A capsule look at 10 leading contenders for the British Open, the final major of the year to be held July 16-19 at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England (listed in predicted order of finish):
Scottie Scheffler
Age: 30.
Country: United States.
World Ranking: 1.
Worldwide wins: 23.
Majors: Masters (2022, 2024), PGA Championship (2025), British Open (2025).
2026 wins: The American Express.
2026 majors: Masters-2, PGA Championship-T14, U.S. Open-T4.
British Open appearances: 5.
British Open moment: Winning at Royal Portrush to claim the third leg of the career Grand Slam.
Backspin: Scheffler won his first tournament of the year, and that remains his only win of the year. He has had a reasonable chance on Sunday at every major.
Tommy Fleetwood
Age: 35.
Country: England.
World Ranking: 9.
Worldwide wins: 9.
Majors: None.
2026 wins: None.
2026 majors: Masters-T33, PGA Championship-Cut, U.S. Open-T11.
British Open appearances: 11.
British Open moment: Enormous crowd support when he played in the final group on Saturday at Royal Liverpool, about 45 minutes from his hometown.
Backspin: This will be the second time Fleetwood plays a major in his hometown, and he is more equipped to handle that than he was in 2017.
Rory McIlroy
Age: 37.
Country: Northern Ireland.
World Ranking: 2.
Worldwide wins: 42.
Majors: Masters (2025, 2026), PGA Championship (2012, 2014), U.S. Open (2011), British Open (2014).
2026 wins: Masters.
2026 majors: Masters-Won, PGA Championship-T7, U.S. Open-T32.
British Open appearances: 16.
British Open moment: Winning at Royal Liverpool in 2014 with both parents there.
Backspin: The Masters champion now emphasizes the biggest events on the calendar, and this is the last big one of the year.
Wyndham Clark
Age: 32.
Country: United States.
World Ranking: 8.
Worldwide wins: 5.
Majors: U.S. Open (2023, 2026).
2026 wins: The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, U.S. Open.
2026 majors: Masters-T21, PGA Championship-Cut, U.S. Open-Won.
British Open appearances: 4.
British Open moment: A 66-65 weekend at Royal Portrush to tie for fourth, his first top 10 in the Open.
Backspin: The U.S. Open champion has been on a heater since May. The question is how long it lasts.
Jon Rahm
Age: 31.
Country: Spain.
World Ranking: 11.
Worldwide wins: 24.
Majors: Masters (2023), U.S. Open (2021).
2026 wins: LIV Golf-Hong Kong, LIV Golf-Mexico.
2026 majors: Masters-T38, PGA Championship-T2, U.S. Open-Cut.
British Open appearances: 9.
British Open moment: Playing in the final group at Royal Liverpool facing a six-shot deficit.
Backspin: Rahm can be dangerous when he feels he has something to prove, and he is coming off a missed cut in the U.S. Open.
Justin Rose
Age: 45.
Country: England.
World Ranking: 10.
Worldwide wins: 25.
Majors: U.S. Open (2013).
2026 wins: Farmers Insurance Open.
2026 majors: Masters-T3, PGA Championship-T10, U.S. Open-T11.
British Open appearances: 16.
British Open moment: Chipping in on the 18th at Royal Birkdale to tie for fourth as a 17-year-old amateur.
Backspin: The only player in his 40s in the top 10 in the world, he has not shown any signs of slowing, with nothing worse than a tie for 11th in the majors.
Chris Gotterup
Age: 26.
Country: United States.
World Ranking: 7.
Worldwide wins: 5.
Majors: None.
2026 wins: Sony Open, WM Phoenix Open, John Deere Classic.
2026 majors: Masters-T24, PGA Championship-T10, U.S. Open-T43.
British Open appearances: 1.
British Open moment: A 68-67 weekend at Royal Portrush in his Open debut to finish third.
Backspin: He has as many wins as Scottie Scheffler over the last 12 months. The next step is serious contention in a major.
Xander Schauffele
Age: 32.
Country: United States.
World Ranking: 14.
Worldwide wins: 12.
Majors: PGA Championship (2024), British Open (2024).
2026 wins: None.
2026 majors: Masters-T9, PGA Championship-T7, U.S. Open-T11.
British Open appearances: 8.
British Open moment: Winning the claret jug at Royal Troon in 2024.
Backspin: For someone still trying to get on track following a rib injury last year, he’s at his best in the majors and has featured in all three of them.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Age: 31.
Country: England.
World Ranking: 4.
Worldwide wins: 14.
Majors: U.S. Open (2022).
2026 wins: Valspar Championship, RBC Heritage, Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
2026 majors: Masters T-18, PGA Championship T-14, U.S. Open-22.
British Open appearances: 10.
British Open moment: Finally cracking the top 10 for the first time in the Open last year in his 10th appearance.
Backspin: He has had momentum on his side since March but has yet to convert it in the majors.
Jordan Spieth
Age: 32.
Country: United States.
World Ranking: 54.
Worldwide wins: 16.
Majors: Masters (2015), U.S. Open (2015), British Open (2017).
2026 wins: None.
2026 majors: Masters-T12, PGA Championship-T18, U.S. Open-T56.
British Open appearances: 12.
British Open moment: Making bogey from the driving range right of the 13th at Royal Birkdale and following with a birdie, eagle, birdie to win in 2017.
Backspin: Returning to Royal Birkdale is a stark reminder it has been nine years since he last won a major.
___
AP golf:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
