The Open Championship 2026: Dates, favourites, betting odds and predictions
Everything you need to know ahead of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, including dates, betting odds, favourites and British contenders.
The final men’s major of the season gets underway this week as the world’s best golfers head to Royal Birkdale for the 154th Open Championship.
Beginning on Thursday, July 16, the Open once again promises four days of world-class links golf, with defending champions, major winners and Europe’s leading players all aiming to lift the Claret Jug on England’s famous northwest coast.
Scottie Scheffler heads into the tournament as the bookmakers’ favourite, but with Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and several leading British hopefuls also fancied, the Open Championship looks set to be one of the most competitive majors of the year.
When is the Open Championship 2026?
The 154th Open Championship takes place from Thursday, July 16, to Sunday, July 19, 2026, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport.
One of the most iconic venues on The Open rota, Royal Birkdale is hosting the championship for the first time since 2017. Widely regarded as one of Britain’s fairest links courses, it combines demanding bunkering with exposed coastal conditions that can change dramatically over the course of a round.
As always, players will complete 72 holes across four days, with the top 70 players and ties progressing beyond Friday’s halfway cut.
The Open Championship 2026 betting odds
The 2026 Open Championship odds see Scottie Scheffler begins the week as the clear favourite after another outstanding season, although several former major champions remain close behind in the betting.
| Player | Odds | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | 6/1 | 14.3% |
| Rory McIlroy | 39/5 | 11.4% |
| Jon Rahm | 31/2 | 6.1% |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | 16/1 | 5.9% |
| Tommy Fleetwood | 16/1 | 5.9% |
| Xander Schauffele | 22/1 | 4.3% |
| Chris Gotterup | 28/1 | 3.4% |
| Collin Morikawa | 28/1 | 3.4% |
| Ludvig Åberg | 28/1 | 3.4% |
| Tyrrell Hatton | 28/1 | 3.4% |
Scheffler’s consistency throughout the season makes him the deserved favourite, but history shows The Open often rewards patience, creativity and experience in links conditions, leaving plenty of room for challengers further down the market.
Who are the favourites to win The Open Championship?
Scottie Scheffler once again tops the Open Championship predictions after producing another remarkable season. Few players arrive at Royal Birkdale in better form, and his all-round game makes him a natural favourite regardless of the course.
Rory McIlroy is expected to attract significant support from British and Irish golf fans. The Northern Irishman has consistently contended in majors over recent seasons and possesses the driving ability to take advantage of Birkdale’s longer holes if conditions remain favourable.
Jon Rahm is another player expected to challenge. The Spaniard has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to compete in difficult major championship conditions and remains one of the most complete golfers in the world.
Among the home hopes, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton all arrive with realistic ambitions of contending. Fleetwood, in particular, will relish another opportunity to compete on a traditional links layout, while Fitzpatrick’s accuracy and short game make him well suited to Royal Birkdale.
Which outsiders could surprise at Royal Birkdale?
Every year, there are Open Championship surprise contenders, and this year’s field contains several players capable of outperforming their odds, according to the best golf betting sites in the UK.
Chris Gotterup has continued his impressive rise and enters the championship with growing confidence, while former Open champion Collin Morikawa remains one of the best iron players in world golf despite sitting slightly further down the betting than usual.
Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg also commands attention. Although still relatively early in his major championship career, few doubt his ability to contend on golf’s biggest stages.
The PGA Tour’s sleeper selections have also highlighted several players outside the leading favourites who possess the links pedigree and recent form to mount an unexpected challenge if weather conditions become particularly demanding.
What makes Royal Birkdale such a tough Open venue?
Royal Birkdale has long been regarded as one of the fairest yet most demanding courses on The Open rota.
Unlike some links venues where blind shots dominate, Birkdale rewards strategic driving, precise iron play and intelligent course management. Deep revetted bunkers punish wayward tee shots, while coastal winds can quickly transform scoring conditions from one round to the next.
The course has previously crowned champions including Padraig Harrington, Jordan Spieth and Arnold Palmer, demonstrating that success at Royal Birkdale requires every aspect of a player’s game to be working over four demanding days.
With weather always capable of influencing play, adaptability could prove just as important as raw power when the opening round gets underway on Thursday.
Who could lift the Claret Jug?
While Scottie Scheffler deservedly starts as favourite, the strength of the field suggests another wide-open Open Championship.
McIlroy, Rahm, Schauffele and Morikawa all possess major-winning pedigree, while British hopes will rest largely with Fitzpatrick, Fleetwood and Hatton as they look to challenge for one of golf’s most prestigious prizes.
As ever, links golf has a habit of producing unexpected stories, and with Royal Birkdale set to test every element of a player’s game, the race for the Claret Jug promises to be one of the sporting highlights of the summer.
