It is nearly 60 years since Tony Jacklin became the last Englishman to win The Open on English soil at Royal Lytham in 1969, but this week's championship at Royal Birkdale offers perhaps the best prospect to end that drought. Since then only Sir Nick Faldo has won The Open for England, with all three victories coming in Scotland.

Matt Fitzpatrick leads the English charge, having won three PGA Tour events this year and ranked world number three. Local hero Tommy Fleetwood (world number nine) has long targeted this Open at his home course, calling a potential victory "like Mount Everest." Justin Rose returns to where he debuted as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998, while Aaron Rai recently became the first Englishman in over a century to win the US PGA Championship.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy rank higher per Data Golf, while Scotland's Robert MacIntyre adds UK competition. Faldo emphasizes maintaining focus and nerve over four days. With Tyrrell Hatton and Alex Fitzpatrick also contending, England's golfers may mirror their footballers' World Cup excitement on Merseyside.