The Open championship preview and quiz. The final major roar.
Tommy Does Golf - The Podcast
EPISODE 15
SEASON 01
10 July 2026
tommy: Welcome to Tommy Does Golf, the podcast where three old timers give you our opinions on everything golf. I'm Tommy Long, joined by fellow PGA professionals James Morgan and Paul Charman. With over 100 years and counting in the golf industry between us, we are well into our back nines. We'll do our best to stay on topic, but just like our tee shots these days, this podcast could go anywhere.
We're hoping you enjoy the banter, and maybe, just maybe, we'll share a few pearls of wisdom along the way. Let's get into it.
Welcome to our Open Championship preview. With the Masters, US PGA, and US Open all having been and gone, the remaining chance for major glory in 2026 lies at the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Joining us for this episode, our tipster supreme, Mr. Neil Hickman, is back in the building. Welcome back, mate.
In this episode, back by popular demand, we'll start with a quiz. I'll test the crew on the oldest major championship of them all, with some specific Royal Birkdale questions thrown in for good measure. Play along and see if you know more than they do.
After the quiz, I'll share what I've learned about Royal Birkdale, and finally, we'll discuss our picks for this one, the players we think could be taking home that famous Claret Jug. Let's get stuck in
Okay, fellas. Time for the quiz. Are you ready?
James: Ready as we'll ever be
Tommy: Okay. Here we go. Question one. We're gonna start with what is probably the easiest question out there. . What is the official name of golf's oldest major championship, and where was the first championship held in 1860? Neil
Neil: Prestwick
Tommy: It was at Prestwick, and it is known as the ?
Neil: Open
Tommy: Yeah
James: The Open Championship The Open Championship Not the British, it's The Open . Underlined
tommy: Okay. They will get harder.
James: Oh.
Tommy: Next question. Here we go. Who was the first American-born player to win The Open Championship? Anyone?
James: Hmm. What year?
Tommy: I'll give you a clue. It's- We'll give you the year, 1922. Oof.
Have a stab in the dark. Come on. Give me a name, each.
Neil: What about Walter,
James: Walter Hagen?
Tommy: Walter Hagen. Oh. Pretty good stab there.
all right, here we go. How many times did Jack Nicklaus win the Open Championship?
James: It was three
Tommy: It was three. Yeah. He won it in 1966, 1970, and 1978.
All right, next question. How many times did Arnold Palmer win the Open Championship?
James: Two
Tommy: He did. Palmer won it in- Back-to-back ... '90. He did. 1961 and 1962. Good knowledge there '
Next question. All right, so in what decade did the Open Championship first travel outside of Scotland? In what decade did the Open Championship first travel outside of Scotland?
Neil: Have a crack what do you reckon?
Neil: 1890.
Tommy: Oh, my word. It was the 1890s.
Paul: He's on fire.
Tommy: Next one, who remains the oldest champion in Open Championship history, and how old was he? Neil, come on
Neil: Old Tom Morris
Tommy: It was Old Tom Morris
Neil: 46 and 102 days
Tommy: He was 46. That win was 1867.
All right, ready? Next one. Which country has produced the greatest number of Open champions? James
James: , Well, it's either USA or Scotland
Tommy: Right, so pick one. Who are you going for?
James: I'm gonna go Scotland. It's gotta be Scotland.
Tommy: Okay. Yeah. That's why you're not a gambler. It’s USA. Okay. So 34 different players have combined to lift the Claret Jug on 46 occasions. Pretty cool. All right. Now, if you don't get this one, shame on you. Oh. Who was the first left-handed player to win- ... the Open Championship? Paul, it's not Larry Mize ,
Paul: I was gonna say Larry Mize, believe it or not. Who are you going for? Who are you going for?
James: You must know. Come on, Paul. I...
Paul: My mind's gone completely blank. Okay.
James: It must be Bob Charles.
Tommy: It is Sir Bob Charles. 1963. Okay. All right, here we go. How many Open Championships did Peter Thompson win? Paul?
Paul: Five?
Tommy: It was five. Well done. Okay.
James: Didn't he win four out of five?
