The best male golfers in the world gather for the final major of the year at the 151st Open Championship in July.
Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and surprise US Open winner Wyndham Clark have claimed the first three majors of the season, with Rory McIlroy still waiting for a first major since the 2014 US PGA Championship.
Australian and LIV Golf rebel Cameron Smith is the defending Open champion, after holding off McIlroy with a putting exhibition at St Andrews last year.
When is it?
The Open begins on Thursday July 20 with the final round on Sunday July 23.
Where is it?
Royal Liverpool Golf Club, also referred to as Hoylake. The Merseyside links has hosted five Opens in the post-war era with Fred Daly, Peter Thompson and Roberto De Vicenzo winning in 1947, 1956 and 1967 respectively.
There was then a 39-year wait for the Open to return to Hoylake, with Tiger Woods plotting his way around a parched layout with a masterful display of strategy and ball-striking in 2006.
In softer conditions eight years later, McIlroy secured his first and only Open, course form that bodes well as he attempts to end his major drought.
Course architect Martin Ebert has overseen some changes to the course, including a new par-three 17th and a new 18th tee that extends the closing hole to 607 yards.
What TV channel is it on?
Sky Sports have exclusive live coverage for viewers in the UK, with all of the action available from dawn until dusk.
BBC will also provide nightly highlights after each round. In 2022, this was always on BBC Two. After the first two rounds, the highlights started at 9pm, before being moved to 10pm and 8.15pm on Saturday and Sunday.
For viewers in the United States, a combination of NBC’s streaming service Peacock and the Golf Channel will provide coverage over the first two days with NBC taking over on Saturday and Sunday.
What time will it start?
We will not know the tee times until the Tuesday of tournament week.
The Open and the Masters are the two majors with a one-tee start, meaning the whole field starts from the first tee.
However, the Open field is much larger and so tee times are spread from as early as 6.30am to as late as 4.15pm. That means the first tee times will be around 1.30am Eastern Time in the United States.
Those out early on Thursday will be out later on Friday. That can leave a player’s chances at the mercy of the capricious seaside weather and mean the luck of the draw plays a part, but that is part of the tournament’s charm.
Tee times at the weekend will depend on the leaderboard with the leaders going out last. There will be a halfway cut with the top 70 and ties making it through to the weekend.
Who are the players to watch?
Rory McIlroy 15/2
The tournament favourite and the Champion Golfer of the Year the last time Hoylake hosted the Open.
Despite some painful near-misses and concerns about his wedge play, McIlroy is knocking on the door with seven top tens in his last nine major starts.
Since lifting the Claret Jug in 2014, McIlroy has four top-five Open finishes either side of his nightmare missed cut at Royal Portrush in 2019. Will the fast and fiery conditions pacify his long driving relative to rivals?
Jon Rahm 9/1
The Spaniard is not enjoying the red hot form of the season’s early months, but remains a strong candidate with no real weaknesses in his game.
Rahm’s best Open finish was tied-third at Royal St George’s in 2021, though that was his only top 10 in the major. Two Irish Open wins are proof Rahm has links pedigree, though.
Scottie Scheffler 9/1
The World No 1 and the game’s best player from tee to green, but he has been held back in recent weeks by a cold putter.
Top 10 finishes in all three majors is impressive consistency, and Open finishes of T-8 and T-21 are commendable on just two outings.
Brooks Koepka 14/1
Injury free and back on the major trail, Koepka needs the Claret Jug to complete the career grand slam before rivals McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.
Koepka played lots of tournament golf in Europe during his fledgling years and has Northern Irishman Ricky Elliott on the bag.
Four top-10 finishes at the Open suggest Koepka is likely to be a big player at Hoylake.
Cameron Smith 18/1
The defending champion, and the Australian’s creativity around the greens is ideal for the challenge posed by links golf.
It has been difficult to gauge his form this year given he has been playing LIV events, but there were positive signs at the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club where Smith finished fourth.
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