Well, that Open Championship had a little bit of everything, huh?

Rules snafus, drama, disparaging commentary, and most importantly – great golf.

Overall, it was quite an enjoyable watch for the 154th edition of The Open.

First, let’s start with Ryan Fox.

His performance over the weekend was stellar. In fact, his final two rounds (62-68) matched the lowest 36-hole score in Open Championship history.

The 62 that got him into contention on Saturday was a lot of fun to watch, but the round he played on Sunday was nothing short of gutsy and championship-worthy.

Yes, his putter was awesome. Yes, his iron play was crisp. But it was the way he accepted the bad breaks and kept grinding that stood out most.

He made bogeys on the 9th and 11th holes, then caught a brutal bunker lie on the 15th, where he had to chip backward just to get out. He still managed to get up-and-down from there to save bogey.

He immediately answered with a birdie on 16, then narrowly missed another on 17 that would’ve given him the outright lead.

Standing on the 18th tee – a hole that had yielded just five birdies all day – he told his caddie he was going to play for keeps.

He mashed a drive down the right-center of the fairway, leaving himself 176 yards. He stuffed the approach to 11 feet.

He had found himself in the dream scenario every kid who’s ever picked up a club, bat, or ball has imagined.

“A putt to win The Open.”

“A catch to win the Super Bowl.”

“Bottom of the ninth. Bases loaded. Two strikes. Two outs.”

We’ve all played those moments out in our heads. Ryan Fox got to live one.

“To cap it off with a putt – everyone practices on the green, I guess, you’ve got a putt to win a major championship, to win The Open. It’s not like that in real life. It’s not a very comfortable feeling. It’s certainly very enjoyable when you see it go in.”

And it’s those moments – watching someone realize the dream they’ve had since childhood – that make sports so special.

What About Everybody Else?

A lot of names flashed across the leaderboard before eventually hitting a snag: Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns, Si Woo Kim, and Tommy Fleetwood among them.

They all played great golf and helped create the drama that made this such a memorable championship.

Of the chasing pack, Cameron Young impressed the most.

Young started the day tied for 20th and charged all the way to 10-under before a tough bogey on the final hole dropped him back to 9-under. He became the clubhouse leader and then had to wait more than two hours before Ryan Fox finally closed the door.

It’s been a terrific season for Cam Young. He has all the talent needed to win major championships, but that doesn’t make this one sting any less.

What’s Next?

The PGA TOUR heads to TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, for the 3M Open.

3M Open Odds

  • Scottie Scheffler (+270)
  • Kurt Kitayama (+1900)
  • Maverick McNealy (+2100)
  • Hideki Matsuyama (+2500)
  • Keith Mitchell (+2500)
  • Jake Knapp (+2700)
  • Jackson Koivun (+2800)
  • Tom Kim (+3000)
  • Pierceson Coody (+3600)
  • Jackson Suber (+3800)
  • Gary Woodland (+4100)

The final men’s major of the year starts this week.

It is July.

That feels insane, because it is insane.

Rory McIlroy said this week that he’d like to see golf’s major championship season stretched out beyond its current four-month sprint. The calendar got squeezed when the PGA Championship moved from August to May, and now the sport basically crams its four biggest events into one giant blur from April through July.

From a player perspective, you can see the benefit. If you find something, you can ride it. Get hot at the Masters, carry it into the PGA, survive the U.S. Open, and show up at The Open still feeling like you’re in rhythm.

For the rest of us, it’s a little different.

Golf spends all winter trying to convince casual fans that the season has started. Then the Masters shows up, everyone remembers golf exists, and we get the best stretch of the entire year. Augusta. PGA. U.S. Open. The Open.

Four months of actual juice.

And then the Claret Jug gets handed out before August, and the sport basically asks everyone to stay emotionally invested through FedExCup math, Ryder Cup speculation, and whatever LIV headline is making everyone tired that week.

This is where Rory is right.

Golf’s biggest problem is not that it lacks good events. It’s that the events people care about most are packed too tightly together. The majors should feel like tentpoles. Right now, they feel like a bender.

The Guardian reported that Rory is not alone here, either. Scottie Scheffler has also acknowledged the season feels condensed, and Jon Rahm has pushed the idea even further, suggesting golf should think bigger globally with a major in places like Australia, Asia, or another part of Europe.

That is probably a much harder conversation, because the majors are run by different organizations, with different histories, different priorities, and different television deals. Nobody is just moving the Masters because we all think September needs a little more golf.

But the broader point is still obvious.

The current setup does not serve the fan as well as it could.

Give us the Masters in April. Give us the U.S. Open in June. Give us The Open later in July, and move the PGA back to August. Let the season breathe a little bit. Let every major have its own runway.

Because right now, the best part of the golf calendar is over before most of America has even gone on summer vacation.

That’s bad business. It’s bad momentum. And most importantly, it gives all of us way too much time to start pretending we understand the FedExCup standings or even care about them.

Earlier today Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland squared off in a sudden death playoff to see who is the Travelers Champion. With Hovland and Scheffler both looking at makable birdie putts there was air that this could go some distance. Unfortunately, Hovland drained his and Scottie two putted, how dare he? I love a playoff and was hoping it would go on forever. It didn’t so I decided to search the greatest playoffs in the history of golf. Here they are:

1. 1913 U.S. Open (The Country Club, Brookline) Francis Ouimet def. Harry Vardon and Ted Ray

If you love golf movies or golf history you know this story. Widely considered the greatest match ever played. The 20 year old amateur Francis Ouimet took down Two British legends who had both won the U.S. Open in the past. After 72 holes the three were even ,and at the time the Playoff was a full 18 the next day. Through rainy conditions, the heavy underdog and his 10 year-old caddy finished one under with a firm 5 stroke lead. The match was an amazing story that catapulted golfs popularity in America. Amateurs everywhere owe Ouimet a debt of Gratitude.

