BRITISH OPEN '26: Players who can contend at Royal Birkdale

A capsule look at 10 leading contenders for the British Open, the final major of the year to be held July 16-19 at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England (listed in predicted order of finish):

Age: 30.

Country: United States.

World Ranking: 1.

Worldwide wins: 23.

Majors: Masters (2022, 2024), PGA Championship (2025), British Open (2025).

2026 wins: The American Express.

2026 majors: Masters-2, PGA Championship-T14, U.S. Open-T4.

British Open appearances: 5.

British Open moment: Winning at Royal Portrush to claim the third leg of the career Grand Slam.

Backspin: Scheffler won his first tournament of the year, and that remains his only win of the year. He has had a reasonable chance on Sunday at every major.

Age: 35.

Country: England.

World Ranking: 9.

Worldwide wins: 9.

Majors: None.

2026 wins: None.

2026 majors: Masters-T33, PGA Championship-Cut, U.S. Open-T11.

British Open appearances: 11.

British Open moment: Enormous crowd support when he played in the final group on Saturday at Royal Liverpool, about 45 minutes from his hometown.

Backspin: This will be the second time Fleetwood plays a major in his hometown, and he is more equipped to handle that than he was in 2017.

Age: 37.

Country: Northern Ireland.

World Ranking: 2.

Worldwide wins: 42.

Majors: Masters (2025, 2026), PGA Championship (2012, 2014), U.S. Open (2011), British Open (2014).

2026 wins: Masters.

2026 majors: Masters-Won, PGA Championship-T7, U.S. Open-T32.

British Open appearances: 16.

British Open moment: Winning at Royal Liverpool in 2014 with both parents there.

Backspin: The Masters champion now emphasizes the biggest events on the calendar, and this is the last big one of the year.

Age: 32.

Country: United States.

World Ranking: 8.

Worldwide wins: 5.

Majors: U.S. Open (2023, 2026).

2026 wins: The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, U.S. Open.

2026 majors: Masters-T21, PGA Championship-Cut, U.S. Open-Won.

British Open appearances: 4.

British Open moment: A 66-65 weekend at Royal Portrush to tie for fourth, his first top 10 in the Open.

Backspin: The U.S. Open champion has been on a heater since May. The question is how long it lasts.

Age: 31.

Country: Spain.

World Ranking: 11.

Worldwide wins: 24.

Majors: Masters (2023), U.S. Open (2021).

2026 wins: LIV Golf-Hong Kong, LIV Golf-Mexico.

2026 majors: Masters-T38, PGA Championship-T2, U.S. Open-Cut.

British Open appearances: 9.

British Open moment: Playing in the final group at Royal Liverpool facing a six-shot deficit.

Backspin: Rahm can be dangerous when he feels he has something to prove, and he is coming off a missed cut in the U.S. Open.

Age: 45.

Country: England.

World Ranking: 10.

Worldwide wins: 25.

Majors: U.S. Open (2013).

2026 wins: Farmers Insurance Open.

2026 majors: Masters-T3, PGA Championship-T10, U.S. Open-T11.

British Open appearances: 16.

British Open moment: Chipping in on the 18th at Royal Birkdale to tie for fourth as a 17-year-old amateur.

Backspin: The only player in his 40s in the top 10 in the world, he has not shown any signs of slowing, with nothing worse than a tie for 11th in the majors.

Age: 26.

Country: United States.

World Ranking: 7.

Worldwide wins: 5.

Majors: None.

2026 wins: Sony Open, WM Phoenix Open, John Deere Classic.

2026 majors: Masters-T24, PGA Championship-T10, U.S. Open-T43.

British Open appearances: 1.

British Open moment: A 68-67 weekend at Royal Portrush in his Open debut to finish third.

Backspin: He has as many wins as Scottie Scheffler over the last 12 months. The next step is serious contention in a major.

Age: 32.

Country: United States.

World Ranking: 14.

Worldwide wins: 12.

Majors: PGA Championship (2024), British Open (2024).

2026 wins: None.

2026 majors: Masters-T9, PGA Championship-T7, U.S. Open-T11.

British Open appearances: 8.

British Open moment: Winning the claret jug at Royal Troon in 2024.

Backspin: For someone still trying to get on track following a rib injury last year, he’s at his best in the majors and has featured in all three of them.

Age: 31.

Country: England.

World Ranking: 4.

