2026 Senior British Open Fantasy Picks: Final Grades
The original CaddyBytes rankings remain below as the permanent pre-tournament record. The completed results show two locked picks tied for seventh, two tied for 11th, two tied for 14th, and one tied for 21st.
The broader research boards supplied the strongest headline results. Jerry Kelly won the championship, Cameron Percy tied for second, Stephen Gallacher finished fifth, and Emanuele Canonica tied for seventh after each appeared in the original Champions, Legends, or combined re-rank sections.
The final report card grades the locked top 15 separately from the broader research board so the strong supporting calls and the missed final-ranking decisions remain clear.
Senior Open Final Grade Snapshot
Best Locked Picks
Zach Johnson and Boo Weekley tied for seventh at 4-under and earn A grades.
Top-15 Depth
Cink and Donaldson tied for 11th, while Els and Jiménez tied for 14th.
Broader-Board Winner
Jerry Kelly was No. 12 on the Champions form board and No. 20 in the combined re-rank before winning at 10-under.
Largest Ranking Miss
Kelly and Cameron Percy finished first and tied second after remaining outside the locked final top 15.
Original PGA TOUR Champions Recent-Form Top 15
This is the original PGA TOUR Champions recent-form lane published before Round 1. It remains unchanged as the permanent record of the pre-tournament board.
| Rank | Player | Recent five-event form line | Fantasy read |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zach Johnson | Won Principal; won Kaulig senior major; top 10 in all eight 2026 starts. | Best current combination of wins, accuracy, pressure putting, and four-round control. |
| 2 | Pádraig Harrington | Won U.S. Senior Open; runner-up at DICK'S Open. | Major-winning power and the strongest two-event major/playoff sequence behind Johnson. |
| 3 | Stewart Cink | Runner-up at U.S. Senior Open; fourth at Kaulig; two earlier 2026 senior-major wins. | Elite distance and GIR keep him inside the premium trio. |
| 4 | Dicky Pride | Won DICK'S Open in a playoff. | Recent victory plus a strong GIR profile creates a better Gleneagles case than the old board showed. |
| 5 | Miguel Ángel Jiménez | U.S. Senior Open top-10 level finish; repeated contention across the season. | Best putting profile among the leading current-field players. |
| 6 | Retief Goosen | Tied fifth at U.S. Senior Open; one of the season's leading scoring-average players. | Major-tested control and a strong approach/putting blend. |
| 7 | Boo Weekley | Runner-up at Kaulig after a closing 66. | Fairway strength and fresh major form make him a real top-15 contender. |
| 8 | Rory Sabbatini | Third at Kaulig with closing rounds of 66-66. | Current major form and useful driving length move him well above a reputation-only watch list. |
| 9 | Jamie Donaldson | Tied fifth at U.S. Senior Open; also owns a 2026 Legends Tour win. | Strong crossover form and a major Gleneagles connection. |
| 10 | Paul Stankowski | Tied fifth at U.S. Senior Open. | High GIR standing and fresh senior-major form give him a strong floor. |
| 11 | Cameron Percy | Held the 36-hole Kaulig lead and remained in the weekend contention group. | Current ball-striking heat keeps him in the deeper premium pool. |
| 12 | Jerry Kelly | Opened Kaulig with the lead and stayed inside the major-week conversation. | Fairways and controlled approaches remain useful at Gleneagles. |
| 13 | Brett Quigley | Shared the 36-hole Principal lead. | Recent contention and a balanced veteran game make him a top-20 format play. |
| 14 | Scott Hend | Shared the 36-hole Principal lead; runner-up at Barbados on the Legends Tour. | Power and two-tour contention create upside, with accuracy as the risk. |
| 15 | Ernie Els | Repeated 2026 top-10 level play and one of the tour's best scoring/putting profiles. | Recent results are quieter than Johnson's, but the four-stat base remains elite. |
Original Staysure Legends Tour Recent-Form Top 15
This is the original Staysure Legends Tour recent-form lane published before Round 1. It remains unchanged as the permanent record of the pre-tournament board.
