Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm

Before the British Open, or the Open Championship, was played at Royal Portrush in 2019, it had been 68 years since the oldest major championship had been played at the Northern Ireland course.

There was no such wait for Royal Portrush this time, with just six years passing between Open Championships. That means many of the golfers who played in the event in 2019 will return to play in the championship this week.

That certainly could be an advantage for golfers who played the event in 2019. But for at least one golfer, it also provides a chance for a little redemption for a poor performance just miles from his childhood home six years ago.

Here’s a look at some of the golfers likely to make some noise at the Open Championship. Note that the odds listed are my own, not from a betting service, so don’t look for them online:

Favorites

You only need to look at the majors over the last two or three years to figure out who the favorites will be this week.

RORY MCILROY (7-1): McIlroy grew up in the area and knows the course as well as anyone. But the Masters champion missed the cut on the course in 2019.

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SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER (7-1): Scheffler has finished in the top 10 in 15 of the last 19 majors he’s played. But he doesn’t have a top-5 in the Open Championship, and maybe it’s the worst fit for his game.

JON RAHM (10-1): He showed that his game was very close to winning a third major at the PGA Championship in May. He has a second and a third in the Open Championship and should be strong again.

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU (8-1): This two-time major winner has his worst record in majors at the Open Championship. He has just one top-10 in the championship, and he is coming off a surprising missed cut at the U.S. Open.

Contenders

The Open Championship seems to have as many if not more underdogs make a run at the Claret Jug than other majors, with many of those underdogs from all over the world.

TYRELL HATTON (14-1): This English golfer made a strong run at the U.S. Open last month. A win at Royal Portrush could bring him back to relevance in the game.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD (15-1): After coming oh so close to his first win on the PGA Tour just a few weeks ago, Fleetwood should get plenty of support at the Open Championship. He’s already one of the most popular players in the United Kingdom.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE (17-1): The Open Championship was one of two major titles Schauffele won in 2024. A rib injury early in the season has slowed him in 2025, but he’ll want to keep the Jug.

LUDVIG ABERG (18-1): After a blazing start to his career, Aberg has cooled a bit. But getting his first major win at the Open Championship would be a major boost for the Swedish star.

SOME CHANCE

JUSTIN THOMAS (22-1): It might be time to start worrying about Thomas in major championships. The two-time PGA Championship winner has missed the cut in seven of the last 11 majors.

SHANE LOWRY (24-1): It was Lowry, not McIlroy, who provided the home victory in the 2019 Open Championship. That remains his biggest moment in golf, though he does show up on leader boards from time to time.

BROOKS KOEPKA (28-1): Koepka seems like a lost golfer at the moment, even with five major championships to his credit. He doesn’t have a top 10 in any of the last nine majors. He’s too good for that kind of play.

COLLIN MORIKAWA (30-1): A former Open Championship winner, Morikawa seems to be on a roller coaster season, playing well at times and not playing well at all other weeks. He has two missed cuts and finished in a tie for 16th since winning the 2021 Open.

Little chance

BRIAN HARMAN (50-1): The 2023 Open Championship winner hasn’t done much since winning the Claret Jug. He hasn’t been in the top 20 of a major since that Open win.

PATRICK CANTLAY (70-1): In eight full seasons of playing major championships, Cantlay has just five top-10 finishes. He hasn’t been that great in regular tour events this year, either.

DUSTIN JOHNSON (100-1): Has this two-time major champion retired and we just don’t know it yet? Johnson has missed the cut in six of his last eight major starts, and he hasn’t finished better than 31st in those eight starts, either.

NICK DUNLAP (150-1): This will be the ninth major start for Dunlap, the 21-year-old who won The American Express as an amateur in 2024. He has yet to make a cut in a major.

Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for The Desert Sun. You can contact him at (760) 778-4633 or at larry.bohannan@desertsun.com. Follow him on Facebook or on X at @larry_bohannan.