Tommy: He did. He won in 1954, '55, '56, and '58, making him the only player in the modern era to win The Open three times in a row. His final Open victory was in 1965
Okay. Which American legend won the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 1961 Paul
Paul: Arnold Palmer
Tommy: It was. You were paying attention. Well done. Didn't at school though, did you? That's why you're sitting here with us. Okay. Which hole proved pivotal in Jordan Spieth's dramatic victory at Royal Birkdale in 2017?go on Paul
Paul:. 13th?
Tommy: It was. 13th hole.Spieth salvaged a bogey and then played the final five holes in five-under par to secure the victory.
All right. Yeah. Here we go. This one's easy, and if you boys have done a little bit of homework, I think you should all get this one.
So we can do an all together now answer on this one. How many times has Royal Birkdale hosted the Open Championship? All together now.
Paul: 10.
James: 10.. well done. It was an echo,
Tommy: All right. Who won the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 1971? Paul, you've got your hand up. Who are we going for?
Paul: Lee Trevino.
Tommy: It was Lee Trevino, and he joked that it was a good course for a Mexican after he won that. So happy days, well done. All right. Nice easy question, this one. Which major championship had Mark O'Meara already won before claiming the Open at Royal Birkdale in 1998? James
James: Must have been the Masters
Tommy: It was the Masters Yeah Same year. Okay. Which Australian won at Royal Birkdale in 1991 after shooting a final round 66? Neil
Neil: Ian Baker-Finch
Tommy: It was Finchy
James: Can you name the Aussie that finished second?
Tommy: Oh, no, I can't, James
James: Mike Harwood
Tommy: Mike Harwood Yeah, that's why I ask the questions, so none of that. All right. Okay, here we go. Has any player ever won the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale more than once? Paul, come on
Paul: Peter Thompson
Tommy: So the answer's yes. , And Peter Thompson is. 1954 and 1965 '65. Ok so Royal Birkdale has hosted the Ryder Cup twice. In what years was it held there?
James: Wouldn't have a clue No idea.
Tommy: Well, you talked about it the other day, didn't you? You told us about the old Jack Nicklaus, the concession, which was obviously at Birkdale. So 1965 and 1969. I wouldn't have known that either. Okay, you'll get this one though, boys, 'cause we're all old.
Who won the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale during Britain's famous heatwave summer of 1976? Paul,
Paul: big blondie, Jonny Miller
Tommy: It was Jonny Miller. James knew that. All right.
Why was Padraig Harrington's victory at Royal Birkdale in 2008 historically significant? Anyone?
Neil: Back-to-back. It
Tommy: It was back-to-back. Back-to-back,He became the first player since Tom Watson in 1982 to successfully defend The Open Championship. Amazing. All right. This is a pretty obvious question, so I'm gonna give you a little second part to this question. Which Open venue has hosted the championship more times than any other, and how many times would that be?
Neil?
Neil: St Andrews, 30 times.
tommy: Well done. Good knowledge.
James: Had to be.
Tommy: You need to get out more. Neil you do You need to get out more.
James: Home of golf.
Tommy: All right. Here we go. Which player won the Open Championship after coming through final qualifying? Anybody? Paul Lawrie.
James: No.
Tommy: 1999 at Carnoustie. Wow. Beat Jean Van der Velde.
Neil : Biggest ever comeback.
tommy: Yeah, 1999.
I think that's enough, boys. I think you did really, really well. I don't know how much cheating was going on there, but, uh, you're pretty good at it.
Okay, now it's time for me to share what I've learned about Royal Birkdale. Unlike most links courses where spectators are standing on fairly level ground, Birkdale's holes meander through these massive valleys between towering sand dunes. The natural topography creates amphitheaters everywhere.
It really is one of the best on-course viewing experiences in championship golf. You can literally see everything. The club was founded back in 1889, but moved to its current site in 1897.
But the Birkdale we know today, well, that was really forged in the 1920s and early 1930s when the legendary architecture firm of Hawtree and five-time Open champ J.H.
Taylor completely reshaped the place. Instead of making players hit over the dunes, they routed the fairways to run in between them, and that's why it's so fair. You hit a good shot, you get rewarded. You hit a bad one, and you know it's probably going to cost you. But like all great venues, it's never stood still.
The 12th hole was added in the 1960s. The greens were completely rebuilt in the 1990s after drainage issues at the 1991 Open. And for this year's Open, Mackenzie and Ebbert have been busy redesigning the fifth into a risk-reward short par four. They've also created a brand-new par three fifth length hole.
