Southport: The Majors are the most significant yardstick of measuring a player’s career, and the 154th Open tees off with renewed challenges at the Royal Birkdale on the windswept shores of Merseyside here. As the golf course prepares to crown another champion, an unprecedented international golf storyline has begun unfolding.Two months ago Aaron Rai attracted global attention with a Major win at the PGA Championship. Only weeks ago, Rai was joined by Sahith Theegala and Akshay Bhatia, and the trio made headlines by securing top-20 finishes at the US Open, making a shift to a Next-Gen of golfers, whose roots go back to India. That the formidable trio is capable of taking the iconic Claret Jug, is not too outrageous a thought anymore.Bhatia, 24, is already a three-time PGA Tour winner while Theegala, 28, has won once but been in contention a few times, including finishing third at the 2024 Tour Championship. Rai worked his way up the pro ranks — from the Challenge Tour where he won three times to get a battlefield promotion to the DP World Tour, and then the PGA Tour via the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour finals. He won on the PGA Tour in 2024 and in 2026 he became the first Englishman to win the PGA since 1919.The Hero-backed Theegala is amazing when it comes to creativity and he has a fine short game. He proved his resilience at the US Open, battling back from early disasters to finish T-11th alongside Rai. While Theegala’s aggressive style off the tee can be risky at the Birkdale, he could be a Top-10 contender if he stays clear of the narrow fairway hazards.Rounding out the Indianorigin trio is southpaw Bhatia, winner of 2026 Palmer Invitational. His show alongside Rory McIlroy at the US Open demonstrated his character under intense pressure.
