Who are the favourites heading into the 150th Open Championship?
The 150th Open Championship is shaping up to be one of the most competitive and captivating to date. The July showcase at St.Andrews features a stacked list of talent and is set to draw over 290,000 fans surpassing the previous course record of 239,000 set back in 2000 for Tiger Woods’ win. This will mark the 30th occasion that the historic Scottish course hosts the world’s oldest golf tournament as the world’s best players look to make some history of their own by claiming the Claret Jug on the momentous anniversary of this iconic event. The DP World Tour’s decision to suspend LIV defectors from playing in the event has also helped open up a number of possibilities. Despite the bumpy build-up, this year will no doubt be a fabulous spectacle that produces another worthy winner at the home of golf but just who will be the one to wrestle the famous trophy away from Colin Morikawa? Here are our top five contenders to seize their opportunity at St. Andrews.
Mcilroy working his magic
Unsurprisingly the resurgent Rory Mcilroy is in the conversation yet again to walk away with the Claret Jug in 2022. The Northern Irishman has been on a fine run of form and has not been distracted on the course by what’s going on off it. The world number two has been one of the most vocal critics of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series but has not let his emotions get the better of him hitting the tied lowest opening PGA Tour round of 62 at the Travelers Championship on Thursday. The controversy appears to have lit a spark under the former world number one and while he denies he is out to prove something, his form undeniably puts him in the picture for yet another major win. For those betting in the US, Mcilroy is currently the favourite to win the Open Championship and after claiming victory at the Canadian Open earlier this month and following it up with a spirited showing in the U.S. Open to match, few would bet against him at St. Andrews.
Can Fitzpatrick make it two from two?
Matt Fitzpatrick celebrated a childhood dream becoming reality after holding his nerve to claim his first major title at Brookline last Sunday but there is rarely any time to rest on one’s laurels in golf. The 150th Open Championship is edging ever closer and the newly-crowned US champion will have to put his sensational title win in the background if he is to replicate that success in Scotland. The Yorkshireman held on to capture the U.S. Open in stunning fashion and perfectly displayed the guts and mental fortitude required to see it through in the dying embers of a major championship. The course at St.Andrews is known to be tricky with difficult contours and tough greens to contend with. But Fitzpatrick has the skillset to handle the typically tougher European conditions with seven of his last eight victories coming this side of the Atlantic. Composure will be of the utmost importance and with the Englishman having recently shown what he’s capable of under pressure, he has more than justified his improved odds over the past week.
World number one Scheffler is on fire
Scheffler has four wins this season, his most recent coming at the Masters, which capped a run of four wins in six starts. According to the PGA Tour, Scheffler is the fourth player to earn 4-plus wins and 3-plus runner-up finishes in a single season since 2000, joining the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth. The result of this tremendous run of form is that Scottie Scheffler has now set a new record in the PGA Tour for money earned from a single season. After finishing in second at the U.S. Open one shot behind Fitzpatrick, the American earned just over $1.5 million bringing his total season earnings to a staggering $12.9 million. There are still events left on the schedule for Scheffler to add to his total and there would be no better stage for Scheffler to define his career’s best season than at St.Andrews.
Jon Rahm looking to get back to winning ways
The charismatic Spaniard pledged his allegiance to the PGA Tour back in February and has stayed true to that promise since firmly insisting the history and legacy of PGA Tour tournaments offers far more than anything the LIV series ever could hope to. With that being said, Rahm must be relishing the prospect of clinching victory in the Open’s 150th edition at the most historic venue in the sport. The former U.S. champion hasn’t been at his best this season but has found a good patch of form at the perfect time with his first championship win coming in the Mexican Open a few months ago followed up with two finishes inside the top 15 in his last two outings. Rahm currently stands as the second favourite behind his European counterpart Mcilroy and if he can put all the pieces together it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see him towards the top of the scoreboard come the final round.
Justin Thomas is a top contender
The current PGA Championship champion Justin Thomas has struggled for consistency as of late, putting in tremendous performances at Southern Hills Country Club and the Canadian Open but failing to make the cut at the Charles Schwab Challenge and finishing 37th at Brookline. The 29-year-old did withdraw from the Travellers Championship with a back injury so the clock is ticking as to whether he can make it to Scotland 100% but should he be able to he will have plenty of positive major championship experience to call on to help him navigate the tough course. For this reason where Thomas will end up at St.Andrews is a tough one to call but should he be at his best it is more than likely we’ll be seeing him up the top of the leaderboard for the majority of the championship.
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