The last time an English golfer won the Open Championship in England, Harold Wilson was prime minister, the Beatles and Elvis Presley topped the charts, and Neil Armstrong was eight days from walking on the moon. That victory came on 12 July 1969, when Tony Jacklin beat Bob Charles by two strokes at Royal Lytham & St Annes, ending an 18-year home drought. Since then, Nick Faldo has won three Opens, but all in Scotland. Now, English players hope Royal Birkdale will end the nation's long Open drought.
Strong Contenders for the Claret Jug
Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood are third in betting odds, behind only Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Aaron Rai won May's US PGA Championship, Tyrrell Hatton shows form, and 45-year-old Justin Rose dreams of glory. Rose, who finished fourth at Birkdale as an amateur in 1998, said: "The Open Championship for a British player is the pinnacle of the game. It's the one that I would love to win the most." Rai recalls watching Open highlights as a child: "We used to watch it from five, six years old. I remember David Duval winning [in 2001]. I'm British, and this is a home Open, so it's a very, very special tournament."
Why the Drought?
The 55-year drought stems partly from a lack of English world number ones since Faldo's peak. Luke Donald held the top spot for 56 weeks, Lee Westwood for 22, and Rose for 13. In contrast, Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler have combined for 883 weeks at number one. Pressure also plays a role. Rory McIlroy, who played home Opens at Royal Portrush, explained: "It's a tough environment. You feel the extra expectation on your shoulders, and you feel like you're trying to play well for everyone else and not for yourself." However, McIlroy believes Fleetwood and Fitzpatrick can handle it: "A lot of those guys are pretty level-headed. They'll go out there and stick to their routines. It would be great for them all to have a great week."
Fleetwood's Homecoming
Fleetwood, who grew up in Southport and sneaked into Birkdale as a child, would be a popular winner. He said: "It's an absolute dream to play here in my home town in front of people who are all here to support me. There are only positives really. I just go back to the original me being an eight-year-old kid; the thought of playing in an Open at Birkdale was unbelievably special."
Fitzpatrick's Form
Fitzpatrick, who has won three times on the PGA Tour this year, may have the best chance. He believes he is in better form than when he won the 2022 US Open: "I'm definitely playing better. Short game's been really, really good, and so have my irons. That's a first for me. My irons have never really been a strength – whereas now I feel like I've got that."
With 21 English players and thousands of spectators at Birkdale, there is optimism that the Open will finally come home. But 135 players from 27 other countries will try to dash those hopes.
