Open Championship Power Rankings: The Top Claret Jug Contenders
We rank the top 15 contenders for the Claret Jug in our Open Championship Power Rankings. See who gets the nod for Birkdale glory
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
Open Record: 1-7-23-21-8
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.
Open Record: 7-MC-6-3-46-MC-2-4-5-1-MC-60-25-3-47-42
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.
Open Record: 7-1-17-15-26-41-2-20
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.
Open Record: 4-50-41-21-26-20-MC-44-MC-44
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.
Open Record: 34-7-2-34-3-11-MC-44-59
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.
Open Record: 16-MC-10-4-33-2-12-27-MC-MC-MC
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.
Open Record: 16-MC-MC-1
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.
Open Record: 16-2-MC-46-20-2-54-22-6-23-MC-MC-44-MC-13-70-12-MC-22-30-MC-4
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.
Open Record: 16-MC-20-11-MC-6-51-MC-5-MC-MC-MC-MC
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.
Open Record: MC-31-8-2
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.
Open Record: 12-4-13-MC-63
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.
Open Record: 4-MC-33-76
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.
Open Record: 7-50-71-34-8-6
Big Bob is a big-time player these days and he's in great touch after a T3 finish in Scotland saw him record eight straight rounds in the 60s at an average of 66.3. That's a sign of him possibly 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.
Open Record: 3
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.
Open Record: 23-MC
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.
