15/07/2026

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | JULY 15, 2026

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JORDAN SPIETH refuses to accept the form that led him to win three of golf’s major titles has been lost forever. The American won the US Masters, US Open and British Open in a purple patch from 2015-17, leading many observers to suggest it was just a matter of time before he joined the select band of players who have completed a career Grand Slam of golf’s four most prestig ious championships. But while the US PGA has continued to remain elusive for Spieth, so has any other major title. This week, however, Spieth has another chance to end that drought in a British Open being staged at the Royal Birkdale course near Liverpool – the scene of his 2017 triumph in golf’s oldest major championship. The intervening nine years have been tough for the former world No. 1, with injuries and a loss of form meaning Spieth has won

Spieth still has major hunger

Five contenders for the Claret Jug

tistical) category, then you are capable of doing great things: even this season I’ve been able to lead in each of the different catego ries,” he said. “There are things I can do significantly bet ter now than when I was number one in the world, therefore there should be nothing to stop me in my own head to believe that I can reach that again. “I’m 32, I’m not 42. At 42, you’d really have to sacrifice a lot of things to try and do that. I don’t feel like I have to. “I’m always comparing myself a bit to myself at my best, but not to try to be the exact player. I know my ceiling is where that level was so I’m going to strive for it with the type of player I am now.” – AFP

just two tournaments since the last of his three majors. But the 32-year-old hasn’t given up hope of adding a fourth major to his name. “I’ll never believe that until I’m at a point in my career where my health or whatever would be that, because if you give up on reaching your ceiling then I don’t see a point in playing any more. “I’ll do everything I can to be the very best in the world because I know I can be. I have been. It’s nice to have the blueprint.” Spieth’s best finish this year is 11th although there were signs of a reawakening at the Masters when he tied for twelfth, seven strokes behind the champion Rory McIlroy, “If you are capable of leading in every (sta

THE British Open returns to Royal Birkdale this week as the world’s top golfers descend on England’s north-west, all with eyes on the Claret Jug. Here’s a look at five of the main contenders to win the 154th edition of golf’s oldest major: Scottie Scheffler (USA) World ranking: 1 British Open best: Winner (2025) The world No. 1 stormed to victory at Portrush last year to end any suggestion that he could not conquer the links conditions on the other side of the Atlantic. However, Scheffler defends the Claret Jug in middle of a much more frustrating year for the American, who has won only once on the PGA Tour this year and that was back in January. A four-year run of 78 successive made cuts came to an end at last week’s Scottish Open, but that has at least given Scheffler more time to prepare at Birkdale. Despite not hitting the same heights as last year, Scheffler still came close at the Masters and US Open in recent months and will be desperate not to miss out on the final chance in 2026 to add to his four majors. Rory McIlroy (NIR) World ranking: 2 British Open best: Winner (2014) The Northern Irishman has tailored his schedule much more this year to prioritise being fresh for the majors and it worked as he defended the Masters in April for his sixth major. Yet Europe’s best golfer of his generation has waited 12 years to add to his only British Open win at Royal Liverpool. In contrast to Scheffler’s struggles, McIlroy played himself into form at the Scottish Open with a top-10 finish. Matt Fitzpatrick (ENG) World ranking: 3 British Open best: Fourth (2025) Arguably the form player on the PGA Tour this year, Fitzpatrick is yet to replicate that success at the majors. Since finishing second to Cameron Young at the Players’ Championship, Fitzpatrick has won twice on Tour, outgunning Scheffler to win a playoff at the RBC Heritage after success at the Valspar Championship. The world No. 3 does not have a great record at the British Open, but a fourth-placed finish last year was his best effort yet and he is the leading contender to end the 34-year wait for an English winner. Cameron Young (USA) World ranking: 4 British Open best: Second (2022) The world No. 4’s breakthrough for a first major win appears only a matter of time. Young has won twice on the PGA Tour this year, including his big gest victory to date at the Players’ Championship in March. The 29-year-old also finished third at the Masters and has pedigree in the links conditions as he was outgunned by Cameron Smith in a birdie laden fourth round at St. Andrews to finish second in 2022. Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) World ranking: 9 British Open best: Second (2019) Fitzpatrick is the form English hope, but Fleetwood is also the hometown hero on a course a stone’s throw from where he grew up in Southport. A top-five finisher at all four majors without ever winning one, Fleetwood this time arrives back across the Atlantic fuelled with the confidence of winning some of the biggest tournaments in the sport at the back end of last season. Fleetwood’s victory at the PGA Tour Championship earned him a cheque for US$10 million (RM40m), but it is a prize money can not buy he craves on home soil this week. AFP

