Scheffler Defends Open Title at Royal Birkdale
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- Royal Birkdale Golf Club hosts the 2026 Open Championship in Southport, England, with first-round play teeing off Thursday.
- Scottie Scheffler returns as defending champion after dominating the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club, finishing at 17-under and defeating Harris English by four strokes.
- Scheffler enters this week coming off his first missed cut in quite some time yet remains the favorite to win.
- Coverage centers on the best sights, sounds, and shots from Thursday's opening round at Birkdale.
Why it matters: Scheffler set the benchmark at 17-under and four shots clear last year, giving him the clearest target to defend — but a recent missed cut raises the question of whether his form has slipped entering a major. Every contender at Royal Birkdale now measures themselves against that 2025 standard.