Worldwide wins: 14.

Majors: U.S. Open (2022).

2026 wins: Valspar Championship, RBC Heritage, Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

2026 majors: Masters T-18, PGA Championship T-14, U.S. Open-22.

British Open appearances: 10.

British Open moment: Finally cracking the top 10 for the first time in the Open last year in his 10th appearance.

Backspin: He has had momentum on his side since March but has yet to convert it in the majors.

Age: 32.

Country: United States.

World Ranking: 54.

Worldwide wins: 16.

Majors: Masters (2015), U.S. Open (2015), British Open (2017).

2026 wins: None.

2026 majors: Masters-T12, PGA Championship-T18, U.S. Open-T56.

British Open appearances: 12.

British Open moment: Making bogey from the driving range right of the 13th at Royal Birkdale and following with a birdie, eagle, birdie to win in 2017.

Backspin: Returning to Royal Birkdale is a stark reminder it has been nine years since he last won a major.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Matt Fitzpatrick, of England, tees off the 18th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Viktor Hovland, of Norway, reacts as he places the Travelers Championship golf jacket on as tournament director Nathan Grube, right, looks on at TPC River Highlands, Monday, June 29, 2026, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Chris Gotterup lines up a putt on the 18th hole during the final round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament, Sunday, July 5, 2026, in Silvis, Ill. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

Scottie Scheffler tees off the first playoff hole of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands, Monday, June 29, 2026, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Kawhi Leonard's trade to the Toronto Raptors is on hold pending the outcome of the NBA's investigation into whether the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented salary cap rules, the teams announced Thursday.

It does not necessarily mean that the trade is off. The Raptors said they still want Leonard, and the Clippers, in a statement sent to multiple outlets including The Associated Press, again insisted that they are not guilty of any wrongdoing related to an endorsement contract between Leonard and a now-bankrupt California-based digital bank that touted itself as environmentally friendly.

But the probe, as detailed by the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, could lead to penalties that include a substantial fine, the loss of draft capital — and, potentially, even the voiding of a player contract — if the league finds there was a deliberate circumvention of cap rules.

“The NBA league office informed us that as a result of the ongoing investigation involving the Clippers, we would assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation impacting Kawhi,” the Raptors said. “In light of this, we will wait until the league’s investigation is complete.”

There is no timetable for the conclusion of the NBA's probe, which is being performed by outside counsel — Wachtell Lipton, a New York-based firm. Commissioner Adam Silver said in recent weeks that he'd like to see a conclusion.

“My instruction to them is we can’t be investigating forever. At some point you have to wrap it up,” Silver said last month at the NBA Finals. “But at the same time, the most important thing is that we get it right."

Through a spokesman, the NBA said Thursday that it doesn't “have a specific timeline for the conclusion of the investigation but expect the firm to finalize its work in the coming weeks”

The NBA opened an investigation back in September into whether a $28 million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC — a company that filed for bankruptcy in 2025 — broke league rules, following a report by journalist Pablo Torre. Last month, Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to defrauding investors and lenders of at least $248 million.

“At the heart of this investigation are Joe Sanberg and Aspiration,” the Clippers said Thursday in a statement. "We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration. Like many sophisticated investors, financial institutions, and business partners, we were victims of a fraud initiated by Sanberg, who has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

“We recognize the uncertainty this has created and the impact it has had on our team, our fans, the Raptors organization, their fans, and the players whose futures remain affected while this process continues. We remain confident that, when the facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm exactly what we have said from the beginning: We have not done what we are accused of doing.”

For its part, Toronto reaffirmed that it still wants to acquire Leonard.

“The Raptors remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organization, and our fans,” the Raptors said.

The Raptors and Clippers struck a deal on June 30 on a trade that would send Leonard back to the city that helped win the 2019 NBA championship.

The Raptors agreed to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and pick swaps to the Clippers for Leonard — who spent one season in Toronto, and that was the year the Raptors won their lone title.

He turned 35 earlier this month but is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers in 65 games.

Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (also winning in 2014 with San Antonio) and is generally considered one of the game’s top defensive players. He has said there was no wrongdoing.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

FILE - LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, center, shoots as Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis defends during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill,File)

Kyle Lowry, right, speaks with Kawhi Leonard after a press conference in which Lowry signed a one-day contract to retire as a Toronto Raptor, in Toronto, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)