An action-packed second day at The Open Championship concluded with Lucas Herbert leading at the halfway stage, where there was drama aplenty at Royal Birkdale.

Following his second round, it seemed that Bryson DeChambeau would be the Australian's nearest challenger, with the American carding a four-under 66 to be one back of Herbert, who was eight-under-par after a record-equaling 62 on Friday.

However, drama struck when DeChambeau was given a two-stroke penalty for inadvertently improving his lie at the fifth hole, with the two-time Major winner's score going from seven-under to five-under.

Ultimately, it meant that Jackson Suber (six-under) took DeChambeau's spot in the final pairing, with the former and Herbert set to get their third rounds underway at 3.50pm local time on Saturday.

Cameron Young (six-under) and Ryan Gerard (six-under) are the penultimate group at 3.40pm, while DeChambeau, who is listed on the tee sheet despite claims he might not play, tees off alongside fellow Ryder Cup teammate Sam Burns, who also matched Herbert with a record-breaking 62.

Among the notable pairings are defending champion Scottie Scheffler and Francesco Molinari, who get underway at 2.45pm, while home-hero Tommy Fleetwood is alongside his European Ryder Cup teammate Jon Rahm at 2.35pm.

Hoping to make charges on Moving Day is also former Champion Golfer of the Year Rory McIlroy, who is one-under-par and paired with Jacob Bridgeman at 12.20pm.

Saturday promises to be a dramatic day and, below, you can check out the full tee times.

The Open Championship Tee Times: Round Three

All times BST; For Eastern Time -5hrs

• 9.10am: Jack McDonald, Russell Henley
• 9.20am: Min Woo Lee, Ryo Hisatsune
• 9.30am: Jose Luis Ballester, Kazuki Higa
• 9.40am: Marcus Plunkett, Naoyuki Kataoka
• 9.50am: Peter Uihlein, Brooks Koepka
• 10.00am: Aldrich Potgieter, Keegan Bradley
• 10.10am: Alex Noren, Alex Smalley
• 10.20am: Rickie Fowler, Max Homa
• 10.30am: Ryan Fox, Xander Schauffele
• 10.45am: Kristoffer Reitan, Marco Penge
• 10.55am: Casey Jarvis, Kurt Kitayama
• 11.05am: Laurie Canter, Sahith Theegala
• 11.15am: Michael Brennan, Eugenio Chacarra
• 11.25am: Eric Cole, MJ Daffue
• 11.35am: Kazuma Kobori, Nick Taylor
• 11.45am: Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama
• 11.55am: Ben Griffin, Hennie Du Plessis
• 12.10pm: Andy Sullivan, Patrick Cantlay
• 12.20pm: Jacob Bridgeman, Rory McIlroy
• 12.30pm: Jesper Svensson, Shaun Norris
• 12.40pm: John Parry, Michael Thorbjornsen
• 12.50pm: Jordan Smith, Sungjae Im
• 1.00pm: Matthew Southgate, Nico Echavarria
• 1.10pm: Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Collin Morikawa
• 1.20pm: Adam Scott, Chris Gotterup
• 1.35pm: Patrick Reed, Johnny Keefer
• 1.45pm: Corey Conners, Sepp Straka
• 1.55pm: Tyrrell Hatton, Victor Perez
• 2.05pm: Dan Brown, Cameron John
• 2.15pm: Ludvig Aberg, Shane Lowry
• 2.25pm: JJ Spaun, Pierceson Coody
• 2.35pm: Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood
• 2.45pm: Scottie Scheffler, Francesco Molinari
• 3.00pm: Alex Fitzpatrick, Robert MacIntyre
• 3.10pm: Thomas Detry, Bud Cauley
• 3.20pm: Matt Wallace, Si Woo Kim
• 3.30pm: Bryson DeChambeau, Sam Burns
• 3.40pm: Ryan Gerard, Cameron Young
• 3.50pm: Jackson Suber, Lucas Herbert

Nothing at The Open is ever given and this year's championship has been no different as several big names missed the cut at Royal Birkdale.

A record-equalling round from Lucas Herbert has afforded the Australian a two-stroke lead at the halfway stage, but there are plenty of household names within striking distance such as Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood.

Ultimately, the gap between the cut mark and Herbert is only nine strokes, so with conditions as tough as these and more wind to come, no one will feel out of the running.

And as the old saying goes, you've got to be in it to win it. Here's a look and some notable names who still stand a chance of becoming Champion Golfer of the Year with 36 holes to play.

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU (-5)

Bryson DeChambeau had missed all three cuts at the Majors so far in 2026. But that run wouldn't become four after a sensational first two days at Royal Birkdale.

The American highlighted great strategy as his guiding light on Thursday - possibly a subtle dig at Nick Faldo - before cutting loose on Friday and pouring in a birdie on 18 to initially pull within one of Herbert.

While it seemed as though rounds of 67 and 66 had put the two-time Major winner in a great position to build on last year's T10th at Royal Portrush and maybe even lift the Claret Jug, it was later confirmed that DeChambeau had been given a two-stroke penalty early on in his second round and he'd actually shot a two-under 68.

SAM BURNS (-5)

Possibly the round of Friday actually belonged to Sam Burns. The American matched the all-time joint-record for lowest round at a Major (62), but he did so after a frustrating opening day where he was three-over.

Burns' eight-under second round was not only remarkable in of itself, but he hadn't played any golf since the US Open due to the impending birth of his second child.

But after baby Belle was born a fortnight early, Burns hot-footed over the Atlantic and has given himself a shot at winning a first Major in remarkable circumstances.

CAMERON JOHN (-3)

Cameron John has been playing on the PGA Tour of Australasia for much of his pro journey and has endured or enjoyed a strange 2026 so far. He's claimed two wins but also missed his three most recent cuts.

Nevertheless, John turned his form around at the perfect time to sit inside the top-20 at the halfway stage. Oh, and did I mention, it's his Major championship debut?

DAN BROWN (-3)

Speaking of missed cuts, Dan Brown has missed 10 of them this year already, including five of his past seven starts. The charismatic Englishman has been battling away on the PGA Tour this year after earning dual status via the DP World Tour, but without much success.

With a best individual result of T19th (Sony Open - January) in his back pocket heading into The Open, Brown defied his underwhelming run of form to temporarily lead the final men's Major of the year during Thursday.

A one-over second round featured a mini comeback of its own and the man who finished T10th back in 2024 has a chance to better that in 2026.

MATTHEW SOUTHGATE (-2)

Continuing the theme regarding missed cuts, Matthew Southgate has failed to play the weekend in eight of 12 starts in 2026. But he's also won on the HotelPlanner Tour, which arrived at the Swiss Challenge at the start of June.

Nevertheless, the fact the Open qualifier is still involved and inside the top-25 at this stage is something to be applauded.

Although perhaps it shouldn't be too much of a surprise given his only Major top-10 in eight starts otherwise was a T7th at Royal Birkdale the last time The Open was played here.

ALDRICH POTGIETER (+1)

Aldrich Potgieter wasn't even in the field on Monday. And after the Last-Chance Qualifier didn't go his way, he still wasn't in the field for The 154th Open.

But then Louis Oosthuizen withdrew due to a back injury and his fellow countryman - who was down as the first alternate - was given a last-gasp chance to play.

Potgieter took it with both hands and made the weekend by a single stroke despite a two-over round on Friday.

NAOYUKI KATAOKA (+1)

A pro on the Japan Golf Tour, Naoyuki Kataoka has already had one crack at a Major this year - The Masters. However, he failed to make the weekend at Augusta National.

However, the man who won the 2025 Japan Open responded with aplomb to post three-under on Thursday at Royal Birkdale. And then a one-over second round was good enough to see him through to the weekend at a Major for the first time.

MARCUS PLUNKETT (+1)

The 32-year-old American was another to be making his Major championship debut at Royal Birkdale after coming through Final Qualifying at Dundonald Links recently.

Plunkett has been in good form this year with two top-10s and a hat-trick of top-25s on the Asian Tour, but arguably his best result arrived in England this week.

Plunkett carved out a level par round on Thursday before squeezing through on the number via a 71 on Friday.

JOSE LUIS BALLESTER (+1)

With 13 holes played of round two, Ballester was one shot outside of the projected cut line. Consecutive bogeys later and he was staring firmly down the barrel of an early exit from The Open.

However, an eagle at the par-5 17th and a kick-in birdie on the final hole presented the LIV talent with the chance for redemption - one he took as he made his first cut at the fourth attempt in a Major.

JACK MCDONALD (+1)

Jack McDonald is a 33-year-old Scottish pro who has only made two official starts on the HotelPlanner Tour and one on the Tartan Pro Tour in 2026.

Yet, following a hole-out eagle from 114 yards at the par-4 10th, McDonald made his first cut at a Major.

The Scot made another birdie two holes later before a bogey ensured he would have to grind hard down the stretch. McDonald made it happen with a par at the last and will enjoy a full weekend of action at Royal Birkdale.

Bryson DeChambeau has received a two-stroke penalty after it was deemed that he inadvertently improved his lie at the fifth hole during the second round of The Open Championship.

Carding a four-under 66 on Friday, the two-time Major winner reached seven-under through 36 holes to sit one back of Lucas Herbert, who carded an historic 62 earlier in the day.

In incredible scenes, DeChambeau was seen back at the area of the investigation in the right rough on the fifth where he was deliberating with R&A officials.

Returning back from the fifth hole, DeChambeau and R&A officials then congregated in the scoring tent, with further discussion then going on.

Eventually, DeChambeau's score was altered from seven-under to five-under, with a statement from Grant Moir, Chief Global Alliance Officer at The R&A released shortly after.

In the statement, it read: "Bryson has been penalized two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing, so intended backswing on the fifth hole when he was playing his second shot.

"Basically I'm going to explain the technicalities of the rule here for you. Ruling one restricts what a player may do to improve any of the protected conditions affecting the stroke, and this includes the area of the player's intended swing.

"So an improvement means to alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke so that the player gains a potential advantage for the stroke.

"Now, I'll stress that this applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson's case.

"The area of intended swing includes the entire area that might reasonably affect any part of the backswing, the downswing or the complaining of the swing for the intended stroke, and importantly, what the prohibited action here is that the player mustn't move, bend or break any growing or attached natural object.

"A player is allowed to fairly take their stance by taking reasonable actions to get to the ball and take a stance, if in some situations that improves the condition affecting the stroke, but when doing so, the player must take the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation and is not entitled to a normal stance or swing.

"I would reiterate this rule applies even when there's no intention to improve the area, as was the case with Bryson. That's all I have to say."

DeChambeau walked past reporters and headed straight to the driving range.

Under 'Rule 8.1 - Course Played as it's Found' it states that: "To support the principle of 'play the course as you find it', this Rule restricts what a player may do to improve any of these protected “conditions affecting the stroke” (anywhere on or off the course).

"For the next stroke the player will make: The lie of the player’s ball at rest, The area of the player’s intended stance, The area of the player’s intended swing, The player’s line of play, and The relief area where the player will drop or place a ball."

Adding further: "Actions That Are Not Allowed - a player must not take any of these actions if they improve the conditions affecting the stroke:

Move, bend or break any: Growing or attached natural object, Immovable obstruction, integral object or boundary object, or Tee-marker for the teeing area when playing a ball from that teeing area.

"Move a loose impediment or movable obstruction into position (such as to build a stance or to improve the line of play).

"Alter the surface of the ground, including by: Replacing divots in a divot hole, Removing or pressing down divots that have already been replaced or other cut turf that is already in place, or Creating or eliminating holes, indentations or uneven surfaces.

"Remove or press down sand or loose soil.(5) Remove dew, frost or water."

Breaching of Rule 8.1a meant a general penalty, which in this instance is a two-stroke penalty, meaning DeChambeau dropped from seven-under to five-under.

On Thursday, the two-time US Open winner declined to speak to media following his first round, but he did speak to the R&A where he gave a subtle response to Sir Nick Faldo's comments earlier in the week.

Faldo, while appearing on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, said DeChambeau has "zero strategy" for links golf, with the American responding by saying his strategy was very good in round one.

"I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places," he said.

"Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today."

The first two rounds of The Open featured some incredible highs and crushing lows for some in the field.

At the top of the leaderboard, both Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns got to grips with the dry, firm and fast course to equal the lowest round in a men's Major.

While they are safely into the third round, along with the likes of first-round leader Jackson Suber, 2014 winner Rory McIlroy, LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, for others, Royal Birkdale proved a more frustrating test.

While the top 70 and ties all have a tee time for Moving Day, some notable names are among those heading away from Southport with their tails between their legs.

Here are some of the big names to miss the cut at The Open.

Aaron Rai: +2 (71-71)

Aaron Rai’s bid to become a two-time Major champion fell just short at Royal Birkdale.

The Englishman, who held off Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley to win May’s PGA Championship, seemed on track to make it to the weekend.

That was until he slipped up at the 18^th on Friday with a bogey that made all the difference as he missed the cut by one to finish on two over for the tournament.

Cameron Smith: +2 (73-69)

The LIV Golfer faced an anxious wait to see if he’d done enough to make the cut after rounds of 73 and 69.

However, despite finishing one under on Friday, it wasn’t quite enough to scramble above the cut line.

The 2022 Champion Golfer of the Year missed out on the weekend by just one shot.

That means the only time he has made it past 36 holes in his last nine Major appearances was at the PGA Championship, where he placed T7.

Wyndham Clark: +3 (73-70)

Clark has been back to his very best in recent months, and after claiming his second US Open title in June, few would have bet against him doing well this week.

Another thing working in Clark's favor was a T4 achieved a year ago at Royal Portrush.

Could he build on that 12 months on? He had work to do after a three-over first round of 73.

His second round was erratic, to say the least, with three bogeys, two double bogeys, five birdies and an eagle, the upshot being an even-par 70, which wasn't enough to progress to the weekend.

Tom Kim: +3 (70-73)

After a prolonged struggle, in recent weeks, Tom Kim has reminded everyone of the talent that brought him three early PGA Tour wins. That culminated in victory at last week's Genesis Scottish Open.

With one week of brilliant links golf under his belt, he seemed like one to watch heading to The Open.

There was little untoward about his even-par first round of 70, but, needing a similar level of consistency on Friday, he couldn't quite find it, making six bogeys and three birdies to miss the cut.

Matt Fitzpatrick: +4 (72-72)

When the 2026 Player of the Year nominations are decided, it would be a surprise if Matt Fitzpatrick's name is not among them.

The Englishman has three PGA Tour wins this season, a record that had him earmarked as a potential winner at Royal Birkdale, particularly after a T4 a year ago.

Unfortunately for Fitzpatrick, he could only manage two rounds of 72, with a critical moment on Friday coming with a double-bogey at the 12th, leaving him a mountain to climb that he couldn't surmount.

Joaquin Niemann: +4 (76-68)

The talented Chilean would have headed to Royal Birkdale full of confidence after a recent victory at LIV Golf Korea followed by his best finish in a Major when he tied for seventh at last month's US Open.

However, things soon started going wrong for him, with a double-bogey on just the second hole of the first round on his way to a six-over 76.

He improved on Friday with three birdies and just one bogey, but it wasn't enough and he misses his second consecutive Open cut.

Justin Rose: +3 (75-68)

If Justin Rose ever wins an Open, it would surely make him one of the most popular champions in living memory. It was a big week for him returning to Birkdale, where he finished fourth back in 1998, but it won't be one to remember.

The Englishman has come close to the Claret Jug several times through the years, most recently with a tie for second two years ago. He'll need to wait another year for his next chance, though, after a poor start left him five-over after the first round.

That meant he needed to go low on Friday to have a chance, and despite an impressive 68, he couldn't do enough to reach the weekend.

Viktor Hovland: +4 (70-74)

The Norwegian has found some brilliant form in recent weeks, with third at the RBC Canadian Open and his eighth PGA Tour win at the Travelers Championship.

He demonstrated his links golf credentials with a tie for 13th at the Genesis Scottish Open, but he couldn't take that into Royal Birkdale.

Hovland began well enough with a round of 70 on Thursday, but he struggled for consistency on Friday, not least on the front nine, leaving him five over for the day by the turn. It proved too much to overturn and he heads home early for the third consecutive Major.

Jason Day: +4 (73-71)

The Australian claimed his best Open finish three years ago, sharing the runner-up position with three others at Royal Liverpool, but he's still waiting for his second Major title to add to the 2015 PGA Championship.

We now know that won't be coming in 2026. The former World No.1 finished the last Major of the year after a three-over 73 in the first round and failing to do enough on Friday.

Brian Harman: +9 (74-75)

Three years ago, Brian Harman produced a putting masterclass at Royal Liverpool to secure his maiden Major title in style.

Back then, players had to contend with cold, rainy conditions - the polar opposite to the heat, sun-backed fairways and fast greens of Royal Birkdale.

While Harman got to grips with the weather better than anyone in 2023 - this year - he didn't get close, finding himself four-over after the first round and unable to claw his way back into things on Friday. It ends his run of ten consecutive Major cuts.

Gary Woodland: +9 (78-71)

Few things have been more heartwarming in 2026 than the return to form of the ever-popular 2019 US Open champion.

As well as completing an inspirational comeback win at the Texas Children's Houston Open, Woodland has also shown encouraging form in the Majors, including T7 at the US Open.

That deserted him at Royal Birkdale with a nightmare first round featuring four double-bogeys to leave him eight over.

Perhaps nothing summed up his week more than a moment in his second round, when he hit his tee shot at 11 just 29 yards into the native area, finishing with a triple-bogey.

Jordan Spieth: +10 (73-77)

Nine years ago, Jordan Spieth tamed Royal Birkdale to claim his third Major title when he beat Matt Kuchar by three.

It's been over four years since his last win, but given his history at the course, he would have been optimistic of a strong performance this week.

It wasn't to be. Spieth was three over after the first round, with a costly double-bogey at the par-4 sixth partly responsible.

Another double came at the seventh in his second round as he failed to build the momentum needed to clamber above the cut line and into the weekend. He then proceeded to card a nine on the 17th and drop another shot on the last to post a score of 10-over-par. Not the Birkdale return he was hoping for.

Other notables to miss the cut at the 2026 Open:

• +2 Billy Horschel
• +2 JT Poston
• +2 Henrik Stenson
• +2 Jake Knapp
• +2 Tom McKibbin
• +2 Sam Stevens
• +2 Harris English
• +3 Keith Mitchell
• +3 Maverick McNealy
• +4 Harry Hall
• +4 Joe Dean
• +4 Akshay Bhatia
• +5 Max Greyserman
• +5 Haotong Li
• +5 Michael Kim
• +6 Daniel Berger
• +6 Rasmus Hojgaard
• +9 Padraig Harrington
• +11 David Puig

The Open Championship was testing players mentally over the first two days, with Jon Rahm seeing red on the par 3 15th, leaving him with a warning from The R&A.