2. 2000 PGA Championship (Valhalla) Tiger Woods def. Bob May

A thrilling duel between a superstar in his prime and a journeyman. Woods and May were tied after 72 holes. Woods birdied the 17th and 18th in regulation to force a three-hole playoff (the first in PGA Championship history). Woods won the playoff by one stroke with clutch birdies. It’s praised for shot-making quality and intensity during Tiger’s dominant era.

3. 2008 U.S. Open (Torrey Pines)  Tiger Woods def. Rocco Mediate

Woods played on a torn ACL and stress fractures, forcing an 18-hole playoff with a dramatic birdie on the 72nd hole, then winning on the first sudden-death hole. It epitomizes resilience and is often called one of the most compelling major finishes ever, blending physical drama with elite competition.

4. 1987 Masters  Larry Mize def. Greg Norman (and Seve Ballesteros)

A sudden-death playoff featuring three stars. After Seve bowed out on the first extra hole, Mize chipped in from 140 feet on the second playoff hole (No. 11) for birdie to beat Norman. The “impossible” chip-in created instant Masters lore.

5. 1950 U.S. Open (Merion) Ben Hogan def. Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio

Hogan’s comeback story after a near-fatal 1949 car accident makes this legendary. He won an 18-hole playoff (69 to Mangrum’s 73 and Fazio’s 75) just 16 months later. A penalty on Mangrum added drama, but the narrative of Hogan’s resilience elevates it.

Final Thoughts:

Now there’s a lot we missed that maybe could of made it. But we chose these five based on the history, who was involved and what the event was. Obviously majors take precedent. We would love to hear what your favorite playoffs are, sound off in the insta comments

 

A major championship, a historic venue, and perfect weather on deck.

Does it get any better?

Nope.

Especially if Aronimink puts up a good fight, and we can avoid a birdie-fest.

Will Aronimink put up a good fight, though?

According to Scottie Scheffler, that will largely depend on whether the course is firm and fast, or softened by rain.

We’ve had a lack of humidity up here, and the temperatures over the weekend will reach the mid-80s, so we are hoping for firm and fast.

For the record, Ben Griffin said he expects things to get quick, and predicted a winning score of 12-under, which would be wonderful.

 

Just hearing the World No. 1 say the words “bomb and gouge” makes me shudder, but what can you do?

These guys hit it a mile.

Speaking of Scottie Scheffler, he headlines the field and, as per usual, is the shortest price on the odds board, just ahead of Rory McIlroy, who, by the way, has been dealing with a sore toe and cut his practice round short yesterday.

Meanwhile, everyone else gets to play the game of “Who can beat Scottie and Rory this week?”

On at least six occasions this year, the answer to that question has been: Chris Gotterup, Cameron Young, or Matt Fitzpatrick.

They are all also in the field this week, and you could bet any one of them to win and not feel bad about it.

The field is loaded with every big-name player you can think of, along with PGA Professionals like Michael Block, and past champions like Padraig Harrington, Jimmy Walker, and Shawn Micheel.

Thankfully, there is a cut line this week. They still keep those for the majors.

The Details

Previous Winners

How To Watch

Featured Groups:

You can find all of the tee times and featured groups here.

Weekly Bets: 2026 PGA Championship

We’ve partnered with Keith Stewart at Read The Line to share his weekly golf betting picks with the Caddyshanks crew. If you’re the type who enjoys breaking down matchups, spotting trends, and hunting for value, you’ll feel right at home in the RTL community.

Keith Stewart’s Picks

 

Cameron Young (+1650 DraftKings)

 

In his last seven starts, Cameron Young has two wins — The PLAYERS and Cadillac — and four additional top 10s.

Young’s flatstick consistency is the engine behind his current success. Pair that with his ball-striking, and you have a championship-caliber player.

Need a good comp? How about a T3 at the 2022 PGA at Southern Hills. Gil Hanse did both restorations, and the skill set needed to score on both is eerily similar.

 

Sam Burns (+7000 bet365)

 

Sam Burns has finished top 13 or better in three of the last four major-like events, including 13th at The PLAYERS, 7th at The Masters, and 7th at the 2025 U.S. Open.

Aronimink gives you an edge if you can bomb it off the tee, wedge it close, and convert on the green.

That’s Burns’ bread and butter.

If Sam survives the par 3s this week, the rest of the scorecard is one big birdie chance.

Caddyshanks Picks

 

Scottie Scheffler (+385 DraftKings)

 

Scottie Scheffler struggled with his iron play to start the season, but he’s quietly returned to form in that regard, and that could spell bad news for everyone.

Last year, he won this major by five strokes.

 

Tommy Fleetwood (+2800 DraftKings)

 

A European has not won the PGA Championship in its last 10 iterations.

That’s a trend we are fading this week.

Tommy Fleetwood has the accuracy required to win if things get crispy in Philly this week.

 

Justin Rose (+4600 DraftKings)

 

It’s been 13 years since Justin Rose won a major championship.

He’s played a lot of great golf the last few years, and he’s had plenty of close calls at majors.

Now, he’s back in Philadelphia, and no one is giving him a shot because he switched to McLaren irons — and because he’s older.

But I love to bet a good storyline.