It is the last major of the season for the men and the 2026 Open is at Royal Birkdale. If history is any indication of this years Open it should provide some memorable moments. This is the course where Jordan Spieth, in 2017, won after the crazy shot from the practice range. This is the course where in 1998 Justin Rose, as a 17 year old amateur, chipped in on the 18th hole and finished fourth. So what will happen this year that we will remember forever?

The last time an English golfer won The Open was in 1999 and it was Sir Nick Faldo. My hope is that Justin Rose will create magic again at Royal Birkdale and win The Open. Normally, I am picking Scottie to win majors but I really want Rosie to win this major. One reason I want to see Rose win is his age. He is 45 years old and although he is in amazing shape and appears to have a few more good years on tour; winning majors is a numbers game at this point.

Now if Justin can’t pull off the win, who else might be fun to cheer for this year? Another English golfer that would be a great win would be Tommy Fleetwood. He grew up in Southport in a house not to far from Royal Birkdale. So he will have lots of local support cheering for him. And Fleetwood seems like such a good guy that I can’t imagine any golf fan not being happy if he won. Well, I guess if you are betting on The Open and don’t pick Fleetwood then you probably would be unhappy if he wins. Of course, you can’t forget about the Fitzpatrick boys; Matt and Alex. Matt Fitzpatrick tied for 4th last year and he has three PGA Tour wins in 2026 so technically he is the best bet of the British players.

How about a golfer not from England? A long shot but exciting win would be Jordan Spieth! It would be a fun and unbelievable win. I cannot imagine that Jordan could pull it off given he is so unpredictable and has not won a tournament since 2022; but that is what makes watching Jordan fun. And of course, if Rose, Fleetwood, Fitzpatrick, or Spieth are not in the mix I hope Scottie Scheffler plays well; especially after missing the cut last week at The Scottish Open.

So can an English golfer win at Royal Birkdale and make the local fans go crazy? Or will we see an unbelievable shot that changes the life of a journeyman tour player? Or will Scheffler reaffirm his status as the best golfer in the world? Who knows but I will be watching.

Side Bar: There is a fun list of winners by nationality on The Open Website.

How to Watch:

Thursday and Friday: 4 AM to 3:30 PM EST on USA Network

Saturday and Sunday: 5 AM to 7 AM EST on USA Network then 7 AM to 3 PM EST on NBC Network

You can also stream on Peacock (as early as 1:30 am est) if you have a subscription. Or stream on the Golf Channel app.