Sitting two-under for his round, the two-time Major winner came to the tough par 3 looking to push on, but his pulled iron led to a club throw which went against the Code of Conduct policy enforced at the Major championships.

Although Rahm wasn't penalized for the club throw, he was given a warning by officials, with the Spaniard going on to make a bogey on the hole the club throw occurred at.

The R&A explained at the start of the week that the policy of “serious misconduct” is in effect this week at Royal Birkdale.

In a statement, it read: "If a player’s (or their caddie’s) behavior is so far removed from what is expected in the spirit of the game of golf, in accordance with Rule 1.2b, the Chief Referee, in consultation with the Chief Championships Officer, may issue an official warning or apply a penalty of two strokes or disqualification, taking account of the frequency, impact or potential impact, intent and severity of the misconduct.

"An official warning does not need to be given prior to applying a penalty of two strokes or disqualification."

At the US Open last month, Joaquin Niemann received a two-stroke penalty when he threw a club during round one of the Major championship.

Becoming the first golfer to receive a penalty from the new Code of Conduct policy, the USGA stated that the act "was determined to be serious misconduct under Rule 1.2b."

Niemann had made a nine on the par-4 6th in round one, which was upped to an 11 with his code of conduct penalty.

The Chilean drove two balls out of bounds to the right, and eventually signed for an eight-over-par 78.

Regarding Rahm, he went on to make back-to-back birdies at the 16th and 17th to get to three-under-par for the day and, although he missed a birdie chance at the last, he signed for a second round 67.

Putting himself four-under for the championship, he is four back of leader Lucas Herbert, who became just the second player in Open Championship history to card a 62.

Shortly after the Australian did that, Sam Burns matched him with a hole out from the bunker at the last, with the American vaulting 100 places after a three-over first round on Thursday.

Matt Wallace has enjoyed an excellent career, with the Englishman claiming victories on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, as well as notable results in Major championships.

An equipment-free agent, Wallace uses predominantly Titleist clubs, but does also have TaylorMade and Ping in the bag.

Beginning with the driver, where Wallace has the Titleist GTS2 in-play, with it featuring a 9° head and a Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X shaft.

Ranked as one of the best drivers money can buy, Wallace also possesses a TaylorMade R7 Quad mini driver, which is arguably the best mini driver on the market.

Opting to not use a fairway wood, the Englishman instead has a Ping iDi utility iron. The mini driver has 13.5° of loft, while the iDi has 20°, helping with gapping.

Shaft-wise, the mini driver has the same Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X as his driver, while the Ping utility iron has the heavier Fujikura Ventus Blue 10 X.

Moving to the irons, where Wallace uses the Titleist T250 in a 4-iron configuration, while Titleist 620 CBs are present from 5-iron to 9-iron.

Both sets are among the best Titleist irons on the market, with both models featuring Nippon NS Pro Modus Tour 120 X shafts.

The same shafts are in the wedges, which are the slightly older Titleist Vokey SM10. Loft-wise, Wallace has a 46°, 50°, 54° and 60° configuration, a fairly common gapping set-up.

In terms of the putter, Wallace has a Scotty Cameron GoLo Tour Prototype in-play, which made its way into the set-up at the Italian Open in June.

Golf ball-wise, the Titleist Pro V1x is the choice of Wallace's, with the model on the best premium golf balls money can buy.

Matt Wallace WITB: Full Specs

At The Open Championship in 2026, there will be the highest prize money payout in more than 150 years.

The R&A revealed an increased purse of $17.75 million at Royal Birkdale, a significant step up from the round $17 million up for grabs at Royal Portrush this time last year.

Going back even further highlights just how far prize money has come at The Open.

From the princely sum of £10 in 1863 to £8,500 a century later, Bob Charles would have likely not believed you if you'd told him 50 years after that they'd be playing for upwards of $5 million.

The latest round of prize money booms have arrived in the past decade. The first was between 2016 and 2017 when the overall purse jumped from $6.5 million to $10.25 million.

Then, after they played for $11.5 million at Royal St George's in 2021, the championship payout rocketed to $14 million. It was later $16.5 million as Brian Harman won around Royal Liverpool in 2023.

But after a year of holding steady at $17 million, The 154th Open will be contested with almost $18 million on the line. Still comfortably the lowest total of all four men's Majors in 2026 (PGA Championship - $20.5 million, The Masters & US Open - $22.5 million).

Nevertheless, an increase to the overall payout has naturally led to more money heading the way of the Champion Golfer of the Year. While we don't know who that is at this stage, we do know they will scoop $3.2 million.

Or will they? $3.2 million (roughly £2.38 million) is only the headline number. It's not the amount the champion will welcome into their account next Wednesday when the finances are cleared. Far from it.

I should say at this stage, and it's important I emphasize the point, that every single professional golfer's financial situation is different and their agreement with their staff could well differ to their peers.

Some of the numbers I'll lay out after this are either educated guesses based on information I know to be true or base numbers that could vary slightly depending on other factors.

Having said that, there are two factors which will affect everyone the same, no matter who wins. The first is a 10% share of the top payout, which goes to the caddie.

It's common in pro golf for the tournament champion to share 10% of their winnings with their looper and between 7-8% providing they make the cut. Therefore, the triumphant assistant is destined to pick up a bonus of $320,000 from the $3.2 million very soon.

The other unavoidable factor which every player has to deal with is tax. Tax rules in the US and UK are quite different, with America operating state, federal and individual income tax and the UK only requiring income tax from a situation such as this.

That doesn't mean a pro golfer pays less tax in the British Isles, however. If anything, it can be higher on the European side of the Atlantic.

In theory, a golfer can live in one of the many tax-free US states such as Florida to limit the figure they're giving away and then win a tournament in a state where tax rates are relatively low.

So, for example, a pro golfer who lives in Florida and wins in New York could only end up paying less than 10% tax on their earnings. But that's before Federal taxes which are fairly complicated and range between 10% and 37%, depending on the declared amount earned.

Federal tax is also worked out by annual earnings rather than weekly, too, so pros are unlikely to lose as much as they would if they were docked per event. For context, Wyndham Clark is likely to have given up around $1.5 million of his $4.5 million winner's check at the US Open last month purely to Uncle Sam.

In terms of The Open Championship, though, prize money is paid out by The R&A which is based in Scotland. Therefore, regardless of the winner's nationality, they will be subject to the tax rules of the United Kingdom.

And unfortunately for them, UK tax rates on large one-off earnings are quite high - specifically 45% for earnings over £125,140.

Therefore, that $3.2 million winner's check could see around $1.44 million handed over to Her Majesty's Revenue And Customs (HMRC) straight away. Add in the $320,000 due to the caddie and they're already more than half down on the original number.

From there, coaches, physiotherapists and trainers are all due a small bonus of the $3.2 million for their part in the victory as well.

It's unlikely to be as much as a caddie, but - again - each player's agreement with their team varies, as does the number of staff in said team, so it's difficult to say with any certainty what they might pay out.

But, if we say each staff member takes away a 3% bonus and an average leading pro employs four external individuals, the Open Championship winner could easily be looking at parting with an additional $400,000 or so.

Taking all of the above into account, it remains possible that whoever wins The Open on Sunday may be looking at take-home pay of just over $1 million as opposed to the advertised $3.2 million - roughly a third of the original figure.

Additionally, what I've written about here only relates to tournament prize money and doesn't begin to include sponsorship and endorsement bonuses the lucky pro will be due - payouts which will boost his earnings back up.

Away from the purse set out by The R&A, players will also have to take into account accommodation, food, travel and several other logistical issues which cost money.

The point of this article is certainly not to strike up the tiny violin for pro golfers - far from it. They're doing very well for themselves and are undoubtedly extremely grateful to be in the position they're in.

It is more to educate and highlight how extreme the drop off in take-home pay is compared to the numbers that are lauded about when it comes to tournament prize money.

If there are any other areas of the pro game's finances you would love to read about, please let us know in the comments box below. For the time being, enjoy The Open Championship.

THE OPEN WINNER'S CHECK BREAKDOWN

TOTAL POTENTIAL TAKE-HOME PAY: $1,056,000

Lucas Herbert produced a slice of history on Friday at The Open Championship, with his eight-under round of 62 becoming just the sixth ever in a men's Major.

Narrowly missing a short putt on the last for a 61, which would have been a new Major record, the Australian was on fire at Royal Birkdale, producing nine birdies and a sole bogey to finish his day at eight-under and at the top of the leaderboard.

Prior to the start of the week, it was Herbert's equipment set-up that had people talking, as it was reported the 30-year-old wouldn't be using a driver around the links layout.

Now, speaking after Herbert's historic round, his caddie Nick Pugh confirmed that a driver wasn't in-play on Thursday, but was on Friday.

Speaking to Golf Monthly, Pugh stated: "We played a practice round early last week - Wednesday and Friday - and that was a north/north westerly breeze and we decided that there weren't any holes where we really need to hit driver.

"Yesterday, the wind was more easterly and it's really a day-by-day wind and what the forecast is telling us. So, we had no driver yesterday and we probably missed it on one hole, which was the 14th.

"For today (Friday), we put the driver in-play and took the 2-iron out. The 2-iron is probably less missed than the driver, but I'll have to look at the weather forecast to see whether it's going back in again for the weekend."

Possessing one of the more unique bags in golf, a total of six different brands are represented in just clubs alone through Herbert's bag.

Using a Callaway driver, Ping fairway wood, Srixon and Miura irons, as well as Titleist wedges and a L.A.B Golf putter, it's the golf ball where thorough testing has been undertaken by the seven-time professional winner.

Previously, Herbert had been using TaylorMade TP5 golf balls from 2019 but, after the model went out of production, Herbert was left to find a new golf ball.

According to Pugh, Herbert trialed 27 different golf balls at the end of 2025, eventually landing on the Bridgestone Tour B X, which is also used by the likes of Chris Gotterup and Jason Day.

Providing high launch and low spin, Herbert has used it to much success throughout 2026, claiming his maiden LIV Golf victory in Virginia.

He also finished runner-up at the New Zealand Open on the Asian Tour in March to qualify for this week's Major.

The 2026 Open featured some surprise names near the top of the leaderboard over the first two rounds.

One was Jackson Suber, who led the way after 18 holes, before another player yet to make his mark at a Major, Lucas Herbert, took his place following a brilliant 62 in the second round at Royal Birkdale.

Given his career and recent form, perhaps it shouldn’t come as such a surprise that Herbert took proceedings by the scruff of the neck, though.

Herbert has been a professional for 11 years, but the groundwork was laid well before he left the amateur game behind in 2015.

The 30-year-old was born near Victoria, Australia, and it didn’t take him long to develop a fascination with the game, picking up his first club at the age of three before going on to play junior golf at Neangar Park Golf Club and Commonwealth Golf Club.

One of the highlights of his amateur career came just a year before he turned pro, when he represented his country in the Eisenhower Trophy.

There, he finished with the joint-second-best individual score, three strokes behind none other than Jon Rahm.

All the signs were that Herbert was set for a solid career in the game, and so it has proved.

After a spell on the PGA Tour of Australasia to begin life in the professional ranks, he graduated to the DP World Tour in 2018 via sponsor exemptions.

Titles soon began to come his way, beginning with one of the biggest events on the circuit, the Dubai Desert Classic, which Herbert won in 2020.

Two more DP World Tour wins followed, while he also claimed a maiden PGA Tour win in 2021, beating Danny Lee and Patrick Reed by one at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

In 2024, LIV Golf came calling, with Herbert linking up with 2022 Open winner Cameron Smith as part of the all-Australian Ripper GC team.

Another big win came in 2025, when Herbert won the Asian Tour’s prestigious International Series Japan, further cementing the notion that he can be a man for the big occasion.

Finally, just two months before teeing it up at Royal Birkdale, he claimed his first LIV Golf title, beating Sergio Garcia by four shots in Virginia with the help of his long-time caddie Nick Pugh, the latest indication that he was ready to shine on one of the biggest stages of all.

Lucas Herbert Facts

1. Lucas Herbert was born on December 5, 1995 in Bendigo, Australia.

2. He represented Australia in the 2014 Eisenhower Trophy and finished with the joint-second-best individual score, three strokes behind Jon Rahm.

3. Herbert turned professional at the end of 2015 and began on the PGA Tour of Australasia. He has also played on the DP World Tour, the Asian Tour and the PGA Tour. In 2024, he joined LIV Golf.

4. His first DP World Tour title came at the 2020 Dubai Desert Classic. Herbert defeated Christiaan Bezuidenhout in a playoff. He won his second DP World Tour title at the 2021 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, going wire-to-wire. His third was at the 2023 ISPS Handa Championship in Japan.

5. Other big wins in Herbert's professional career include the 2025 International Series Japan and the 2026 LIV Golf Virginia, where he beat Sergio Garcia by four shots.

6. In his first LIV Golf season, Herbert helped his Ripper GC team win the Team Championship title.

7. Before the 2026 Open, his best finish at a Major was T13 at the 2022 PGA Championship.

8. Herbert is a supporter of Aussie Rules side, Western Bulldogs, who play in Melbourne.

Lucas Herbert Bio

Lucas Herbert Pro Wins

Lucas Herbert produced a stunning round on Friday at Royal Birkdale, with the Australian going out in 28 and pushing on with more birdies on the back nine.

However, it was a moment at the par 5 14th which caught the eye of many, as Herbert's caddie, Nick Pugh, was seen using a rangefinder which, under The Open Championship's rules, is prohibited.

Finding the bunker with his tee shot at the par 5, Pugh pulled out the rangefinder to see if the ball had made it into, or cleared, the sand, with commentators on Sky Sports questioning the action.

"Something came to our attention not long ago. After Lucas Herbert hit, his caddie pulled out a rangefinder and was looking through it," explained Rich Beem.

Fellow commentator, Andrew Coltart, added "I have the rules out here in front of me on the rules sheet. Rule 10, prohibiting use of distance measuring devices, so we will need to clear something up very shortly."

A potential two-shot penalty loomed for Herbert but, thankfully, it was cleared up by Coltart, who stated: "To give you an update, The R&A ensures that batteries are removed so they can only be used as a binocular thing rather than a measuring device."

Essentially, Pugh was using the rangefinder as a way of seeing whether the ball had gone into the bunker, instead of measuring the tee shot that his boss had just hit.

Following on from the incident, Herbert would birdie the 16th to put himself nine-under-par for the round and championship.

On-course to make history, the current lowest round in an Open Championship belongs to Branden Grace, who fired an eight-under 62 at Royal Birkdale in 2017.

For Herbert, he left himself a five-footer to beat that score by one, but his par putt dived left and he tapped-in for an eight-under 62, becoming just the second player ever to shoot that number in a Major.

Speaking after his round, Herbert's caddie, Pugh, stated: "My eyesight isn’t great – the glasses aren’t there to just make me look cool. I sometimes struggle when the ball comes down.

"I’ll use the rangefinder, which pretty clearly has no battery inside. It does nothing more than magnify. I checked, double-checked, triple-checked with the R&A and it's all good."

Lucas Herbert has claimed multiple victories worldwide, including wins on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LIV Golf League and Asian Tour.

Currently a member of Ripper GC on the LIV Golf League, Herbert is also an equipment-free agent, with his set-up possessing a mix of different manufacturers.

He was previously a TaylorMade staffer before joining LIV Golf in 2024.

At The Open Championship, Herbert teased the idea of not putting a driver in-play, due to the baked out nature of Royal Birkdale.

In the end, he went driver-less in round one and then took out his 2-iron to get the driver back in for round two.

His model of choice is the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond, which possesses 10.5° of loft and a Gears Golf Ovvio Green 7 X shaft.

Fairway wood-wise, the Australian uses a Ping G440 Max 3-wood. Featuring 15° of loft, he has a Mitsubishi Diamana WB 83 TX shaft.

Depending on course set-up, he will also use a Ping G440 Max 5-wood.

Moving to the irons, where Herbert has the Callaway Apex UT utility iron in the bag.

Pairing it with a True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shaft, it's set at 18° and is swapped in for the 5-wood.

Arguably the most interesting part of Herbert's bag is in the irons, where he uses a mixed set of Srixon and Miura with four different models.

He has a Srixon ZX5 4-iron, a Srixon ZX7 5-iron, a Miura TC-202 6-iron and Miura MB-101 blades from 7-iron to 9-iron.

Like his Callaway Apex UT, the irons feature True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts.

In the scoring section of his bag, Herbert uses Titleist Vokey SM11 wedges, which rank among the best wedges on the market.

Using them in a traditional 46°, 50°, 54° and 60° configuration, Herbert has True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 Onyx shafts in the 46° and 50°, while the 54° has a KBS Tour 125 S shaft.

In the 60°, you'll find a True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 Onyx shaft.

Putter-wise, the L.A.B Golf OZ.1 is in-play, with it being bought into the bag during the middle of last season.

Herbert also uses the Bridgestone Tour B X, one of the best premium golf balls on the market.

Interestingly, Herbert chose the Tour B X after testing 27 different golf balls at the end of last season. He previously used a 2019 TaylorMade ball but was forced to change once they stopped being produced.

Lucas Herbert WITB: Full Specs

After the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale, The Open heads back to Scotland for what will be a very special week.

St Andrews' Old Course will host its 31st Open in 2027, when it stages the 155th edition of golf's oldest Major. That will mark five years since the historic 150th playing, where Cameron Smith took down Cameron Young and Rory McIlroy to lift the Claret Jug.

There will be a return to Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2028 for the first time in 16 years, but beyond that we do not know where The Open is heading - despite knowing the US Open venues up until 2051.

Here's a look at the future Open venues and our speculation on where it could be heading beyond the years confirmed...

Future Open Championship venues

2027: 155th Open Championship - St Andrews Old Course

The Open heads back to St Andrews' Old Course in 2027 for the 155th edition.

It will host for the first time in five years after Cameron Smith's victory in 2022.

The iconic links is one of the most famous golf courses in the world and has seen memorable wins from the likes of James Braid, Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods through the years.

2028: 154th Open Championship - Royal Lytham & St Annes

Lytham will stage its 12th Open and first since Ernie Els' victory in 2012, when the South African won his second Claret Jug and fourth Major title after Adam Scott finished with four consecutive bogeys to agonizingly miss out.

