Scheffler Arrives at 2026 Open Under Scrutiny After Scottish Open Missed Cut

What happened:

Watch the highlights:

The 154th Open starts Thursday at Royal Birkdale, and the defending champion arrives with an unusual question attached to him. Scottie Scheffler won the 2025 Open by four strokes, but The Guardian notes that the world No 1 missed the cut at last week's Scottish Open.

That missed cut was his first in four years, according to the report. Scheffler has only one victory this season, January's American Express in his first start of the year, and has recorded four runner-up finishes since then, including at the Masters. He said of the Scottish Open that he did not feel he played that badly and that the course could be tough at times.

Why it matters:

For a player of Scheffler's standard, the numbers create a strange tension. One win, four runner-up finishes, and a rare missed cut can be read two ways: a dip by his own elite baseline, or a season still full of contention but short on conversions. That distinction is important going into a major. The question is not whether Scheffler can compete; the confirmed record says he has repeatedly been close. The question is whether Royal Birkdale becomes a reset or another week where good golf does not turn into a trophy.

The defending champion label sharpens the story. Winning the previous Open by four strokes means he is not arriving as a speculative contender. He is arriving as the player everyone can measure against last year's standard.

Tournament impact:

Because the Open has not started yet, there is no leaderboard impact to report. The tournament impact is pre-event pressure: Scheffler's form line changes how the first two rounds will be read. A steady start likely quiets the missed-cut discussion quickly. A poor start would make the Scottish Open look less like an isolated stumble and more like part of a pattern.

Royal Birkdale also matters because major championships amplify small uncertainties. Course difficulty, weather, draw position, and links conditions can all expose hesitation. The source does not provide conditions or tee times, so any projection beyond the broad pressure points would be speculation.

What to watch:

The clean early indicator is Scheffler's opening round. Fans should watch whether he controls damage when conditions turn difficult, not just whether he produces birdies. The Guardian's preview also frames Rory McIlroy among the event's compelling storylines, but the supplied details center most clearly on Scheffler's title defense and recent form.

Confidence:

Confirmed by The Guardian: the 154th Open begins Thursday at Royal Birkdale, Scheffler is defending champion after winning the 2025 Open by four strokes, he missed the Scottish Open cut, and he has one win plus four runner-up finishes this season. Still needing follow-up: first-round scoring, conditions, tee draw effects, and whether the missed cut carries into major play.