A capsule look at 10 contenders for the British Open, to be played July 17-20 at Royal Portrush:
Scottie Scheffler
Age: 29.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 1.
Worldwide wins: 19.
Majors: Masters (2022, 2024), PGA Championship (2025)
2025 majors: Masters-T4, PGA-Won, U.S. Open-T7.
British Open appearances: 4.
Best result: Tie for seventh at Royal Troon in 2024.
Backspin: He has nine consecutive top 10s, including three victories, going into the Scottish Open. Scheffler is the only player with top 10s in all the majors this year.
Rory McIlroy
Age: 36.
Country: Northern Ireland.
World ranking: 2.
Worldwide wins: 40.
Majors: Masters (2025), PGA Championship (2012, 2014), U.S. Open (2011), British Open (2014).
2025 majors: Masters-Won, PGA-T49, U.S. Open-T19.
British Open appearances: 15.
Best result: Won in 2014 at Royal Liverpool.
Backspin: He has not been the same since his career highlight of winning the Masters, with two top 10s in his last six starts. McIlroy has a score to settle at Royal Portrush, where he missed the cut in 2019.
Xander Schauffele
Age: 31.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 3.
Worldwide wins: 12.
Majors: PGA Championship (2024), British Open (2024).
2025 majors: Masters-T8, PGA-T28, U.S. Open-T12.
British Open appearances: 7.
Best result: Won at Royal Troon in 2024.
Backspin: His year was slowed by a rib injury that kept him out for two months. Padraig Harrington (2007-08), Tiger Woods (2005-06) and Tom Watson (1982-83) are the only back-to-back Open champions the last 50 years.
Jon Rahm
Age: 30.
Country: Spain.
World ranking: 68.
Worldwide wins: 22.
Majors: Masters (2023), U.S. Open (2021).
2025 majors: Masters-T14, PGA-T8, U.S. Open-T7.
British Open appearances: 8.
Best result: Runner-up in 2023 at Royal Liverpool.
Backspin: He is winless this year but showing better form in the majors than he did in 2024. He was tied for the lead on the back nine at the PGA Championship until Scottie Scheffler pulled away and Rahm had a rough finish.
Tommy Fleetwood
Age: 34.
Country: England.
World ranking: 13.
Worldwide wins: 7.
Majors: None.
2025 majors: Masters-T21, PGA-T41, U.S. Open-Cut.
British Open appearances: 10.
Best result: Runner-up in 2019 at Royal Portrush.
Backspin: He was runner-up to Shane Lowry at Royal Portrush in 2019 and played in the final group on Saturday at Hoylake in 2023. Most recently he lost a one-shot lead on the last hole of the Travelers Championship.
Viktor Hovland
Age: 27.
Country: Norway.
World ranking: 12.
Worldwide wins: 11.
Majors: None.
2025 majors: Masters-T21, PGA-T28, U.S. Open-3.
British Open appearances: 4.
Best result: Tied for fourth in 2022 at St. Andrews.
Backspin: For someone searching for his swing, he already has won once on the PGA Tour this year and was in contention late at Oakmont in the U.S. Open. He has finished among the top 5 in at least one major in each of the last four years.
Justin Thomas
Age: 32.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 4.
Worldwide wins: 16.
Majors: PGA Championship (2017, 2022).
2025 majors: Masters-T36, PGA-Cut, U.S. Open-Cut.
British Open appearances: 8.
Best result: Tie for 11th in 2019 at Royal Portrush.
Backspin: He looked to have turned the corner with his victory at Hilton. But he has missed the cut in his last two majors, and he has yet to register a top 10 in his eight appearances at the British Open.
Collin Morikawa
Age: 28.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 5.
Worldwide wins: 7.
Majors: PGA Championship (2020), British Open (2021).
2025 majors: Masters-T14, PGA-T50, U.S. Open-T23.
British Open appearances: 4.
Best result: Won in 2021 at Royal St. George’s.
Backspin: He has one victory over the last four years but is playing well enough to stay among the top five in the world. He’s made the cut in his last seven majors.
Shane Lowry
Age: 38.
Country: Ireland.
World ranking: 18.
Worldwide wins: 7.
Majors: British Open (2019).
2025 majors: Masters-T42, PGA-Cut, U.S. Open-Cut.
British Open appearances: 12.
Best result: Won in 2019 at Royal Portrush.
Backspin: He won the Open at Royal Portrush for his only major in 2019. He has been playing his most consistent golf the last two years, but Lowry is coming off back-to-back missed cuts in the majors.
Bryson DeChambeau
Age: 31.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 15.
Worldwide wins: 13.
Majors: U.S. Open (2020, 2024).
2025 majors: Masters-T5, PGA-T2, U.S. Open-Cut.
British Open appearances: 7.
Best result: Tied for eighth in 2022 at St. Andrews.
Backspin: DeChambeau was riding serious momentum by playing in the last group at the Masters, contending at the PGA and winning on LIV Golf in between. He is coming off a missed cut at Oakmont. He has never seriously contended on links golf.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press
