The Open 2026: Ranking all 156 players in field at Royal Birkdale

Coverage across multiple sports and news outlets outlines the commencement of the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, featuring a complete ranking of all 156 players in the field. Outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, Golf Digest, GOLF.com, Golfweek, Sports Illustrated, PGA Tour, The New York Times, AP News, Front Office Sports, and BBC are providing extensive reporting on the event. The tournament arrives with specific media focus on the venue itself, player rankings, betting odds, and tee times for high-profile competitors including Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Justin Rose. Publications emphasize distinct angles regarding the championship setup, ranging from course changes made at Royal Birkdale compared to previous years to historical context regarding the last time the tournament was held at the venue.

Yahoo Sports and Yahoo Sports respective coverage breaks down course modifications and full-field power rankings, while Golf Digest and AP News highlight that competitors face a firm, fast, old-school test unlike the conditions seen in 2017. Furthermore, Golfweek reports that the R&A has announced a record purse and prize money for the tournament, and Front Office Sports notes the event arrives amid broader ongoing questions regarding the LIV Golf and PGA Tour landscape. Background information surfaced in the coverage highlights Royal Birkdale's reputation as a fair test of golf, with GOLF.com and the PGA Tour outlining nine essential things to know about the course. ESPN and AP News review historical precedents by examining what transpired the last time the tournament took place at the venue and detailing how alterations differentiate the current setup from past iterations.

Analysts and betting experts across CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, and GOLF.com have published extensive prop bets, sleeper picks, and analytical models, noting specific players such as Sam Burns, Ludvig Aberg, and Viktor Hovland alongside frontrunners like DeChambeau. Looking ahead, coverage tracks the immediate progression of the event through the release of rounds one and two tee times by the BBC, alongside ongoing predictions from specialized golf models. Outlets continue to compile comprehensive guides detailing how to watch the championship, live odds updates, and analyses of the top favorites. The remaining schedule will determine how the entire 156-player field manages the unprecedented course conditions, with further reporting expected as the tournament unfolds at Royal Birkdale.