Scottie ready to beam up Scheffler eyes rare Open repeat as Royal Birkdale bakes in summer heat

A MERICAN Scottie Scheffler will set out to buck a British Open trend and become the first player to defend the title for 18 years at a baked Royal Birkdale this week. Ireland’s Padraig Harrington was the last player to retain the Claret Jug when he won at Birkdale in 2008 and the trend since then has favoured first-time winners. South African Ernie Els was the most recent repeat champion, at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2012, since when the sport’s old est major has been a hot potato. Several players will be favoured to snap the sequence of first-time winners, though, with world No. 1 Scheffler and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy the favourites despite both coming in with question marks about their form. Scheffler produced a links golf master class on the Antrim coast last year with a processional four-stroke victory at Portrush adding a fourth major to his collection. The 30-year-old has not won since his first event of the season and his preparation suffered a jolt at last week’s Scottish Open when he missed his first cut in four years. That early exit did have some benefits though as Scheffler arrived earlier than expected at Birkdale to cast his eye over a course on which he has never played. McIlroy found himself caught up in a maelstrom at Portrush last year where his every step was followed by thousands of fans willing him to the title on his home links. Huge galleries will follow him from tomorrow too at Birkdale where in 2017 he finished tied fourth behind dominant cham pion Jordan Spieth. McIlroy, 37, retained the Masters this year in a thriller but has played only sporadi cally since as he focuses on more quality time away from the grind.

Apart from one round at the Scottish Open he looked in fine fet tle and will seek to win

the Claret Jug again having done so just along the coast at Royal Liverpool in 2014. “I don’t feel like it’s too far away. There’s defi nitely some positive signs,” McIlroy said after signing off with a round of 64 to finish seventh in Scotland. Americans have won

four of the last five Opens with Xander Schauffele in 2024 at Royal Troon, Brian Harman at Royal Liverpool in 2023 and Collin Morikawa at Royal St George’s in 2021. The wait for an English Open champion is a long one, dating back to Nick Faldo’s triumph in 1992. Leading the English charge will be local boy Tommy Fleetwood who grew up next to the course in Southport and used to sneak on to it to play holes with his dad as a youngster. The ever-dependable Justin Rose will be in the mix on the course where in 1998 he first came to attention by finish ing fourth as an amateur, while Matt Fitzpatrick, who has won three times on the PGA Tour this year, and surprise US PGA winner Aaron Rai could chal lenge to end the drought. With Britain in the grip of its third heatwave of the summer, the par-70 Royal Birkdale course has transformed from green to straw colour with fast fairways and penal rough demanding accuracy off the tee. – Reuters

Filepic of Scottie Scheffler teeing off at the US Open at the Shinnecock Hills, New York last June. – REUTERSPIC

Fitzpatrick blames betting for rowdy behaviour WORLD NO. 3 Matt Fitzpatrick believes the growing popularity of sports betting is behind the rise of increasingly bad spectator behaviour at leading golf tournaments. major winner Jordan Spieth. “I’ve had my fair share (of abuse),” Fitzpatrick told reporters ahead of this week’s British Open at Royal Birkdale, near Liverpool.

but it is definitely an issue,” the 31-year-old Englishman added. Fitzpatrick accepts noisy crowds are now a part of modern golf but insisted there had to be limits on how spectators behaved themselves on the course. “I want an atmosphere at a golf tourna ment,” he explained. “I’ve said a million times, I love football, I love the atmosphere of a football match. “Ryder Cup, playing away from home, succeeding in those atmospheres – there’s not a much better feeling. I’m all for an atmosphere, but obviously I don’t want it to cross a line.” – Reuters

Golf has long prided itself on the sports manship of its players and fans but 2022 US Open winner Fitzpatrick has been heckled repeatedly at events in the United States, notably last year’s Ryder Cup and the Players Championship in March. While partisan home support and the influence of alcohol have been cited as key causes for the abuse, Fitzpatrick said the issue of betting had to be considered as well, echoing recent comments by three-time

“I would say every golfer that’s played a professional tournament has had a message of abuse from someone that is related to gambling.” “For me, it’s definitely becoming a prob lem. It would be very easy to influence a bet, whether it’s you’re shouting on someone’s backswing, shouting on a putting stroke. It’s really easy. “Obviously that is really hard to monitor,