The championship will take place from August 3-6 in two years' time, having moved later in the schedule due to the 2028 Olympics.

Royal Lytham and St Annes also hosts the 2026 AIG Women's Open, after last staging the Ricoh Women's British Open, as it was known then, in 2018 when Georgia Hall triumphed to win her maiden Major title.

Where will The Open take place in 2029?

The R&A rarely hosts The Open in the same country in back-to-back years, so it is unlikely we'll see an English venue in 2029 - although Royal St George's could be in the running as that is on the south coast and hasn't staged an Open since 2021.

With Royal Portrush hosting as recent as 2025, it would be a surprise to see it return so quickly so we'd hazard a guess it will go back to Scotland. A Muirfield return is highly anticipated, but there are logistical challenges, while the same story can be said about Turnberry.

Royal Troon last hosted in 2024 so that would be a quick return. If it goes back to Scotland, Muirfield or Turnberry may be in the running but the favorite could be Carnoustie.

The Angus links last hosted in 2018, when Francesco Molinari became the first Italian winner of the Claret Jug.

The R&A could throw in a curveball, though, as speculation continues to mount that Portmarnock will host The Open in the not-too-distant future.

The Open has never left the United Kingdom before, but the club, which is located on the north-east edge of Ireland's capital, Dublin, has long been tipped to host golf's oldest Major Championship.

Ahead of the 154th Open, R&A chief Mark Darbon said "we're getting pretty close" to a Portmarnock Open. "That work is pretty much done. We've confirmed that we believe we can take an Open Championship there," he said.

So, we'd make Carnoustie or Portmarnock the favorites for 2029, with Muirfield, Turnberry and Royal St George's in the running.

A total of 156 players began the final men's Major of the season at Royal Birkdale with lofty ambitions and dreams of stamping their names into golfing folklore with an Open Championship victory.

After one round, the focus now turns to the cut - and there are some big names needing strong second rounds to make the weekend. Justin Rose (+5) is among them needing a low one on Friday, with Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick at +2 and Jordan Spieth +3.

But for some, those hopes will be dashed all too early and they will have to wait at least several more months before having another crack.

Of all four men's Majors, The Open presents the most likely chance that golfers will compete in all four days, however.

The Masters is the strictest with just the top-50 and ties making it through, while the US Open is 60 and ties and the PGA Championship is the top-65 and ties.

The Open cut rule 2026

The Open Championship cut ensures that the top-70 players and ties make it through to the weekend to battle it out for the famed Claret Jug.

That means, of the 156 competitors that begin with high hopes on Thursday, around half are likely to be sent packing after 36 holes.

Last year, exactly 70 players made the weekend at Royal Portrush, with a total of +1 or better required to make the weekend.

Up until 1985, The Open made two cuts - one after the second round and another after the third round. But the rules were changed the following year, leaving just one cut after 36 holes.

There is no 10-shot rule at The Open either, which was a common system used in various tournaments in the past, but it is no longer a feature in the Majors.

Quite simply, the 10-shot rule meant that golfers within 10 strokes of the lead made the cut, no matter what position they were in. The highest number of players to make it through to the weekend was 113 at the 1991 Open at Royal Birkdale.

Given the vagaries of links golf, the cut mark can vary dramatically from year to year. Two years ago at Royal Troon, it fell at six-over as five of the world's top-10 went home early. At Royal Liverpool in 2023, the cut was made at three-over with 76 players making it through.

Do you get paid for missing the Open cut?

Even if a player's week is cut short, pros still receive a share of The Open prize money - which is a record $17.75m this year.

The top-10 professionals who don't make the weekend in Southport will still earn $12,900 as a consolation. The next 20 will receive $10,750, while everyone else will walk away with $9,100 just for making it to The Open.

The Open Cut Line History

* Lowest tournament score to par

It was a mixed day for Rory McIlroy in the first round of The Open.

The 2014 champion struggled for consistency at Royal Birkdale, particularly with his short game and putting, resulting in him making six bogeys and four birdies to finish two over.

That leaves the Masters champion seven shots behind first-round leader Jackson Suber and tied for 85th in pursuit of his second Major title of the year.

However, McIlroy is determined to take the positives from his performance despite an up-and-down first round.

He said: “I'll start with the positives. I drove the ball incredibly well. I took the golf course on off the tee. Obviously with the positions that I put myself in off the tee, I feel like I obviously should have shot a better score. Played the hard holes well. Birdied 13, 15 and 18 on the back.”

While there was much to admire off the tee from McIlroy, he acknowledged that there were too many mistakes further on, which included missing several putts from inside four feet to leave him 148th out of 156th for Strokes Gained: Putting.

He added: “The two bogeys on the par-5s wasn't great and I struggled the first two holes to get the speed of the greens.

“I felt like they were very inconsistent, just because some parts of the greens are still alive and growing and other parts have went really dead.

“It's like, you've got this - sort of reminds me a bit of Pebble Beach when Pebble Beach gets like that for a US Open. It's just hard to judge the speed sometimes. Struggled with that early on.

“Sort of felt like I got it going a little bit, but yeah, just too many stupid mistakes. But every time I made a stupid mistake, thankfully I made a birdie to sort of keep myself in it."

Recent history tells us McIlroy isn't out of it just yet. After all, he was also seven behind after the first round of the 2025 Masters before going on to complete his career Grand Slam.

Perhaps even more crucially, McIlroy was also in the afternoon wave in the first round of The Open, where the wind became more of a factor and the already firm, fast conditions became increasingly difficult to contend with.

McIlroy believes with the benefit of a morning tee time on Friday, he could yet surge up the leaderboard if he can take advantage of the more benign conditions that are expected to greet the earlier starters.

He said: "Not too far away. Hopefully we'll get the better conditions tomorrow and maybe the greens are a little bit smoother in the morning. Go out there and shoot a good one and get myself right back in it for the weekend."

Elaborating on the probability of kinder conditions, he added: “If you look at the discrepancy between the scoring this morning and the scoring this afternoon, it looks like that's going to be flipped tomorrow with the conditions again.

“Hopefully I can take advantage of the more benign conditions in the morning and shoot one under par and get back in it.”

McIlroy's round finished on a high with a birdie, and he revealed he'll try to take that bit of momentum into Friday.

He said: "Yeah, a little bit. I felt like I learned quite a bit today about how the course is playing, how the ball is reacting out of the first cut of rough. Definitely when it gets that burnt and that dry, it can sort of do some weird things.

"I feel like it exaggerates the spin quite a lot. If you're hitting a draw or hitting a fade, it seems to exaggerate the spin on the ball a lot. Happened to me a few times out there."

McIlroy may have plenty of work ahead of him, but he reiterated that, despite the gap between himself and the leader, he doesn’t need to fix too much to haul himself into contention.

“I'm not going to go back to the house and analyze it too much tonight,” he said. “Again, focus on the positives, which was I took it on off the tee and drove the ball very, very well, hit some really good shots. I made too many sloppy mistakes and just need to cut those out.”

McIlroy begins the second round at 10.09am local time alongside Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick.

Players will do pretty much anything to get their set-ups correct ahead of the Majors, with Collin Morikawa doing just that prior to The Open Championship.

On Tuesday, the former Champion Golfer of the Year revealed that he changes his irons whenever he crosses the pond, with Morikawa claiming it stems from the contact with the hard turf links golf throws up.

In fact, Morikawa goes to extreme lengths to get the correct set-up, with the full process being explained by TaylorMade.

Opting to skip the Genesis Scottish Open, Morikawa was sent two different iron configurations to test at home - a custom set of TaylorMade P7CBs and a set of TaylorMade P7MCs.

According to TaylorMade, the custom P7CB featured "a specially developed sole package with modifications to both the leading edge and sole geometry.

"These changes were specifically designed to improve entry into firmer turf while maintaining enough effective bounce to prevent excessive digging."

P7MC, meanwhile, has the narrowest sole of the P Series range, which has less bounce and allows the club to make impact with the firm ground with very little resistance.

That wasn't the end of it, though, as the testing process Morikawa put the irons through has become the main talking point.

Instead of hitting the clubs off grass, the 29-year-old hit them off a cart path, which helped show where the sole was making contact with the surface.

TaylorMade states that: "By comparing the wear patterns between the different sole geometrics, Collin was effectively able to visualize how each iron would behave on links turf before arriving in Southport."

Eventually, Morikawa landed on the P7MC, due to the turf interaction from the narrow sole.

Carding a two-under 68 first round at Royal Birkdale, Morikawa finds himself three strokes back of leader Jackson Suber.

Producing five birdies and three bogeys, Morikawa ranked second in Greens in Regulation, while he was fifth in Strokes Gained: Approach, a metric where he has ranked highly all season.

In fact, Morikawa is second in SG: Approach for the whole of the PGA Tour, while he is seventh in Greens in Regulation Percentage.

Round one is in the books at the 2026 Open and we're on to Friday where the cut will be decided.

Jackson Suber shot the lowest round on day one courtesy of a five-under-par 67, while a host of big names are in position like Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Young.

World No.2 Rory McIlroy will be the star attraction on Friday morning, with the 2014 Open winner out at 10:09am alongside Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick. They follow the trio of Young, Wyndham Clark and Ludvig Aberg.

Defending champion and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler goes out in the afternoon at 3.04pm with Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau. They play in the tee time before Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm.

Take a look at all of Friday's second round tee times for the 2026 Open...

The Open Championship tee times - round two

All times BST; For Eastern Time -5hrs

• 6:35am: John Parry, Eric Cole, Tiger Christensen
• 6:46am: Eugenio Chacarra, Matt Wallace, Max Greyserman
• 6:57am: Michael Brennan, Sahith Theegala, Laurie Canter
• 7:08am: Cameron Smith, Keith Mitchell, Stuart Grehan (a)
• 7:19am: Sepp Straka, Joaquin Niemann, Kurt Kitayama
• 7:30am: Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber
• 7:41am:  Darren Clarke, Adrien Saddier, Bernd Wiesberger
• 7:52am: Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis
• 8:03am: Matt McCarty, Harry Hall, Haotong Li
• 8:14am: Padraig Harrington, Marco Penge, Michael Hollick
• 8:25am: Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Mason Howell (a)
• 8:26am: Johnny Kiefer, Pierceson Coody, Keita Nakajima
• 8:47am:  Aldrich Potgieter, Jesper Svansson, Jack Buchanan (a)
• 9:03am: Bud Cauley, Jayden Schaper, Lucas Herbert
• 9:14am: Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, J.T. Poston
• 9:25am: Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott
• 9:36am: Collin Morikawa, J.J. Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard
• 9:47am: Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka
• 9:58am: Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Luvig Aberg
• 10:09am: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick
• 10:20am: Jacob Bridgeman, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Tim Wiedemeyer (a)
• 10:31am:  Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria
• 10:42am: Peter Uihlin, Alistair Docherty, Francesco Laporta
• 10:53am: Cameron John, Austen Truslow, Sam Bairstow
• 11:04am:  Naoyuki Kataoka, Marcus Plunkett, Baard Bjoernevik Skogen
• 11:15am:  Kazuki Higa, Jiho Yang, Nevill Ruiter (a)
• 11:41am:  Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas
• 11:52am:  Michael Kim, Daniel Hillier, Andy Sullivan
• 12:03pm:  Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Matthew Jordan
• 12:14pm: Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean
• 12:25pm: Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick
• 12:36pm: David Duval, Martin Couvra, Matthew Southgate
• 12:47pm: Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee (a)
• 12:58pm: Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Jordan Smith
• 1:09pm:  Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin, Lev Grinberg (a)
• 1:20pm: Hennie Du Plessis, Jose Luis Ballester, Dan Bradbury
• 1:31pm: Angel Ayora, Victor Perez, Mateo Pulcini (a)
• 1:42pm:  Stewart Cink, Scott Vincent, Joakim Lagergren
• 1:53pm: Michael Thorbjornsen, Kota Kaneko, Travis Smyth
• 2:09pm: Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune
• 2:20pm: Akshay Bhatia, Harris English, Rasmus Hojgaard
• 2:31pm: Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee
• 2:42pm: Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland
• 2:53pm: Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day
• 3:04pm: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau
• 3:15pm: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm
• 3:26pm: Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor
• 3:37pm: Ryan Gerard, Maverick McNealy, David Puig
• 3:48pm: Kazuma Kobori, Tom Sloman, David Howard (a)
• 3:59pm: Antoine Rozner, Ren Yonezawa, Caleb Surratt
• 4:10pm: MJ Daffue, Frederic Lacroix, Jack McDonald
• 4:21pm: Jeongwoo Ham, Ryutaro Nagano, Alejandro De Castro Piera (a)

As first impressions go, it’s safe to assume Jackson Suber is loving his initial experience of Europe.

The American had never set foot on the continent until just five days ago, when he arrived to prepare for his maiden appearance at The Open.

However, following a brilliant five-under first round of 65, he headed back to the clubhouse the surprise leader at Royal Birkdale, ahead of superstars of the game including defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy.

After his first 18 holes, Suber revealed that, as well as being new to Europe, he was also a stranger to links golf before this week.

He said: “This is my fifth day here. Monday was my first round of links golf, so I've played 27 holes before I played the first round today. I've never been to Europe.”

Suber, who left the amateur game behind in 2022 but is yet to win professionally, headed to England in a good run of form.

One standout performance was responsible for him being in the field in the first place, a T4 at last month’s RBC Canadian Open, which was enough to book his spot via the Open Qualifying Series.

He acknowledged that, while he’s not sure how he has adapted to his new surroundings so quickly, his form heading into the Major will have had something to do with it.

He said: “I'm not really sure, but I feel like I've just been playing good the last few months and just knowing that good golf is going to take care of everything, and really trusting my caddie to figure out where we're going to hit it.”

Suber also finished in the top 10 of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and the John Deere Classic in recent weeks, but what is responsible for his current run of impressive form?

“A lot of factors,” he explained. “I've switched to the new Pro V1. I was playing an old Titleist ball for a while and switched to that.

“The new Titleist driver, I switched to that, and I started driving it really well, which was never my strength. Then working with one of my old college coaches on my mental game and that's really helped, too.”

Suber also revealed he had prepared himself for the unique challenge of links golf by watching a YouTube video of Royal Birkdale.

He said: “I think I watched a YouTube video on every hole at Birkdale on Friday last week or Thursday, but besides that, yeah, just - I have a stats guy that's helped me, of course, so just knowing that the pot bunkers are no good and stay out of those.”

It’s not just on the Royal Birkdale layout where Suber seems perfectly at home – he’s also taken advantage of his downtime with a spot of tourism.

He said: “Yeah, it's awesome. The golf is really cool, and just the towns, how the train system works. We went into Liverpool the other day with my fiancée and Pierceson Coody and his wife, so that was really cool to see a European city and enjoy that.”

Considering Suber’s strong form and the way he has embraced his first trip to Europe, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the 26-year-old remains near the top of the leaderboard as the tournament continues.

Cameron Smith has been regarded as one of the game's best putters for many years now, but even the Australian isn't partial to a change of flatstick.

Throughout his professional career, he has used a Scotty Cameron 009M Tour Prototype, a blade-style putter that catapulted him to Major glory at St Andrews, as well as multiple wins worldwide.

However, at The 154th Open Championship, a major change from Smith caught the eye of many... and it shouldn't have been a surprise given the recent equipment trend.

Blade putters have dropped in popularity on the professional circuits and, at Royal Birkdale, Smith became the most recent player to move from a blade to a mallet.

First reported by Inside Tour Golf, the 32-year-old was seen using a prototype custom Scotty Cameron Phantom 3 model, which features in the traditional black finish that Smith has in-play.

Like his 009M Tour Prototype, it possesses a single dot alignment aid on the crown, with two sole weights present to help with the feel through the stroke.

A compact, maneuverable mid-mallet that possesses soft, rounded contours, Smith isn't the only player to put the Phantom 3 in-play, as Ludvig Aberg also switched from his blade-style putter to the mallet flatstick.

As of writing, nine of the world's top 10 use a mallet putter, with only Matt Fitzpatrick having a blade-putter in-play. In fact, with Aberg's switch, 19 of the world's top 20 now use a mallet.

Firing a three-over-par 73 first round at Royal Birkdale, Smith lost 0.55 shots on the field when it came to Strokes Gained: Putting, making under 60-feet of putts holed.

Speaking after his round, he stated: "I don't think it was all really that bad. Got a lot of crosswinds off the tee and hit it into the rough by one or two meters a few times and ended up making bogey.

"It was tough out there, though. Yeah, I don't really think I would change a whole lot to be honest. Just needed a couple of putts to go in that missed, and a couple more fairways would have been nice.

"I think we're like third or fourth group tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to getting onto some fresher greens.

"They were getting pretty baked out and a little bit bouncy. Felt like you couldn't really be aggressive. Looking forward to some fresher greens, hopefully see some putts go in."

The simple answer is paradise. A golfer’s paradise. If you’ve been following The Open this week, you’ll no doubt be aware that Royal Birkdale, located on the outskirts of Southport, is surrounded by a couple of other historic links courses - and there are many more world-class layouts in this part of England… many more.

Running between the Fylde Coast and the Wirral Peninsula, 'England's Golf Coast' boasts an unparalleled depth of links golf, many of which you will find on our list of the best links golf courses in England.

Those drone shots during Open week have a special effect on golfers - they never fail to entice players from all over the globe to what many regard as one of the finest pieces of golf country in the world, with both Hillside and Southport & Ainsdale (S&A) right next door.

Just six miles away - and you can hop on Merseyrail to cover that distance in just six minutes (Hillside to Freshfield) - you’ll find Formby (below) and Formby Ladies; carry on a little further (disembark at Hall Road), another of the GB&I's Top 100, West Lancs.

In all, England’s Golf Coast is made up of 12 championship golf courses, including the three Royals of Birkdale, Lytham & St Annes and Liverpool, all of which feature on The Open’s rota of courses.

It’s why this particular part of the northwest of England is so highly regarded - although it’s not just the Royals that attract discerning golfers and links connoisseurs from all corners of the world.

"While the three Open Championship venues of Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool & Royal Lytham & St Annes quite rightly garner most of the headlines, it is the strength in depth of the golf offer on England’s Golf Coast that really sets it apart," says Geoff Harris, manager of England's Golf Coast.

"With five more courses ranked in the Top 100 golf courses in GB&I (Formby, Hillside, S&A, Wallasey, and West Lancashire) and a strong supporting cast beyond that, there are few better places in the world to spend a week on the links."

