Southport: The Majors are the most significant yardstick for measuring a player’s career, and the 154th Open faces renewed challenges at Royal Birkdale on the windy shores of Merseyside here. As the golf course prepares to crown another champion, an unprecedented international golf story has begun to unfold.Two months ago Aaron Rai attracted global attention with a Major victory at the PGA Championship. Just weeks ago, Rai was joined by Sahith Theegala and Akshay Bhatia, and the trio made headlines by securing a top 20 finish at the US Open, making a change 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.Bhatia, 24, is already a three-time PGA Tour winner while Theegala, 28, has won once but has been in contention several times, including finishing third at the 2024 Tour Championship. Rai has worked his way through the pro ranks – from the Challenge Tour where he won three times to earn a promotion from the battlefield to the DP World Tour, and then the PGA Tour via the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour final. He won on the PGA Tour in 2024 and in 2026 he became the first Englishman to win the PGA since 1919.Theegala, backed by Heroes, is amazing when it comes to creativity and has a great short game. He showed his resilience at the US Open, fighting back from early disasters to finish T-11th with Rai. While Theegala’s aggressive style off the tee can be risky at Birkdale, he could be a Top-10 contender if he stays out of the narrow fairway hazards.The Indianorigin trio is completed with southpaw Bhatia, winner of the Palmer Invitational 2026. His performance with Rory McIlroy at the US Open showed his character under intense pressure.