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
David Ford’s opening round at PGA National went sideways after he found himself caught in the Bear Trap on the 17th hole. Ford finished with a quadruple bogey after a few strokes without a shoe went nowhere. Meanwhile the Golf Channel booth recalled Bill Haas finding bottom of the same hole 15 years prior on his way to winning the 2011 Tour Championship.
Gary Woodland opened his back nine at PGA National with back-to-back birdies thanks to this long putt on 11. A moment later, Patton Kizzire saw his tee shot almost sink in for an ace. The lipout around the cup forced Kizzire to settle for a birdie putt of his own. Both players getting back to even on the first round.
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.
American Auston Kim birdied two of her final three holes for a 66 and a one-stroke lead over China’s Yan Liu in the first round of the HSBC Women’s World Championship on Thursday. Five players were tied for third with 68s, including No. 12-ranked Haeran Ryu.
There’s a four-way tie atop the leaderboard at Stellenbosch Golf Course in South Africa, including Joe Dean, Alejandro Del Rey, Dean Burmester, and Oliver Lindell. Burmester, a South African native who formerly played on the PGA Tour, has status on both the DP World Tour and LIV Golf.
Zalatoris was a last-minute withdrawal from the Cognizant Classic on Thursday, citing a left-ankle injury.
The 36-year-old Pavan was hospitalized with multiple injuries after he fell down an elevator shaft ahead of this week’s DP World Tour event in South Africa.
Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul struggled during the first round of the HSBC Women’s World Championship on Thursday, shooting a 1-over 73 to trail the leader by seven strokes.
The Champion Course at PGA National is known for challenging even the game’s most elite players. The 3-hole stretch from 15-16-17, better know as the “Bear Trap,” has changed the fate of tournaments over the years but where does it rank on Tour as the hardest run of consecutive holes? And is it even the most challenging 3-hole stretch on the course or does that honor belong to holes 5, 6 and 7? Golf Channel’s Paige Mackenzie shares her insights.
Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra will be playing on exemption at next week’s Puerto Rico Open. Chacarra, who left the LIV Golf circuit, played college golf at Wake Forest and Oklahoma State.