Ranking the top five contenders at British Open

McIlroy is hoping this week goes better than it did in 2019, when he shot 79 in the first round and missed the cut by one. He has finished T6 or better in six of his past nine Open Championship starts, which is why his 2019 performance on a familiar golf course was so shocking. 

McIlroy is coming off a strong week in which he finished runner-up at the Genesis Scottish Open, giving him back-to-back top-six finishes heading into the Open Championship. There's a reason he's second on the odds board at +700 (FanDuel) to win at Royal Portrush. 

2. Scottie Scheffler

Speaking of the odds board, everyone is looking up at Scheffler, who's priced as the +450 favorite to win the fourth major championship of the season. That's no surprise considering the world No. 1 has three wins and hasn't finished worse than T8 since the Players Championship in March.

Scheffler ranks first on the PGA Tour this season in strokes gained from off the tee and strokes gained on approach. He's the rightful favorite, but he's not No. 1 on this list because he has never finished better than T7 at the Open and struggles to putt on these slow greens. 

1. Jon Rahm

This is a bit of a hot take, but Rahm should be considered the man to beat at Royal Portrush. Although the Spaniard hasn't won a tournament in 2025, he has finished T14 or better in 13 straight starts. He's also coming off a runner-up finish at LIV Golf Andalucia in which he shot a field-low 65 in the final round. 

Rahm is a brilliant Open Championship performer, as he's finished T7, T2, T34, T3 and T11 in his past five appearances. This could be the week he finally returns to the winner's circle. 

TV broadcast information (all times Eastern): 
Thursday, July 17: 1:30-4 a.m. (Peacock) 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (NBC)
Friday, July 18: 1:30-4 a.m. (Peacock) 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (NBC)
Saturday, July 19: 5 a.m.-3 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday, July 20: 4 a.m.-2 p.m. (NBC)