Five golfers hoping to end 25 year wait for English winner at The Open
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By Mathieu Wood
Last Updated: 19/07/17 12:47pm
Nick Faldo is the last English player to have won The Open and there are group of English players aiming to end that run and lift the Claret Jug.
Incredibly there has also not been an English winner of the Claret Jug in England since Tony Jacklin in 1969 at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
We take a look at five contenders hoping to become England's first winner since Faldo at The 146th Open held at Royal Birkdale this week, live on Sky Sports The Open.
Justin Rose
The most experienced and accomplished of the five names we have highlighted. Rose, who is the only name on the list to have won a major, came to prominence at The Open at Royal Birkdale 19 years ago but has never bettered that performance something which he is unable to explain.
The US Open champion at Merion in 2013, was part of a memorable battle on the final day of the Masters only to succumb to an inspired Sergio Garcia at Augusta in April.
The 36-year-old took time away from the game in the immediate aftermath and has struggled to rediscover the same vigour and confidence, missing the US Open cut at Erin Hills.
But Rose, who is known for his composure and ball striking, did show positive signs at the Irish Open earlier this month in a tie for fourth place which added credence to the belief that he will one day secure the Claret Jug.
Tommy Fleetwood
The in-form English player without a shadow of doubt. The Southport native has enjoyed a stellar campaign so far this season which has seen him clinch two tour titles along with a fourth place finish at the US Open when he was in contention for the title coming down the stretch on the final day.
Fleetwood lifted the recent French Open title with a nerveless final round display and will desperate to perform well in front of a fervent home crowd at a course which he played on as a young boy.
The 26-year-old will be under pressure to impress but he proved with his second place finish at the WGC event in Mexico that he has the skill and calmness to deal with the expectation on his shoulders.
His renaissance of form has seen him rise to world No 14 and will join Hideki Matsuyama and the Erin Hills champion Brooks Koepka for the opening two rounds having never made a cut at his previous three Open appearances.
Paul Casey
Casey, who plays on the PGA Tour in America, is a former world No 3 and should never be discounted when it comes to the reckoning for prospective major winners.
The Englishman has received support for a re-call to the Ryder Cup reckoning for the European team despite not playing on the European Tour and will believe he is well equipped to secure an elusive first major.
The 39-year-old, who has only played at the Travellers Championship in recent weeks, was in a tie for the lead at the halfway stage of the US Open alongside Fleetwood and his short game play will need to be on his best form this week around Royal Birkdale if he is to have a chance.
His best finish at The Open in his 14 previous starts came in 2010 when he finished tied for third in the year Louis Oosthuizen won at St Andrews.
Tyrrell Hatton
Of the five candidates in focus, Hatton is coming into The Open in the poorest recent form. He has missed his past four cuts in a row including at three consecutive Rolex Series events and prior to that the US Open.
However the Englishman showed last year that he is adept to performing on links courses having secured his first European Tour title in emphatic fashion at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The world No 24 also finished in a tie for fifth place at last year's Open at Royal Troon, he secured his invite courtesy of a second place finish at the Scottish Open, suggesting he could rediscover some form at Royal Birkdale.
Hatton will be competing at The Open for the sixth time having not made a cut prior since last year's edition.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick has made the transition into the senior game appear effortless having already become a three-time winner on the European Tour.
His recent form doesn't provide too much cause for optimism in terms of lifting the Claret Jug after missing two cuts out of the recent three Rolex Series events.
The 22-year-old will be making his third appearance at The Open having first played in the major at Muirfield in 2013 when he won the silver medal as the best amateur in the field.
The world No 40 made his Ryder Cup debut last year at Hazeltine which acts as further recognition of his rise and ended last year celebrating victory at the end of year DP Tour Championship in Dubai, where he saw off Hatton by one stroke.
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