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The Open Championship Predictions - Top contenders for victory at Royal Birkdale

Brad Newcomb

Editor

Last updated: 13 Jul 2026

Brad Newcomb 13 Jul 2026

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The Open Championship takes place between 16-19 July.
The tournament takes place at Royal Birkdale, Southport, England.
Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, and Chris Gotterup are top picks to win at Royal Birkdale.

Expired

Rory McIlroy placed T4 overall the last time the Open Championship was held at Royal Birkdale in 2017 (Getty Images)

The Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale for the first time since 2017, where a star-studded field of the world's elite players will contest the final Major of the year this weekend. Who will lift the coveted Claret Jug come Sunday?

Scottie Scheffler returns to defend his title after a four-stroke victory over Harris English in 2025.

Past and present Major winners that will tee off on Thursday include Wyndham Clark, Aaron Rai, Rory McIlroy, J.J. Spaun, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, Brian Harman, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Thomas, Cameron Smith, Keegan Bradley, Gary Woodland, Jason Day, Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, Hideki Matsuyama, Francesco Molinari, Collin Morikawa, Louis Oosthuizen, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Henrik Stenson, Stewart Cink, and Darren Clarke.

These are our selections that could win the 153rd Open Championship this weekend.

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy had a solid beginning to his season on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour, placing T14 at the Crown Australian Open, T3 at the Dubai Invitational, T33 at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, T14 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and T2 at the Genesis Invitational before withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and finishing T46 at the Players Championship.

However, McIlroy responded in style with victory at the Masters before following it up with finishes of T19 at the Truist Championship, T7 at the PGA Championship, T12 at the Memorial Tournament, T32 at the U.S. Open, and T7 at the Genesis Scottish Open last weekend.

The six-time Major champion's best performances at the Open Championship since 2009 include a T3 in 2010, a victory in 2014, a T5 in 2016, a T4 in 2017 (Royal Birkdale), a T2 in 2018, a 3rd in 2022, a T6 in 2023, and a T7 in 2025.

McIlroy has the form to lift the Claret Jug for a second time this weekend.

Matt Fitzpatrick

Matt Fitzpatrick had a decent beginning to his season on the PGA Tour, finishing T63 at the American Express, 9th at the WM Phoenix Open, T14 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, T24 at the Genesis Invitational, and T41 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Fitzpatrick kicked on from those results, registering a 2nd at the Players Championship, a victory at the Valspar Championship, a T18 at the Masters, a victory at the RBC Heritage, and a victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans before finishing T52 at the Truist Championship, T14 at the PGA Championship, and T36 at the Memorial Tournament.

However, the Englishman has been in form lately, placing 2nd at the RBC Canadian Open, 22nd at the U.S. Open, 4th at the Travelers Championship, and T3 at the Genesis Scottish Open last weekend.

The former U.S. Open champion has been in decent nick at the Open Championship in his last six starts, finishing T20 in 2019, T26 in 2021, T21 in 2022, T41 in 2023, T50 in 2024, and T4 in 2025.

Fitzpatrick has been in excellent form throughout the season and can emerge victorious at Royal Birkdale this weekend.

Tommy Fleetwood

Tommy Fleetwood had an average beginning to his season on the DP World Tour, finishing 25th at the Dubai Invitational and T41 at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, before rediscovering his touch on the PGA Tour, placing T4 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, T7 at the Genesis Invitational, 49th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, T8 at the Players Championship, and T10 at the Valero Texas Open.

Fleetwood's form dipped after those results, finishing T33 at the Masters, T52 at the RBC Heritage, and T23 at the Cadillac Championship.

However, the Englishman has been producing consistent results lately, placing T5 at the Truist Championship, MC at the PGA Championship, T4 at the Memorial Tournament, T11 at the RBC Canadian Open, T11 at the U.S. Open, T14 at the Travelers Championship, and T13 at the Genesis Scottish Open last weekend.

The eight-time DP World Tour winner has compiled a solid record in his last starts at the Open Championship, finishing T27 in 2017, T12 in 2018, 2nd in 2019, T33 in 2021, T4 in 2022, T10 in 2023, MC in 2024, and T16 in 2025.

Fleetwood has threatened to produce a top result lately and has played well at this Major in recent years.

Chris Gotterup

Chris Gotterup began his season on the PGA Tour on top of his game, winning the Sony Open in Hawaii, placing T18 at the Farmers Insurance Open, and winning the WM Phoenix Open before finishing T37 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and missing the cut at the Genesis Invitational.

The American had some success in his subsequent five events, placing T18 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, T56 at the Players Championship, T6 at the Texas Children's Houston Open, T24 at the Masters, and T25 at the RBC Heritage.

Gotterup has been in solid form since those results, placing T14 at the Truist Championship, T10 at the PGA Championship, T27 at the Memorial Tournament, T43 at the U.S. Open, T30 at the Travelers Championship, a victory at the John Deere Classic, and T11 at the Genesis Scottish Open last weekend.

The five-time PGA Tour winner finished T3 overall at the 2025 Open Championship on debut.

Gotterup has done no wrong this season and has the form to secure the Claret Jug for the first time on Sunday.

Verdict

The Open Championship

McIlroy comes into the Open Championship on the back of some excellent results and has every chance of victory this weekend.

Fitzpatrick has been a model of consistency this season and will fancy his chances to win his maiden Claret Jug come Sunday.

Fleetwood has been there and thereabouts lately and can secure his maiden Major title in England this weekend.

Gotterup has found some form lately and could upstage the others with a victory at Royal Birkdale come Sunday.

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Brad graduated from the University of South Africa with a Bcom-Management Accounting degree and has a financial background.

His love of sport has seen him venture down the road of researching sporting history for the past several years, specifically boxing, cricket and football.

Other sports of particular interest are golf, tennis, horse racing and motorsports.

Additionally, he spends his time researching the military history of his home country of South Africa.

He is an ardent Liverpool supporter and is known to DJ and release music on occasion.