{"id":438337,"date":"2026-07-08T19:25:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T19:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/?p=438337"},"modified":"2026-07-08T19:25:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T19:25:58","slug":"2026-british-open-3-golfers-whose-strong-short-game-will-be-rewarded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/2026-british-open-3-golfers-whose-strong-short-game-will-be-rewarded\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 British Open: 3 Golfers Whose Strong Short Game Will Be Rewarded"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2026 British Open at Royal Birkdale is expected to place a premium on short-game excellence. With deep pot bunkers, challenging run-off areas, and coastal conditions, players who can consistently scramble and save par will have a clear advantage. These three golfers stand out because of their ability to excel in those demands, and their short games will be rewarded.<\/p>\n

3 Golfers Whose Strong Short Game Could Make the Difference<\/h2>\n

Scottie Scheffler<\/h3>\n

Defending champion and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler<\/a> heads into the tournament as the betting favorite with a +500. His accurate iron play and dependable putting make him well-equipped to recover from Royal Birkdale’s deep pot bunkers and difficult greenside situations.<\/p>\n

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Scheffler finished T7 in 2024, and the Scottish Open provided an ideal tune-up despite the result. He dominated from tee to green throughout the event but was ultimately let down by his putter. The forecasted rain at Royal Birkdale should create steadier putting surfaces than the crusty greens at the Renaissance Club, which could play to his advantage.<\/p>\n

His consistency in major championships has been remarkable. Scheffler owns the lowest cumulative score to par in major championship history and has recorded 19 top-25 finishes in his last 21 major starts.<\/p>\n

That run includes four consecutive top-25 finishes at The Open. Widely regarded as one of the best shotmakers in golf, he has also yet to finish outside the top 25 in any tournament this season.<\/p>\n

Rory McIlroy<\/h3>\n

Rory McIlroy enters the British Open close behind Scheffler among the favorites with a +750 on many books with a $15 sign up bonus<\/a> available. His excellent touch around the greens and proven success on links courses make him a serious contender to handle Royal Birkdale’s coastal winds and demanding conditions.<\/p>\n

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McIlroy won The Open in 2014 and arrives in strong form after finishing runner-up at the Scottish Open. His overall game is in good shape, and he appears mentally refreshed following his candid conversations with the media.<\/p>\n

McIlroy’s Open Championship record has often followed an all-or-nothing pattern. He has recorded seven top-six finishes but has also finished outside the top 20 on eight occasions, highlighting his tendency to either contend for the title or struggle throughout the week.<\/p>\n

Last season was a prime example of the latter, as he opened with a 78 following his heartbreaking loss at the U.S. Open<\/a>. However, the 36-year-old appears mentally refreshed and is expected to be fully prepared for this year’s championship.<\/p>\n

Rory McIlroy Weighs In On Fifth Major Debate<\/a><\/p>\n

Viktor Hovland<\/h3>\n

Viktor Hovland<\/a> is another player whose short game could prove decisive at Royal Birkdale, but is a bit of a longshot at +3000 heading into The Open Championship. Known for one of the best putting strokes and one of the most creative short games in golf, he is well suited to the course’s tight run-off areas and undulating greens.<\/p>\n

\"Viktor<\/p>\n

Hovland finished T4 in 2022 and has consistently shown that he can compete in major championships even without his best golf. He appears to be reaching top form at the perfect time.<\/p>\n

In-form Viktor Hovland: A Masters Underdog Worth Watching<\/a><\/p>\n

The Norwegian continues to strike the ball exceptionally well with his irons, while his driving has improved significantly since criticizing that part of his game after finishing third at the U.S. Open. Ultimately, Hovland’s chances will depend on the quality of his short game, and if it performs well enough, he could find himself in the winner’s circle.<\/p>\n

Royal Birkdale is expected to reward players who can recover from difficult positions and consistently save par. With their proven touch around the greens and ability to handle challenging conditions, Scheffler, McIlroy, and Hovland could have the short-game edge needed to contend for the 2026 British Open title.<\/p>\n

Main Photo Credit: \u00a9 Michael Madrid-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 2026 British Open at Royal Birkdale is expected to place a premium on short-game excellence. With deep pot bunkers, challenging run-off areas, and coastal conditions, players who can consistently scramble and save par will have a clear advantage. These three golfers stand out because of their ability to excel in those demands, and their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5425,"featured_media":438343,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,19],"tags":[8092,8143,34,154,63,322],"class_list":["post-438337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-golf","category-pga","tag-british-open","tag-genesis-scottish-open","tag-rory-mcilroy","tag-scottie-scheffler","tag-u-s-open","tag-victor-hovland"],"modified_by":"Ajayi Segun","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5425"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=438337"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":438344,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438337\/revisions\/438344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/438343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=438337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=438337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=438337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}