The final golf major of 2026 is upon us, and golfers are expecting tough conditions but excellent weather at Royal Birkdale.

The R&A has increased the overall purse to a Open record $17.5 million with the winner earning $3.2 million for his victory

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, the world's leading two golfers, both brushed aside questions about their places in sporting history with some black humour just two days out from their respective quests to win a second British Open title.Nevertheless, the 30-year-old American went on to win his first British Open title and like McIlroy, he too referenced his own mortality when dismissing questions about his standing within golf during a separate press conference.

Player conduct on the golf course has long been part of the Rules of Golf. This is the first time all four majors published their code for the players, and there already have been ramifications.

Rory McIlroy made a personal admission just days before the Open Championship, offering insight into his mindset entering golf's final major. The post Rory McIlroy Makes Personal Admission Before Open Championship appeared first on HEAVY.

The former UCLA walk-on had only one top-10 finish in her entire LPGA career heading into Birkdale.

The British Open dates to 1860 and returns this year to Royal Birkdale, and it's already different from anything the world's best players have seen this year. The links course along the Lancashire coast of England is yellow and brown, the sure sign of a fast and firm test. Scottie Scheffler is trying to become the first repeat winner of the British Open since Padraig Harrington won in 2007 and 2008 — the second one also was at Royal Birkdale.

Rory McIlroy expects Tommy Fleetwood to not make the same mistake he made at the 2019 Open Championship and get overawed by the occasion. Of course, there is huge attention on Fleetwood this week, with Royal Birkdale set to host the final major of the season over the coming days.

Anyone watching The Open at Royal Birkdale will witness the one thing that makes for fascinating golf.

Scheffler's missed cut at the Scottish Open was his first nearly in four years, a streak of 78 consecutive cuts that was the longest since Tiger Woods set the record (142) from 1998 to 2005.