The 2026 Open went from a leaderboard filled with hitter after hitter to featuring only one player with a major championship on his résumé in the top 10. That man is Bryson DeChambeau, who owns two U.S. Open trophies, but it is now DeChambeau's Saturday playing partner who the field will aim to chase down come Sunday's final round.
Sam Burns has been simply sensational over the last 36 holes. The five-time PGA Tour winner matched the lowest round in major championship history on Friday, then pulled off perhaps an even more difficult task, following it up. Burns did not miss a beat Saturday at Royal Birkdale, signing for the second-lowest round of the day (65) to register the lowest scoring total across consecutive rounds in any men's major championship (127).
Burns will enter the final round at 10 under with a two-stroke lead over Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim. This after being thrust into the DeChambeau circus with the 29-year-old handling it in stride, embracing the environment while stacking quality shots to emerge atop the leaderboard.
A winner at every level of his career, Burns has been snowballing towards this result, especially of late. He was a fixture at the Masters in April and nearly chased down Wyndham Clark at Shinnecock Hills, a major in which Clark started the final round six clear of the field before winning by just one.
So Burns understands just how little two strokes can be. He understands how just one hole can flip this tournament on its head and how quickly it can materialize. A tee shot in a pot bunker. A bad bounce. A ruling going against you -- see the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont. He knows that anything can happen in the final round of a major championship.
"Ultimately, it comes down to I can't control anything anyone else does," Burns said. "Someone's going to go out and play a great round of golf [on Sunday], maybe a few people. It's pretty much a given. That happens every single week.
"So, I'm going to have to do the same. I'm going to have to go out and execute. Ultimately, whatever happens, I know that I can accept the outcome, and life's going to move on. I'll get to go home and see my family. I hope I'm taking some hardware with me, but if I'm not, that's fine, too."
Will anyone step up and catch Burns during Sunday's final round? Let's break down the seven top contenders (other than Burns) for the Claret Jug and title of Champion Golfer of the Year.
2026 Open picks, odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
1
Si Woo Kim The game has been quite solid all year, and it has finally come together in a major championship. Kim said he feels comfortable with a late tee time on Sunday, and although he is experiencing some Achilles discomfort, he is swinging it as fluidly as ever. The former Players Championship winner hit 16 greens in regulation in Round 3. If he does that on Sunday and maintains his aggressive nature on the greens, Kim has the ability to win. Odds: 9/22 
Ryan Fox Fox has always been a world-class player, and his game was put on full display with his record-tying performance Saturday morning. Fox pinned his ears back, went after pins and holed plenty of putts (about 150 feet worth) en route from outside the top 50 to the final pairing on Sunday. He now has to do what Burns did: follow up a great round with another, while in the most difficult of conditions. Odds: 8-13 
Ryan Gerard Been buying stock in the kid all season long, and it keeps paying dividends. Gerard is a gamer in the truest sense and will not be overwhelmed by the moment. He shares a quick cadence with Kim, so it should be a comfortable pairing as he seems due for a low one. Not since 2021 has a debutant won in his first Open appearance -- a five-year streak Gerard hopes to end at Royal Birkdale. Odds: 15-14 
Ludvig Åberg Where did he come from? After opening his tournament with a 71, the sweet-swinging Swede followed it up with rounds of 66 and 67 to catapult himself into this championship at 6 under. Åberg has all the talent in the world and a terrific major championship résumé; he seems destined to capture at least one of these in his career. Unable to close a couple of tournaments early in 2026, he may perform better as a chaser instead of a leader. Odds: 15-15 
Bryson DeChambeau It's been an impressive week for DeChambeau on the golf course, and he has shown impressive fight coming off Friday evening, when he was assessed a two-stroke penalty. Leave all that to the side; the American is the lone player in the top 10 with major championship-winning experience, and he must feel as if the crowd is wind in his sails after a warm reception on Saturday. He kept himself in this with some sensational short-game saves late in Round 3. If he strikes his irons as he did on Thursday and Friday, he is more than capable of having the last laugh on Sunday. Odds: 14-16 
Tommy Fleetwood Not giving up on the dream quite yet. It's too good to be true. Fleetwood winning his first Open in his hometown would be a tremendous Hollywood moment. The Englishman had it rolling early on Saturday before a somewhat disappointing back nine put him five off the pace heading into Sunday. Maybe the golf gods will shine down upon the man who has been oh so close so many times. Heaven knows his game is good enough to do so. Odds: 26-17 
Scottie Scheffler The story of his week has been the story of his year. Scheffler has milked nothing out of his rounds at Royal Birkdale as he was 4 under through six holes and remains at 4 under for the championship. Since making four birdies in those first six holes, he has drained just three the rest of the way. The shotmaking and ball striking have been exquisite, but his longest putt on Friday came from 8 feet and his longest on Saturday just 10 feet. Both were for par. He needs a fast start, some long-distance putts to drop and perhaps some help, but he is only four strokes off those in second place. Odds: 26-1 Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments 