With Wallasey, St Annes Old Links, Hesketh, and Fairhaven completing this special collection of courses, England’s Golf Coast is a dream golf destination - one that should be on your list, especially if you’ve yet to venture to the northwest coast.

How many of the courses on England's Golf Coast have you played? And where does this collection of world-class links layouts rank on your list?

Let us know by leaving your comments in the box below.

Not for the first time, many Canadian golf fans were left frustrated when, instead of live coverage of the first round of The Open on the Golf Channel, they found a golf instruction show instead.

Customers of cable provider Rogers were among those affected by the issue, which the company later acknowledged via its official support channel on X.

The account wrote: “We're sorry to hear the feed for the British Open Championship wasn't airing as it should be this morning on The Golf Channel, we have advised our partners who are investigating.”

However, that wasn’t enough to placate everyone, with one customer responding: “Just fix it already it’s been 5 hours.”

The problem appears to have been caused by little more than an oversight, with some local affiliates forgetting to switch over to the feed from Royal Birkdale, where Scottie Scheffler is defending his title, as coverage began in the early hours of Thursday.

Per TSN’s Senior Reporter and Golf Analyst Bob Weeks on X, other cable companies also failed to provide coverage, despite it being listed in the schedule.

Considering the tournament’s status as the final Major of the year and one of the most beloved events in the golf calendar, it is hardly a surprise that the situation drew further complaints on social media.

In response to one customer, Rogers wrote: “Definitely not the viewing experience anyone was expecting today. Thanks for flagging it. We're aware of the Golf Channel programming issue and are working with our partners to get things sorted out as quickly as possible.”

Incredibly, it doesn’t appear to be the first time customers have been affected by the problem, with Weeks also stating there was a similar issue a year ago, when the tournament came from Royal Portrush.

He wrote: “So it appears for the second year, the folks at Rogers cable haven’t flipped the switch to allow the Open coverage on Golf Channel over its cable network in Canada.”

Weeks also acknowledged that another major cable provider in Canada, Bell, as well as other providers, were showing the coverage.

It’s not the first time this year where TV viewers have been left frustrated by TV coverage of a Major.

At The Masters, CBS Sports found itself in the firing line for its coverage of the final round, with shots and holes missed and the coverage seemingly behind proceedings at times.

The angle used to show Rory McIlroy's winning putt also wasn't ideal, as it was impossible to see whether he had actually sunk the one-footer as he was blocking the hole.

There was also a social media backlash due to late final-round coverage of women’s Major the Chevron Championship.

Assuming there are no similar problems in Canada on Friday, viewers will be able to find live coverage of the second round of The Open on the Golf Channel.

TSN will have coverage of the closing two rounds on Saturday and Sunday.

Bryson DeChambeau may have taken some jibes from Sir Nick Faldo and Brandel Chamblee in the run-up to The 154th Open Championship, but he responded to them on Thursday via a three-under 67.

Carding five birdies and two bogeys, the American finds himself one back of the leaders, with DeChambeau looking to end his missed Major cut streak, which has been a big talking point this week.

On Monday, Faldo claimed that "DeChambeau has zero clue of strategy" coming into Royal Birkdale, while Chamblee explained that DeChambeau's Major slump is down to him being more concerned about YouTube golf than professional golf.

It was the strategy comment that seemed to irk DeChambeau the most on Thursday and, although he declined to speak to media following his first round, he did answer pre-submitted questions from R&A staff.

Speaking about the firm and fast conditions, the two-time Major winner used the word strategy three times in his answer, which could be seen as a tongue-in-cheek response to Faldo.

In the interview, DeChambeau stated: "I think you've got to be a lot more strategic out on the golf course.

"I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places.

"Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today."

Along with the strategic comments, DeChambeau added: "Any time you get off to a great start, it's awesome, but there's three more days, dude.

"There's still a lot of golf to be played. But ultimately from my perspective I was really excited about the way I played.

"It was fun playing with Scottie (Scheffler), seeing how good he strikes the ball.

"That's something... I've wanted to play with him for a while now. Seeing how he struck the ball today was beautiful.

"(It) Makes me think, oh, man, I've got to work on my driving and 3-wood a little bit better because I hit it farther than him, but it sometimes doesn't go straight."

As of writing, the 32-year-old is one back of leaders Sungjae Im and Daniel Brown, who produced four-under 66s.

Prior to his opening round, DeChambeau was also spotted with a familiar driver in the bag, as he returned to his Krank Formula Fire Pro Tour driver, having used the TaylorMade Qi4D Proto 200+ at the US Open.

Using the TaylorMade in his practice rounds, the reason to move to the Krank is unclear, but DeChambeau did nearly gain two strokes on the field off the tee.

He will hope that form continues over the next three days, as he looks to make his first Major cut of the year, having missed the weekend at The Masters, PGA Championship and US Open.

And the award for the best tour bag of the week goes to… TaylorMade.

You might have your own view on that one, but there can be no question that the ‘King’s Guard Collection’, which also includes headcovers, is the most well-thought-out.

TaylorMade staffers Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, the top two players in the world, are showing off the Southport-inspired bags this week - or rather, Ted Scott and Harry Diamond, their caddies, will be.

And here’s the story behind the eye-catching designs.

Keen to pay homage to the much-loved seaside town and 11-time Open venue Royal Birkdale, which is located just a few stops away on the train, TaylorMade’s design team has come up with something special for the final men’s Major Championship of the season.

It might look like ‘just’ another tour bag on television. Up close, however, it’s the details that tell the story: TaylorMade, in bold red lettering inspired by a seaside carnival, spans the body of the bag, an amusement-park flourish rendered with the polish of a royal warrant, and a crown crest, a nod to the royal designation bestowed upon the course.

The best touch, though, has to be the pocket interiors, which are lined with the newsprint of a proper fish and chips wrapper, printed with Southport-inspired headlines.

And when you reach for the handle, you’ll find “Ta’ra,” a Northern England way of saying goodbye.

It’s not the first time that TaylorMade has dabbled with limited-edition runs. In fact, the brand rarely fails to miss an opportunity to get creative around Major Championships.

However, the King’s Guard Collection might just be the best yet, with the six headcovers, which are also lined with the same fish and chips newspaper print, telling a similar story (maybe not what you want to see mid-round if you're feeling really hungry).

“Whether it sits atop a wood or a putter, every headcover carries a piece of Southport spirit with it,” says TaylorMade.

These accessories are sure to be popular with golfers on ‘England’s Golf Coast’, which is home to some of the world’s best links golf courses, including the three Royals of Liverpool, Lytham & St Annes and Birkdale.

As good as they are, however, McIlroy doesn’t appear to be willing to swap his driver headcover, the much-loved St. Bernard.

Travis Smyth is not the most experienced when it comes to Majors. This year marks just his second appearance at The Open, while it’s only his third Major start in total.

However, there’s nothing like picking up some tips from the best, and the day before the first round, the Australian played alongside World No.1 Scottie Scheffler in a practice round.

Despite observing defending champion Scheffler at close quarters on Wednesday, Smyth admitted that his playing partner was so good at times that it took the wind out of his sails.

Following his first round of 71 at Royal Birkdale, Smyth said: “Yeah, yesterday was sweet, playing with Scottie for the first time.

"Watching the precision of his iron play was amazing. It was kind of demoralizing a little bit. It was like, damn, when I play good, I don't think I have that in me.”

While Smyth’s experience alongside Scheffler demonstrated the gap he’d need to bridge to reach his level, he intends to use it to motivate him.

He added: “But it was good. It lights a fire in my stomach and makes me want to work hard. Now that I've seen what No. 1 in the world looks like, a little bit of a taste - it was only nine holes, but it was a great experience watching him play.”

It wasn’t just Scheffler’s iron play that left its mark on Smyth – he was also impressed by Scheffler’s character, explaining: “He's a lovely guy, really down to earth, which I'm happy about. He's not like a d***head or anything. So it was good.”

Thanks to Smyth’s one-over 71 on Thursday the day after his brush with greatness, he has an excellent chance of making his first cut at a Major.

However, despite the LIV Golf reserve’s admirable performance, he admitted teeing it up in a Major was still a nerve-wracking occasion.

He said: “I think I'm ready to compete this time. Last time I was just like a deer in headlights; didn't really know what was going on. Everything was a completely new experience.

“This is a different experience, too, to that. I've only played three Majors. I still s*** myself on the first tee. It's still not easy yet. It's never going to be easy.

“It's just great. Majors is where you want to play, and it's awesome. Pretty much every hole, apart from 16, was filled, just filled with people that are just parked up there for the day, plus people walking around. The atmosphere was incredible.”

Bryson DeChambeau has made another change at the top of his bag in a bid to tame Royal Birkdale and get his hands on the Claret Jug.

The two-time Major champion arrived in Southport with a fresh set of 3D-printed irons, but he didn’t stop there.

After raising eyebrows earlier in the year when he ditched his Krank driver for a TaylorMade Qi4D Proto 200+ ahead of the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, DeChambeau has now reverted back to his previous big stick.

The Krank is back, but it has been modified to help him find more fairways. Specifically, DeChambeau wants to take the left side out of play, and he clearly feels happier with the solution Krank have come up with to help him achieve that.

It certainly seems to be paying dividends so far. The 32-year-old gained nearly two shots off the tee against the field during a three-under 67 on Thursday that has him well placed to end his run of missed cuts in the Majors.

DeChambeau’s chances this week were virtually written off in the build-up by Sir Nick Faldo, who accused the American of having “zero clue” about how to play links golf.

But if the first round is anything to go by, those comments could be debunked emphatically. In fact, if not for a cold putter, DeChambeau would likely hold the clubhouse lead on his own.

As it stands, he is well positioned just one behind the leading duo of Sungjae Im and Dan Brown.

Faldo was not the only major voice in golf to throw some criticism in DeChambeau’s direction ahead of the final men’s Major of 2026.

Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee also stuck the knife in, saying: “It’s almost like he went from chasing Scottie [Scheffler] and Rory [McIlroy] to chasing Grant Horvat.

“It’s like he wants to outdo every YouTuber in the game instead of outplay everybody in the game of golf.”

Whether he was irked by these comments, by his putting struggles or maybe because he simply did not want to, DeChambeau opted against addressing the assembled media after his first round at Birkdale.

He did answer some pre-submitted questions from an R&A official, though. Asked about his round, he said: "It was a hard fought battle out there. The wind was switching quite a bit. It was fun seeing the fans going at us, and they were rooting for all of us.

"It was fun just seeing the ups and downs of the group, but we all played pretty well. It was a lot of fun.

"There's some driving holes out there I've got to work on. Other than that, I played really well. Made some good putts and three-putted once, but that's life."

The tension at Royal Birkdale is palpable, with the hard-baked course set to play like a classic links for the duration of The Open 2026. We have all the info on how to watch The Open 2026 highlights for free online and on TV.

When Scottie Scheffler raised the Claret Jug for the first time 12 months ago, few would have imagined that 2026 would be such a slog. He's still the world No.1, but he's not won a tournament since January and missed his first cut in four years last weekend. Perhaps it provided a much-needed reset.

With three titles to his name this season, Matt Fitzpatrick is the obvious candidate to become the first English golfer in 88 years to be named "The Champion Golfer of the Year" on English soil. Playing in his home town of Southport could either make or break Tommy Fleetwood's tournament.

One golfer who seems to be going under the radar, meanwhile, is Chris Gotterup. The 26-year-old is level-pegging with Fitzpatrick on three titles for the season, the most recent being last month's John Deere Classic, and he has superb pedigree on links courses.

In this guide, Golf Monthly brings you all the details on how to watch The Open 2026 highlights online, on TV, and from anywhere in the world.

Watch The Open 2026 highlights for free

Free-to-air BBC Two will air a 90-minute The Open 2026 highlights show after each day of play, which you can also live stream via BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer requires an account, a UK postcode (e.g. PR8 2LX) and a valid TV license.

The schedule is as follows:

- Thursday: 9pm-10.30pm BST
- Friday: 9pm-10.30pm BST
- Saturday: 8.30pm-10pm BST
- Sunday: 9.55pm-11.25pm BST

Outside the UK at the moment? Use a VPN to stream from anywhere in the world — more on that below.

Watch The Open 2026 highlights from anywhere

If you are outside your usual country, you can still access the streaming services you subscribe to, even when you're away from home, thanks to a handy piece of software known as a VPN.

Our expert colleagues over at TechRadar have tested loads of VPNs and they reckon NordVPN is the best VPN provider out there right now.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Playing in his first Open, Argentinian amateur Mateo Pulcini risked riling up the England fans at Royal Birkdale following the dramatic World Cup semi-final between the two nations on Wednesday evening.

It was a heartbreaking night for England, who led Argentina 1-0 with just six minutes of normal time remaining following Anthony Gordon’s goal.

A first World Cup final since 1966 was in reach, but it was agonizingly snatched away.

Enzo Fernandez levelled before Lautaro Martinez put the reigning champions ahead in stoppage time. England searched for a late equalizer, but it was not to be.

It left many England fans gutted after seeing another chance to end the 60-year wait for a major trophy come and go. But Open debutant Pulcini rubbed some salt into the wounds on Thursday at Birkdale with the celebration of his closing birdie.

Channelling Fernandez, the 25-year-old cupped his ears and beamed from ear to ear after coolly rolling in a 40-footer across the 18th green. After being booed on the first tee, perhaps this was his way of getting his own back.

It was all taken in good spirit, though. The kind you would expect at an Open. Despite the gesture, the fans in the grandstand at 18 heartily applauded Pulcini, whose birdie completed a round of five-over 75.

Narrated by BBC Sport’s Andrew Cotter, you can check it out below:

Asked if he was hoping for more of a reaction after signing his card, Pulcini said: "No, I didn't want to do anything like trying to make fun of the match that you guys lost because the tournament here has been unbelievable, and that celebration came from a 40-foot putt.

"I was pretty excited, and that came to my mind, and I did it. I wasn't thinking of doing anything."

And as for what was better between sinking his putt or Fernandez's goal, he added: "Enzo's goal, for sure. Today wasn't the best."

Pulcini, an Oklahoma University graduate, won the 2026 Latin America Amateur Championship in a playoff to book his place in the field for the final men’s Major of the year.

He is currently nine shots behind early pacesetters Sungjae Im and Dan Brown, both of whom took advantage of the calm morning conditions to post scores of four-under 66.

Whether that holds as the benchmark remains to be seen, with Rory McIlroy in the afternoon wave.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler made a strong start to the defence of his title with a two-under 68, while Bryson DeChambeau returned a three-under 67.

Where does the time go? It's been 10 years since Henrik Stenson got the better of Phil Mickelson in that epic at Royal Troon - and the 50-year-old looked in fine form on the opening day at Royal Birkdale, carding a tidy two-under 68.

He was in good spirits off it, too, as he revealed his plans for the future going into the “last couple of holes of my career”.

“I mean, time flies, as we know, waits for no one. Sometimes it feels like it certainly was a decade ago,” said Stenson, who birdied three out of the last four holes.

“With other things, yeah, you feel like maybe it was a little more recent - at least when you hit a 5-iron to six feet to make it on the last, you probably feel like it wasn't that long ago.”

Stenson, who is playing in his 21st Open, defected to LIV Golf but was relegated after last season.

Currently, he has been paying his penalty with a one-year suspension from the PGA Tour before he can begin playing on the Champions Tour.

“From end of August, they removed my ankle bracelet, and I'll be out of that one-year probation,” he joked.

“I played the last LIV event 24th of August last year, so I'm kind of reinstated as a member, and I'm free to play PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments from the 25th of August this year.”

Although Stenson is gearing up to have a proper crack at the over-50 circuit, he also has other commitments to focus on, including his course design business.

“I'll definitely play some golf next year, all things being well, but I feel like I might give myself a window, say 15th of February until the 15th of October, that's when I play my golf. I certainly enjoy having an off-season,” said the 11-time DP World Tour winner.

“I think it's good for me, and at this stage of my life and my career, I want to have some time at home as well.

“I can see myself kind of finding that window what suits me, and I'll play hopefully some good golf and good tournaments within that.”

The former Open champion added: “I've done this for 28 years now, playing two tours, one season kind of tagging onto the next.

“Being in season, not playing every week, as you know, but being in season for near 10-and-a-half months throughout the year, and I guess it gets to a point where the body says, ' How about a little break?’

Speaking more about his course design projects, Stenson said: “I played some of the great golf courses. I played some of the not so great golf courses.

“Over the years you find what you like, and then I try and implement that into the golf course design.

“I'm not doing five or ten courses a year. I'm kind of choosing carefully, and we have a few projects in the pipeline. I'm still focusing on golf, but it's still something I enjoy doing.”

A year after he lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Troon in 2016, Stenson finished just outside the top 10 at Royal Birkdale.

He also finished third at the Southport venue in 2008 and tied 13th at Royal Liverpool three years ago.

Despite being comfortable on the links and seemingly having a liking for the north west of England, he’s not getting too far ahead of himself.

“Clearly, this is a style of golf and a tournament that I'm fairly familiar with. Happy to have a good start,” he reflected.

There is nothing quite like proper links golf, and that is what is facing the best players in the world at the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale.

The Southport venue has been blessed with glorious weather in the build-up to the final men’s Major of the year, leaving the links properly baked.

Those watching on the ground and on TV will notice the fairways have a nice golden shine to them and the rough is burnt out, but they are in stark contrast to the greens, which are, well, green.

Given the relentless sunshine, there is clearly a need to keep the putting surfaces watered so as not to lose them, but have The R&A played it a bit too safe?

When you think of links golf, you think of players needing to use their imagination to land the ball short and run it onto greens, and that was the expectation for Birkdale. But the reality on the opening day was a little different.

Players were seemingly able to fly shots onto the greens and get them to stand to attention or even spin back. Jordan Spieth carried a fairway wood onto the front edge of the par-5 14th green and it sat within about five feet, for example.

They are said to be rolling at 11 on the stimpmeter, so they have a good speed to them, but they seem to be missing that fire on the first bounce that has become such a rarity in the professional game.

At the US Open at Shinnecock Hills last month, we saw the USGA take a cautious approach on the opening two days before upping the firmness over the weekend, so whether or not The R&A are following in their footsteps remains to be seen.

The sunshine is forecast to hold over the four days so it could well prove to be a sensible ploy, but, given we’ve not seen a course so firm and fast from tee to green since the 2018 Open at Carnoustie, it would be a shame if Birkdale wasn’t allowed to show its full teeth.

The Open has become such a behemoth of an event that, sadly, there are many forgotten venues no longer suitable for hosting.

