The Open starts at Hoylake on Thursday.Let's take a look at who is in with a shout and could potentially be lifting the Claret Jug on Sunday.
No Major Championship contenders list goes without mentioning the great Tiger Woods.Yes it has been a while since he won a major,yes he has had his problems,yes he has not played in a tournament recently but there is a good reason he heads this list.Tiger won The Open the last time it was held at Hoylake in 2006 and he won it in some style,finishing 18 strokes under par over the 4 rounds. Tiger's power and precision make him dangerous on a course like Hoylake.The 2-iron stinger will come into play off many of the par 4 tees and the power he has will enable him to find fairways with a long iron while others will be looking to control a driver or a 3-wood,that gives him a great advantage.I have always insisted that Tiger will add to his major haul and I will stick to that claim,he is a winner and has an unrivalled mental toughness which when coupled with his experience on this course and the impressive pace he set 8 years ago makes for a compelling argument for the legendary American.
Of course there are other big hitters in the game besides Tiger Woods.Bubba Watson is not an obvious choice for an Open contender despite his 2 major wins but with his big hitting and short game creativity,could well go close if he optimises his power with conservative plays off the tee.Dustin Johnson is a name that is often thrown around in the Majors and I think he too could well be in with a shout come Sunday if he manages to retain a degree of control in his rhythm and tempo and plays within himself,there is no need for him to go flat out on this course with the power he has at his disposal. Rory Mcilroy is always a contender in the majors and he will fancy his chances,the course will suit his game and he will look at the past winning score and think this could be his week.The -18 total last time out suggests that this will be less of a Carnoustie style scrap for survival and more of a test of conversion of solid tee to green play and short game mastery.
I've looked at the big hitters but that's not to rule out the tidier,less powerful players such as Brandt Snedeker and Luke Donald who could contend if their short games fire and the putter works some magic.
The form players of the moment are Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer,Rose looked in control of his game at the Scottish Open and Kaymer's performance at the US Open was as impressive as it was clinical in it's execution. Phil Mickelson will not give up his title without a fight,he won over the crowds last time out and will enjoy great support this week too.Phil's masterful wedge play,classy putting and free flowing rhythm give him assets that make him a danger at Hoylake.
Outsiders to consider could be Lee Westwood who has proven pedigree in The Open,Jim Furyk a tidy proven major winner and Henrik Stenson who is a big power player.
The winner will reveal himself on Sunday and whoever it is, this will be a cracking Open.Roll on Thursday.
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