| Xander Schauffele | +2200 |
| Jon Rahm | +2200 |
| Robert MacIntyre | +3300 |
| Bryson DeChambeau | +4500 |
| Shane Lowry | +6600 |
A +680 line on Scheffler implies roughly a 13 percent chance to win, which is a strong number for a single golfer in a field this deep, and it tells you the market still sees him as the clear favorite even after a missed cut. McIlroy at around +800 sits just behind at about 11 percent. After that, the board opens up fast: Fleetwood and Fitzpatrick in the +1800 range imply a win chance near 5 percent each, and MacIntyre at +3300 sits closer to 3 percent. In an event where one bad afternoon in the wind can end a week, that flatness is normal and it is where the value hunting happens.
Final read: who to watch
Scheffler is the one to beat and there is no shame in respecting the best player in the world at a course that rewards his ball-striking. But if you are looking for the blend of live form and a fair price, the two names that stand out are Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre. Both come in off top-three finishes at the Scottish Open with the exact skill Birkdale is asking for this week, and both are priced well behind the headline favorites. Fleetwood is the sentimental live longshot, and a home win would be one of the stories of the golf year. Whichever side you land on, the smart move on a field event is to shop the number and back your read before the leaderboard moves it.
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The Open Championship 2026 FAQ
When is the 2026 Open Championship?
The 154th Open Championship runs Thursday, July 16 through Sunday, July 19, 2026, at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.
What channel is the Open Championship on in the US?
Peacock carries exclusive early coverage of Thursday and Friday, USA Network handles the bulk of daytime coverage, and NBC broadcasts the weekend alongside USA. Featured-group coverage streams on Peacock throughout.
Who is the favorite to win the 2026 Open Championship?
Scottie Scheffler is the favorite at around +680, with Rory McIlroy the second choice near +800. Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick lead the next tier around +1800.
Who is the defending Open champion?
Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion, having won the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
Why does course setup favor iron players this week?
Royal Birkdale is playing firm and fast with little rain forecast, which makes raw distance a relative non-factor. Approach play and work around the greens are expected to be the deciding skills, which favors precise iron players.
Has an Englishman won The Open recently?
No. If Tommy Fleetwood wins at his home course, he would be the first Englishman to be crowned Champion Golfer of the Year since Sir Nick Faldo in 1992.
How do I bet on the Open Championship?
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The bottom line
The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale sets up as a test of iron play on firm, fast links turf, which is why the form of Fitzpatrick and MacIntyre matters as much as the star power of Scheffler and McIlroy at the top of the board. Add a hometown hero in Tommy Fleetwood chasing a drought-ending win, and this is one of the best watches of the golf calendar. Pick your side, grab up to $100 when you verify your ID, and enjoy major championship Sunday with the BettorEdge community. Better odds. You keep more.
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