The battle for the Claret Jug has grown so much since even the turn of this century that far more than just a quality golf course is required to satisfy the R&A. There will be 300,000 fans in total on-site throughout the week at Royal Birkdale, which is up from the 235,000 in 2017 when it last hosted.

On-site, plenty of spare ground is required to accommodate the countless structures that go up for players, fans and sponsors alike, while the logistics are a huge consideration. What are the transport links like and is there additional space for car parking?

There is so much that goes into it now that even iconic venues like St Andrews are at their limit.

The R&A also has a rota of venues it uses, and it doesn’t get added to regularly.

With all that in mind, it is inevitable that some great links courses have to miss out. Here are some ancient layouts across the UK and Ireland we wish could host a modern-day Open.

Royal County Down

Opened in 1889, Royal County Down is renowned as one of the best courses in the world. Ranked No. 1 on Golf Monthly’s Top 100 Courses in the UK and Ireland, with a mountain range in the background and the Irish Sea close by, it boasts some of the most spectacular views you could wish to see while venturing out for 18 holes.

The visual spectacle is matched by the test provided on the Championship course. Weaving golfers through the dunes with some blind shots and devilish bunkers lying in wait, it would surely make for a thrilling Open venue.

It has hosted five Irish Opens but whether it would be capable of taking on a Major – well, we might never know.

Royal Dornoch

Royal Dornoch is another highly rated links, which is situated in the north of Scotland. Opened in 1877, it sits fifth in our Top 100 UK and Ireland list for a reason.

It provides a brilliant test of golf, with loads of variety and stunning views across the Dornoch Firth. The set of par-3s, in particular, must be among the finest of any course in the world.

Seeing the pros test themselves against this legendary layout would be a treat, but there are too many factors working against Dornoch for that to ever become a possibility.

Ballybunion

Next on the list is Ballybunion Old. Situated in County Kerry in Ireland and opened in 1893, it has a worldwide reputation among golfers of all levels.

Tom Watson certainly has a huge affinity for the club. In fact, such is his love of the place he once said that “after playing Ballybunion for the first time, a man would think that the game of golf originated here.”

Through the dunes and sandhills this course takes golfers, with some holes precariously close to the edge of the cliffs. A true thriller, then, and one that we would love to see host the game’s best players.

Royal Porthcawl

There have been murmurings about The Open and Royal Porthcawl, but, so far, that is how it has remained. Porthcawl is regarded as the best course in Wales and is a permanent feature in our Top 100 UK and Ireland rankings.

Unlike some links layouts, there are no dramatic dunes here. Rather, it is slightly flatter, meaning views of the sea are on offer from practically every hole.

Superb variety is on display through demanding par-4s and tricky short par-3s, making it a great test, one that has graced out TV screens during the 2014, 2017 and 2023 Senior Open.

North Berwick

Where to begin with North Berwick? For starters, it is perhaps one of the most fun courses anyone could wish to play. It isn’t likely to intimidate players through its length but some of the green complexes will undoubtedly leave golfers in a spin.

Strategy is all important here, as is taming the typically ferocious wind that blows off the Firth of Forth. Once you play North Berwick, you will want to return again and again, as the pros do when the men’s Scottish Open is on just up the road at the Renaissance Club.

Like Dornoch, though, it is far too tight a piece of land to ever stand a chance of taking on an Open.

Prestwick

The host venue for the first 12 Opens and none since, it would be fascinating to see how this legendary Ayrshire links would stand up to the best players in the world today.

With several whacky greens and some blind shots to navigate, it’s a quirky course that splits opinion. Some love it, while others prefer courses that lay things out in front of you.

But, given the distances the best male players now hit the ball and the tight space restrictions, it won’t be hosting its 13th Open anytime soon.

Cruden Bay

Cruden Bay is situated on a big piece of land, but even at that there probably is not enough space for the requirements of an Open. It would also be a logistical nightmare for players and fans to get to.

And all of that is a shame as it is a stunning golf course. Dunes feature prominently, as do spectacular elevated tee shots. It is a gem well worth playing for anyone considering it.

West Lancashire

Founded in 1873, West Lancashire is a proper links test. Golfers will need their wits about them to tame this course that has less dunes and more humps and hollows.

With everything in front of players, it is about as fair a challenge as you could wish to get at a links venue. If you play well and hit the rights shots, you will be rewarded. Fail to do that, though, and punishment awaits. Views of the Mersey Estuary and across to the mountains of Wales will ease your suffering, though.

It has hosted some of the game’s most prestigious amateur tournaments and is a Final Qualifying venue for The Open, so it has serious championship pedigree.

Royal North Devon

Last on the list is England’s oldest golf course, Royal North Devon. This is about as raw as golf gets, with horse and sheep free to roam the fairways.

It might be less of a visual spectacle than others, but it is no less worthy of its strong reputation. Changes have been made recently due to coastal erosion but it remains a brilliant test of golf, albeit one the pros won’t get to take on at an Open.

Which ancient links courses would you like to see The Open visit? Let us know in the comments section below.

Dan Brown's love affair with The Open Championship continued on Thursday, with the Englishman carding a four-under 66 to co-lead as he finished his round in the morning.

Claiming a T10th finish on his Major debut at Royal Troon in 2024, this week at Royal Birkdale is a big one for the 31-year-old, who is looking to keep his PGA Tour card in his rookie season.

Currently, Brown finds himself 145th in the FedEx Cup Standings and, with the top 100 only keeping their PGA Tour cards for 2027, a strong result in Southport would go along way for the two-time DP World Tour winner.

A total of 750 FedEx Cup points will go to The Open champion and, with Brown 162 points behind William Mouw, who occupies the 100th spot in the FedEx Cup Standings with 283, a big week is needed for the former, who has made just six cuts in 15 starts.

Earning just two top 25s, Brown's best result of 2026 came at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he finished T13th alongside John Parry.

Certainly, at Royal Birkdale, Brown should have home support behind him, with the Englishman a bit of a fan favorite thanks to his humorous social media activity and personality.

Earning his PGA Tour card via the DP World Tour in 2025, Brown in fact finished outside the necessary 10 spots at the time, but due to Laurie Canter joining LIV Golf at the end of the year, he jumped into the required 10th spot.

As of writing, Kristoffer Reitan is the best performer from the 10 DP World Tour players who earned their cards, with his win at the Truist Championship putting him 17th in the Standings.

Following on from The Open Championship, just three tournaments remain prior to the FedEx Cup Playoffs, where the top 70 advance to the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

These three events (3M Open, Rocket Classic and Wyndham Championship) still provide plenty of points and prize money, meaning there's still a lot to play for in terms of the FedEx Cup Standings.

The fields for these tournaments will be announced in due course, with it likely that Brown will tee it up as he looks to keep his PGA Tour playing rights for the 2027 season.

If he were to finish outside the top 100, then Brown will take part in the FedEx Cup Fall Series, an eight event run where players can improve their ranking number and secure coveted starts for 2027.

Speaking at Royal Birkdale, Brown stated: "It was a very nice day. Tee to green, it's similar to how I've been playing recently. But today a few putts dropped, which was nice to see because I've not seen that for a while...

"Obviously it's only Thursday, but hopefully I'm in a sort of similar area on the leaderboard come Sunday."

The 154th Open got underway at 6.35am local time at Royal Birkdale on Thursday, with the first group featuring Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry and James Nicholas.

For Baldwin, who is a member of Royal Birkdale, it was his first experience of a Major since 2019, after coming through Final Qualifying to make the field.

That would be enough to give most players a few nerves, although it was compounded by the fact that he had the honor of the first tee shot on one of the toughest opening holes on the Major's rota.

In the end, he dealt with the pressure well, finding the fairway to open proceedings, and afterwards he described the emotions of the moment.

He said: “It was an incredible feeling. It was terrifying. It was overwhelming. But it's something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Considering the Southport-born star was playing in his hometown, it was hardly surprising that he had plenty of local backing, not least from family and friends, although he admitted their presence hadn’t been top of his list of priorities as he prepared to take his tee shot.

He explained: “I'm not even sure I lifted my head, if I'm honest. I remember waving at a couple of people, but at the end of the day, your focus is obviously hitting the golf shot, isn't it. There's time to wave at people after, I guess.”

Regardless, the 40-year-old, who is playing in his fourth Open, received quite the ovation, and he added: “Yeah, it was amazing. I couldn't have asked for more, support-wise. It took me back, to be honest.”

After going on to make par at the opening hole, Baldwin completed a two-over round of 72, featuring three birdies and five bogeys in the firm and fast conditions, and he believes with a bit of work, that sets him up well for the second round.

He said: “I played nice. I played a little bit in and out. Didn't putt amazing but then had a little period where I holed some putts as well, so it was a bit of a strange round, really. I think if I can tighten some things up, I could have a good day out there tomorrow.”

As a member of 23 years, Baldwin knows Royal Birkdale as well as anyone else in the field, but even he admitted that, thanks to the dry conditions, some parts of the course had taken him by surprise.

He said: “It's obviously a lot drier and a lot faster. Caught me by surprise in places, the speed of the greens and stuff.

“I mean, as members, I'd say the rough is thinner now than it would be for the members. However, it's obviously been a really dry period.

“But I think it plays a little bit wider, as well. They've brought it in, dried it out. Yeah, I think it's incredible.”

So, what does he think a good score would be for players to aim for in the opening round? He said: “Oh, 1-under or better, 2-under or better. I think 5, 6 by the end of the day. I might be wrong; it might go 7 or 8. I'd have been absolutely over the moon with 1- or 2-under.”

Royal Birkdale, located around a 45 minute drive north of Liverpool, was founded back in July 1889. It hosted The Open for the first time in 1954 when the Australian legend Peter Thompson defeated American Bobby Locke by one shot.

This year, the venue is hosting The Open for the 11th time. It's also been the stage for the Women's Open seven times. From deep fairway bunkers, to the towering dunes, the course is blessed with all the features of a traditional links challenge.

The current men's course record was set in 2017, so who does it belong to?

Royal Birkdale course record

During his third round of the 2017 Open, Branden Grace would make history - becoming the first golfer ever to card a 62 in a men's Major.

The South African started the day at four-over-par, ten shots behind the leader, Jordan Spieth. Sinking a 15 foot putt for birdie on the first hole launched him into a round that included eight birdies.

He explained “For me it’s a big thing if I get off to making a good putt on the first hole, I feel good about the putting for the rest of the round."

After a few simple pars, Grace stepped up and holed a 40ft birdie putt to get him two-under for his opening four holes.

With momentum on his side, Grace proceeded to drive the fifth green, where another birdie was added to his card. Gaining two more strokes on the eighth and the ninth, Grace made the turn in five-under-par (29).

Entering the back nine full of confidence, Grace made four pars in a row before another lengthy putt dropped on the par three 14th to get the South African to six-under-par with four holes to play.

Unable to convert a birdie opportunity at the par-five 15th, Grace made amends quickly when he sunk another birdie putt at the 16th.

Finishing the last two holes with a birdie and a par, Grace walked away with a 62, eight-under-par, beating the previous course record by one shot and setting the lowest ever round in a men's Major.

The South African combined composed course management with a superb display on the greens, building momentum through his back nine to set the new course record.

This was a round for the history books. An incredible bogey free 62, in the oldest golf Major, is something that many professionals dream of doing.

Royal Birkdale women's course record

The women's course record was set in 2010 at the Women's Open by America's Morgan Pressel.

Pressel started her third round at four-over-par, and after back-to-back bogeys, she was sitting at six-over-par.

Despite this poor start, the American's round turned a corner from that moment onwards, displaying a remarkable comeback.

Pressel went on to card eight birdies and one eagle to shoot a superb seven-under-par (65).

The American reflected on her round and explained that "I made a lot of putts today, if you can hit greens out there you can score pretty well."

It’s one of the vagaries of professional golf. As an individual sport played outdoors over several hours, the elements can, and often do, play a major role in determining which player prevails. And this is especially true when it comes to links golf.

We have seen several instances of players finding themselves on the ‘wrong’ side of the draw when it comes to the weather at The Open.

In 2009 at Trump Turnberry, the early starters on Friday for the second round had to deal with strong wind and rain before the conditions eased for the afternoon wave.

The same scenario played out at Royal Troon for the 2016 Open. After an idyllic Thursday and a calm Friday morning, some of the worst weather imaginable rolled through the west coast of Scotland, leaving those with a late second-round tee time at a serious disadvantage.

There are various other examples littered through the years. But what does the weather have in store for golfers at Royal Birkdale this year? And will it favor one half of the draw over the other across the first two days in particular?

Let’s take a look.

Thursday

The weather in the build-up to this year’s edition of the game’s oldest championship has been unusually brilliant. A long spell of sunshine has left the course looking baked, setting up the prospect of a firm and fast links feast.

And the forecast is for more sun across the four tournament days, so players should not have any rain to contend with. But the ever-present wind could have a role to play.

For Thursday’s opening round, players out early have got the best of the conditions, having to deal with a wind of just 4-8mph and manageable gusts of 13mph. Making the most of that could set the early Thursday wave up for a charge at claiming the Claret Jug.

The late first-round wave will have it slightly harder. The wind is forecast to get up to 10-15mph with gusts of 22mph. They will have played in worse but it’s not an insignificant increase from the morning.

Friday

Into Friday’s second round and the outlook is similar. And by similar, it is set to be identical.

Those out in the morning will have contend with a 4-8mph wind and gusts of 13mph, while for the afternoon starters, it is to blow at 10-15mph with gusts of 22mph.

That could allow players who have made a poor start in the stronger wind on Thursday to put themselves back into the mix, while those who took advantage of the favorable early first-round conditions could come back to the field.

So, does one wave have an advantage?

With conditions set to be virtually the same across the first two days, and, looking ahead, for the entire tournament, conventional wisdom would be to say that neither side of the draw has it better than the other.

However, given the early tournament nerves that will be pulsing for the first round in particular, the calm Thursday morning could give the early-late wave the slight edge

The Open 2026 is here and you can watch featured coverage for free thanks to R&A TV and main feed coverage via free trials.

The final major of the season sees the top players from across the world feature at Royal Birkdale.

The opening round saw Jackson Suber shoot a five-under 65 to take the overnight lead, with Dan Brown, Im Sung-jae, Bryson DeChambeau, and Scottie Scheffler just a few of those in close pursuit.

Can Scheffler defend his title or will we have a new winner of the Claret Jug?

So read on as we show you how to watch free R&A TV live streams and free trials from anywhere in the world using a VPN.

The Open 2026: Free Trials

In the US, coverage is split across Peacock, NBC, and USA Network, with the key broadcast hours divided between the latter two.

The best way to access these channels for free is via a cord-cutting free trial. YouTube TV (10 days) and Fubo (5 days) both offer extended free trial periods that cover the full weekend, allowing you to watch The Open at no cost.

Abroad? Use NordVPN to unlock these free trials from anywhere in the world.

Watch The Open 2026 from anywhere

If you are outside your usual country, you can still access the free Open coverage even when you're away from home, thanks to a handy piece of software known as a VPN.

Our expert colleagues over at TechRadar have tested loads of VPNs and they reckon NordVPN is the best VPN provider out there right now.

R&A TV: Free Stream

R&A TV are providing free featured live coverage of The Open with a multitude of viewing options.

🌎 Can't watch for free? You need a VPN — NordVPN is our favourite to unblock R&A TV.

The Open Free Coverage: Need to Know

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Watch The Open Championship 2026 as the world's best players compete in golf's final men's Major of the year, with all the details on TV coverage and live streaming here in Golf Monthly's in-depth guide.

Lucas Herbert leads The Open at halfway by two shots after his second round 62 equalled the lowest round in men’s Majors. It looked like he was heading for the record outright, but missed a 5ft putt on 18 for his only bogey of the round.

Then a few minutes later Sam Burns chipped in from a greenside bunker on 18 to record another 62. He has risen 101 places up the leaderboard from yesterday evening and is now tied in fifth position.

Jackson Suber, the surprise first round leader, went round in 69 and is a three-way tie for second spot with fellow Americans Cam Young and Ryan Gerard.

Bryson DeChambeau had been in second spot but was given a two-shot penalty, more than an hour after his round finished, for improving his lie in the rough on the 5th hole.

Rory McIlroy is the only one of this year’s Major winners to have made the cut after he shot 67 to move 47 places up the leaderboard from start of play and is now seven shots off the lead.

Read on for Golf Monthly's guide on how to watch The Open online, on TV, from anywhere in the world.

Can I Watch The Open Championship for free?

The Royal & Ancient will provide some free coverage via its streaming platform, R&A TV. You can stream four featured groups a day and a "Live at the Range" feed as well.

Looking for full access to the main Open coverage? In the US, you can watch live for free on USA Network and NBC with free trials from services such as YouTube TV (10 days) and Fubo (5 days).

In the UK, BBC Two are showing daily highlights which are also available on BBC iPlayer for free.

Abroad for The Open? Unlock your free streams and trials with NordVPN (75% off).

Watch The Open from anywhere

Away from home during The Open? Most streaming platforms are geo-restricted, meaning they don’t usually work abroad. A VPN can change your virtual location, allowing you to access your usual golf streaming services wherever you are in the world.

Our expert colleagues over at TechRadar have tested loads of VPNs and they reckon NordVPN is the best VPN provider out there right now.

Watch The Open Championship 2026 in the US

NBC Sports owns the US broadcast rights.

The main action will air on NBC and USA Network, with NBC coverage available to live stream on the online platform, Peacock. Peacock will also be showing the early coverage on the first two days as well as providing dedicated feeds for Featured Groups and the Par-3 Channel throughout each day.

If you haven't got NBC or USA Network on cable then a cord-cutting service is your best option. Our favourites include YouTube TV, Sling, DirecTV Stream and Fubo.

Full US TV schedule is below.

Watch The Open Championship 2026 in the UK

In the UK, Sky Sports will exclusively televise the live action from The Open Championship 2026.

The main feed will be shown on Sky Sports Golf, Sky Sports Main Event, and Sky Sports+. The Sky Sports App will show the Featured Groups and Par 3 Channel.

Sky Sports prices start from £20/month for existing customers, with £35/month the typical rate for those without an existing package.

NOW Sports is another option with the cord-cutter carrying Sky Sports channels for £14.99/day or £34.99/month.

Watch The Open Championship 2026 in Australia

In Australia, you can watch The Open Championship 2026 on Fox Sports 503, Fox Sports 503 or on Kayo Sports, the streaming platform of Fox Sports.

Kayo plans start from $30 per month, with a 7-day free trial available for new customers.

