It’s the final men’s major championship of the year – with the world’s best heading to Royal Troon for The Open Championship.
With the weather set to be fairly typical Open Championship weather – rainy, blustery and cool – we are likely set for a classic test for the claret jug.
And there is no shortage of storylines for The 152nd Open, which will be played at Royal Troon for the 10th time overall and first since 2016.
Whether it’s local heroes looking to add even more hardware to their trophy case and keep the party going, players looking to break a major-less drought, or those striving to add another major to their resume, it’s all possible this week at Royal Troon.
Here's everything else you need to know for The Open Championship, the final men’s major of 2024.
FIELD NOTES: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler returns to action after his playoff triumph at the Travelers Championship. Scheffler has won six times on TOUR so far this season, including the Masters. He finished T8 at the PGA Championship and T41 at the U.S. Open. Scheffler has never finished outside the top 25 in the three Open Championships he’s played in his career … Scotland’s own Robert MacIntyre heads to Royal Troon a conquering hero, having won the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday – his second TOUR title in as many months. MacIntyre went 4 under for his final five holes at The Renaissance Club to take the title by one over Adam Scott. MacIntyre finished tied for sixth in his Open Championship debut in 2019 and has one other top-10 finish at The Open in his career … Brian Harman is looking to become the first player since Padraig Harrington in 2008-09 to go back-to-back at The Open. Six of the last seven Open winners at Royal Troon have been American (Henrik Stenson in 2016 the lone non-American to do it). Harman has three top-10s this season and has finished T19-T6-1 in the last three Open Championships … This will mark the first year since 2019 that Tiger Woods will play in four major championships. After making the cut at Augusta National, however, he failed to find the weekend at the PGA Championship or the U.S. Open. Woods, a three-time winner of The Open, did not play The Open the last time it was hosted at Royal Troon, but he finished T9 in 2004 … Rory McIlroy is looking to put the heartbreak of the U.S. Open behind him at another major championship. McIlroy, who missed two short putts down the stretch at Pinehurst, is making his 15th start at The Open. He finished T4 at the Genesis Scottish Open as he looks to end his decade-long winless drought at majors … Collin Morikawa won The Open in his debut in 2021 but has since missed two straight cuts at this major. He has, however, competed in the final group at both the Masters and the PGA Championship – and was in the mix at the U.S. Open … Xander Schauffele is one of only two players to finish inside the top 10 at each major championship this season and has seven top-10 finishes in his last nine events overall.
| HIGHEST-RANKED PLAYERS IN THE FIELD | |
| World Ranking | FedExCup |
| 1. Scottie Scheffler | 1. Scottie Scheffler |
| 2. Rory McIlroy | 2. Xander Schauffele |
| 3. Xander Schauffele | 3. Rory McIlroy |
| 4. Ludvig Åberg | 4. Collin Morikawa |
| 5. Wyndham Clark | 5. Wyndham Clark |
| 6. Collin Morikawa | 6. Ludvig Åberg |
| 7. Viktor Hovland | 7. Sahith Theegala |
| 8. Patrick Cantlay | 8. Hideki Matsuyama |
| 9. Bryson DeChambeau | 9. Patrick Cantlay |
| 10. Jon Rahm | 10. Sungjae Im |
NOTABLE QUALIFIERS: Aaron Rai, Alex Noren, and Richard Mansell claimed the final three spots on offer for The Open via their finishes at the Genesis Scottish Open. Rai fired a final-round, 7-under 63 to scoot up the Genesis Scottish Open board, finishing T4 to stamp his ticket to Troon. Mansell, meanwhile, shot a Sunday 61 – tying the course record at The Renaissance Club – in order to earn his way into The Open … Justin Rose will make his 21st start at The Open (highlighted by a runner-up in 2018) after getting through Final Qualifying in England … Adam Scott’s major championship streak will continue at The Open after he earned his way in via the Open Qualifying Series at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open last December.
COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10 UPDATES: Sungjae Im jumped inside the TOUR TOP 10 after his T4 at the Genesis Scottish Open. Im has notched six top-10 finishes so far this season, with four of them coming in his last six starts … Scottie Scheffler continues his run at No. 1 in the standings … Sahith Theegala (who finished T4 at the Genesis Scottish Open) and Hideki Matsuyama swapped spots in the standings, with Theegala now No. 7 and Matsuyama now No. 8 … This is the first week all season that Byeong Hun An is not inside the TOUR TOP 10.
FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 750 FedExCup points.
COURSE: Royal Troon Golf Club, par 71, 7,385 yards. This is the 10th Open Championship contested at Royal Troon and the first since 2016. Troon’s Old Course was founded in 1878 and was redesigned by five-time Open Championship winner James Braid ahead of its first Open in 1923. The club is designed in the traditional out-and-back layout like the Old Course at St. Andrews. Troon’s opening stretch meanders through striking links land (which typically plans downwind and provides birdie opportunities) before a challenging test awaits on the back nine. The par-5 sixth at 623 yards is set to play as the longest hole in Open Championship history, while the “Postage Stamp” par-3 eighth will be the shortest hole played at The Open – with the forward tee potentially being utilized this year, meaning the hole could measure just 99 yards.
72-HOLE RECORD: 264, Henrik Stenson (2016 at Royal Troon)
18-HOLE RECORD: 62, Branden Grace (Round 3, 2017 at Royal Birkdale).
LAST TIME: Brian Harman dominated the field at Royal Liverpool, winning his first major championship by an incredible six shots. Harman, who won for the first time anywhere in six years, fired a second-round 65 which beat the scoring average that day by more than eight shots. He had a five-shot advantage entering the final round before eventually winning by six over a foursome of players including Tom Kim, Jason Day, Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka. Harman was even par through nine holes in his final round and despite bogeying No. 13 to open the door just a crack, he made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to slam it closed.
The last time The Open Championship was contested at Royal Troon, Henrik Stenson won his first major title in a thrilling Sunday duel with Phil Mickelson.
HOW TO FOLLOW (all times ET):
Television:
- Thursday-Friday: 1:30-4 a.m. (Peacock), 4 a.m.-3 p.m. (USA),3-4:15 p.m. (Peacock)
- Saturday: 5-7 a.m. (USA), 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (NBC)
- Sunday: 4-7 a.m. (USA), 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (NBC)
- Thursday-Friday: 2 a.m.-conclusion of play
- Saturday-Sunday: 4 a.m.-conclusion of play
Editor's note:The R&A, which owns and operates The Open Championship, controls all digital streaming and broadcast rights to this event. PGA TOUR LIVE coverage will resume next week at the 3M Open.
Congratulations again to last week's winner R Murray
Mrs BFT maintains the overall season lead as we go into the season's final major
Good luck to everyone this week
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