Scottie Scheffler is the betting favorite for the U.S. senior open in the 2026 British Open market, listed at +550 at FanDuel Sportsbook with Royal Birkdale less than a month away. Rory McIlroy is right behind him at +650, tightening the top of the board before the final major of the 2026 golf season.
Scheffler’s position stands out because he enters as the defending British Open champion and has been within striking distance at all three majors in 2026, yet has come up short in all three. McIlroy’s number is shorter than a typical chasing price, but still leaves him behind the favorite heading into Royal Birkdale.
FanDuel Sportsbook odds
The gap at the top is only 100 points in American odds, with Scheffler at +550 and McIlroy at +650. That sort of spread keeps both players in the first tier while still giving Scheffler the edge in the market.
The rest of the board trails farther back. Tommy Fleetwood is next at +1400, followed by Xander Schauffele and John Rahm at +1800, Matt Fitzpatrick at +1900, and Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton, Cameron Young and Justin Rose at +2200.
McIlroy and Royal Birkdale
McIlroy’s history at this event is part of the price. He last won the British Open in 2014, owns nine Top 10 finishes in the event since then, and was tied for fourth the last time the British Open was played at Royal Birkdale in 2017.
Jordan Spieth won that 2017 edition, which gives Royal Birkdale some recent memory for a player near the top of the board now. McIlroy’s profile is different from the longshots lower down the list: he is not being priced as a surprise, but as the closest threat to the favorite.
Scheffler and the majors
The comparison with the U.S. Open adds another layer. Scheffler was +550 there, while McIlroy sat at +1000, so the British Open market is tighter between them than that earlier major was.
That leaves a straightforward read for bettors: Scheffler remains the number to beat, McIlroy remains close enough to matter, and Royal Birkdale is the stage where that separation gets tested next.
