The 154th edition of golf’s oldest major championship gets underway today. The exceptional links venue of Royal Birkdale, in Southport, will host the tournament for the 11th time.
Scottie Scheffler missed the cut for the first time in almost four years last time out at the Scottish Open. Despite that, he is the bookies’ favourite to retain the crown he won at Royal Portrush last year. That would see the American world number one move to five major championship victories, level with the likes of Seve and Byron Nelson, and just one behind Rory McIlroy.
As seems to be the case at just about every tournament they both enter, McIlroy is second in the betting behind Scheffler. The pair are priced at 8/1 and 9/1 respectively, but then come two Englishmen. One is playing what amounts to his home course, while the other may well be the best player in the world right now. Could an English golfer finally end the nation’s wait for Open Championship glory?
34 Years and Counting
If an English golfer fails to get over the line at Birkdale in 2026, the 34 years since an Englishman won The Open will turn into 35. Nick Faldo was the last to do so, winning at Muirfield in 1992. Faldo also won The Open at St Andrews in 1990 and before that at Muirfield for the first time in 1987.
In fact, Faldo is the only Englishman to win the only major held in the UK (although news emerged on the 15th of July that Portmarnock in County Dublin could be used in the near future) since Tony Jacklin did all the way back in 1969. That tournament took place around 10 miles from Birkdale at Royal Lytham and St Annes. That, then, is the last time an Englishman won the British Open on English soil, almost 60 years ago.
| Year | Open Champion | Course |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Nick Faldo | Muirfield |
| 1990 | Nick Faldo | St Andrews |
| 1987 | Nick Faldo | Muirfield |
| 1969 | Tony Jacklin | Royal Lytham & St Annes |
Since Faldo’s third triumph, we have seen Open champions from Australia, Zimbabwe, America (far too many to count), South Africa, Sweden and Italy. In addition, there have been champions from almost all parts of the British Isles, with a Scot, two Irishmen and two from Northern Ireland all taking home the Claret Jug.
There is every chance that Rory may claim a second Open Championship after his success at Royal Liverpool in 2014. Alternatively, perhaps Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre (28/1) might win. Ireland’s Shane Lowry (66/1), winner on the island of Ireland in 2019, albeit in the North, might claim a second title. But maybe, just maybe, this is the time for a home player to win on English soil.
Two Obvious Contenders
There will be many English players in the field at Royal Birkdale. Several will be happy merely to make the cut, while one or two others are worth considering as dark horses. But there are two, as mentioned at the start of this article, that are expected to do very well.
Tommy Fleetwood
Popular Everton fan Tommy Fleetwood is priced at odds of between 12/1 and 16/1 to win his first major. The world number nine hails from Southport, so not only knows the course and conditions very well, but he will also gain huge backing from the crowd.
It took Fleetwood 164 attempts to win on the PGA Tour, but when he did, it was one of the biggest, richest events in golf, the Tour Championship (and in the process the FedEx Cup). That was last August, and the golf he produced either side of the win was magnificent as he surged to number three in the world rankings.
His form has dipped a little since then, but his local knowledge, elite ball-striking, and support from the fans could see him over the line. He was second at The Open in 2019, T4 in 2022 and overall has eight top-10 finishes in major championships. Could this be the year he wins one of golf’s four most important tournaments?
Matt Fitzpatrick
Sheffield’s Matt Fitzpatrick is enjoying a spell at the moment similar to the one Fleetwood had last year, and he is also up to a career-high ranking of number three in the world. Unlike Fleetwood, Fitzpatrick has won a major, having triumphed at the US Open in 2022. His best finish at The Open came last year when he tied for fourth, and given his recent form, he is sure to be popular in the betting at odds slightly higher than Fleetwood’s.
Fitzpatrick has won three times on the PGA Tour in 2026, including an incredible win alongside his brother Alex at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Before that, his play-off win over Scheffler at the RBC Heritage will have given him enormous belief. He tied for third last week at the Scottish Open, so his links game is right where it needs to be, while he was fourth at the Travelers before that and second at the Canadian Open in June.
Both Fleetwood and Fitzpatrick have a great chance, but could Justin Rose or maybe even Tyrrell Hatton win? It should be a spectacular tournament, and let’s hope Sunday is a day to remember for English sport in more ways than one.