The final major in men’s golf in 2026 is set to make place starting Thursday at Royal Birkdale. This will be the 11th time the British Open is taking place in Southport and the first time since 2017 when Jordan Spieth was in the winner’s circle. Here are the three golfers we like to win the British Open the most.
Scottie Scheffler
Only once in the last while have I not picked American Scottie Scheffler in my top three. That was at the Travelers Championship, a week after the U.S. Open. Scheffler was flawless that weekend as he lost in a Monday playoff to Norway’s Viktor Hovland. The world number one from Ridgeland, New Jersey needs to be considered this week because he is the defending British Open champion. Last year at Portrush, Scheffler went into Rory’s home country of Northern Ireland and posted a winning score of -17. He beat his nearest competitor, American Harris English, by four strokes.
Rory McIlroy
The world number two from Holywood, Northern Ireland is a major winner already this year as he was victorious at the Masters in April. It has been 12 years since McIlroy won the 2014 British Open at Royal Liverpool, but one must realize that Royal Birkdale is very close geographically to Royal Liverpool as both golf courses are in the same ceremonial county of Merseyside in northwest England. McIlroy has two top-10 finishes since the Masters. He was seventh at PGA Championship and seventh at the Scottish Open.
Tommy Fleetwood
Here is the golfer I am picking this week in my golf pools. The world number nine calls Southport home and will have an incredible amount of local support. Fleetwood has only missed one cut in the last year, and that came at the PGA Championship.
