BetMGM Lists Scheffler at 15/2 for 2026 Open as McIlroy Closes to 17/2

Q: Will Royal Birkdale's dramatic redesign favor a cautious strategist or test the nerve of the world's best golfers?

Royal Birkdale’s redesign is built to do both, but it is more likely to reward the golfer who thinks conservatively and executes bravely. The changes by Mackenzie and Ebert have made Birkdale less about raw power and more about placement. It remains one of the shorter Open venues, yet its bunker-heavy layout, firm-running fairways and over 100 hazards mean players will often need fairway metals or long irons off the tee. The rebuilt bunkers are more punitive, the greens more undulating, and the run-offs more severe, so strategic mistakes are likely to cost more than ever. At the same time, the redesign creates repeated nerve tests. The new 321-yard 5th is drivable for many, inviting a risky attack between bunkers. The new 241-yard 15th demands a perfectly struck long iron to an elevated, exposed target. The reshaped 18th, now a 508-yard par 4, is expected to be one of the championship’s defining holes; with bunkers tightening the landing area, even a one-shot lead may not feel secure on Sunday. That balance is why players such as Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler remain central to the conversation. McIlroy arrives in sharper recent form, while Scheffler’s elite tee-to-green profile still suits a course that punishes loose strategy. But Birkdale’s redesign appears aimed at producing exactly this kind of test: a championship where patience, club selection and course management matter most, and where the winner still must hit fearless shots under pressure.

3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Jul 16

BetMGM made Scottie Scheffler a narrow 15/2 favorite for the 2026 Open Championship, with Rory McIlroy just behind at 17/2 heading into Royal Portrush.
Scheffler’s edge has tightened after he missed the cut at last week’s Scottish Open, ending a streak of 78 consecutive PGA Tour weekends played and raising fresh concerns about his sharpness.
His season has still been highly consistent—four runner-up finishes, nine top-10s and 14 top-25s in 15 starts—but he has not won since January.
The market still reflects Scheffler’s status as defending Open champion after his runaway win at Portrush last year, though BetMGM is offering his longest major price since the 2022 Open.