Need help with your fantasy selections ahead of The Open Championship? WADE PRETORIUS has done the legwork.
What we know so far:
Royal Birkdale’s last six Open winners are Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer, Peter Thomson, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Ian Baker-Finch, Mark O’Meara and Padraig Harrington. The majority of them were already Major winners before they won the Claret Jug, which points directly away from the current streak of first time Major winners being continued this week. It stands at 7 in a row following Brooks Koepka’s win at the US Open in June, with Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm, Alex Noren and Rickie Fowler all inside the top 10, but yet to win a big one.
How did our tipster fare at the US Open?
The weather will be a factor and Royal Birkdale will play tough, which could spell more misery for top-ranked stars who are currently off the boil. Rory McIlory (three missed cuts in four events) and Dustin Johnson (missed the US Open cut and hasn’t played since) may yet find some of their magic this week, but are overlooked, with their recent records suggesting more miss than hit this week.
Six steady Open picks:
1. Justin Rose
If the first-time Major streak is going to be broken then Rose might just be the one to do it. He’s vastly experienced, finished inside the top five at the Irish Open two weeks ago, and has a dramatic history with Royal Birkdale – he finished T4 as an amateur. The Englishman’s Open record is actually ordinary, with two missed cuts in his last five events, but did finish T6 two years ago.
2. Branden Grace
There’s not much to suggest a South African will top the leaderboard on Sunday, but Grace is almost certainly SA’s best contender. He was steady in Scotland to finish T15 and finished nicely with a 68. If the wind blows (and it almost certainly will), then look to the 29-year-old to thrive. He won in Qatar back to back two years ago, and won the Dunhill Links Championship in 2012 in similar conditions. Grace has the game and has proven to be a worthy contender in the biggest events in golf – he could just bring the Claret Jug home this week.
3. Sergio Garcia
If you want to look past the Masters champion, then maybe look at Adam Scott. Only one European has won at Royal Birkdale, so the Australian is not a bad alternative. Both have exceptional records at The Open in the past five year, with Scott’s stroke average second after Henrik Stenson, with Garcia in fourth behind Phil Mickelson and ahead of Zach Johnson. Garcia is bound to win another Major and The Open presents him with another shot at redemption after his 2008 playoff loss to Padraig Harrington. 10 of the Spaniard’s 23 top 10s in Majors have come at this event, so if you’re looking for a player that fits the ‘horses for courses’ approach then Sergio isn’t a bad option.
4. Jon Rahm
Those who witnessed his demolition of Portstewart won’t be surprised by this pick. Rahm’s probably an outside pick because he’s only played one Open – he finished T59 – since turning pro. He has a steady all-round game and could make it three Spanish wins in a row on the European Tour this week. One win and seven top 10s on the PGA TOUR suggest he’s ready to take the next step too.
5. Tommy Fleetwood
Not quite an outside pick anymore, after the 26-year-old’s brilliant 2017. Fleetwood moved into the top 20 in the world after amassing the third-most rankings points in 2017, he leads the Race to Dubai , won in Abu Dhabi and at the French Open. He’s been brilliant from tee to green, played with Koepka at the US Open (he finished fourth) on Saturday and Sunday and lives down the road, so will have plenty of home support to count on. One report even suggests he’s played Royal Birkdale 20 times in the last month. Even if that’s only half accurate, that’s a lot of local knowledge.
6. Rickie Fowler
I can’t leave him out. Six of previous seven winners played at the Scottish Open the week before, and the world number 10 was solid last week finishing T9, including a nightmare 74 in the third round. He won the event two years ago. There are dozens of articles predicting winners this week and almost all of them include Fowler, who is right near the top when it comes to what the bookies are thinking. His recent form is good enough, he plays well in Majors and he’s bound to win one sometime. I just can’t leave him out…
