The Open 2026 storylines to comply with: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Bryson DeChambeau and extra

It has grow to be normal process in latest seasons for Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to be the pre-tournament favourites at a significant, however each the world’s high two head into The Open with questions on their video games.

Scheffler claimed a four-shot victory at Royal Portrush 12 months in the past and is now bidding to grow to be the primary back-to-back winner of The Open since Padraig Harrington, though arrives having suffered his first missed lower since July 2022 on the Genesis Scottish Open.

A shock early exit allowed Scheffler to reach early at Royal Birkdale, a course he has by no means beforehand performed, with the world No 1 but to expertise the identical quantity of success he has loved over the earlier 4 years.

Scheffler has had 4 runner-up finishes since his final win at The American Categorical in January and stays a dominant drive from tee to inexperienced, though sits outdoors the highest 90 within the PGA Tour’s ‘proximity to the outlet’ statistic.

He insisted he did not really feel like he ‘performed that unhealthy’ throughout his missed lower at The Renaissance Membership however admitted he ‘wasn’t hitting it shut sufficient’ throughout his second-round 72, with an enchancment in method play seemingly required forward of one other week of hyperlinks golf.

Related could be stated about McIlroy, who sits outdoors the highest 110 within the PGA Tour statistics for proximity to the outlet and scrambling from the tough, with the six-time main champion admitting he recognized an issue to repair in his personal sport forward of Royal Birkdale.

McIlroy self-diagnosed himself as being ‘so unhealthy at golf’ after a poor method shot throughout the remaining day in Scotland, the place a six-under 64 lifted him inside the highest 5 and supplied his finest end since holding off Scheffler to retain The Masters in April.

“At least I know what I’m doing,” McIlroy stated, having battled the ‘left miss’ at numerous factors this yr. “It’s a matter of trying to rectify it. Obviously there was some good in there, but there was some bad. I’m going to need to work a little bit.”

McIlroy overcame comparable points mid-tournament at Augusta Nationwide earlier this yr to win the Inexperienced Jacket once more, with the 2014 Champion Golfer of the Yr nonetheless prone to contend this week in a match the place he has six top-seven finishes in his 9 begins since that win.

Scheffler is in an identical place, having completed outdoors the top-10 in majors simply six occasions over the past six seasons and now trying to find a fifth main win in as a few years. Even with out their full A-games, each him and McIlroy will anticipate to see their names excessive on these iconic yellow leaderboards come Sunday night.

One other American winner on UK soil?

It could be little shock to see an American named Champion Golfer of the Yr once more this yr, even when it is not Scheffler, given 4 of the earlier 5 winners have been from the US and many have proven indicators of type in latest months.

Chris Gotterup completed third on his Open debut final yr and is already a three-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, whereas Russell Henley – contained in the world’s high 5 after profitable the Charles Schwab Problem – has 5 top-10s in his final 9 main begins.

Wyndham Clark recovered from an opening-round 76 to complete tied-fourth final yr and has since gained the US Open, one in every of two titles in 2026, leaving many tipping him to comply with Xander Schauffele and Scheffler in making The Open their second main win of the season.

There’s additionally an argument to make for world No 3 Cameron Younger – a previous Open runner-up and with two PGA Tour wins to his identify this season, with Collin Morikawa one other standard choose and former winner of the Claret Jug.

Remember Brian Harman, a winner of The Open when it was final held in Merseyside in 2023 and with three top-10s within the final 4 years on the occasion. With over a 3rd of the sphere and 11 of the world’s high 20 from America, anticipate to see loads difficult this week.

Will DeChambeau keep away from the ‘Bryson slam’ of missed cuts?

When Bryson DeChambeau bounced again from an opening-round 78 to backdoor a top-10 end at The Open final yr, few would have predicted the spectacular main droop that was to comply with.

DeChambeau must make it by to the weekend to keep away from a ‘Grand Slam’ of main missed cuts in 2026, having already suffered shock early exits at The Masters, PGA Championship and US Open.

The American’s type shall be beneath scrutiny once more as questions proceed over LIV Golf’s long-term future, with the two-time US Open champion already admitting earlier this yr to putting additional stress on himself going into the majors.

DeChambeau missed the lower when it was final right here in 2017 and his document at The Open is worse than any of the opposite majors, with the 32-year-old additionally battling swing points at numerous factors throughout the main season.

“The only time he’s played well at an Open Championship in recent years is last year, and it was just the last three rounds when the wind died down,” former PGA Tour participant Johnson Wagner stated. “He is not built for The Open Championship.

“I might say there is a a lot better likelihood of him lacking the lower than him even simply making the lower.”

Can Fleetwood finish England’s lengthy await The Open?

As Thomas Tuchel’s England soccer workforce look to finish their 60-year await World Cup glory, England’s golfers look to interrupt their very own drought and produce simply their third completely different Champion Golfer of the Yr from the identical interval.

Whereas the island of Eire has taken dwelling 5 Claret Jugs over the previous 20 years, together with Padraig Harrington right here at Royal Birkdale in 2008, no Englishman has gained The Open since Sir Nick Faldo claimed the Claret Jug for a 3rd time in 1992.

There could be few extra standard this week than hometown hero Tommy Fleetwood, who has an enormous mural on the Southport & Birkdale Sports activities Membership wall and appears to say his maiden main on the course he used to sneak on together with his father as a baby.

Fleetwood didn’t contend when it was final right here in 2017 however arrives in good type, having completed no worse than 14th in his final 5 worldwide begins and delivered a strong weekend on the Genesis Scottish Open.

Matt Fitzpatrick has gained 3 times on the PGA Tour this season and in addition contended at The Renaissance Membership over the weekend, plus Justin Rose eyes a fairytale main success on the venue he completed tied-fourth as a teenage novice in 1998.

Tyrrell Hatton is one other common main contender who gained on LIV Golf final month, whereas Aaron Rai has already ended an English main drought by changing into the primary in over a century to win the PGA Championship.

Victory for England in opposition to Argentina on Wednesday night would elevate the potential for the R&A barely adjusting their final-round begin occasions, to keep away from the conclusion overlapping with a World Cup remaining, given a lot of the record-breaking crowds at Royal Birkdale will need English success in each occasions.

“World Cup fever is certainly maturing to a serious height at the moment, and the English are particularly getting very giddy about their chances now,” former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley stated in a media name forward of The Open.

“As great as golf is, as great as The Open is, competing with the World Cup final – with England in it – is probably not going to happen. I think if you intertwined an English player even just in contention going into the Sunday, I think that would resonate very strongly.”

When is The Open stay on Sky Sports activities?

Sky Sports activities is as soon as once more the unique dwelling of The Open within the UK and Eire, with over 75 hours of stay protection from throughout the seven days of match week at Royal Birkdale.

Dwell protection begins at 9am for every of the three apply days, earlier than wall-to-wall motion from the ultimate males’s main of the yr will get beneath means at 6.30am on Thursday on Sky Sports activities Golf.

There shall be not less than 15 hours of motion on each the primary two rounds, with bonus feeds accessible on Sky Sports activities+ or the Sky Sports activities App, with prolonged protection then beginning at 9am on Saturday and 8am on Sunday.