The Race for the Open Championship and the Ryder Cup: Who are the Favorites?
The Open Championship, the last major of the men’s professional golf season, is fast approaching. The event is from July 17 to 20 at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, Northern Ireland. Before this major event, attention is focused on the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois, and the Genesis Scottish Open in North Berwick, Scotland.
Many of the world’s best golfers are traveling to Europe in advance to familiarize themselves with links golf. The key question is: Who are the contenders and who will impress the Ryder Cup captains?
Will Scottie Scheffler, the world’s number one golfer, complete the career Grand Slam feat? Will Rory McIlroy, the current Masters champion, exorcise his demons from six years ago, when he didn’t make the cut at the Open at Royal Portrush? Will Xander Schauffele, the defending Open Championship titleholder, find his best form?
With the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Ryder Cup just around the corner, golfers have few opportunities to impress U.S. captain Keegan Bradley and European captain Luke Donald.
Ranking of the Most Outstanding Golfers
Scottie Scheffler:
Scheffler has had an impressive season, with three victories and leading the FedEx Cup standings. Scheffler took a couple of weeks off before crossing the Atlantic for the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open. His consistency stands out, as he hasn’t finished outside the top 25 in 14 tournaments this season, and was in the top eight in nine consecutive events, including victories at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the PGA Championship, and the Memorial Tournament. In his last participation at the Renaissance Club in 2023, he tied for third place with 10 under par, five strokes behind McIlroy.
Rory McIlroy:
A season in the UK could help McIlroy overcome his disappointment after the Masters. He plans to spend time with his family in London before a significant two-week stretch of golf. In 2023, he won the Genesis Scottish Open with an exciting one-stroke victory over Robert MacIntyre. Last season, McIlroy tied for fourth place, four strokes behind MacIntyre.
Russell Henley:
At 36 years old, Henley is playing the best golf of his career, with eight top 10s in 14 tournaments. He earned his fifth PGA Tour victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and came close to winning again at the Travelers Championship. Henley finished in fifth place at last year’s Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland, his best result in that major.
J.J. Spaun:
The surprising U.S. Open winner continued his good performance with a tie for 14th place at the Travelers Championship. He was runner-up twice earlier in the season at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches and at the Players Championship, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him win again. Spaun is in third place in the points standings for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, just behind Scheffler and Schauffele, and seems almost certain to be part of the team.
Sepp Straka:
Straka, born in Austria, has already won twice on the PGA Tour this season, at the American Express and the Truist Championship. Surprisingly, he didn’t make the cut in the first three majors, but otherwise he has played spectacular golf. He is sixth in the European Ryder Cup team standings, but it seems he would be one of captain Donald’s six picks even if he falls below the cut line. A good result at The Open would salvage the major season for Straka, who tied for second at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in England in 2023.
Justin Thomas:
JT’s performance in the first three majors (tying for 36th at the Masters and missing the cut at the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open) tarnishes what has been a good comeback season. He ended a winless streak of almost three years by winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff, and was runner-up at the American Express, the Valspar Championship, and the Truist Championship. There will be no doubt if he makes the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
Keegan Bradley:
Bradley, known as “Captain America”, said he would only play in the next Ryder Cup if he automatically qualified for the U.S. team. He is ninth in points after winning the Travelers Championship, which followed an eighth-place tie at the PGA Championship and seventh at the Memorial. Now ranked seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking, Bradley is clearly playing like one of the top 12 American golfers. Depending on what happens in the next seven weeks, Bradley might have no choice but to pick himself.
Ben Griffin:
Griffin has had an exceptional summer. Now ranked 17th in the world, Griffin partnered with Andrew Novak to win the team event at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and then won his first stroke-play title on tour at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He had two top 10s in majors, tying for eighth at the PGA Championship and tenth at the U.S. Open. Griffin was also runner-up at the Memorial against a star-studded field. He is eighth in Ryder Cup points and might have to fall in the rankings to not be included on the list.
Collin Morikawa:
The last few months were a bit difficult for the two-time major champion, but he improved things with a tie for eighth place at the Rocket Classic. Although Morikawa hasn’t won since the Zozo Championship in October 2023, he was twice runner-up this season and has 10 top 25 finishes in 14 tournaments. He is looking for a caddie for the second time this season after parting ways with Joe Greiner before the Rocket Classic. He didn’t say who would carry his bag for The Open.
Xander Schauffele:
The current Open Championship champion has a second chance after missing about two months due to a rib injury. He performed well in the majors (tied for eighth place at the Masters, 28th at the PGA Championship, and 12th at the U.S. Open). He has a top 10 in 11 tournaments and six top 25 finishes. Schauffele seems to be close to finding his form, and still holds second place in Ryder Cup points after winning two majors in 2024.
Tommy Fleetwood:
Another disappointment at the Travelers Championship left the English golfer still searching for his first PGA Tour victory. He has played as one of the best in the world this year with five top 10s and 11 top 25s in 14 tournaments. He is second in the European Ryder Cup points standings, only behind McIlroy. He is third in total strokes gained (1.414) and ninth in approach (.622).