| Rank | Player | Recent form line | Fantasy read |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamie Donaldson | Won Staysure Marbella Legends; tied fifth at U.S. Senior Open. | Best complete Legends form line and a proven Gleneagles pressure player. |
| 2 | Simon Griffiths | Won Costa Navarino by three; eighth at OFX Irish Legends; competitive at U.S. Senior Open. | Most complete repeated recent-form profile on the international side. |
| 3 | Johan Edfors | Won OFX Irish Legends by three after a closing 66; also contended at Barbados. | Hottest immediate Legends Tour winner entering Gleneagles. |
| 4 | Greg Owen | Won Barbados Legends; added a Senior PGA top-10. | Win plus senior-major crossover gives him a strong four-round case. |
| 5 | Robert Coles | Runner-up at OFX Irish Legends after leading through 36 holes. | Current scoring heat makes him a legitimate deeper-field fantasy target. |
| 6 | Scott Hend | Runner-up at Barbados; contended at Principal Charity Classic. | Best power ceiling in the Legends lane, but less fairway security. |
| 7 | Stephen Gallacher | Runner-up at Marbella; inside the Barbados contention group. | Scottish comfort and repeated high finishes raise his Gleneagles value. |
| 8 | Emanuele Canonica | Third at OFX Irish Legends after holding the first-round lead. | Sharp approach and scoring form with immediate confidence. |
| 9 | David Drysdale | Runner-up at Costa Navarino. | Recent high finish plus Scottish conditions experience. |
| 10 | Miguel Ángel Jiménez | Marbella contention and another U.S. Senior Open top-10 level week. | Tour crossover strength and the best putting profile in the field. |
| 11 | Jean-François Remesy | One of the leading players on the current Legends Tour Order of Merit. | Repeated season-long form keeps him ahead of better-known but colder names. |
| 12 | Keith Horne | Multiple recent top-10 level Legends performances. | Steady international floor and reliable scoring control. |
| 13 | Peter Baker | Defending Costa Navarino winner and a repeated Legends contender. | Better for made-cut and top-20 formats than outright-winner formats. |
| 14 | James Kingston | Recent OFX Irish champion entering 2026 with proven closing ability. | Current-tour winning experience keeps him in the top-15 lane. |
| 15 | Adilson da Silva | Repeated Legends Tour contention and strong accuracy-based senior profile. | Fairway control gives him a useful difficult-weather floor. |
Original Combined 30-Player Four-Stat Re-Rank
This is the original pre-tournament four-stat re-rank. Each category was ranked within the 30-player shortlist, with 1 representing the strongest profile in that category.
| Re-Rank | Player | Fairways | Distance | GIR | Putting | Combined read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zach Johnson | 3 | 18 | 7 | 5 | Two recent wins overcome the distance gap; strongest control-and-conversion build. |
| 2 | Pádraig Harrington | 16 | 2 | 5 | 8 | Best major-form blend of power, GIR, and pressure scoring. |
| 3 | Stewart Cink | 12 | 1 | 1 | 16 | Distance/GIR leader; putting is the only category keeping him from first. |
| 4 | Miguel Ángel Jiménez | 5 | 21 | 11 | 1 | Best putting profile with enough fairway control to offset reduced length. |
| 5 | Jamie Donaldson | 9 | 12 | 9 | 10 | No major weakness, recent win, U.S. Senior Open T5, and Gleneagles confidence. |
| 6 | Retief Goosen | 10 | 7 | 8 | 7 | One of the most balanced statistical builds in the entire shortlist. |
| 7 | Dicky Pride | 14 | 15 | 3 | 12 | Recent win plus elite GIR standing raises his four-round floor. |
| 8 | Ernie Els | 11 | 6 | 6 | 3 | Quiet recent window, but the complete statistical profile remains top tier. |
| 9 | Simon Griffiths | 8 | 14 | 10 | 9 | Win, repeated top-10 form, and no major short-list weakness. |
| 10 | Greg Owen | 15 | 10 | 12 | 6 | Barbados win and strong putting give him an excellent international conversion case. |
| 11 | Johan Edfors | 13 | 9 | 14 | 4 | Latest Legends winner with the putting to convert another strong week. |
| 12 | Paul Stankowski | 18 | 19 | 2 | 14 | U.S. Senior Open T5 and elite GIR strength make him a strong floor play. |
| 13 | Boo Weekley | 2 | 8 | 15 | 18 | Kaulig runner-up and elite fairway profile; putting limits the ceiling. |
| 14 | Rory Sabbatini | 17 | 5 | 13 | 11 | Fresh major top-three and enough length to create scoring chances. |
| 15 | Scott Hend | 20 | 3 | 17 | 15 | Power and two-tour contention create upside, but position play adds volatility. |
| 16 | Robert Coles | 6 | 17 | 16 | 2 | Current putting heat and an Irish runner-up finish keep him first outside the top 15. |
| 17 | Cameron Percy | 19 | 11 | 4 | 20 | Strong GIR and current contention; putting needs to improve. |
| 18 | Stephen Gallacher | 7 | 16 | 18 | 13 | Scottish course fit and recent runner-up form preserve value. |
| 19 | Emanuele Canonica | 22 | 20 | 19 | 17 | Recent podium finish leads the case more than the four-stat profile. |
| 20 | Jerry Kelly | 4 | 24 | 20 | 19 | Fairway control remains useful, but the full blend is behind the hotter names. |
Final Grades for the Original Senior Open Top 15
The original order is preserved. Final positions and grades show how each locked selection performed over 72 holes.
