Who will win the major at the 152nd Open this week? Six stories to follow at Royal Troon, including Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Tiger Woods and more…
Will Scheffler continue his winning streak?
World number one Scheffler returns to action after a three-week absence and for the first time since winning the Travelers Championship, where he became the first player since Arnold Palmer to win six times on the PGA Tour before July.
His stellar 2024 also includes victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players, The Masters, RBC Heritage and Memorial Tournament, extending his lead atop the world rankings, and he is now chasing a seventh victory in 11 starts.
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Highlights from the final round of the Travelers Championship as Scottie Scheffler wins in playoff
Scheffler has been competitive in nearly every event he has played in recent seasons, with the American leading all players at majors since 2022 in greens percentage in regulation, strokes gained approach and strokes gained ball striking per round.
His Open record is the weakest of the four majors, having never finished higher than eighth in his three previous appearances, although it would hardly be surprising to see him add to his two Masters victories and claim a third major title in as many years.
Will McIlroy end his major drought?
McIlroy has won three world titles this season – the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the Wells Fargo Championship – but he risks extending his major title drought for another year after letting victory at the US Open slip away last month.
McIlroy bogeyed three of his last four holes to finish one shot behind Bryson DeChambeau and leave him stuck on four major titles, the same total he has since the 2014 PGA Championship, with the Northern Irishman now having 21 top-10 finishes at majors since that success a decade ago.
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Rory McIlroy admits he got over last month’s US Open disappointment “pretty quickly” and says he appreciates the support he has received since
The 35-year-old insisted after that runner-up finish that he was “closer than ever” to a fifth major victory, with McIlroy showing few scars from that US Open disappointment in his tied-fourth finish at the Genesis Scottish Open last week.
After squandering a four-shot lead at the 2011 Masters, McIlroy came back to win the next major in style. He has finished in the top six in six of his eight Open appearances since winning at Royal Liverpool in 2014. Is this the week he finally wins his fifth major title?
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Jamie Weir discusses McIlroy’s US Open heartbreak and whether he can bounce back from the disappointment to compete at next month’s Open Championship
What can we expect from Tiger?
Tiger Woods returns to action at The Open after missing last year’s competition through injury, with the former world No. 1 on course to complete all four majors for the first time in a calendar year since 2019.
Woods’ record at majors in recent seasons has been a shadow of his former glory, with the 48-year-old finishing last in qualifying for the weekend at the Masters before missing back-to-back cuts at the PGA Championship and US Open.
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Watch a selection of Tiger Woods’ best shots at The Open Championship, an event he has won three times
The 15-time major champion has not had a competitive replay since his career-threatening injuries suffered in a car accident in February 2021, with Woods having completed 72 holes of a tournament only four times since the Masters the previous November.
He still insists ahead of the tournament that he feels capable of competing and has the game to add to his major tally, while 18-hole practice rounds at Royal Troon on Sunday and Monday suggest he is stepping up his preparation to be physically ready.
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Check out our selection of the best shots in Open history, including Woods, Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth
Woods has failed to make the cut at the event since competing at Carnoustie in 2018, so ending that run will be a minimum target. His recent form suggests a win is unlikely, but those who have already written Woods off have been made to look foolish.
Will Harman achieve further success with the American team?
The last six men’s majors have all been won by different Americans, a worrying sign for Team Europe ahead of next year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, but will the streak continue in Scotland?
Brian Harman returns as defending champion after his dominant victory at Royal Liverpool last year, with the left-hander now looking to become the first player since Padraig Harrington to win back-to-back editions of The Open.
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Brian Harman shoots final-round 70 to win The Open by six shots at Royal Liverpool
Brooks Koepka, Wyndham Clark, Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau have also enjoyed major success over the past 14 months, while former Open champion Collin Morikawa has finished in the top four of the first two majors of the year.
Six of the last seven Open winners at Royal Troon have been American and it would hardly be surprising to see that streak continue here this week. New Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley is on the list and would love to see one of his Team USA hopefuls lift the Claret Jug.
Who can end England’s wait for an Open victory?
England’s footballers narrowly missed out on a major trophy after losing to Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday, but can the country’s golfers end a 32-year wait for an English Claret Jug winner?
There has not been an Englishman to win The Open since Sir Nick Faldo’s success in 1992, although a host of players are looking to end that streak and halt the American’s run of six consecutive major champions.
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Three-time champion Sir Nick Faldo joined Nick Dougherty in the Open Zone to discuss his sensational 1990 victory at St Andrews, the second of three Open victories.
Tommy Fleetwood has the lowest score against par of any Open player since 2018, with a combined total of 32 under par over those five editions, while Tyrrell Hatton has four top-five finishes in six starts – including one win – in the LIV Golf League.
Matt Fitzpatrick will be looking to build on his success at the 2022 US Open and Justin Rose has a strong Open record, while Aaron Rai has been in impressive form and is among those looking to become the third different English Open winner in the last 70 years.
The Open live
Thursday July 18 6:30 a.m.
Will Royal Troon produce more major magic?
The Open returns to Royal Troon for the 10th time and first since 2016, when Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson produced a final duel that remains one of the best in major tournament history.
Stenson eventually claimed a three-shot victory after 10 birdies in a brilliant 63 on Sunday, seeing the Swede join Palmer, Bobby Locke and Tom Watson as winners at the Ayrshire venue.
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Flashback to 2016, when Henrik Stenson beat Phil Mickelson in a final-round masterclass at Royal Troon
Royal Troon will feature the longest hole in Open Championship history now that the par-five sixth has been lengthened by 22 metres, making ‘Turnberry’ a full-length beast of a 623-metre hole, as well as featuring one of golf’s most iconic ‘postage stamp’ holes.
The on-site meteorologist has warned that conditions will be “unsettled” over the four days of the tournament, with rain and strong winds expected, meaning players will have to battle the elements as well as the golf course if they are to be crowned golf champion of the year.
Who will win the 152nd Open? Watch live coverage this week on Sky Sports. Live coverage starts Thursday from 6:30am on Sky Sports Golf. Stream The Open and other top sports with NOW.