Harris English:
English has played very well this season, especially in the most important events of the tour. He earned his fifth PGA Tour victory at the Farmers Insurance Open and tied for second at the PGA Championship. He also had top 25 finishes at the Genesis Invitational, Truist Championship, Memorial Tournament, and Travelers Championship. He is tenth in Ryder Cup points, and his putting prowess will put him on the list for the U.S. team.
Viktor Hovland:
Hovland’s swing is still a work in progress, but he won the Valspar Championship earlier this season and was third at the U.S. Open. He withdrew from the final round of the Travelers Championship due to a neck injury, one day after recording a 63 under par. Hovland is in the field for the Scottish Open.
Maverick McNealy:
The 29-year-old former Stanford star could need a strong finish in the FedEx Cup season to secure his first spot on a Ryder Cup team. After earning his first PGA Tour victory at the RSM Classic in November, he was runner-up at the Genesis Invitational and had top 5 finishes at the Valero Texas Open, RBC Heritage, and Memorial. He finished outside the top 30 in each of the first three majors.
Ludvig Åberg:
It has been a surprisingly inconsistent FedEx Cup season for the Swedish golfer. After winning for the second time on tour at the Genesis Invitational and finishing seventh at the Masters, Åberg hasn’t had a top 10 in his last seven appearances. While Åberg has been efficient off the tee, he ranks 147th on tour in strokes gained: around the green (-.255) and 125th in putting (-.141).
Shane Lowry:
The Irish golfer probably needed a break after missing the cut at the U.S. Open and tying for 45th at the Travelers Championship. His iron game has been spectacular this season; he ranks second in strokes gained: approach (.932). His work on the greens? Not so much, as he ranks 122nd in strokes gained: putting (-.138). He returns to his happy place, including Royal Portrush Golf Club, where he lifted a Claret Jug in 2019.
Andrew Novak:
After an impressive run that saw him tie for third at the Texas Open, lose to Thomas in a playoff at the RBC Heritage, and win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Griffin, he cooled off a bit in recent months. He tied for 17th at the Truist Championship and 11th at the Charles Schwab Challenge, so the game is still there.
Corey Conners:
Conners was playing very well until a wrist injury forced him to withdraw before the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, just outside of Pittsburgh. He hasn’t appeared in a PGA Tour event since then. Before that, Conners had five top 10s and 10 top 25s in 16 tournaments.
Brian Harman:
Harman, the winner of the 2023 Open Championship, could use another hot streak to break into the top six of the U.S. Ryder Cup points standings, or at least to make captain Bradley’s choices difficult. He is currently 12th after winning the Valero Texas Open and tying for third at the RBC Heritage. Harman was solo eighth at the Travelers Championship, a sign that his form might be back.
Robert MacIntyre:
MacIntyre has heated up again: he was solo second at the U.S. Open and tied for 17th at the Travelers Championship. Now, the Scottish golfer returns home for the Scottish Open, where he is the defending champion and runner-up in 2023. He tied for sixth place at the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush at the age of 22.
Sam Burns:
Burns’ late struggles in difficult conditions on the final nine holes of the final round of the U.S. Open overshadowed his spectacular performance at Oakmont. His game had been trending in the right direction for weeks. He lost to Ryan Fox in a playoff at the RBC Canadian Open and tied for seventh at the U.S. Open. He has four top 10s and 10 top 25s in 18 tournaments.
Patrick Cantlay:
It’s hard to imagine Cantlay not being on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, but he needs to do something, anything, to strengthen his inclusion argument. Cantlay’s tie for fourth at the Truist Championship was his only top 10 since mid-February. His ball-striking stats suggest he should be better; he’s 10th in approach (.598), eighth off the tee to green (1.028), and 12th overall (1.122).
Ryan Fox:
After securing his first PGA Tour victory in a playoff at the OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic, Fox didn’t have to wait long for the second. He won another playoff at the RBC Canadian Open to finish first twice in four tournaments. He has climbed to 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Hideki Matsuyama:
When the former Masters champion won the Sentry in Hawaii in January, it seemed he was ready to take off again. Surprisingly, it’s his only top 10 in 17 tournaments this season. He tied for 21st at Augusta National, missed the cut at the PGA Championship, and tied for 42nd at the U.S. Open. Matsuyama’s problems have been with his driver: he ranks 128th in strokes gained: off the tee (-.166) and 127th in driving accuracy (56.2% of fairways hit).
Daniel Berger:
Berger looked like a serious contender for the Ryder Cup team, but he needs to change his form after a slow run in which he didn’t make two cuts and tied for 46th at the U.S. Open and 42nd at the Travelers Championship. He is 18th in the Ryder Cup points standings.
They finished close to the cut: Sungjae Im, Nick Taylor, Jason Day, Thomas Detry, Aldrich Potgieter, Cameron Young, Michael Kim, and Jacob Bridgeman.
