British Open Championship favourites

The last time the venue hosted a championship was back in 2019 when Shane Lowry claimed his only first and last major championship of his career. The event attracts the big-name golfers across the globe as it carries a mouthwatering $17 million total prize money with the winner pocketing a $3.1 million. Let’s dive into the favorites to claim the Open Championship title.

Xander Schauffele

Xander Schauffele will be among the favourite to win the trophy in last year’s event hosted in Royal Troon. The 31-year-old United States of America golfer pulled one of the amazing performances in the final round to edge both Justin Rose and Billy Horschel by two shots. It was a second major of his career, having claimed the PGA Championship in a tight contest with Bryson DeChambeau in May last year. He has an opportunity to rewrite a piece of history by becoming the first player in 17 years to claim a back-to-back Open title, since Padraig Harrington achieved that feat back in 2008. By doing so, he will join a list of 13 golfers who have won two titles in a row in the 152-year history of the prestigious event.

Scottie Scheffler

The world-leading golfer Scottie Scheffler is on a hunt for a second major for the year following scooping the PGA Championship in an emphatic five strokes in May. And he is on a course for a fourth major Championship of his career, having won the Masters twice ( 2022 and 2024) and the PGA Championship. The 29-year-old US-born golfer is in remarkable form this year as he has won three out of six competitions he has participated in it. The Open is the only Championship that he hasn’t finished inside the top three and he is hoping to change that bad record. Overall, he is no doubt an overwhelming favorite to claim the title.

Rory McIlroy

After a ten-year drought in majors, Rory McIlroy returned to winning ways by securing this year’s Masters Championship. He then became the sixth man after Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen to win all four modern career Grand Slams (Masters, PGA Championship, US Open, and Open Championship) and was the first European to achieve that feat. He will hoping to continue with a great form as he bids to win another Open title, having crowned the champion back in 2014 in Royal Liverpool. The 36-year-old McIlroy will capitalize on a home ground advantage as he is on a quest to secure two majors in one season for a second time in his career. The former World number one will have to roll back to 2014, where he last achieved two majors with PGA and Open Championship victories. In the last event hosted in Royal Portrush back in 2019, McIlroy disappointed the crowd, failing to make a cut into the final round. 

Shane Lowry

In 2019, the last time Royal Portrush hosted the Open Championship, Shane Lowry delivered the best performance of his career, winning the first and only Major of his career. Since then, he has not been able to stay at the top of the game. Despite showing the signs of some potential of being a world-class player in his game but he has not been convincing and consistent. This season, though, he has started to show signs of playing a very good golf. The 38-year-old Northern Irish player will bank on a home crowd to push him to the limit.