As The Open heads to a new-look Royal Birkdale this week, it’s time to rank Scottie Scheffler and the rest of the field for the year’s final major.
Spieth expects different Royal Birkdale than from 2017
Jordan Spieth said he expects the Royal Birkdale course to play very differently than when he won The Open in 2017, but he thinks scores will be similar.
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TOP HEADLINES
154TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
The year’s final major will be contested at Royal Birkdale. Here’s how to watch and stream live coverage on Golf Channel all week.
Here’s a look at the full field for those who have qualified to compete at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.
You’ve got Open questions, we’ve got Open answers. Take a look at some answers to frequently asked questions about The Open.
Here are the players who have won The Open Championship and where they prevailed.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
'I'm so bad at golf': McIlroy hits un-McIlroy-like shot
Rory McIlroy did NOT like his approach shot on the par-4 16th. It left him thinking he was just a "bad" golfer like most of us.
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GOLFPASS FEATURED
Seth Raynor’s masterpiece is more grand and more accessible than ever in the wake of a meticulous two-year restoration project.
Mid Ocean Club, the iconic Bermuda golf course originally laid out by architect C.B. Macdonald, will embark upon a restoration project helmed by Gil Hanse starting in the fall of 2027.
Recreational golfers in several European countries are required to formally learn about rules and etiquette before being allowed to play most courses.
Learn from the best golfers and instructors in the world and enjoy benefits that golfers love.
LATEST
The group of invitees for the March 6 meeting includes Woods, Bryon DeChambeau, former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and Notre Dame athletics director Pete Bevacqua.
Three-time major winner Minjee Lee improved on her first-round score by eight strokes Friday for an 8-under 64 to move into a tie for second place.
Extended highlights from the opening round of the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic at PGA National, the first of four consecutive events on the Florida swing.
Will Zalatoris is the latest big name to withdraw from the 2026 Cognizant Classic. Zalatoris, who has had multiple surgeries on his back, is missing this week’s tournament with a left ankle injury. He is playing on Tour this year through a major medical exemption which means his starts are limited, Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard reports.
Nico Echavarria told Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard that his 2026 season on Tour has been “a lot of highlights and a lot of lowlights.” The first round at PGA National is among the former as the 31-year-old Colombian native sits one shot off the lead after firing an 8-under 63 on Thursday.
Brooks Koepka struggled with his short game during the first 18 holes at the 2026 Cognizant Classic. Koepka, who’s playing in front of a hometown crowd this week, had similar issues with the putter during two West Coast events earlier this year.
The first of four Florida stops on the PGA Tour continues Friday at the Cognizant Classic, where Austin Smotherman and Nico Echavarria have gained separation on the leaderboard from the rest of the field.
Unfazed by a quadruple bogey on the 17th hole, David Ford rallied with an incredible approach shot for eagle on PGA National’s second hole. He followed it up with an equally impressive eagle on 3, completely undoing the four strokes gained from his front nine. And if that wasn’t enough, Ford’s hole-out par save on 4 gave him three consecutive makes from off the green.
Daniel Berger has the best combined opening-round score of any player on Tour at PGA National since 2020. Berger, who shot a 4-under 67 on Thursday, sits comfortably inside the Cognizant Classic’s top 10 after 18 holes.
Austin Smotherman entered the 2026 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches fully rested after having the last two weeks off. He put it to good use during Thursday’s opening round, making six straight birdies on his way to a 9-under 62.