The golf world turns its attention this week to England’s northwest coast and specifically Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport for the season’s final major, the 154th Open Championship. This is the 11th time Royal Birkdale has hosted The Open. The course has produced an impressive list of champions over the years, including Peter Thomson, Tom Watson, Johnny Miller, Lee Trevino, Padraig Harrington, and most recently Jordan Spieth in 2017.
Royal Birkdale is widely regarded as one of the most fair but demanding links courses on The Open rotation. Players face a par-70 layout measuring approximately 7,223 yards. Unlike some links courses where blind shots are common, Birkdale features clearly defined fairways. Finding the short grass is a supreme challenge, however, as ever-changing coastal winds shrink the landing zones on those fairways. The punishment for a missed fairway ranges from a lie in thick rough, deep pot bunkers, or potentially out of bounds. Since Spieth’s victory in 2017, the course has undergone several modifications, particularly on the back nine, creating a fresh challenge even for players with previous experience at Birkdale.
The field is as strong as any major championship in recent memory. All of the world’s Top 50 players are expected to compete, along with numerous past champions. Scottie Scheffler arrives as the defending Open champion after capturing the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush last year and enters as the betting favorite despite missing the Cut last week at The Scottish Open.
As noted earlier, weather will be a storyline this week. Royal Birkdale’s proximity to the Irish Sea means conditions can change dramatically from one round to the next. Calm mornings often reward aggressive play, while afternoon winds can quickly turn birdie opportunities into bogey avoidance.
Three-Putts: Jordan Spieth won the Open in 2017 at -12 (268) at Royal Birkdale.
Let’s dive into this year’s field and grab a handful of longshots and favorites to sweat.
*odds courtesy of DraftKings
2026 Open Championship Best Bets: Longshots
Maverick McNealy (+11000)
The better bet is to play the consistent McNealy to make the weekend (-188) as he has made the cut in 15 of 16 events this season. That said, McNealy is one of the TOUR’s top putters gaining .432 shots on the field each round on the greens (#19). He also ranks 21st averaging 4.15 birdies per round. McNealy may be worth a sprinkle at this number.
Alex Fitzpatrick (+6700)
The other Fitzpatrick has been on a magic carpet ride since pairing with his brother Matt to win the Zurich Classic in late April. The rookie has made the most of his nine starts. Including that win at the Zurich, Alex has 5 Top 10 finishes and 7 Top 25 finishes. The lone cut he missed was last week at The Scottish Open. But maybe that was a blessing. The weekend off may have offered the younger Fitzpatrick an opportunity to catch his breath and slow the world down.
Wyndham Clark (+3900)
There is no hotter golfer on the planet than Wyndham Clark. Since missing the cut at the PGA Championship, Clark has made six straight cuts including wins at The CJ Cup, and the U.S. Open, and never finished worst than 13th which he did last week at The Scottish Open. Clark ranks 8th on the TOUR in Shots Gained: Total averaging 1.27 fewer shots per round than the average of the field. He also ranks 27th in Scrambling saving par 63.4% of the time. At the foundation of his success has been his putting. Clark ranks first in Shots Gained: Putting gaining 1.693 shots per round on the field. Clark finished T4 at the Open Championship last year. Definitely worth some pizza money at the current price.
Read More: Ranking the full field for the Open Championship
Tyrell Hatton (+3800)
Always a fun follow, Hatton’s game has been top notch this season highlighted by Top 10 at the Masters and the U.S. Open earlier this year. We have all seen videos of Hatton reacting to an errant tee shot, but those moments have been fewer this season as the 34-year-old is hitting the fairway on 70.8% of his tee shots. However, the difference in Hatton’s game has been most noticeable on the greens. At the Masters, he averaged 30.17 putts per round and at the U.S. Open he average 28.75 putts per round. If the numbers rival those this week, Hatton should be playing late on Sunday.
2026 Open Championship Best Bets: Favorites
Jon Rahm (+1950)
After finishing as the runner-up at the PGA Championship, the two-time major champion (2021 U.S. Open, 2023 Masters) arrives at Royal Birkdale with an exemplary Open Championship résumé—two Top 3 finishes, multiple Top 10s, and a runner-up in 2023 – but without a win. Rahm’s ability to navigate the wind is elite and that skill alone will serve him well and may be the difference-maker this week.
Matt Fitzpatrick (+1800)
At a little over 7200 yards, Royal Birkdale does not demand extreme length, but you have to be in play off the tee and possess elite skills on and around the green. The older Fitzpatrick possesses both. While he now drives it on average 305 yards off the tee, the more pertinent stat is his accuracy off the tee. Fitz ranks 9th on the TOUR putting it on the fairway 68.24% of the time. He also ranks 1st on TOUR in Shots Gained: Around the Green bettering the field by 0.533 strokes per round. That combination should have him teeing off late on Sunday.
Rory McIlroy (+840)
We all heard the stories of how frequently Rory went to Augusta to practice prior to defending his title this year. Focusing now almost exclusively on the majors allows that extra degree of focus and attention that can be the difference over the four days of the event. Add to that level of preparation the stats – 2nd in Driving Distance (328.2yds), 5th in Bridie Average (4.37), 2nd in Scoring (69.23) – and you have a golfer always worth a sprinkle.
Enjoy the year’s final major. Here’s hoping your bet come Sunday is on the Champion Golfer of the Year.
