154th Open Championship Tees Off at Baked Royal Birkdale Amid High English Hopes

SOUTHPORT — The longest day in golf has officially arrived. The 154th Open Championship is now underway at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, marking the highly anticipated return of golf's oldest major to the historic links for the first time since Jordan Spieth's dramatic victory in 2017.

Setting the tone for the week, local hero and Royal Birkdale member Matthew Baldwin had the distinct honor of hitting the opening tee shot early Thursday morning. Baldwin found the fairway, much to the delight of the passionate hometown crowd, officially commencing the grueling four-day test.

Course Conditions: Baked, Fast, and Fiery

Unlike the lush, green conditions that defined the 2017 Open at Birkdale, players this week are navigating a vastly different landscape. A recent European heat wave has left the historic links deeply browned and baked.

The extremely firm fairways mean the ball will roll and bounce unpredictably, presenting the quintessential, fiery links golf test that demands immense creativity. Competitors must also strategize around several altered holes this year, most notably the completely redesigned 15th hole—a daunting 241-yard par 3 that is expected to severely punish errant tee shots.

The Contenders: A Star-Studded Field

With Round 1 currently in progress, several massive storylines are beginning to unfold across the leaderboard:

• Scottie Scheffler: The defending Champion Golfer of the Year and current World No. 1 is looking to become the first player to win back-to-back Claret Jugs since Padraig Harrington accomplished the feat in 2007-08. Scheffler is seeking to bounce back from an uncharacteristic missed cut at last week's Scottish Open, hoping the firm conditions play to his elite ball-striking strengths.

• The English Hopefuls: The pressure is on the local contingent. England hasn't seen a homegrown Champion Golfer of the Year win on English soil since Tony Jacklin in 1969. Hopes are incredibly high this week, spearheaded by Southport native Tommy Fleetwood, who grew up sneaking onto the Birkdale course. He is joined by World No. 3 Matt Fitzpatrick, who arrives with three victories on the year, and 45-year-old Justin Rose, returning to the exact site of his famous breakout performance as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998.

• Rory McIlroy: Coming in as the back-to-back Masters champion, McIlroy is in prime position to hunt down his first Claret Jug since his 2014 triumph at Royal Liverpool. His elite driving ability makes him a distinct threat on the fast-running fairways.

• Bryson DeChambeau: The powerful American is hoping Birkdale's fast fairways offer a much-needed fresh start after missing the cut in the first three majors of 2026.

As the early action continues to heat up on the English coast, the battle for the iconic Claret Jug is officially on.