For the Open, Royal Birkdale plays as a par 70 at just over 7,100 yards. When the wind gets up off that Irish Sea, it can be absolutely brutal, but that's what makes it so special. It asks every question. Can you drive it straight? Can you control your ball flight? Can you hit long irons under pressure?
And can you stay patient when par suddenly starts feeling like a birdie? [00:13:00] This will be the 11th time that Royal Birkdale will have hosted the Open, and its list of previous champions is extraordinary. Peter Thompson, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Mark O'Meara, Padraig Harrington, and Jordan Spieth.
And then there's Ian Baker Finch. Now, I may have mentioned before that I have had the pleasure of playing with Ian. His 64 and 66 over the final weekend in 1991 is still one of the great closing performances in Open Championship history.
I contacted Finchy to ask him for some insights about Royal Birkdale. I mean, who better to ask than a man who won the Claret Jug round there? I asked him what he thought the toughest stretch of holes was. He came straight back to me with his answer. "Holes 1 to 18," Tommy. But then, in seriousness, said the toughest three-hole stretch in his opinion is 8, 9, and 10, so right around the turn.
He also earmarked holes 1, 6, 8, 10, 13, 16, and 18 as the toughest holes. But he did go on to say that there have been a number of changes since his victory 35 years ago. So it'll be fascinating for him to see how the players fare this time around. So in summary, Royal Birkdale.
It's not the quirkiest links, it's not the wildest, but it might just be the fairest, and that's why it produces such worthy champions. Gents, before you add any further thoughts about this venue, James has a long-term weather forecast for us. So James, is it going to be sun cream or wet weather gear
James: it's just gonna be a typical British summer, unfortunately.
Unlike the US Open where it absolutely blew and it had quite a major, impact on the golf course and on the players, it's just in the low 20s and just light breezes, a few showers. So yeah, it's not actually gonna have as much of an effect as it can do on The Open, 'cause, you know, the guys start at 6:00 o'clock in the morning and last one's tee off about 4:00 o'clock, but at this stage, the long range is for very light winds. Yeah. Moderate breeze.
tommy: Moderate breeze- off the Irish Sea.
Paul: A moderate breeze can actually still play a big part in the score.
It's a links golf course. Yeah. If you've got a slight breeze into a par three that's playing 250 yards, and then in the afternoon you've got a slight breeze on your back that's the difference between maybe hitting a three wood into a par three, or a five or six iron maybe.You know what I mean?
tommy: Neil, you've just been over to the UK, that was part of your world tour, wasn't it? And it's been very hot. Yeah. So I'm thinking it's probably gonna be playing quite firm and bouncy.
James: They've had a bit of rain just recently.
Tommy: Have they?
James: So, yeah. To soften it up ...
Tommy: I hope they don't soften the greens up too much though, eh? 'Cause it is nice when you see the links golf, and you see them, pitch it 20 yards short and judge the bounce and- Yeah judge the run, because that's what links golf's all about, isn't it? I think if they get them soft, these boys are just gonna go low. Yeah. If it's not windy, if it's a light breeze like you say. Okay. Paul, have you got anything to add about the golf course? Anything you've learnt that you might want to just share with us?
Paul: Yeah. A couple of things. First of all the fourth, which is a par three, that's been lengthened , 25 yards.
Doesn't sound a lot, but it can make a big difference, especially obviously having talked about weather conditions, it's been slightly reshaped. A couple of bunkers, front bunker has been taken out, which does allow for a slightly different approach into that green specifically.
And the 14th, par five, now this hole has been lengthened from 542 yards to 602 yards.
It was the easiest hole on the golf course in previous, Opens at Birkdale. But now with this extension, it is now looking as though it's gonna play,, a lot tougher this time round.
Tommy: Thanks, Paul. Anything else, fellas, to add about the golf course, or have we pretty much covered it? We got it squared away, haven't we? I think you've got it all well covered. All right. Let's have a little chat about who we fancy for this tournament. Now, obviously, at the start of the year, in our 2026 predictions forecast, James, you went for...
James: Tommy Fleetwood. Tommy Fleetwood.
Tommy: Paul, you went for?
Paul : Justin, I believe.
Tommy: Justin Rose, you did. And I went for Tyrrell Hatton. So those guys, be interesting to see how they do. The pressure's on myself and Paul because James is the only person to pick a major winner this year, when he picked Rory going back-to-back for the Masters. So, James, over to you. Your additional picks and the reasons why, please.
