CBS Sports ranks Scheffler top among 156 players for 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale
Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick complete the top three as the field finalises ahead of the tournament’s commencement.
CBS Sports has published a ranking of the top 26 golfers from the 156-player field for the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Scottie Scheffler is ranked number one, followed by Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick. The tournament field was finalized on Monday with Joe Dean advancing through last-chance qualifying.
The publication notes that Scheffler won the 2025 Open, while Xander Schauffele won in 2024. The field includes defending champions and recent major winners, with the tournament set to begin after final qualifying. Royal Birkdale has crowned 10 worthy champions in its history as an Open venue, with the list including names such as Palmer, Watson, and Trevino.
Scheffler, who won the 2025 Open, is described as still the world's best despite not being in the same form as 365 days ago. He has been on the first page of the leaderboard at some point in all three majors this season, though he has yet to cross the finish line. The article suggests that Royal Birkdale will be an execution test, which may play into the world No. 1's hands even with a missed cut last week.
Rory McIlroy, who won the 2014 Open, is ranked second. He has been in form during early rounds in recent months but has stumbled once the weekend rolls around, as seen at the U.S. Open and in the third round of the Scottish Open. However, he has a win and five other top-10 finishes in his last 10 Open appearances. Matt Fitzpatrick, who finished tied for fourth in 2025, is ranked third, with the publication citing his exceptional iron play and consistency.
The ranking continues with Tommy Fleetwood at number four, Jon Rahm at five, and Chris Gotterup at six. Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Justin Rose, and Xander Schauffele complete the top ten. The article highlights that Schauffele has never missed the cut in the Open and rides a run of four straight top-20 finishes into this week.
Further down the list, Collin MacIntyre is ranked 12th, Sam Burns 13th, and Cameron Young 14th. Ludvig Åberg is 15th, Tom Kim 16th, and J.J. Spaun 17th. Patrick Reed is ranked 18th, Russell Henley 19th, and Tyrrell Hatton 20th. Si Woo Kim is 21st, Justin Thomas 22nd, and Alex Fitzpatrick 23rd. Shane Lowry is 24th, Min Woo Lee 25th, and Patrick Cantlay is ranked 26th.
The publication notes that the field is finalized with Joe Dean advancing through last-chance qualifying on Monday. The tournament is set to begin after final qualifying, with the first three major championships of the season providing context for what to expect at the fourth. The article suggests that quality remains the throughline in major championships, and even more so at an Open, where physical and mental limitations are tested.
