The Open Championship: A Look Ahead at Royal Birkd...

By Bilal Ahmed — 13 July 2026 — 3 min read

The final major championship of the men’s golf season is set to commence this Thursday at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. This event marks the 11th time the tournament has been held at this venue. The competition arrives as discussions continue regarding the future of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, is considered a favorite to win the Claret Jug for a second consecutive time. However, he recently experienced his first missed cut since 2022. The last time the Open Championship was held at Royal Birkdale was in 2017, when Jordan Spieth secured his third major title with a score of -12. Prior to that, Padraig Harrington won in 2008 with a score of +3.

Tournament Details and Player Focus

The course at Royal Birkdale is a par-70 track, featuring two par-5 holes, both located on the back nine. This week’s event will be the last opportunity this year for top players from both LIV Golf and the PGA Tour to compete against each other.

Among the players to watch, Sam Burns is noted for his recent strong performances, including a second-place finish at the U.S. Open and a T-7th at the Masters in 2026. Despite not having a top-10 finish at the Open Championship in his career, Burns recently finished T-4th at the Memorial Tournament.

Viktor Hovland, who recently earned his eighth career PGA Tour trophy at the Travelers Championship in June, is another player in good form. He also finished third at the RBC Canadian Open and T-13th at the Genesis Scottish Open. Hovland achieved a top-five finish at the Open Championship in 2022.

Tom Kim, who recently won his fourth PGA Tour title at the Genesis Scottish Open, is also expected to contend.

Harris English, despite a less consistent season, had two runner-up finishes in majors last year, including the Open Championship, where he was defeated by Scottie Scheffler.

LIV Golf and PGA Tour Landscape

The future of professional golf remains a significant topic of discussion. LIV Golf is scheduled to resume its season next week after an unintended 47-day summer break, which resulted from the cancellation of its June event in New Orleans. The league has four events remaining on its 2026 schedule and is actively seeking new investors, as funding from the Saudi PIF is set to conclude after this season.

Bryson DeChambeau, whose LIV contract expires at the end of the season, has expressed a desire to help the league continue. DeChambeau has missed the cut in all majors this year, an unusual occurrence given he had not missed more than two major cuts in any previous single season. He remains the most recent LIV player to win a major, having done so at the 2024 U.S. Open. Jon Rahm, who has multiple years left on his LIV contract, has not publicly committed to the league’s survival in the same way as DeChambeau.

The PGA Tour is set to hold six more events after this final major of the year, comprising three regular-season tournaments and three FedEx Cup Playoff events. The full 2027 PGA Tour schedule is anticipated to be officially revealed in late August at the Tour Championship, though some tournament dates have already been confirmed by individual event organizers. Major changes to the PGA Tour are expected for the 2028 season with the implementation of a new two-series model.

Victor Perez became the 16th LIV player to qualify for the Open Championship after his T9 finish at the Genesis Scottish Open, an event co-sanctioned by both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.