The 146th Open: Power Rankings and players to shine at Royal Birkdale
Tuesday 18 July 2017 14:35, UK
Who are the players to beat at Royal Birkdale this week? Ben Coley ranks the top contenders for victory at The Open.
Jordan Spieth
A strong iron player, regardless of what you might read about his dependence on putting, Spieth looks primed to go well at Birkdale.
He has made the cut in all four Open attempts, narrowly missing out on a play-off in 2015. A win last time out came at just the right time as he has gone back-to-back more than once before and this is a championship he really wants to win.
He'll have prepared in the meticulous way which has led him to so much success already and providing he keeps it in play off the tee, I expect his scoring prowess from inside 200 yards to shine. It's The Open and a little luck will be needed, but Spieth's credentials are second to none.
Hideki Matsuyama
Now second in the Official World Golf Rankings, Matsuyama is edging closer to a major breakthrough. He finished sixth in this championship in 2013, when just 21 years old and unfortunate to be hit with a slow-play penalty during the third round.
Since then Matsuyama has established himself as a prolific winner and while his form cooled slightly after dominating at the turn of the year, he showed how good he is at peaking for majors when second in the US Open. Must have a huge chance.
Rickie Fowler
Like Matsuyama, Fowler is a major winner in waiting who went close yet again at the US Open last month. Having caught the eye at St Andrews in 2010 and again at Sandwich a year later, Fowler has long looked a potential winner of the Claret Jug, and as ever his preparations have been ideal.
Fowler loves to work the ball both ways and putts confidently so it's just a matter of getting the formula right on Sunday, something we can expect him to figure out sooner rather than later.
He will know this is a big chance, as is the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, scene of his first PGA Tour win.
Dustin Johnson
Johnson carried all before him in the spring, winning three times to earn the Masters favourite tag before an unfortunate accident on the eve of the event forced his withdrawal.
He went close on his first start back but has since lost his way a little, missing two cuts in a row including at the US Open. The concern is he has not played since, but Johnson otherwise has a really impressive record in this major, which he went closest to winning in 2011.
Just how often he'll be prepared to his driver, his most dangerous weapon, remains to be seen and it's that which sees the world No 1 ranked only fourth. It does seem certain, though, that a second major is coming and it could well be in the form of a Claret Jug.
Adam Scott
There is arguably no player in the field who would be more deserving of The Open, if deserving is the right word.
Scott should have won this title at Lytham when so painfully blowing a four-shot lead late in the day, but he also had his chances at Muirfield and St Andrews, looking to have taken control at the latter before another close-range miss.
That's the ongoing issue - Scott is an elite ball-striker who misses far too many short putts - but that hasn't stopped him remaining competitive. This season has been typically consistent and he seems certain to play well.
Jon Rahm
A sensational winner of the Irish Open to double his tally of titles in 2017, Rahm's rise won't stop until he reaches the top of the game. It's hard to believe that he only turned professional a year ago and already it's become clear that he's the complete package from a technical point of view.
There were some question marks over his attitude at the US Open and it's still a worry that when things aren't going well, he can get frustrated and ruin his chance.
Still, he's learning on the job and a good start could well see arguably the game's most confident player do something similar to the Irish Open, which he controlled virtually from start to finish. Major titles are surely a given at some stage.
Sergio Garcia
With 10 top-10 finishes in the Open Championship, many assumed that were Sergio to finally win a major, it would come here. Now that he has done it thanks to that famous afternoon at Augusta, who's to say he can't quickly double up at a course which will suit him down to the ground?
Yes, expectations are higher - he is not far off favouritism - but Garcia is in a great place mentally and has remained in form since the spring.
Like Scott, he had a great chance to win this at St Andrews having chased home Rory at Hoylake and it would be no surprise whatsoever to see Garcia's name in the mix once more.
The Open Live
Phil Mickelson
It's hard to explain exactly why, but over the last six or seven years, Mickelson has suddenly become a top-class links player and regular contender in the Open.
Not only did he win the Claret Jug in brilliant fashion at Muirfield, but he gave Darren Clarke a scare at Sandwich and then made Henrik Stenson pull out all the stops at Troon a year ago.
As such, he has to be considered a factor, having been in good form all year, even though a recent, high-profile switch in caddie does add an unknown into the equation. That's Mickelson, really: it's hard to know exactly what to expect.
Tommy Fleetwood
What a year it has been for Fleetwood. He started it with victory over a high-class field in Abu Dhabi, then went and finished second to DJ in Mexico when a 200/1 chance, before contending at the US Open and then winning again in France.
The Race to Dubai leader now gets the chance to underline his improvement as one of the favourites for an Open Championship played close to his family home. With familiarity comes pressure and that's new to Fleetwood, but he has the attitude to take it all in his stride.
From tee-to-green he really is among the world's best now and there would be few more popular champions. Unfortunately, from 200/1 over Christmas, his odds are now very short.
Rory McIlroy
The four-time major champion might not be perfectly suited to links golf, but he did win this title down the road at Hoylake and was a little unfortunate at St Andrews in 2010, too.
Of course, Birkdale is a very different test and he's been way below his best recently, but McIlroy probably isn't all that far away from reminding us all what he can do.
It's likely we have to wait until the PGA Championship to see him in full flow, but let's not rule out the possibility that he could do it here.
Five Sleepers
Branden Grace
The Open Live
Winner of the Dunhill Links in 2012, Grace has the ideal game for Birkdale and warmed up with an encouraging top-20 finish in Scotland last week. He's placed in four majors already and has made the cut in every Open start, while the fact we've had two South African winners this decade underlines his prospects at a decent price.
Marc Leishman
Iain Baker-Finch won here in 1991 and compatriot Leishman is capable of becoming the latest Australian major champion. He almost did so at St Andrews two years ago, losing a play-off, and that's the third time this all-rounder has placed in a major.
This year he's won in difficult conditions on the PGA Tour while he was in that sort of form when fifth last time out.
Brian Harman
The left-hander, who was a surprise leader of the US Open, shouldn't be underestimated. Harman eventually finished second in the US Open, has held his form since, and may well be suited by Birkdale having played well at Hoylake in 2014.
Harman is really sharp around the greens, just like the last winner at this course, and could cause a surprise as so many US players have done before.
Hideto Tanihara
Back in 2006, Tanihara finished 10th in his final start before the Open and then went on to place behind Tiger Woods at Hoylake. Eleven years on, he is playing some of the best golf in his life and was 10th in the Irish Open last time out.
Having also reached the last four of the WGC-Match Play in the spring, he is playing much better than massive odds would suggest and has previous in this event.
Brandt Snedeker
With a sharp short-game, victories by the coast in the US and a top-three finish behind Els at Lytham, Snedeker has to come onto the radar this week.
He is the right sort of age for an Open winner and his pop-putting stroke works really well on the slower greens of the UK. He has not won this year, which is a slight negative but was ninth in the US Open and absolutely loves links golf.
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