James: So in doing my extensive research before this ...
Tommy: Over a cup of tea.
James: Over a cup of tea, for about 15 minutes, if that.
This super computer has picked 17 of the major winners out of the last, like, 25.
tommy: Is that right?
James: "This super computer says that Ludvig Åberg is gonna make a late charge." But it didn't say whether he then goes on to win it. you had to subscribe to it, Anyway, I mean, he's got such a good-looking golf swing.
tommy: He does.
James: And if it's not windy, there are only moderate breezes, I think he's got a real good chance. He's started to [00:18:00] show he's got the backbone to win a tournament. Okay. So I'm hoping he's, he's gonna get up there.
Tommy: Do we know what his odds are, Ludvig, for this one?
I mean, I know that we're over a week out. No. But what would he be, be 25 to 1, something like that? Something in that sort of region.
James: And then . I like your pick of Tyrrell Hatton.
I love watching him play. I mean, it's a rollercoaster ride with him.
tommy: Yeah.
james: But I think a ball striker round that golf course, I think he's got a real good chance.
tommy: Yeah. And if it's firm and he putts well he is good with rolling the rock. And if the fringes are crusty and tight, they're gonna be playing a lot of Texas wedges, these boys.
And, that could play into his hands as well a little bit, but we'll have to see.
James: And then I've got a little outsider as a top 10, Alex Fitzpatrick. He's been playing some really good golf ever since the... he won with Matt- Yes ... earlier in the year. And also, it's the fact that he's been playing, like he played in the US Open, he's played in all these different competitions on different golf courses, and he's up there- Yeah in all of them.
tommy: And of course, he'll have a side bet with his brother, surely.
james: Yeah. Oh, yeah, you'd have to, wouldn't you?
soYeah i'm just gonna have him as a little top 10.
Tommy : Okay. So Neil's got the odds here. We've got Alex at 51, dollars, and then you've got Ludvig at 26 so you've picked out Ludvig, you've picked out Alex to have a bit of a run. Obviously, you've got home favorite Tommy Fleetwood in play.
I mean, we all want Tommy to get over the line, don't we? 100%. and he would have such huge support up there being close to home.
james: And he's been over at least two or three times in the last month. Just playing it on a regular basis, just trying to get used to it in different conditions. But then again, that home conditions, what...look what that did to Rory. I mean, he snap hooked it out of bounds on the first hole. Yeah. Um, you know, and then Scottie Scheffler, best in the world, US Open, he didn't have a great start either. Yeah. So let's see after day two how he's going. If he's in the top 10, well, then it's gonna go berserk.
tommy: Well, look, there's no pressure on you 'cause you've already got a winner in the bag this year.
Mm. So the chances of me and Paul squaring it up are very, very slim, but yeah, that's pretty good. All right. Well, look, Paul-
I'm gonna come to you. you Got Rosie in the bank already. Yeah. You've chosen him. Who else do you fancy for this one?
Paul: So my top pick, my number one spot, I'm gonna go with Viktor Hovland. I just think he's hit in form at the right time. He's just a solid player. Even though there might not be any wind, you always feel that that kind of player will perform well on a link-style golf course. So yeah, Viktor Hovland. My second pick odds-wise an outsider,
i'm gonna go with the only Chinese player in the field, Haotong Li.
we all know how good a player he is, but in 2017, He finished third on his own At Birkdale So he knows the course. He's played it before
And then third- is a guy called Scott Vincent who is from Zimbabwe.
The last person from Zimbabwe to win the open was, of course, the great Nick Price-
32 years ago. So it's about time.
tommy: Turnberry, Neil, was it?
Neil: yeah I was there.
tommy: okay. So Scott Vincent, your number three pick. Zimbabwe, the connection. Yep. Nick Price.
Okay. Obviously at the start of the year, I went for Tyrrell Hatton . Gonna stick by that. I'd like to see Tyrrell Hatton play well, certainly have a run at it. He's 31 to 1, I think.
Something like that, Tyrrell. Those odds may change before the tournament starts. Another player that I've gone for- And I don't, I don't particularly want him to win, to be honest with you. I just think he might have a run at it. He's a player that would definitely be in the argument of one of the best players yet to win a major championship.
