​This week marks the 154th Open Championship, the world’s oldest golf tournament, as Royal Birkdale hosts the event starting Thursday in the very early hours for viewers on the U.S. East Coast and in Florida. Scottie Scheffler captured the claret jug at Royal Portrush in 2025, but he arrives at this year’s Open having missed his first cut in four years at the Scottish Open. The world No. 1 and a four-time major champion has looked less consistent than usual this season, yet he still owns two top-five finishes in majors, including a runner-up at the Masters to his chief rival, Rory McIlroy. Both Scheffler and McIlroy enter Royal Birkdale as favorites, though the field is stacked with challengers who will have their say.
On the PGA Tour, Chris Gotterup has been the most successful player this season, while Wyndham Clark and Aaron Rai are hoping to carry momentum from the majors into a strong showing at the Open. Brooks Koepka, who tied for sixth when the Open last visited this course in 2017, will be aiming to recapture the form he showed earlier in his career and perhaps shake off back-to-back missed cuts to regain his footing.
For fans watching in the United States, Sling TV will carry live coverage of the British Open. McIlroy remains the most recent British-born winner of the Open, having claimed the title in 2014. The question heading into the weekend is whether Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, or Justin Rose can end that particular spell and add another Open championship to a homegrown list that has been long overdue for a new UK victor.
The 2026 Open Championship runs from the early hours of Thursday, July 16, through Sunday afternoon, July 19, with all times listed in Eastern Time. Here’s a quick schedule snapshot:
– Thursday, July 16: Peacock coverage from 1:30 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., followed by USA Network from 4:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
– Friday, July 17: Peacock from 1:30 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., then USA Network from 4:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
– Saturday, July 18: USA Network from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., then NBC from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
– Sunday, July 19: USA Network from 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., then NBC from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
For fans who prefer streaming, Sling provides access to USA Network, while Fubo offers NBC with a free trial for new subscribers. The tournament’s early rounds (1-2) will be streamed on Peacock starting at 1:30 a.m. ET before moving to USA Network at 4:00 a.m. on both July 16 and 17. The later rounds (3-4) will begin on USA at 5:00 a.m. on July 18 and 4:00 a.m. on July 19, shifting to NBC at 7:00 a.m. on both days.
Betting odds, per BetMGM, place Scheffler at +600, McIlroy at +700, Fitzpatrick at +1600, Fleetwood at +1600, Jon Rahm at +2200, and Xander Schauffele at +2200. Royal Birkdale, the Open’s venue for the 11th time in 2026, has a storied history dating back to the club’s founding in 1889 and the current course laid out in 1897. The Open has a rich lineage of champions at Royal Birkdale, including Jord an Spieth (2017), Padraig Harrington (2008), Mark O’Meara (1998), Ian Baker-Finch (1991), Tom Watson (1983), Johnny Miller (1976), Lee Trevino (1971), Peter Thompson (1965 and 1954), and Arnold Palmer (1961). The 2026 field features 15 former Open champions, along with the reigning champion from the previous decade (except 2020, when the tournament was canceled). The scene is set for another dramatic week at Royal Birkdale as veterans and rising stars alike vie for golf’s oldest major.