On The Open Championship:
“It’s almost like the eighth wonder of the world playing that event.”
-- Lee Trevino (Born 1939), who won six Majors: U.S. Open 1968, 1971; The Open Championship 1971, 1972, and PGA Championship 1974, 1984.
Are you ready for some golf? More specifically, are you ready to watch the final Major of the year?
I love watching the Majors for one BIG reason: Every golfer who tees it up at a Major is giving it his very best. There is no mailing it in or thinking about where to take the family on vacation. The winner of the World’s Best Golf Tournament will be the gentleman who has the ability to focus for four full days – play one hole at a time. As six-time Open champion Tom Watson said, “Every hole is a little tournament of its own.”
Should you be interested in placing a few dollars on The Open Championship*, you should find the information below to be helpful. The fun starts on Thursday. Can’t Wait!
*For entertainment purposes only.
Facts About The 154th Open Championship
& Royal Birkdale
The Field: 156 players. The lowest 70 scores and ties advance to play the final two rounds. There is no 10‑shot rule, so players within 10 shots of the leader do not automatically qualify. Playoff (if necessary): 3 holes, aggregate score. Prize money: $17.5 million; Winner’s share: $3.15.
The Club: This is the 11th time Royal Birkdale has hosted The Open. The Past Champions are:
Course Architects: George Lowe (original design, 1897), Fred G. Hawtree and J.H. Taylor (redesign, 1932), Mackenzie & Ebert (renovation, 2025).
Course changes: Birkdale has undergone significant redesigns, including altering the reachable par‑4 5th hole to remove a blind shot, renumbering holes, and creating a new par‑3 15th hole at 241 yards.
Highest winning score in a century at Birkdale: 3‑over (Harrington 2008).
The Next Two Open Championship Venues: 2027: St Andrews; 2028: Royal Lytham & St Annes.
THE LAST 8 MAJOR WINNERS
Masters: 2026 – Rory McIlroy; 2025 – Rory McIlroy; 2024 – Scottie Scheffler; 2023 – Jon Rahm; 2022 – Scottie Scheffler; 2021 - Hideki Matsuyama; 2020 – Dustin Johnson; 2019 - Tiger Woods.
PGA: 2026 – Aaron Ray; 2025 – Scottie Scheffler; 2024 –Xander Schauffele; 2023 -- Brooks Koepka; 2022 – Justin Thomas; 2021 – Phil Mickelson; 2020 - Collin Morikawa; 2019 – B. Koepka.
U.S. Open: 2026 Wyndham Clark; 2025 – J.J. Spaun; 2024 – Bryson DeChambeau; 2023 – Wyndham Clark; 2022 – Matt Fitzpatrick; 2021 – Jon Rahm; 2020 - Bryson DeChambeau; 2019 - Gary Woodland; 2018 - Brooks Koepka.
The Open Championship: 2025 – Scottie Scheffler; 2024 – Xander Schauffele; 2023 – Brian Harmon; 2022 – Cameron Smith; 2021 – Collin Morikawa; 2020 -- Cancelled; 2019 - Shane Lowry; 2018 - Francesco Molinari; 2017 - Jordan Spieth.
Other Notables: Harris English, +8000; Jordan Spieth, +8000; Ben Griffin; +8000.
Who The Experts Are Picking To Win
Alan Bastable, Golf Magazine: To Win: Viktor Hovland. He has not played well in the majors this year. (He packed his bags on Friday at both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.) But this week, he reverses the trend. Not only is he coming off a win at the Travelers and a tie for 13th at the Scottish, but in between his clunkers at Aronimink and Shinnecock, he also snuck in a third-place finish at the Canadian Open. His status as one of the game's best iron players also will be a boon at Birkdale. Time to avenge Norway's loss to England.
Adam Christensen, Golf Magazine: To Win: Chris Gotterup. Gotterup is one of the most in-form golfers in the world right now. Nobody is having a better season outside the major championships, and he has shown the ability to bring his game across the pond. Having his ticket when he is in contention coming down the stretch should be a great time.
James Colgan, Golf Magazine: To Win: Tommy Fleetwood. He's far too popular a choice to actually win this golf tournament, especially not with his hometown coming just up the road. Players NEVER win the event they want to win above all the others. They NEVER do it in front of all their loved ones. And nope, they NEVER win in that setting for their first major. OK, have I done enough reverse-jinxing yet? Please let this one happen.
Alex Gelman, Golf Magazine: To Win: Scottie Scheffler. After missing the cut last week for the first time in four years, expect the world No. 1 to respond. The value is too good to pass up. If everyone else wants to fade Scottie after one bad week, I'll gladly back the best player in the world.
Alex Myers, Golf Digest: To Win: Scottie Scheffler. Reason to pick: He's the defending champ and it's possible there's never been someone more due to win a tournament in golf history.
James Shearman, The Golfing Gazette: To Win: Jon Rahm, with Jordan Spieth as a dark horse.
Josh Sens, Golf Magazine: To Win: Rory McIlroy. The best player in the world not named Scottie Scheffler is in full free-roll mode, energy focused squarely on the majors, playing without the weight of unmet expectations. It's kind of shocking that he's won this event only once. Right in his wheelhouse. Here comes number two.
Cory Williams, Yahoo!Sports: To Win: Matt Fitzpatrick. Over the last 24 rounds, Fitzpatrick is fifth in SG: Approach and third in SG: Around the Green. For good measure, he's also 12th in both Driving Accuracy and Bogey Avoidance … While six consecutive made cuts in the British Open matters entirely, it's also worth noting that Fitzpatrick is coming off of his best career finish at The Open Championship with a T4 at Royal Portrush last year. Different golf course, sure, but when you combine that with his form basically this entire season, it's hard to look away from him.
Me: To Win: Rory McIlroy. He won the 2014 Open at Royal Liverpool and finished T4 in the 2017 Open at Birkdale. The 6-time Major winner knows how to handle wind and his head is clearly in a good place now after winning his second Masters in a row. A happy and content Rory is where I am putting my money.
NOTE: My second choice is Tommy Fleetwood, who grew up 30 minutes from Royal Birkdale and knows all the tricks the course can throw at a golfer.
Watch Away!
Allan Stark
Photo Credits:
Lee Trevino – ProShooter, DepositPhotos.
Rory McIlroy -- Opertions@newsimages.co.uk, DepositPhotos
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