| Original Rank | Player | Final Position | Final Score | Grade | Final Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zach Johnson | T7 | -4 / 276 | A | Best locked result and a clear top-10 hit. |
| 2 | Pádraig Harrington | Outside displayed top 26 | — | D | The premium pick did not produce a leading finish. |
| 3 | Stewart Cink | T11 | -2 / 278 | A- | Strong four-round result just outside the top 10. |
| 4 | Miguel Ángel Jiménez | T14 | -1 / 279 | B+ | Solid top-15 finish from the putting-led pick. |
| 5 | Jamie Donaldson | T11 | -2 / 278 | A- | Closed with 66 and delivered the CB Caddie hunch. |
| 6 | Retief Goosen | T21 | E / 280 | C+ | Made the visible top group but did not challenge the leaders. |
| 7 | Dicky Pride | Outside displayed top 26 | — | D | The recent-winner pick did not deliver a top-26 result. |
| 8 | Ernie Els | T14 | -1 / 279 | B+ | Useful top-15 finish after entering Sunday as the best-positioned locked pick. |
| 9 | Simon Griffiths | Outside displayed top 26 | — | D | The leading Legends value did not reach the visible top group. |
| 10 | Greg Owen | Outside displayed top 26 | — | D | No leading finish from the Barbados winner. |
| 11 | Johan Edfors | Outside displayed top 26 | — | D | The recent Legends winner finished outside the visible top 26. |
| 12 | Paul Stankowski | Outside displayed top 26 | — | D | The GIR value did not convert into a leading result. |
| 13 | Boo Weekley | T7 | -4 / 276 | A | Excellent final-round 65 and one of the board's two top-10 hits. |
| 14 | Rory Sabbatini | Outside displayed top 26 | — | D | The 54-hole top-10 position did not hold through the finish. |
| 15 | Scott Hend | Outside displayed top 26 | — | D | The power pick did not produce a top-26 finish. |
Best Final Results from the Locked Top 15
Zach Johnson — A
Tied seventh at 4-under after rounds of 67, 73, 68, and 68.
Boo Weekley — A
Tied seventh at 4-under after a closing 65 moved him into the top 10.
Stewart Cink — A-
Tied 11th at 2-under after finishing with a 65.
Jamie Donaldson — A-
Tied 11th at 2-under after a final-round 66 completed the strongest hunch result.
Final Results from the Broader Original Research Boards
Jerry Kelly — A+
Won at 10-under after appearing No. 12 on the Champions board and No. 20 in the combined re-rank.
Cameron Percy — A+
Tied second at 8-under after appearing No. 11 on the Champions board and No. 17 in the combined re-rank.
Stephen Gallacher — A
Finished fifth at 6-under after appearing No. 7 on the Legends board and No. 18 in the combined re-rank.
Emanuele Canonica — A
Tied seventh at 4-under after appearing No. 8 on the Legends board and No. 19 in the combined re-rank.
Peter Baker — B+
Tied 14th at 1-under after appearing No. 13 on the original Legends board.
Final-order lesson
The broader boards identified several of the strongest finishers, but Kelly, Percy, Gallacher, and Canonica were not promoted into the locked final top 15.
Final Value and Sleeper Grades
- Jerry Kelly — A+: champion at 10-under and the strongest result from the broader research board.
- Cameron Percy — A+: tied second at 8-under and remained in the championship fight through Sunday.
- Stephen Gallacher — A: final-round 62 lifted him to fifth at 6-under.
- Emanuele Canonica — A: final-round 65 produced a tied-seventh finish at 4-under.
- Peter Baker — B+: tied 14th at 1-under after beginning Sunday in third.
- Jamie Donaldson — A-: CB Caddie hunch closed with 66 and tied for 11th.
- Boo Weekley — A: deeper locked pick finished tied seventh after a closing 65.
- Retief Goosen — C+: tied 21st at even par.
CaddyBytes Senior Open Final Report Card
Locked Top 15: B-
Two top-10s, two tied-11th finishes, two tied-14th finishes, and one tied-21st result.
Broader Research: A-
The winner, a tied runner-up, a fifth-place finisher, and another tied-seventh finisher all appeared on the original broader boards.
CB Caddie Hunch: A-
Jamie Donaldson closed with 66 and finished tied 11th at 2-under.
Overall Page Grade: B
The research depth was strong, but the final locked order failed to elevate the championship's best outside-board names.
CB Caddie Hunch Final Grade: A-
Jamie Donaldson finished tied 11th at 2-under 278 after rounds of 68, 74, 70, and 66. The closing 66 moved him into one of the strongest final positions produced by the locked top 15.
Backup hunch: Simon Griffiths finished outside the displayed top 26 and receives a D.
Senior Open Fantasy Page Status
| Update Stage | Result | Page Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-tournament rankings | Original Champions, Legends, combined re-rank, and locked top 15 preserved. | Completed. |
| 36-hole and 54-hole reviews | Original picks tracked through the weekend. | Completed. |
| Final results | Kelly won; the locked top 15 produced two T7s, two T11s, two T14s, and one T21. | This version. |
| Final grades | Locked top 15: B-. Broader research: A-. Overall page: B. | Published. |
Fantasy note: This page preserves the original CaddyBytes fantasy selections and adds the completed tournament grades. It is for fantasy golf analysis, entertainment, and general lineup research only, not betting or wagering advice.