Golf’s oldest major returns this weekend as the world’s best head to Royal Birkdale for the 154th Open Championship. Southport plays host to a stunning links layout that has crowned some of the game’s greatest names, and this year’s field is nothing short of superb.
Scottie Scheffler heads the market as the defending champion after his win at Royal Portrush last summer, with Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm all sat just behind him at the top of the boards. Add in the drama of a British links Open, the crowd right on top of the players, unpredictable weather and the quirky bounces that only the Open serves up, and we should be in for four days of unmissable golf on the Lancashire coast.
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Course – Royal Birkdale
Royal Birkdale is widely regarded as one of the best pure tests of links golf on the entire Open rota. Weaving its way through the dunes on the Lancashire coast, the layout is fair but relentlessly demanding, and there is very little in the way of luck involved and good shots tend to be rewarded and bad ones punished. Driving accuracy will be absolutely crucial this week. The fairways are lined with thick rough and, most notably, dozens of superbly positioned pot bunkers that always seem to be exactly in play from the tee. A player who can hit fairways consistently and keep the ball out of trouble immediately has a huge advantage over the rest of the field.
Beyond the tee, the areas of the game most likely to separate the contenders from the pack are bunker play, scrambling and putting. Given how frequently even the very best in the world are going to find those pot bunkers over 72 holes, sand saves and creative short game will be worth a huge number of shots. Around the greens, tight lies and firm run-offs demand deft touch and clever club selection. Once the ball is on the putting surface, subtle borrows and often blustery conditions mean an ice-cool putter is a must. Anyone hoping to lift the Claret Jug on Sunday evening will need to have every part of their game firing.
Past Winners
2025 Scottie Scheffler (United States) -17 Royal Port Rush
2024 Xander Schauffele (United States) -9 Royal Troon
2023 Brian Harman (United States) -13 Royal Liverpool
2022 Cameron Smith (Australia) -20 St Andrews
2021 Collin Morikawa (United States) -15 Royal St George’s
2020 Cancelled due to covid
Scottie Scheffler (who missed the cut at the Scottish Open last week) heads a stacked market at 8.00 as the reigning Open champion and world number one, in what would be a truly historic back-to-back if he can defend last year’s Portrush win. Rory McIlroy is next in at 9.00, unsurprisingly short given his recent Open pedigree and the enormous home support he will enjoy on English soil. Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick share third billing at 15.00, with the Southport-born Fleetwood set to enjoy some serious home comforts this week. Jon Rahm is priced at 21.00 and 2024 champion Xander Schauffele rounds out the top of the boards at 29.00.
Betting (Open Championship 2026) – Click here to bet
Scottie Scheffler 8.00
Rory McIlroy 9.00
Tommy Fleetwood 15.00
Matt Fitzpatrick 15.00
Jon Rahm 21.00
Xander Schauffele 29.00
SELECTIONS:
Matt Fitzpatrick at 15.00
Fitzpatrick heads to Royal Birkdale in absolutely superb form. His last four results tell the story of a player peaking at exactly the right time, third at the Scottish Open, fourth at the Travelers Championship, 22nd at the US Open and second at the RBC Canadian Open. He already has three wins to his name this season, and is currently ranked ninth on the PGA Tour for driving accuracy, which we know is going to be absolutely critical this week around Birkdale’s pot bunkers. Add in a renowned short game and the Sheffield man looks a serious threat at 15.00.
Suggested bet: Matt Fitzpatrick each way at 15.00
Russell Henley at 46.00
Henley may be trading at outsider odds this week, but his majors record makes him extremely difficult to ignore. He has finished 10th and 5th in the last two Open Championships, was third at The Masters earlier this year, and picked up a win at the Charles Schwab Challenge back in May. Perhaps most importantly of all, Henley is currently ranked first on the PGA Tour for driving accuracy, which is exactly the profile of player you want teeing it up around the pot bunkers of Royal Birkdale. At 46.00, we like him as a bigger-price each-way selection.
Suggested bet: Russell Henley each way at 46.00
Wyndham Clarke at 34.00
Clarke has been on a brilliant run of form of late. His recent results read 13th at the Scottish Open last week, 5th at the Travelers Championship and 11th at the RBC Canadian Open, all coming on the back of a 3rd at the Memorial Tournament and a huge win at the US Open. That combination of consistency and match-winning ability makes him seriously dangerous over 72 holes at a major. The strongest part of his game is his putting and he currently boasts the lowest putting average per hole on tour and if he rolls it well at Birkdale he could very well be in the mix on Sunday afternoon.
Suggested bet: Wyndham Clarke each way at 34.00
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