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Next month (July 2026) The Open, also known as The British Open, returns to Royal Birkdale. The last of the four major golfing tournaments for this year, and the oldest golfing tournament on the planet, it’s one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the golfing calendar year.

While there are a number of favourites in contention, all eyes will be on Rory McIlroy this year, as he aims to achieve a feat last accomplished by Tiger Woods 21 years ago, by winning not only a green jacket at The Masters, but also securing the iconic Claret Jug at The Open Championship, all in the same year.

Now, Rory may not won the tournament since 2014, but up until 2015, 2014 was the last year he won a major at all, and we all know what happened next, right? After winning back-to-back Masters titles, we’re seeing a different, more confident Rory. We’re seeing the Rory McIlroy of old, and for other golfers on the course, that’s not a good thing.

So, can Rory McIlroy claim the 2026 Open Championship in Royal Birkdale? Here are the latest odds.

Rory Not the Clear-Cut Favourite

Despite the fact that McIlroy does look to have found that fantastic form that eluded him for more than a decade, he is still not the clear-cut favourite to win The Open.

Currently, the bookmakers are tipping Scottie Scheffler to take the dub, though McIlroy is still well in the running. BOYLE Sports are currently offering 13/2 odds for McIlroy to take the win, whereas BetVictor have him at 7/1.

On the other hand, Scheffler, who is favourite, is 11/2 with BOYLE Sports, and 9/2 with BetVictor. Yep, you can see just how tight it is.

Leaving Past Frustrations in the Past

After starting the 2026 season off so strongly, many expected Rory to produce another master class at the US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

Rory started the tournament off strong, but ultimately, his final Sunday proved to be incredibly frustrating. Early on in the tournament, he looked like a very strong contender, though ultimately, he wound up finishing six over par.

It’s never nice losing in that manner, but if he wishes to succeed in the UK, he needs to put that past performance to the back of his mind, and focus on the here and now. It’s consistency and composure that Rory needs, and if he can dial those two in, we could see him add a second Open Championship to his list of accomplishments.

The Links Effect

After skipping a number of signature PGA events this year, including May’s Cadillac Championship and the recent Travelers Championship, it appears as if Rory has his sights set on another major, and instead looks set to be focussing on July’s Open Championship.

Royal Birkdale is considered one of the premier links courses on the planet, and to help prepare, McIlroy stated that he would be heading home to play some links golf on home soil nearer the time. This practice could be crucial.

We all know how punishing links courses can be, particularly off the tee. As Rory’s driving has recently looked as great as it ever has, surely this has to bode well for the Northern Irishman. The fact that he’s stated he’ll be heading home to play more links golf in preparation for the tournament also shows how seriously he’s taking things.