Watch The Open Championship 2026 in Canada

In Canada, live action from The Open 2026 is being broadcast by TSN. TSN, TSN2 and TSN5 will carry all of the action.

To access these channels you can either add them to your cable package or stream via TSN+ with subscriptions starting from CA$29.99/month for the Direct streaming package.

The Open Championship: Rest of the World Broadcasters

• Brazil, Argentina, Chile: ESPN Latin America / The Golf Channel Latin America
• Denmark / Norway / Sweden: V Sport Golf
• France: Canal Plus Golf +
• Germany / Austria / Switzerland: Sky Germany
• Italy: Sky Italia
• Japan: U-Next / JGN
• New Zealand: Sky TV
• South Africa: SuperSport Africa
• South Korea: JTBC

The Open Championship Leaders' Tee Times: Round 3

Times in ET (BST). Scores to par at halfway in brackets

• 8.55am (1.55pm): Tyrrell Hatton (-3), Victor Perez (-3)
• 9.05am (2.05pm): Daniel Brown (-3), Cameron John (-3)
• 9.15am (2.15pm): Ludvig Aberg (-3), Shane Lowry (-3)
• 9.25am (2.25pm): JJ Spaun (-3), Pierceson Coody (-3)
• 9.35am (2.35pm): Jon Rahm (-4), Tommy Fleetwood (-4)
• 9.45am (2.45pm): Scottie Scheffler, Francesco Molinari
• 10am (3pm): Alex Fitzpatrick (-4), Robert MacIntyre (-4)
• 10.10am (3.10pm): Thomas Detry (-4), Bud Cauley (-4)
• 10.20am (3.20pm): Matt Wallace (-4), Si Woo Kim (-5)
• 10.30am (3.30pm): Bryson DeChambeau (-5), Sam Burns (-5)
• 10.40am (3.40pm): Ryan Gerard (-6), Cameron Young (-6)
• 10.50am (3.50pm): Jackson Suber (-6), Lucas Herbert (-8)

Preview

Defending champion and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler entered the year’s final Major as favourite. However, he has not won since January and missed the cut at last week’s Scottish Open, ending his remarkable streak of 78 consecutive cuts made. A successful title defence would also end a long wait for a repeat Open champion, with the last back-to-back winner being Padraig Harrington at Royal Birkdale in 2008.

Rory McIlroy already has a Major victory this season and finished tied fourth the last time The Open was held at Royal Birkdale in 2017, although the course has undergone significant changes since then. That year’s championship was won by Jordan Spieth.

Matt Fitzpatrick, who finished tied fourth in last year’s Open, arrives in strong form with three victories already this season and is bidding to become the first Englishman to lift the Claret Jug since Nick Faldo in 1992.

Chris Gotterup, third at last year’s Open at Royal Portrush, also heads into the week with three wins in 2026 and will be looking to build on his recent Major form.

Justin Rose returns to the venue where he announced himself on the world stage, finishing fourth at Royal Birkdale in 1998 as a 17-year-old.

The Open Championship 2026: TV Schedule

Saturday 18th July – Round Three
US (ET): 5am-7am (USA Network); 7am-3pm (NBC)
UK (GMT): 11am-8.30pm (Sky Sports Golf) & 4pm-8.30pm (Sky Sports Main Event)
Australia (AEST): 7pm-10.30pm (Fox Sports 505/Kayo), 10.30pm-5am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)

Sunday 19th July – Round Four
US (ET): 4am-7am (USA Network); 7am-2pm (NBC)
UK (GMT): 10am-7.30pm (Sky Sports Golf & Sky Sports Main Event)
Australia (AEDT): 6pm-6am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

During the 10 times Royal Birkdale hosted The Open ahead of 2026, it produced some unforgettable highlights.

Among them was the moment Peter Thomson became the first Australian to win The Open in 1954. In 1976, Johnny Miller dominated to win by six, a performance that was almost eclipsed by the brilliance of a young Seve Ballesteros, who placed T2.

It was also the scene for Tom Watson’s fifth and final Open title in 1983, while, most recently, Jordan Spieth claimed his third Major title in 2017 at the age of just 23.

However, arguably the most memorable Open moment at Royal Birkdale belongs to the legendary Arnold Palmer.

At the 1961 Open, Palmer was already firmly established as a great of his era, having won The Masters twice and the US Open once.

He’d almost won The Open in his maiden appearance a year earlier, too, eventually coming up short by one as Kel Nagle claimed the title at the Old Course, St Andrews.

With a round to play at Royal Birkdale 12 months later, Palmer was closing in on the Claret Jug, leading Dai Rees by one.

That was also the extent of his advantage on the 15th (now the 16th) of the final round. However, his grip on his maiden Open title appeared to loosen when a wayward tee shot found thick rough close to a blueberry bush around 150 yards from the green.

At that moment, a bogey appeared the most realistic outcome – far from ideal with Rees still breathing down his neck.

Rather than lay up onto the fairway, Palmer opted for his six-iron to get him out of trouble, and combined with his extraordinary power, he defied the odds to send his recovery shot onto the green. He two-putted to make par and went on to win the title by one.

The significance of the moment was not lost on Palmer, who later said: “I never hit a ball so hard in my life," and his famous shot is commemorated at Royal Birkdale too.

At the 16th stands a grey stone plaque marking Palmer’s audacious shot that ultimately proved the difference as he went on to write his name into the history books, lifting the Claret Jug for the first time in just his second appearance at the tournament.

The last of the four men’s Majors of 2026, The Open, sees more LIV Golf representation than the previous three.

At The Masters in April, just 10 players from the circuit teed it up at Augusta National, with 11 playing in the PGA Championship at Aronimink.

The third Major of the year was the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, where 13 LIV Golfers appeared, while 15 will play in The Open at Royal Birkdale. It would have been 16, too, but 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen has withdrawn because of a back injury.

While there are still five more LIV Golfers than at The Masters, the number is still four fewer than a year ago, when the tournament came from Royal Portrush.

The reduced number is down to various factors, including 2016 champion Henrik Stenson’s LIV Golf relegation, Phil Mickelson’s continued absence from the game, and Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed’s decision to end their LIV Golf careers.

Nevertheless, there will still be plenty of optimism in the LIV Golf hierarchy that the 15 representing the circuit at the Major will perform well, and that one of them can become the first active LIV Golfer to lift the Claret Jug.

Here are the LIV Golfers in The Open field, and how they qualified.

Josele Ballester

The Fireballs GC player has only played in The Open once before, resulting in a missed cut at Royal Liverpool in 2023, and he will be confident of a stronger performance at Royal Birkdale during a season that sees him a creditable 15th in the Individual Championship.

The Spaniard shot a nine-under at West Lancashire during Final Qualifying to ensure his first Major appearance of the year.

Laurie Canter

Laurie Canter had seemed set for a stint on the PGA Tour after claiming his card thanks to his finishing position on the DP World Tour’s 2025 Race to Dubai rankings.

However, he instead opted for a second bite of the LIV Golf cherry, joining Majesticks GC for the start of the season.

It’s thanks to Canter’s finish in the previous season’s Race to Dubai rankings that he lines up at The Open, though.

The top 25 of the rankings all claim a spot, and as a result, Canter will make his seventh appearance at The Open.

Bryson DeChambeau

The Crushers GC captain has endured a nightmare Major season so far, with three missed cuts leading up to The Open.

After a T10 a year ago, though, he’ll surely feel confident of a strong display at Royal Birkdale, despite Sir Nick Faldo’s claim that he has “zero clue of strategy” when it comes to links golf.

DeChambeau qualifies thanks to his win in the 2024 US Open, and he will surely be out to prove his doubters wrong and finish his Major campaign on a high.

Thomas Detry

The 2026 LIV Golf season saw the introduction of world ranking points for the first time. One player who has taken advantage of that is Thomas Detry.

Thanks to some consistent performances in his debut LIV Golf season, he has remained high enough in the world rankings to make the field as one of the highest-ranked players not otherwise exempt on July 5th.

Because of that, the Belgian makes his fifth Open start.

Tyrrell Hatton

Tyrell Hatton has made a habit of performing well in Majors since joining LIV Golf, and that has continued in 2026 with two top-10s in the big events.

He has yet to win a Major, but, playing in his homeland, the Englishman will be expected to do well this week.

Hatton has two top-10 finishes at The Open, the most recent coming in 2019 with a T6.

Thanks to his position in the top 50 of the world rankings after week 21, he has another chance to impress.

Lucas Herbert

The Ripper GC player makes his second Major appearance of the year, having missed the cut at the US Open.

Herbert’s best finish at The Open came in 2022, when he placed T15 at St Andrews, and he’ll be hoping for another strong performance in what will be his sixth appearance at the Major.

Herbert heads to Royal Birkdale off the back of some recent success, including victory at LIV Golf Virginia in May.

However, it’s thanks to his runner-up at the New Zealand Open that we will see him at Royal Birkdale, which was enough to claim his spot via The Open Qualifying Series.

Tom McKibbin

Another player indebted to a strong performance in an Open Qualifying Series tournament is the Northern Irishman.

McKibbin won the Asian Tour’s Hong Kong Open in 2025 to book his place for Royal Birkdale. Because of that, he will make his third appearance at The Open, having placed T66 in 2024 and missed the cut in 2025.

At the very least, he will be hoping for his best Major finish, which is currently a T41 achieved at the 2024 US Open.

Joaquin Niemann

One of LIV Golf’s most gifted players, Joaquin Niemann, has yet to fully translate his huge success onto the Major stage, with two top-10 placings from 28 appearances in the big tournaments to date.

They both came in the last two years, though, suggesting the Chilean may finally be ready to become a consistent challenger in Majors.

So far, he has made seven appearances at The Open, with a best finish of T53 four years ago. He gets his eighth chance to impress thanks to being the highest-placed LIV Golfer in the Individual Championship not otherwise exempt after its Andalucia event.

Victor Perez

The Cleeks GC player is yet to make a real impression in Majors, with his Open record reading two missed cuts, one T34 and one T41.

However, he heads to Royal Birkdale in good form, having produced three top 10s in recent weeks, including T9 at the Genesis Scottish Open.

That performance was enough to ensure his fifth Open appearance, where he joined PGA Tour pros Johnny Keefer and Michael Thorbjornsen as a top-three finisher not otherwise exempt via The Open Qualifying Series.

David Puig

Spaniard Puig is one of LIV Golf’s most talented young players, as demonstrated by some consistent performances since joining the circuit, along with a couple of Asian Tour wins.

Five top-10 finishes on LIV Golf so far in 2026 meant he was able to maintain a high enough world ranking to reach The Open as a player not otherwise exempt on July 5th.

As a result, he will make his second appearance at The Open after missing the cut at Royal Troon two years ago.

Jon Rahm

While Puig is a promising Spaniard in the LIV Golf ranks, in Rahm, it has the best the country has to offer.

The former World No.1 was assured of his place thanks to his most recent Major win, which came at the 2023 Masters, but his world ranking would have also seen him qualify comfortably.

After some uncertain form in Majors following his LIV Golf move, Rahm has shown signs of returning to his best at the events, with three top 10s in his last five starts.

His best finish at The Open came with a T2 in 2023. Is this the year he adds a third Major title to get three-quarters of the way to his career Grand Slam?

Cameron Smith

A LIV Golfer with some disappointing recent Major form is Cameron Smith. He has missed seven of the last eight cuts at the tournaments, including a year ago at Royal Portrush.

One ray of light came with a T7 at this year’s PGA Championship, and that could well spur him on to a good week.

After all, Smith has already won the Claret Jug, when he beat Cameron Young in the 150th Open at St Andrews in 2022.

Not only did that give the 32-year-old his maiden Major title, but it also ensured he’ll be able to play in The Open until the age of 60 thanks to being grandfathered in to play until that age as a winner before the limit was lowered to 55.

Caleb Surratt

The Legion XIII player’s maiden Major appearance came at the 2026 US Open, where he missed the cut after making it into the field via Final Qualifying.

It was also through Final Qualifying that he will make his Open debut this year, having finished nine-under at Burnham & Berrow to book his place at Royal Birkdale.

Like Ballester, McKibbin and Puig, Surratt is regarded as one of LIV Golf’s stars in the making, and he’ll be hoping to demonstrate those credentials on one of golf’s biggest stages.

Peter Uihlein

Peter Uihlein is another LIV Golfer who reached The Open thanks to his performance in Final Qualifying, where he shot nine-under at Royal Cinque Ports.

Uihlein will be making his fifth appearance at The Open thanks to that achievement, although it’ll be his first since 2018.

On that occasion, he missed the cut. A year earlier, he played at Royal Birkdale, where he achieved what remains the best Major finish of his career, a tie for 44th.

He’ll be hoping to at least better that this week.

Scott Vincent

Scott Vincent will tee it up for only the third time in a Major at Royal Birkdale.

The South African missed the cut in his maiden appearance at the 2022 Open at St Andrews. He had to wait four years for his second Major appearance, which came in the 2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills, where he also failed to make it to the weekend.

Will it be third time lucky at The Open? That will certainly be the HyFlyers GC player’s aim, where he gets his chance thanks to his placing in the top five of the Federation Ranking List after week 21 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

In addition to the 15 full-time pros in the field, LIV Golf reserves Travis Smyth and Jeongwoo Ham are also playing.

For Smyth, who qualified via the same category as Vincent, it's his second Open appearance after a missed cut in 2023. Ham makes his debut after winning the Singapore Open.

Whether you like him or not, everyone seems to have an opinion about Bryson DeChambeau - and most of it in the build-up to the Open Championship has been negative.

Is it because he plays on LIV Golf? Is it his obsession with YouTube? Could it actually be that his 3D printed irons and single length shafts are all just too technical for pursists to understand?

"You always fear what you don't understand" is a great quote from the movies (Batman Begins I think?) and that could well apply here - as critics pile on Bryson's baffling equipment setup as a reason for missing all three cuts in the Majors this year.

Then Brandel Chamblee blamed his pursuit of YouTube fame - saying DeChambeau is more bothered about chasing Grant Horvat's viewing figures than Rory McIlroy's Major wins these days.

And just to stick the boot in further, Sir Nick Faldo slammed Bryson's tactical approach to links golf, saying he had "zero strategy" to playing in the Open Championship.

It all seems a bit much considering he's not yet hit a ball in competition at Royal Birkdale - and things such as his equipment and playing on LIV didn't seem to hamper him when he won the 2024 US Open and was the main man to beat in the men's Majors.

And yes, it's unusual for a multiple Major champion to struggle so much - if DeChambeau misses the cut this week he'll be the first such champion to fail to make the weekend in all four since 1998.

It's clear DeChambeau rubs some people up the wrong way - there's obviously the LIV issue but also his love of doing YouTube does irk the more serious golfing fans.

As DeChambeau has such immense talent that he could win a good few more Majors, and some do feel frustrated when it seems he'd rather have a viral hit YouTube video than add to his two US Open titles.

Bryson's had a lot on his plate this year too - as the face of LIV Golf he's been heavily involved in the search for new financial backing with the Saudi PIF pulling out. That's no real difference to when Rory McIlroy was wheeled out by the PGA Tour to fend off LIV's early advances - and that took it's toll on him too.

So is DeChambeau actually playing badly enough to deserve this criticism?

Is DeChambeau's form really that bad?

DeChambeau has missed four cuts in five Majors, so obviously he's playing way below the level he himself would expect - but in the last two years before this one he's won one Major, finished runner-up twice and had further T6, T5 and T10 results all in the space of eight Majors.

Even this season, he's won twice on LIV Golf and had two thirds - and whatever you think of the quality of that tour winning golf tournaments is always tough - he's just not translated it.

The manner of his Major exits hit hard, as he had some sloppy short game moments and he admittedly was struggling with his wedges - which led to the outrage at him daring to have those single shaft lengths again.

But he's won Majors doing that, so that's not really the issue is it? Maybe he's just struggling to maintain a sky-high level of consistency like almost every single pro golfer before him.

His Open form isn't great, that's true, and yes his early attempts to overpower links courses saw him come up well short - but maybe he found something at Portrush last year.

A nightmare 78 on Thursday was followed by rounds of 65-68-64 as he was better than anyone else over three rounds, if he takes that into Birkdale he'll have a huge chance - although it's a very different challenge this year.

'It's just golf' - DeChambeau relaxed at Royal Birkdale

If DeChambeau is feeling the pressure of those three missed cuts he's not showing it, as he appeared on Sky Sports during his final practice round and was in a hugely relaxed mood.

"It's disappointing but life goes on man," he said of his Major displays this year.

"I mean there's plenty more opportunity, and I'm excited for this week no matter if I do well, or miss the cut, make the cut, win or don't win - it's just golf guys.

"That's the one thing I care about most is having fun, learning, and trying to get better. I feel like my game's got better, my wedges have been really good this week so we'll see."

That's certainly the right attitude to take into the Open after the year he's had, but if he fails to make the weekend then you just know the storm of criticism will grow even bigger. Perhaps that's the price of fame.

The Open Championship is taking place at Royal Birkdale for the 11th time ever in 2026, having first staged the historic Major as recently as 1954.

Since then, all of the game's greats have walked these fairways and many have won here - including Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Laura Davies.

It remains one of the most breath-taking layouts anywhere in the British Isles and currently ranks sixth in Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK&I Course Rankings in association with Peter Millar, consequently making it the best golf course in England in our view.

The Southport links was originally designed in the late 1890s by George Lowe before being raised to championship quality and status in the 1920s by Hawtree and Taylor.

In the years that followed, it has welcomed a decade of Open Championships, six Women's British Open Championships and two Ryder Cups.

Royal Birkdale is renowned for its towering dunes and has witnessed many memorable moments through the years, most recently in 2017 when Jordan Spieth lifted the Claret Jug.

And as we all watch on in 2026, many people will begin to dream of teeing it up there one day and playing their own miracle shot.

The good news is, you can. As with all Open Championship venues, Royal Birkdale accepts green fee-paying visitors. The bad news is, there are a couple of key caveats.

One being the course is closed from November through to the end of February. The second being it is only possible to play as a visitor on select Mondays and Thursdays for the remainder of 2026 at least.

Yet, at the time of writing, there are a number of different days still available, including on Wednesday, July 29th.

On that day, the golf club is hosting a 'Birkdale Open Experience' where golfers can experience 18 holes just as those in the year's final Major would have days earlier.

As well as full round, a meet and greet, a gift from a professional, a photo with the replica Claret Jug and a two-course bistro is also included in the package.

Tee times range from 10:20am BST through to 2pm, and the day will cost you £565 (approx. $756) per person.

