2026 Open Championship Odds: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy Leaders Again at Royal Birkdale
The 2026 Open Championship odds board is led by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, with Royal Birkdale creating a major links test for the top contenders. Scheffler won last year’s Open at Royal Portrush, while English hopefuls Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick sit close behind the favorites in a field loaded with major-winning pedigree.
Peter Alexis - July 13, 2026, 4:02 PM EDT
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The 154th Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale, where Scottie Scheffler enters as the defending champion after winning the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush. Scheffler finished at 17-under last year, four shots clear of Harris English, while several top names on this board also played well, including Matt Fitzpatrick, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Tommy Fleetwood.
The top of the betting board is built around proven major winners and two English contenders with strong course and crowd angles. Scheffler is the favorite at +750, McIlroy follows at +860, and Fleetwood, Fitzpatrick, Rahm and Schauffele make up the next tier.
2026 Open Championship Odds
2026 Open Championship Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Thursday, July 16th - Sunday, July 19th, 2026
- Time: 2:20 AM ET
- Where to Watch: NBC, USA Network, Peacock
Click here for complete 2026 Open Championship Odds
2026 Open Championship Cut Odds Breakdown
Scottie Scheffler (+750) Check out the best odds at BetMGM Sportsbook
Scheffler is the favorite and the defending Champion Golfer of the Year after his dominant 2025 Open win at Royal Portrush. That victory gave him his first Claret Jug and another major title, reinforcing his status as the most reliable week-to-week player in the world. His 2025 Open performance was a complete links display, with four rounds in the 60s and a final score of 267.
The concern is current form rather than ceiling. Scheffler recently missed the cut at the Scottish Open, ending one of the longest made-cut runs in modern PGA Tour golf, and he also lost in a playoff at the Travelers. Still, the market is not overreacting because his ball-striking floor remains elite, and his last big win came in this exact championship last summer.
Rory McIlroy (+860) Check out the best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
McIlroy enters as the second choice and the most obvious alternative to Scheffler. He won the Masters earlier this season, completing the career Grand Slam, and arrives off a T7 finish at the Genesis Scottish Open after closing with a final-round 64. That form keeps him near the top of the board despite the pressure of chasing another Claret Jug.
McIlroy won The Open in 2014 and finished T7 last year at Royal Portrush, where he closed 10-under and shared seventh with Schauffele and Robert MacIntyre. He has the length, creativity and shot-making to handle Birkdale, but the question is whether he can avoid one loose stretch that has cost him in several recent majors.
Tommy Fleetwood (+1850) Check out the best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
Fleetwood has one of the strongest storylines in the field. He is from Southport, Royal Birkdale is his hometown Open venue, and he is still chasing his first major championship after multiple close calls in Grand Slam events. His links comfort and crowd support make him a natural public play at this number.
Fleetwood finished T16 at last year’s Open at Royal Portrush, closing with rounds of 69 and 67 to finish 7-under. His last win came at the 2025 DP World India Championship, and his broader 2025 surge included a breakthrough PGA Tour-level résumé boost. The issue is whether the emotional home-course angle helps or adds pressure, but at Birkdale, he has a real path to finally converting a major.
Matt Fitzpatrick (+1900) Check out the best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
Fitzpatrick is in arguably the best form of anyone outside the top two. He enters Royal Birkdale with three PGA Tour victories this season, improved short-game and iron-play numbers, and a T3 at the Genesis Scottish Open. That form explains why his number is shorter than several major champions beneath him on the board.
His Open résumé is also trending. Fitzpatrick finished T4 last year at Royal Portrush, his best career result in the championship, and he was in contention early after opening 67-66. His last major win remains the 2022 U.S. Open, but his current season has been strong enough to make him more than a hometown narrative play.
Jon Rahm (+2200) Check out the best odds at FanDuel Sportsbook
Rahm is the most dangerous mid-board major champion in the top six. He has already won two majors, the 2021 U.S. Open and 2023 Masters, and his LIV form remains strong enough to keep him among the players with true winning equity. He won LIV Golf Mexico City earlier this season by six shots, his second LIV victory of 2026.
The issue is recent major contention. Rahm finished T34 at last year’s Open, ending at 3-under, and his major results since leaving the PGA Tour have been more solid than threatening. At +2200, the appeal is his proven ability to win hard golf tournaments, but he needs a sharper four-round major performance than he has shown recently.
Xander Schauffele (+2800) Check out the best odds at BetMGM Sportsbook
Schauffele is the longest price among the top six, which is notable because he won The Open just two years ago. His 2024 victory at Royal Troon came with a final-round 65 and capped a two-major season after he also won the PGA Championship at Valhalla. That remains his last truly massive win and gives him one of the cleanest major résumés in the field.
He was solid in his title defense last year, finishing T7 at Royal Portrush at 10-under. The number is longer because his post-2024 form has not matched the peak, but few players are better suited to a demanding major setup when the ball-striking sharpens. If Schauffele’s putter cooperates, +2800 has more pedigree than the price suggests.
Open Championship Odds Outlook
Scheffler deserves favorite status because he is the defending champion and still owns the strongest complete profile in golf. McIlroy is close behind because he has already won a major this season and brings proven Open history into Birkdale.
Fleetwood and Fitzpatrick are the most compelling English challengers, with Fleetwood carrying the hometown angle and Fitzpatrick carrying the stronger current form. Rahm and Schauffele are the pedigree plays at bigger prices, each capable of beating this field if their major-winning versions show up again.
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