Patrick Cantlay. He's 56/1. I don't know. I just fancy he, he might have a run at it, Patrick Cantlay. Good player. Quite slow,
James: His record in majors is horrendous for someone- Yeah ... who's as good a golfer as he is.
Tommy: Yeah. So, A, he might turn that on its head, you know?
You never know. Another player that I've picked out, the Americans always go well at the Open, don't they? They seem to have dominated it over the last 35 years. I've gone for Russell Henley. Russell Henley- Mm ... also, strangely enough, 56/1. He's had two top 10s in the last two Open Championships. He came fifth in 2024, and he came tied 10th, I think, last year.
So, gone for Russell Henley. Good putter. And then the final player that, I don't know, he's always kicking around, I've gone Keegan Bradley, 101/1. Hmm. So, Keegan Bradley, I think, is an outsider. He's quite streaky, but when he's in the mix, he's annoyingly good at staying there. So, Keegan Bradley would be another player.
So, funny enough, I've gone one Englishman and three Americans there, so we'll see. But don't bet on who I've just said because obviously I've had a shocker of a year.
Neil, let's come to somebody for some sense. Who have you got?
Neil: Um, yeah, top pick, yeah, I think he's a great ball striker.
I've gone for Xander Schauffele . He's my top, top pick. I think going into it, he's tied third favorite paying 17.
Tommy: When did Xander actually win his Open Championship?
James: 2024
tommy: Yeah. Two years ago, okay.
James: So- Yeah, he's good ... '25 he finished seventh.
In '23 he was tied 17th. '22 tied 15th. '21 he was tied 26th. So he's up there, roundabout.
Neil: Yeah, Second pick, not a very popular person in golf, ... not my favorite guy, but not a lot of people's are . But I'm going to go Wyndham Clark.
Okay. But yeah, Wyndham Clark is my second pick.
Um- Oh,
Tommy: so what's he paying?
Neil: 34. He's 34.
Tommy: And so what's Xander? Xander must be what? 17.
Neil: He's 17. Yeah. And Collin Morikawa's hit some form, but I didn't go there. Sam Burns I picked on the last one- Yeah ... he did come runner-up. Yeah. But I'm gonna leave both of those. I've gotta pick an Englishman, 'cause it's coming home this year.
Ooh. And I'm gonna go Aaron Rai to pick up his second major. Very steady golfer. Yes. Paying 61 dollars.
Tommy: Is he really? Pretty good odds ...
Neil: you know, I, I think it was a surprise win that, he held off Scottie Scheffler and he won his first major, and- Yeah ... I think he, he could do it. He's a very steady player.
So they're my three. , Xander, Wyndham, and Aaron.
Tommy: Pretty good picks. I wonder if we'll get the winner amongst us. We've probably, what, pulled out 14 names there between us. James
James: just for me, it's like you see the big yellow leaderboard, it's the Open leaderboard on the 18th fairway. Iconic. It sticks out. It, it is iconic. My boss , Craig Defoy, played in the Open in '71.
Lee Trevino won it. Mr. Lou was second.
Tommy: That's right, Mr. Lou was.
James: Tony Jacklin was third, and Craig Defoy, my boss, was fourth. Wow. And there was this picture of the yellow leaderboard. He had this in a frame.
Tommy: That's pretty cool.
James: Yeah.
tommy: Yeah. And then he came back to work, ... and put some grips on for a 28 handicap member
James: yeah that would've been it as well. Yeah. He didn't win a whole heap of money.
Tommy: I'm not that familiar with Royal Birkdale, to be honest with you, so I'm really looking forward to watching this one, and of course it's our last taste of major golf until April next year. So let's hope it's a goodie. We will be doing a majors wrap, so we can chew through everything that's happened, and James will probably gloat about picking the only major winner of the year.
James: Probably get two winners
Tommy: Two winners. Yeah, so he’s feeling pretty confident this time round. Thank you again for your time. I think that's a wrap. Epic. Thanks fellas
James: Cheers,
Paul: Cheers.
Tommy: If you've made it this far, we hope it's because you've enjoyed listening to Tommy Does Golf. To make sure you never miss our podcast, please hit follow. For more of our content or to get in touch, head to tommydoesgolf.com. So until next time, no matter how you're playing, smile, laugh, and most important of all, enjoy the walk