Alternatively, a regular tee time on the few remaining days left open for visitors at Royal Birkdale in 2026 will cost you £495 ($663).

The price during March and April in 2026 was £450 ($602), but Royal Birkdale has not yet published any tee times for 2027 at this stage.

Just four years ago, the highest rate at Royal Birkdale was £300 ($402) for a tee time and it was T9th among the 20 most expensive green fees in the UK and Ireland.

While it is certainly nowhere near first place in 2026, which belongs to Trump Turnberry and its £1,000 maximum green fee, Royal Birkdale remains one of the priciest tee times around.

Still, if you're playing an Open Championship layout and it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, maybe you can save up and enjoy that dream day out?

At The Open Championship this week, you will hear the term 'revetted bunker' or 'pot bunker' quite a lot.

They are a common feature on links golf courses across the British Isles - including at Royal Birkdale, which is ranked sixth in our top-100 courses throughout the UK and Ireland - and are often seen most prominently when The Open is on TV.

Even the best professionals find them with frustrating regularity, as far as they're concerned, and they're not easy to escape.

Much different to those witnessed on most parkland courses throughout the rest of the world, a revetted bunker is visually striking and often much deeper than its traditional counterpart.

As far as other differences go, Aaron Launchbury - the course manager at Prince's Golf Club in Kent, which hosted The Open in 1932 when Gene Sarazen won - explains: "Here, we have revetted and rough-style bunkers.

"So you find the rough style that kind of has the the wispy rough around the outside. It's just off the fairways into the semi-rough and they kind of blend in to the rough.

"And then the revetted you'll find round the greens, and we have a couple of holes that you have revetted bunkers in the middle of the fairway.

"The rough-style bunker is kind of cut in to the land around it or built up and then long rough is left to grow up. Whereas a revetted bunker, you're using turf to basically build a wall with a step to the ground around it."

The 'wall' itself is still turf, but it's made up of loads of layers of sods (grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by roots or a piece of thin material) in order to create that effect you see.

The layered design isn't only there to help play mind games with the golfer, though. It's also to fortify the bunker and reduce wind-based erosion, which can be a real issue with non-revetted bunkers.

In terms of a revetted bunkers original build, construction starts at the base with either concrete or natural earth.

Prince's - which is set to host the Walker Cup in 2030 - chooses concrete to offer a more stable base, facilitate better drainage and to ensure there is far less sagging of earth in the face - but the Kent club is certainly in the minority there.

There will be often be between 25 and 50 layers in the face, depending on the size and depth of the trap. A typical revetted bunker costs around £1,000 to build, although the costs can vary depending on several factors including size of bunker and base-material option.

Once a revetted bunker is in place, the grass around the top is shaved in order to attract more golf balls. They are often responsible for costing a player a shot in The Open, with no choice but to play backwards or sideways in order to escape them.

As far as the actual sand goes, it's still regular bunker material which can be raked in different styles. At Royal Liverpool in 2023, The R&A opted to have The Open course crew rake all the bunkers perfectly flat.

This wasn't widely popular with the players, however, and it was quickly changed to a marginal slope.

In 2026, revetted bunkers are set to star again with Royal Birkdale known as one of the tightest and most penal layouts on The Open rota.

Although at least 14 bunkers have been removed since recent changes to Royal Birkdale, there are still more than 100 on the property.

Whoever does the best job of avoiding them may well put themselves in a great position to lift the Claret Jug on Sunday.

The Old Course at St Andrews has hosted The Open more than any other venue, with the Major held there on no fewer than 30 occasions.

Despite that, it is always a special occasion when The Open comes from the Home of Golf, with its next visit coming just a year from now for the 155th edition.

In 2022, the Old Course was the scene of the 150th Open, and it produced a climax befitting the occasion, when Cameron Smith came from four back of third-round leaders Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland, eventually edging out Cameron Young by one.

Other memorable Open moments at the Old Course include Costantino Rocca’s miracle putt on the 18th before missing out to John Daly in 1995, Tiger Woods’ dominant display in 2000 and Jack Nicklaus’s farewell appearance five years later.

It’s not just the players who wow golf fans each time The Open returns to the Old Course either.

The layout is as revered as those who tee it up there thanks to its rich history, famous landmarks, including The R&A Clubhouse and the Swilcan Bridge, and challenges including 112 bunkers and the notorious Valley of Sin, from which Rocco made his famous putt in 1995.

As a result, demand for tickets – even at prices that have left golf fans divided – is sky-high.

So, how can you get them?

The Open will be held the week of July 11th to the 18th and the primary route for fans to acquire general admission tickets is via The Open ticket ballot.

Tickets are priced at £150 ($202) for the opening two rounds, £170 ($229) for Saturday and £190 ($256) for Sunday's final round.

However, under-16s go free when accompanied by an adult.

Applications via the ballot are being accepted until 3pm BST (10am ET) on Friday July 24th 2026. To enter the ballot, fans need to be a member of The One Club, a free-to-join membership program that requires registration.

There, fans can also upgrade to One Club Advantage to have a better chance of acquiring tickets through the ballot.

Once you’ve registered for The One Club, you can enter your details via the ticket ballot section of The Open website.

Be warned, though - there is no guarantee of a ticket. Chief executive of The R&A Mark Darbon spelled out the incredible demand via the ticket ballot, saying: "The ballot for the 155th Open Championship at St Andrews opened last week, and we're seeing that demand continue to grow.

"We've already had approaching three-quarters of a million applications for tickets in just the first nine days of that process."

Not surprisingly, there is likely to be more chance of acquiring tickets for practice days than championship days, with ticket applications for the four rounds around 10 times oversubscribed in the past.

There is also the Ticket Plus option, which offers access to a special area offering exclusive food and beverage options. Championship days are sold out, but there is the option to join the waiting list in case anything else becomes available.

For those wishing to guarantee tickets to The Open, there are Hospitality and Destination packages, which are currently available. However, they are selling fast, with some options already sold out.

Destination packages combine any ticket type with tailored accommodation and travel options, from The Open Camping Village, with prices beginning at £355 (around $477) per person, to various hotel packages.

R&A boss Mark Darbon says "we're getting pretty close" to making history and being able to take the Open Championship to the Republic of Ireland at Portmarnock.

The chase for the Claret Jug has never been taken outside of the United Kingdom before, but the Dublin links has been making a big effort to change all that.

Talks have been ongoing for some time and a lot of work has been done by the R&A, Portmarnock and the local government in order to bring The Open to the Republic of Ireland.

And it's now just a matter of 'when' not 'if' the Open will be heading to Portmarnock just outside the Irish captial.

"I think we're getting pretty close," said Darbon at his pre-Open press conference at Royal Birkdale. "It's a complicated venue because of the scale of The Open Championship.

"So there's been a lot of great feasibility work with the golf club themselves, with the local authority, with government. We've undertaken a big feasibility study. That work is pretty much done. We've confirmed that we believe we can take an Open Championship there."

The R&A first confirmed Portmarnock was in contention to host the Open back in 2023, and Darbon admitted that the process was taking longer than expected due to all the logistics involved.

"What we're looking to do is build a model that opens up opportunities for the AIG Women's Open and The Open for many, many years to come," Darbon added.

"So that's the dialogue we're in right now with the Irish government, and we're optimistic that those discussions are heading in the right direction.

"Time frame - look, in the spirit of transparency, it's taken a bit longer than I think I and we thought it may, but it's complicated doing all of that feasibility work. We're hoping to have a pretty clear view by the end of the year for sure."

No plans for Prince's - Turnbery & Muirfield still out in the cold

Portmarnock would join Royal Portrush as Open venues on the island of Ireland - with the two recent championships held on the north coast in 2019 and last year being hugely successful.

Adding Portmarnock to a new regular host in Portrush would seemingly reduce the chances of the likes of Trump Turnberry and Muirfield returning even further.

The two famous Scottish venues have no immediate hope of getting back on the Open rota, while Royal Lytham & St Annes has done enough work to get back to hosting duties as it will stage the 2028 Open.

One further course Darbon was asked about was Prince's - the neighbor to Royal St George's which has hosted The Open once, in 1932 when Gene Sarazen won.

But the Kent venue is not being considered by the R&A.

"It's not under consideration at the moment," said Darbon. "As you mentioned, we're taking the Walker Cup there.

"The work they've done in recent years down at Prince's has been spectacular, but we're really happy with the rotation that we've got at the moment. As you know, and it's been well-documented, we are in discussion with Portmarnock around the potential for an Open Championship in the future.

"No plans beyond that at this stage."

As the last of the year's four men's Majors, players wouldn’t expect anything less than a stern challenge as they tee it up at The Open.

This year, the tournament comes from Royal Birkdale for the 11th time.

There, as you’d expect, the field will face all the potential pitfalls you’d expect from an Open venue, offering a pure links test with demanding holes, punitive rough and the ever-present chance of wind to add to its already daunting challenges.

One of the favorites to lift the Claret Jug in 2026 is Jon Rahm. The LIV Golfer’s best finish at the Major is a T2 achieved at Royal Liverpool in 2023, while his only other Open appearance at Royal Birkdale resulted in a T44 nine years ago.

Therefore, it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about what it takes to navigate the unique challenges presented by The Open – and what Royal Birkdale has in store.

But how would a recreational golfer fare at Royal Birkdale under the same conditions awaiting the field? Let’s just say the Spaniard's not optimistic.

Rahm gave his thoughts on the score an 18-handicapper could hope to shoot to Callaway Golf Europe, and he’s not even confident many would make it past the turn – and that’s even with a more forgiving front nine!

He said: “I would say most of them would leave after nine. Honestly, there’s no… the front nine you may survive, the rough isn’t as thick as it’s been in the past. You could do OK. I just think a lot of them wouldn’t finish.”

Rahm thinks the wind, in particular, would be the downfall of many 18-handicappers, believing some would struggle to make the green in regulation on at least two of the holes.

He explained: “I mean, some of those holes like 13, it’s just it would be especially… the wind we had today with 13 and 18, 500 yards playing straight into the wind. When pros are hitting driver-two irons, driver-four irons…”

Despite the brutal test of The Open, the average winning score at Royal Birkdale is approximately nine-under-par - around 276 strokes. Meanwhile, last time it was held there, in 2017, Jordan Spieth bettered that by six when he finished on 12-under to lift the Claret Jug.

So, what does Rahm think an 18-handicapper would shoot at the par-70, assuming they finished all 18 holes? Needless to say, his answer highlights just how incredible the achievements of those who’ve won The Open at Royal Birkdale have been.

He added: “I would say, so 18, back tees… I mean, nothing shy of 120. We’re going north of that. It’s a very large number.”

What do you think of Rahm's estimation? Let us know in the comments below.

The R&A has no plans "at this stage" to move Sunday's final round of the Open Championship forward to avoid a clash with the World Cup final - even if England make it into the big game for just the second time in history.

However, CEO Mark Darbon says that final plans for Sunday are not set in stone, and that he would "finalize our position after the semi-final" which is scheduled for Wednesday night.

England face Argentina in the second World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night and if they're victorious they will play Spain in Sunday's World Cup final in New Jersey.

The kick-off time in the UK is 8pm for Sunday's World Cup final, while the final round of the Open is set to conclude around 6:40pm - and despite initial talk of the R&A being prepared to move tee times forward if England get through, Darbon says there's no plans to do that at this stage.

A playoff at Royal Birkdale would move proceedings even further back, and that could run the risk of fans flooding out of the course to head home or into Southport and Liverpool to watch the World Cup final - but Darbon feels there is still time for that even if sticking to the original schedule.

Darbon said in his pre-Open press conference on Wednesday that at this stage the R&A had no plans to bring Sunday's tee times forward to avoid a clash, although it very much sounded like he was keeping his options open until after England play their semi-final.

"I'm an England football fan so that would be a great problem to have, but also because I'm an England football fan we should probably wait and see how the semi-final goes before we get too far ahead," said Darbon.

"In the background we've been doing a lot of thinking about this. Our final putt is currently scheduled for around 6.40pm on Sunday. We think that even if we go to a three-hole playoff we've got time to complete the championship.

"So at this stage no plans to alter anything but we'll maintain that under review and we'll finalize our position after the semi-final."

It's a slight change of stance from previously, with Darbon saying back in April that they would want to avoid a clash with such a huge global sporting event - especially if England were participating.

"We're obviously conscious of other events happening on that date," Darbon said in April.

"As we approach the championship, we'll ensure we try and avoid that clash wherever possible.

"Of course some things are out of our control in terms of playoffs and the like, but we will attempt to avoid a clash, yes."

That seemed sensible, as even with a scheduled finish of around 6.40pm there is the distinct possibility of fans leaving early and missing the trophy presentation to go and watch the Three Lions appear in a first World Cup final since 1966.

It sounds like the R&A could reconsider if England do manage to beat Argentina on Wednesday, but for now the plan is to stick to the original start times.

What's your view? Should the R&A move the Open forward on Sunday if England make the World Cup final? Have your say and join the conversation below...

English golfers face semi-final dilemma

The R&A didn't help out many of the English golfers in the field in terms of watching the semi-final - with most of them handed early tee times on Thursday morning despite an 8pm kick-off for the Three Lions on Wednesday night.

Matt Fitzpatrick made a plea before the tee times were released, saying: "If anyone's listening, I really hope it's a late/early. It would be nice if all the English lads were late/early. That would be great."

But it seems only Fitzpatrick got his wish. His brother Alex tees off at 7:19am on Thursday, while Matthew Baldwin will hit the opening tee shot of the tournament at 6:35am.

As a member at Royal BIrkdale though, Baldwin will struggle to sleep anyway as he gets the honor of kicking off the tournament on his home course.

There's an English player in each of the first eight groups to go out on Thursday morning, with Justin Rose teeing off at 9:36am. But despite his meticulous preparation he admits he'll still be watching Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham's side in action.

"I was hoping for a later tee time," said Rose. "I'd take a win on penalties if it happened, but we're looking for a short, sharp match and a reasonable bedtime.

"I'm going to watch it with an eye on what's important for me and not get too high and low and keep my own emotions in check. We've got big things as well to do this week.

"It's a match where if you think that you're not going to watch it, you're probably kidding yourself."

If the likes of Rose, Fitzpatrick or Tommy Fleetwood are in contention on Sunday they'll obviously be thinking of nothing else but the Claret Jug and they'll happily miss the start of even a World Cup final to celebrate winning The Open.

But other players and fans might face a bit of a rush to get away from Birkdale and sat in front of the TV to watch the Three Lions if they have a chance to make their own bit of sporting history.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler’s comments ahead of last year’s Open at Royal Portrush questioning what the point was of achieving greatness in golf reared their head on Tuesday in the build-up to the 2026 edition of golf’s oldest championship.

The American raised eyebrows in Country Antrim in Northern Ireland when he admitted he didn’t get much in the way of meaningful fulfillment from his career before, ironically, going on to win the Claret Jug for the first time just a few days later.

At Royal Birkdale, those remarks from 12 months ago were put to the World No. 1, and although he was more careful about how he conveyed his message, the subject drew laughs from the press in attendance when a reporter inadvertently created another Scheffler soundbite we could well be looking back on in another year’s time.

“You mentioned history; we're all going to die someday and all that kind of stuff,” the question began.

“Sorry,” a shocked Scheffler replied. “Is that going to be a quote after last year's ‘what's the point?’ This year we're all going to die.”

Once the laughter subsided, there was a poignant question about legacy and if it truly doesn’t matter how Scheffler the golfer is remembered when all is said and done.

“I think it matters more to me just in terms of the competition,” Scheffler began. “There's things I would like to accomplish in the game, but at the end of the day, I have never once thought about how I'm going to be remembered. To me, it truly doesn't matter from a sense of like accomplishment.

“Like when I die, hey, Scottie won four majors and 20 tournaments and he won this much money. That has zero effect on me.

“It's more just the things that I can try to achieve in the game. That's something just for me just trying to get the most out of myself, like do you want to be able to win tournaments, you want to be able to put yourself in those positions. That's what I love about the game.

“History, to me, I guess maybe just isn't that important. I don't necessarily want to be remembered for winning the tournaments that I won. I'd much rather be remembered for the way I did it than the tournaments that I won.

“So if I'm doing things the right way, treating people the right way. A successful week for me is when I approach things the right way, when I'm committed to what I'm doing.

“I love being able to go out and compete, but over time I've gotten much better at just being able to take your hat off and shake hands. I've met some great people in the game of golf. Some of my best friends in the world I met through playing golf.

“History for me has never been the most important thing.”

The same question was later put to six-time Major winner Rory McIlroy, and his response struck a very similar chord.

“I think it would be a pretty unfulfilling pursuit if you're just chasing records and chasing results,” the Northern Irishman said. “You have to enjoy the process. You have to enjoy the journey to get there. I've learned that the hard way at times by chasing results and chasing records too much.

“You start to focus on your craft and your practice and doing the things you need to do to try to become a better golfer, and then if you do that, the results and the winning almost take care of themselves, or at least you put yourself in position enough to at least step through the door a few times.

“You're obviously trying to win, but winning is such a… like it's not a real tangible goal, right? So the real goal is I want to do this with my swing or I want to hit this sort of shot or I want to feel good when I'm over the ball, whatever it is. If you do that stuff enough times, hopefully you get yourself in a position to win.

“Then from there, you can start to think about winning the tournament. But if all you're thinking about is winning and results, you're playing the wrong game.”

While they might not be bothered, both McIlroy and Scheffler’s legacies are almost certain to stand the test of time.

McIlroy became just the sixth male player in history to complete the career Grand Slam with his 2025 Masters win and, just a US Open victory shy, few would bet against Scheffler following in his footsteps.

With Royal Lytham & St Annes finally returning to the Open Championship rota in 2028, it leaves just two famous old venues still out in the cold in terms of staging the battle for the Claret Jug.

Royal Birkdale hosts this year and after the regular stop at St Andrews in 2027 the Open Championship is returning to Royal Lytham in 2028 for the first time since 2012.

Every Open Championship venue is special, but some have fallen off the rota with the likes of Royal Liverpool and, more recently, Royal Portrush becoming more regular hosts.

Lytham is back after being overshadowed by its North West of England neighbors, but two famous old Scottish courses are missing out - with Trump Turnberry and Muirfield not looking like regaining tournament hosting duties anytime soon.

But why? With 20 Opens between them nobody doubts the history, or indeed the quality, of the golf courses in question, but a controversial owner at one and some logistical problems at both limit their chances of getting back on the Open rota.

