Scottie Scheffler, the world number one and defending British Open champion, is attempting to become the first player since Padraig Harrington in 2008 to successfully defend the Open title. Scheffler won the 2025 Open by four strokes at Royal Portrush and is seeking to repeat his success starting July 16 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England [1, 2, 3, 4].
The 154th British Open field includes 156 players competing over four days. The tournament began under clear skies with very hot and dry weather, creating firm, burnt-out rough and fast fairways. These conditions have produced unique challenges, with long driving distances possible but less penalty for missing fairways due to the hardened rough [5, 6, 7].
Scheffler, 30 years old, missed the cut at the Scottish Open on July 10 for the first time in nearly four years but said he used the extra rest to reset mentally and physically. "Going into this tournament, I feel like I know what my ‘Why’ is — why I'm out here playing — and I'm excited to try and defend my title this week," Scheffler said. He added, "To be returning the Claret Jug this week is a very, very cool feeling" [1, 2, 8].
World number two Rory McIlroy, 37, a six-time major champion and 2014 British Open winner, also started his title bid July 16. McIlroy commented on the course conditions, calling them a "double-edged sword," noting the firm, dry weather made the rough less penal than in previous weeks but required careful strategic play, particularly "avoiding the fairway bunkers." He said some players might hit driver aggressively off the tee to reduce bunker risks [1, 9, 6].
Since the last Open at Royal Birkdale in 2017, renovations have altered holes 5, 7, 14, and 15 to add slope and increase challenge for the field [5, 10]. The 2026 Open’s opening ceremonial shot was made by English player and Royal Birkdale member Matthew Baldwin.
Scheffler's scheduled tee time on opening day was 9:58 a.m. BST, with McIlroy teeing off at 3:15 p.m. BST [9, 11]. Weather forecasts predict little rain and temperatures cooling into the low 70s Fahrenheit by the weekend [7].
The tournament will continue through July 19, with players adapting their strategies to the firm course and hot conditions as they compete for the coveted Claret Jug.
