Royal Birkdale

Bets, news, and thoughts on the years final major

Author

Andy Molitor
July 15, 2026

My friend Cal wants me to remind you that this is indeed in Europe, and while we are currently getting rid of Daylight Saving Time, time zones will persist, meaning the tournament (just like last week) will start earlier than you are used to.

Please make sure to double-check your DFS before you go to bed. Lineups lock at like midnight.

Anyway, it’s crispy, the pot bunkers are nasty, and hopefully the winds start whipping a bit. Final major of the year, gorgeous venue. Let’s gamble.

It’s been a bit since we’ve been here. Ron covers it all in his preview article for the week, but I’ve included the section talking about the changes Royal Birkdale has undergone since we last had the Open here:

Royal Birkdale

With the 154th Open Championship on the horizon, Royal Birkdale embarked on its most significant course improvement project in decades. In 2021, the club commissioned Tom Mackenzie of Mackenzie & Ebert to develop a long-term master plan that would prepare the course for modern championship golf while remaining faithful to the design philosophy established by Frederick G. Hawtree. Rather than pursuing a restoration to a specific point in history, the objective was to enhance the strategic challenge for today’s game while preserving the character that has defined Royal Birkdale for nearly a century. Construction was completed in two phases between Autumn 2023 and Spring 2025, allowing the course more than a full growing season to mature before hosting The Open.

Unlike many championship renovations that focus primarily on adding length, the work at Royal Birkdale centered on improving strategic variety and creating a more balanced examination. Every hole received some level of attention through rebuilt tees, renovated bunkers, refined green surrounds, improved drainage and more naturalized walkways, while several holes underwent complete transformations. Historical research also guided the reconstruction of many bunkers, returning them to a more rugged appearance that better reflected the club’s early championship years.

The most significant changes came on the 5th, 7th, 14th and 15th holes. The short par 4 fifth was completely redesigned into a more compelling risk-reward hole featuring a raised green surrounded by some of the deepest bunkers on the property. The former 15th was transformed into a much longer and more demanding par 5, while a brand new long par 3 was introduced as the 15th to create greater variety among the one-shot holes. The previous 14th hole was removed from the championship routing and converted into a world-class short game practice facility. Together, these changes strengthened the middle of the back nine and introduced a wider range of shot values throughout the course.

Perhaps the renovation’s greatest achievement is that it feels evolutionary rather than revolutionary. The towering dunes, distinctive playing corridors and unmistakable identity of Royal Birkdale remain intact, yet the strategic questions asked of today’s professionals are more varied than ever. Players returning from the 2017 Open will immediately recognize the course, but they will also discover a championship venue that has been modernized to challenge the game’s best for decades to come.

2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale – Preview - Betsperts Golf

Royal Birkdale returns to the spotlight as host of the 154th Open Championship, welcoming golf's oldest major back to England's celebrated Golf Coast for an

More Reading:

Model

Accuracy over distance, just like everyone is saying.

Good medium irons, just like everyone is saying.

Same with short grass scrambling. Lots of agreement this week on what matters, and I’m not one to argue when I agree as well. I also tossed in some bogey avoidance and GIR%. My rankings and models from Noonan, Ron, Mayo, and others are on the site! Members, check em out; non-members, go sign up!

Betting

I (along with a ton of the folks betting into the market) love Matt Fitzpatrick this week. He’s got a major win under his belt, checks all the damn boxes for me this week in my modeling, and is coming in with stellar form. Tough course, tough field, but for my money, even as his price gets squeezed a bit, he’s my favorite bet on the board at the moment.

As I mentioned on the betting podcast, I’m going in pretty light this week and will be trying to find some live bets after the first day. My only other outright so far: Bobby Mac. He didn’t model as well for me, but his form coming in is top-notch over the past month, and his price was a bit longer than I thought it should be for a guy who played his ass off in the Scottish

Outrights:

Matt Fitzpatrick +1850
Robert MacIntyre +3600

Also a fun one from someone in the YouTube chat yesterday that I like as a punt:

Gotterup top American +1600

I also made a simple model for the Puntacana and price shopped a few guys that lined up well in my numbers for the resort course alt-event

Blades Brown +2200
Austin Eckroat +4500
Kris Ventura +5500
Thomas Rosenmueller +6000

NEW EXCITING DEAL

If you want a full year of access to the Rabbit Hole tool, along with the rest of our premium articles and data ($249.99 value), we’ve got another way to get it for just $10!

We have partnered up with ReBet to bring you a FREE Betsperts Golf subscription + 100% deposit match up to $100 with your first $10 purchase!

The gist: sign up for ReBet using our code, and we’ll get you 365 days of access to Betsperts Golf as a bonus.

ReBet is a social sweepstakes sportsbook and casino. Make sports picks, play slots and table games, whatever you want.

To take advantage of this offer, you must be a first-time purchaser on ReBet and use our promo code BSG. Check out this article for more info

How to Watch

Television

  • Thu Jul 16: 4 am - 3:30 pm (USA)

  • Fri Jul 17: 4 am - 3:30 pm (USA)

  • Sat Jul 18: 5 am - 7 am (USA), 7 am - 3 pm (NBC)

  • Sun Jul 19: 4 am - 7 am (USA), 7 am - 2 pm (NBC)

Streaming (all Peacock)

  • Thu Jul 16: 1:30 am - 4 am

  • Fri Jul 17: 1:30 am - 4 am

  • Sat Jul 18: 7 am - 3 pm

  • Sun Jul 19: 7 am - 2 pm

Peacock carries exclusive early coverage Thu/Fri, simulcasts the NBC weekend windows, and runs featured-group/featured-hole coverage all four rounds, with USA telecasts also on Golf Channel mobile. I’m assuming the coverage is better if you live in the UK.

All times ET.

Bonus How to Watch: Corales Puntacana

Television

  • Thursday, July 16: 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm (Golf Channel)

  • Friday, July 17: 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm (Golf Channel)

  • Saturday, July 18: 12 pm - 3 pm (Golf Channel)

  • Sunday, July 19: 4 pm - 6 pm (Golf Channel)

Golf Channel carries all four rounds, and the telecast simulcasts on Golf Channel mobile and the NBC Sports app with a TV login.

All times ET.

Weather

A mild, dry week for th, with rain chances never climbing above 6 percent and highs sliding from 77 degrees Thursday down to a cool 68 by Sunday.

Wave split? Calm mornings in the single digits give way each afternoon to a freshening NW breeze in the mid-teens with gusts into the low 20s, but looking sort of similar both days to start things out.

Saturday and Sunday turn sunniest but breeziest late, meaning the contenders teeing off in the afternoon on the weekend will face the stiffest wind of the championship.

News and Notes

First off: sometimes I think Brandel is a bit of a hot take artist; golf’s Steven A Smith. Often I think he just says inflammatory things to garner attention for the sport/broadcast. In this case, he absolutely COOKED though.

We’re seeing some unique approaches to attacking this course. I enjoy this sort of content.

More Bryson talk:

As always, bet responsibly, have fun, and don’t forget to set an alarm.