So why are Muirfield and Turnberry missing out and what are the chances of them hosting The Open again? Let's find out...

Trump Turnberry no closer to Open return

Only four Opens for Turnberry but each one high quality - including the very first in 1977 when Tom Watson edged his 'Duel in the Sun' against Jack Nicklaus - while the final one in 2009 saw Watson, now a veteran, make headlines again as he fell just short of an amazing victory at the age of 59 when losing a playoff to Stewart Cink.

But while US President Donald Trump is still leading the free world, it will not host The Open, as stated by former R&A CEO Martin Slumbers who said the publicity would detract from the Open.

“We cannot allow external media noise to overshadow what remains the original and most historic championship in golf," Slumbers told Golf Channel in 2024. "The tournament’s integrity demands that golf alone commands the spotlight.”

Trump has campaigned for a return, and new R&A boss Mark Darbon told the BBC "we'd love to be back there" but said that infrastructure is now the main problem given the size of The Open these days.

As many as 120,000 fans attended the 2009 Open at Turnberry but 278,000 visited Royal Portrush last year and over 300,000 are expected at Birkdale in 2026. So as fantastic as the Ailsa Course is, there are concerns the local transport and accommodation at the Ayrshire venue just couldn't cope.

"At Turnberry, there are definitely some logistical and commercial challenges that we face around the road, rail and accommodation infrastructure," Darbon added.

Darbon is sounding more positive about Turnberry in terms of Trump's ownership, but those logistical challenges could mean the wait for an Open return to Turnberry will go on for some time.

Muirfield could face 20-year wait for Open return

Phil Mickelson last won there in 2013, and the Open Championship will eventually return to Muirfield - but the question of when it will return is still one without any definitive answer.

With 16 Opens held at the East Lothian venue, only St Andrews on the current rota has staged more, and it's now back under consideration after being axed in 2016 when the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers voted against allowing women members.

The vote was eventually passed and Muirfield returned to the Open rota, while in 2022 it held the AIG Women's Open to show that it was back in favor with the R&A, but as with Turnberry logistical aspects make a return tough to see in the near future.

"We love the golf course at Muirfield," said Darbon. "We're in discussions with the venue right now. There are some things we need to evolve at Muirfield, the practice ground in particular is a challenge for us with a modern Open.

"And there's some work to facilitate some infrastructure we need, but there's some good dialogue and we'd love to go back there in the future."

There's also the fact the Scottish Open takes place the week before at the neighboring Renaissance Club which is a problem, so that would likely have to move venue to allow The Open to take place at Muirfield.

Darbon also said that history could be made as Portmarnock near Dublin is being considered as an Open venue - which could also see Muirfield being forced to wait.

All those factors mean that we're unlikely to see Muirfield host the Open again within the next five years or so, maybe even longer, although something like a 20-year wait for a return seems like far too long for a course like Muirfield.

As always though, golf has to move with the times and the size and scale of a modern Open Championship commands a huge footprint for host courses - one that as it stands Muirfield can't provide.

Forgotten Open venues

Brandel Chamblee is hardly LIV Golf or Bryson DeChambeau's biggest fan, and he had more criticism for him just ahead of the 154th Open Championship.

Chamblee has long believed that playing on LIV has hampered top players in their search for Major glory, but DeChambeau proved it was no barrier for him as he claimed a second US Open title in 2024.

DeChambeau had been the biggest Major force across a couple of years, but 2026 has been a big struggle and he heads to Royal Birkdale hoping to avoid missing the cut in all four Majors this year.

And Chamblee's latest jibe at the two-time US Open champion centres around him being more interested in chasing YouTube views than golfing success.

Speaking on Golf Channel's 'Live From' show at Birkdale, Chamblee claims DeChambeau's taken his eye off the ball in terms of his on-course success as he looks to become the biggest YouTube star in golf.

“Probably one of the biggest surprises of the year is Bryson DeChambeau. It’s almost like he went from chasing Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to chasing Grant Horvat," said Chamblee.

"It’s like he wants to outdo every YouTuber in the game of golf instead of outplay everybody in the game of golf.”

DeChambeau has two wins on LIV Golf this year but has not managed to translate that form to the Majors so far, with now four cuts missed out of his last five starts.

And so from usually arriving at Majors being the man to beat, the pressure on DeChambeau at Birkdale is to avoid the ignomy of a clean sweep of missed cuts in a season.

If he fails to make the weekend again, DeChambeau would become the first multiple Major champion to miss all four cuts in a year since 1998.

DeChambeau has 'zero clue on links strategy'

DeChambeau did manage a top-10 finish at Royal Portrush last year after previously struggling, but Sir Nick Faldo is among those who believe he'll struggle again at a firm and fast Birkdale.

The three-time Open champion did not hold back in his stinging criticism of DeChambeau's approach to links golf - saying he had "zero clue of strategy" in this type of test.

“I'd say it to his face - DeChambeau has zero clue of strategy,” Faldo said on the Sky Sports Golf podcast.

“He said last year, ‘I'm going to go out and attack the links’. Well, I've never attacked a links. You thread it, don't you? You feed it down the fairway.

“You look at humps and bumps. If I send it over and feed it, it nudges back into play. You don't think, ‘Oh, I'll just blast it down there. Can't see where I'm going’. The fairway is 20 yards wide.

“Good luck. Even if you hit it fantastic and it lands on the corner of a divot, you might still miss the fairway. So you've got to think, ‘How do I get it on the short grass?’ It is so important."

DeChambeau is very much is own man and will do things his way again at Birkdale, and he'll be desperate to prove people wrong by at least making the weekend at the Open.

Ready to host for an 11th time in 2026, Royal Birkdale has seen plenty of Open Championship golf over the years.

The north-west English layout first welcomed the world's oldest championship in 1954 and has witnessed great performances from the likes of Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Johnny Miller in the years since.

Last time out was another magical display, this time from the clubs of Jordan Spieth as he produced one of the all-time Open Championship shots in the final round on his way to claiming the Claret Jug by three strokes.

His 12-under winning total wasn't the lowest ever seen at Royal Birkdale, though, with Trevino's incredible 14-under score back in 1971 remaining the benchmark.

Also in 2017 arrived Branden Grace's third-round 62. At that stage, it was the first time anyone had ever carded a 62 (or better) at a Major championship.

On the flip side, The Open has twice been claimed at Royal Birkdale with scores of even par or worse. Mark O'Meara triumphed in a playoff against Brian Watts in 1998 - the pair just holding off a young Tiger Woods who finished solo third on one-over.

Then, 10 years later, Padraig Harrington managed to reign supreme on three-over-par. Only four players managed to end a round leading the championship under par, with a baked-out Birkdale pushing everyone back over the weekend.

But, more often than not, the winning score relative to par has ranged between four-under and nine-under.

In fact, the average winning total of The Open at Royal Birkdale is less than seven-under (-6.9). That equates to 278.7 strokes overall, with Royal Birkdale having begun life as a par-73 at The Open before flicking down to a par-70 via the intermediate numbers.

Spieth is the only player to have broken 270 strokes across four rounds here so far because Birkdale was a par-70 last time out, and will continue that way in 2026. Whereas when Trevino lifted the Claret Jug with 278 shots, the course was a par 73.

Interestingly, the average winning score of The Open across all of its historic sites used in the modern era is around two strokes lower than at Birkdale, making the Lancashire layout one of the tougher courses on the rota.

The average winning score at The Open is approximately nine-under-par - so around 276 strokes.

Yet, Henrik Stenson and Cameron Smith have both won the Claret Jug with a score of 20-under (Royal Troon and St Andrews) while Paul Lawrie's six-over total at Carnoustie in 1999 remains the highest victorious figure since 1947.

THE OPEN WINNING SCORES AT ROYAL BIRKDALE

The Open draws a conclusion to the 2026 men's Major golf season with the sensational Royal Birkdale hosting the world's best.

Scottie Scheffler is favorite to retain his Claret Jug ahead of the likes of Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm, but with the unpredictability of links golf, it could be anyone's tournament to win.

So that's why we've had a look at some longshots worth backing, especially as we've seen some players contend at very big odds in recent years.

Harris English finished 2nd at 110/1 last year with 350/1 Haotong Li in 4th. Two years ago, 250/1 Billy Horschel finished 2nd, just ahead of 600/1 Thriston Lawrence in 4th.

Three years ago, Brian Haman won at odds of 110/1, which were the same as Zach Johnson's in 2015 when he triumphed at St Andrews.

So, which potential Open contenders are being overlooked this week in the odds? Here are some of our team's picks...

2026 Open outsider betting picks

Eugenio Chacarra

There are lots of extremely good options at 100/1 and beyond, and Casey Jarvis at 250/1, Bernd Wiesberger at 400/1 in some places and Haotong Li at 200/1 have really caught my eye.

However, my pick is Eugenio Chacarra at 150/1.

Those odds are incredible for someone who has won two times in their last three starts in Europe.

He's never played The Open before, which is an obvious negative, but at that price, I'm taking the gamble.

Max Homa

I would like to caveat this by saying that I can't see anyone north of 40/1 winning this tournament, but if I had to pick a 100/1+ punt this week with some each-way value... I'd speculatively opt for Max Homa.

He seemed to have found something at the John Deere Classic, when finishing runner-up, but he was also T9 at The Masters this year - so perhaps Max is on his way back to his best. Homa also has two top-20 finishes at the Scottish Open and has a 10th place finish at The Open on his CV.

I was also close to going for Marco Penge at a big price, but I will side with Max on this occasion.

Read more: Bazza's Best Bets For The 2026 Open

Corey Conners

One of the best ball-strikers on the planet, Corey Conners also has a sneaky good record on links courses.

The Canadian was T10th at Royal Portrush last year and has a top-10 at the Scottish Open in 2024, too.

Too often, he's let down by his putter at these championships, but even a solid week could see Conners create history by becoming the first Canadian ever to win the Claret Jug.

As I said, he's a top ball-striker and Royal Birkdale requires precision. A good week on the greens and he could prove to be a shock winner.

Brian Harman

What about the Champion Golfer of the Year of just three years ago who’s finished in the top 10 at the Open Championship in three of his last four appearances?

Brian Harman has some top Claret Jug credentials but is still a big outsider.

The left-hander lapped the field at Hoylake, admittedly in much different conditions to Birkdale this week, but fast and firm means accuracy is key over length, precision over power, and lag putting, even from way off the greens, needs to be on point.

Harman’s recent form has been stinky, but he made the cut in Scotland at least and he really turns it on at The Open. He’s gone 10-60-1-6-19 in his last five Opens with his scoring average of 69.60 the fourth best over that spell – only Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele can better that.

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Ryan Gerard

I admit he's making his Open Championship debut, but Gerard is showing some excellent form in 2026, with some great results coming in notable events.

Producing three runner-up finishes this season, including The Memorial Tournament, the American finished T26th at last week's Genesis Scottish Open, indicating that he does have form on links layouts.

What I particularly like about Gerard is his overall game statistics. When it comes to Strokes Gained, he ranks inside the top 50 for every metric on the PGA Tour, aside from Around-the-Green.

On a Royal Birkdale layout that promises to be firm and fast, control of the golf ball will be key, which is why I really like Gerard at a high price.

Jordan Smith

The Englishman could well earn punters some money this week at such long odds.

He has enjoyed a steady 2026 but showed glimpses of some superb form in Scotland last week, most notably his second-round 63.

He eventually finished in a tie for 21st but, trending in the right direction, he could be in the mix at Royal Brikdale

Jason Day

I believe the Open champion will be the player who chips and putts the best this week at Royal Birkdale, and there aren't many better than Jason Day.

The former World No.1 is understandably at high odds due to his withdrawal from the US Open last month, but he did play all four days at The Travelers before two full weeks off before the year's final Major.

Hopefully his body can stand up to the test and we can see some vintage Day over the Southport links. He missed The Open cut last year but was T13 in 2024 and T2nd in 2023 so I'll be hoping for something similar this week.

MORE OPEN BETTING TIPS:

• Open Betting Picks: Bazza's Best Bets For Royal Birkdale
• Open Sleeper Picks 2026: High-Priced Big Names Tipped To Contend
• Golf Monthly Staff Members Make Their Open Picks

It's usually a seriously good player that wins the Open Championship so the likely Champion Golfer of the Year will come from the group of favorites, but who will lift the Claret Jug on Sunday?

Especially at Royal Birkdale the Open champions around the Southport links have been some of golf's greats so although underdogs have a good record in this Major more than most it's unlikely it'll be a relative unknown who claims glory.

And with some question marks around the very cream of the crop it's reasonably wide open - but if we do see the cream rise to the top then we should see a big name claim glory.

So let's look at the top favorites for The Open - ranked in order of who is most likely to by kissing the Claret Jug come Sunday. Here's our Golf Monthly Power Rankings.

2026 Open Championship Power Rankings

Sure, there are negatives, as Scottie Scheffler missed his first cut in four years at the weekend, but if you're a glass half full guy that just means he had an extra weekend of practice time at Birkdale.

And, sure, he's not won since January which is his longest streak for three years, but for normal mortals a year with four runner-up finishes and four other top fives would be the stuff of dreams.

He's the defending champion, and multiple winners have done well at Birkdale with both Padraig Harrington and Tom Watson sealing quick-fire doubles here. If Scheffler fires he's still the best golfer on the planet.

He doesn't play too often these days but Rory McIlroy's new schedule plan doesn't seem to be harming him at all, with a T7 at the PGA Championship and also a T7 in Scotland last weekend.

Seventh last year, McIlroy's got six tops 10s in his last nine Opens and his short game remains underrated - it'll be important this week and as with Scheffler, McIlroy can elevate his game beyond most other golfers.

He's got to have a serious chance.

His form's not been great recently, but quite frankly I don't care as he's the man for the Majors - going T9-T7-T11 so far this year. He won the Open just a couple of years ago and came seventh last year.

He's not quite got the top gear the top two have, but if they're off he's the best of the rest.

Fun fact - Schauffele and Scheffler have exactly the same scoring average across the last five Opens (69.30) which is also unsurprisingly the best of anyone.

He had a hugely underwhelming Open record until last year, when Fitzy finally seemed to get his head around links golf. He's not a fan of blind tee shots or unfair bounces but Birkdale has pretty flat fairways and his shot type should really suit.

Fitzpatrick has a Alfred Dunhill Links title under his belt and he's won three times this year - including taking Scottie Scheffler down in a playoff at the RBC Heritage, an event that means so much to him.

This one means even more and he just looks a different animal this season.

A lot has been made of Jon Rahm's Major form after joining LIV but he's got four top 10s in 10 appearances including one at the Open - where he's been knocking on the door for the last five years.

Only Scheffler and Schauffele have a better scoring average over that stretch and his T2 at the PGA Championship was a nice little reminder of life at the sharp end. He's a confirmed links specialist with two Irish Open wins on the coast.

Will the home crowd spur him on or will the pressure be too great? That's a big question for Tommy Fleetwood, who has gone close a couple of times and can undoubtedly shine on the links with the game he has.

Southport's finest did manage to capture the FedEx Cup to finally stick a big one on his mantelpiece but the Open Championship is a different story - winning it on home turf is even greater and you just wonder how much that will weigh him down.

I've got a feeling that coming with a stirring late run on Sunday, something he's done at the US Open, could be his best chance of landing what would be a fairytale victory.

Collin Morikawa is a puzzler. He won at Pebble Beach and was playing out of his skin before struggling with a back injury, that he says is still bothering him, saying he can't play every shot he'd like to. A fast and firm Birkdale might mean he doesn't have to though, with precision key over power.

And despite his problems he finished T17 at the US Open and his last competitive round was a 61 at the Travelers - so it's not stopping him right now. Obviously he won this on his Open debut and as a pure flusher if he finds fairways he'll be in business.

Are we getting too carried away with the whole Birkdale return thing? Maybe, but it's not like Rosey hasn't given us reason to believe he can win the Open at the course where he announced himself to the golfing world as a 17-year-old amateur.

Nobody would begrudge Rose a second Major and he's shown by pushing Rory Mcilroy all the way at the Masters and chasing home Xander Schauffele at Troon that he's still got the game as well as the heart.

Justin Rose winning the Claret Jug at Birkdale would push even a Tommy Fleetwood victory for the most popular outcome of the week.

I'm a bit higher on Hatton than most, especially the bookies, but he played well to finish T7 at the US Open and he's won on LIV just after becoming a dad so I like the way he's trending.

Despite his infamous outbursts he can actually play with decent patience and has said previously he'd like a fast and firm Open. Again the game is no problem and he's shown at recent US Opens that he can stay the course when things get tough.

His Open record has been getting worse, which is a slight concern, but winning at Sawgrass and battling McIlroy at Augusta are much better pointers. Americans have a great record at Birkdale and he's got all the shots you need to win on the links.

His form has been dodgy of late but I can see a big bounceback.

Now, then, just what will that Travelers playoff win over Scottie Scheffler do for Viktor Hovland's confidence? One of the best players on the planet dismantled his entire game but he could finally be back to his best.

Shooting 64 in Scotland last Sunday isn't a bad shot in the arm ahead of the Open either, so hopes are high for a guy that deserves to bag a Major one day. It wouldn't be a total shock if that came this week.

The tournament lockers at Birkdale should be safe as the US Open champion could produce another big week having recorded his best Open finish last year when still in his slump.

Now he's happy, playing free and won't even have a hostile American crowd to deal with, so he should be flying. He's in a rich vein of form that reads 1-3-T11-1-T5-T13, including a nice warm-up in Scotland.

If he putts like he did at Shinnecock Hills then he'll have a big chance.

Big Bob is a big-time player these days and he's in great touch after a T3 finish in Scotland saw him make it now eight straight rounds in the 60s at an average of 66.3. That's a sign of him peaking just at the right time.

And his Open record is pretty good, grabbing a third top 10 in six last year so the left-hander knows his way around the links. His putting would be a problem but he's definitely better on these types of greens.

Chris Gotterup has come out of nowhere to arrive at this year's Open as the World No.6 after a fairytale last year when he won the Scottish Open and backed it up with a third at the Open in Portrush.

He's no flash in the pan either as he's won three times since then as well and finished in the top 10 at the PGA Championship. He's got a great game for links golf and this trajectory he's on could well lead to Major glory.

I love Ludvig Aberg, and he'll surely win a Major, but I'm not so sure the Open is his best chance right now - especially a firm and fast Open that'll be a big and completely new test for him.

I wouldn't ever rule a player of his talent out, and his worst Major finish this year is T21 so chances are he'll be there or thereabouts - but there's likely to just be one or two better equipped this week.