SOUTHPORT: The majors are the most important measure of a player’s career and the 154th British Open faces a new challenge at Royal Birkdale on the windswept coast of Merseyside. As the golf course prepares to crown another champion, an unprecedented international golf storyline has begun to unfold.Aaron Rai captured global attention two months ago when he won a major at the PGA Championship. Just a few weeks ago, Sahith Theegala and Akshay Bhatia joined Rai as the trio made headlines by finishing in the top 20 at the US Open, becoming the next generation of golfers whose roots can be traced back to India. It’s no longer such a far-fetched idea that a powerful trio could take down the iconic claret jug.Bhatia, 24, is a three-time PGA Tour champion, while Theegala, 28, has won once but has been in contention multiple times, including a third-place finish at the 2024 Tour Championship. Rai has continued to rise through the career rankings, from the Challenge Tour (where he had three wins and a Battlegrounds promotion) to the DP World Tour to the PGA Tour to the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Finals. He won the PGA Tour in 2024 and in 2026 became the first Briton to win the PGA Tour since 1919.The hero-backed Sigala is very good in terms of creativity, and his short game skills are also excellent. He showed his resilience at the U.S. Open, fighting back from early disaster to finish tied for 11th with Rai. While Sigala’s aggressive style off the tee could be risky at Birkdale, if he can avoid the tight fairway hazards, he could be a top-10 contender.Rounding out the Indian trio is southpaw Bhatia, the 2026 Palmer Invitational winner. His performance alongside Rory McIlroy at the U.S. Open showed his character under intense pressure.
