Updated

Updated · ESPN · Jul 13

154th Open Championship Returns to Royal Birkdale on July 16-19 as Scheffler Defends 2025 Crown

Updated

Updated · ESPN · Jul 13

154th Open Championship Returns to Royal Birkdale on July 16-19 as Scheffler Defends 2025 Crown

Q: Can a struggling Scottie Scheffler conquer a renovated Royal Birkdale he has never played before?

Yes — but only if Scottie Scheffler quickly rediscovers his precision. The warning signs are real. Scheffler arrives at Royal Birkdale after a missed cut at the Scottish Open, his first missed cut since 2022 and the end of a 78-event made-cut streak. He is also winless in his last 11 starts, and analysts have pointed to a dip in his iron play. By his standards, that is a wobble. Even so, calling him a long shot would be misleading. He remains world No. 1, the defending Open champion, and one of the most reliable major performers in the field. He has three runner-up finishes and seven top-fives during this winless stretch, and his overall season has still been elite. His missed cut in Scotland may even have given him extra preparation time for Birkdale. The course adds uncertainty. Royal Birkdale has been substantially renovated since 2017, with changes across every hole, including a remodeled 18th, a new par-3 15th, a new long par-5 14th, and fewer bunkers overall. Scheffler has never played Birkdale before, so he lacks the course memory some rivals may have. In firm, fast, windy conditions, that matters. But Birkdale is also a fair, exacting ball-striking test, and that usually suits Scheffler’s strengths when his game is sharp. If he drives it under control and improves his approach play, he has the tools to contend immediately. If the iron play remains off, the renovated links will punish him.

Q: With Royal Birkdale's controversial redesign, which type of golfer now holds the advantage at The Open?

The redesigned Royal Birkdale now favors the controlled links specialist rather than the pure power hitter. The strongest advantage appears to lie with golfers who can find fairways, control trajectory in the wind and handle firm, fast turf with precise iron play. The changes have not turned Birkdale into a “bomb-and-gouge” venue. Instead, the course’s reshaped bunkering, dense rough, dune-lined corridors and new run-off areas punish misses and reward players who keep the ball in position. That makes strategic decision-making especially important. Several of the altered holes, including the risk-reward 5th, the new long par-3 15th and the remodeled 18th, ask players to choose placement and angle over raw distance. In many cases, a fairway wood or long iron off the tee may be the smarter play than driver. The redesign also places a premium on approach shots from the fairway, not recovery golf from trouble. Short-game skill has become even more valuable as well. The new contours and collection areas around greens mean players must be creative when they miss targets, especially if conditions stay warm and dry as forecast. Scrambling, touch around the greens and pace control on exposed putting surfaces could separate contenders from the field. In practical terms, the golfers best suited to this Birkdale are accurate drivers, strong ball-strikers and inventive scramblers — players built more on precision, patience and adaptability than on sheer length alone.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 13

Royal Birkdale will host the 154th Open Championship from July 16-19, 2026, with four days of coverage split across NBC and Peacock.
Thursday and Friday broadcasts begin at 1:30 a.m. ET on Peacock, with NBC carrying main coverage from 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET and multiple featured-group streams running throughout both days.
Weekend coverage shifts later, with NBC airing Round 3 from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET on July 18 and the final round from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET on July 19.
Rory McIlroy enters with a chance to win his second major of the year, while Tommy Fleetwood will try to become the first English Open champion since 1992 at his home course.
Scottie Scheffler arrives as defending Open champion after his four-shot win over Harris English at Royal Portrush in 2025, extending his run of major dominance.