Louis Oosthuizen (22/1)
An obvious pick given he knows how to win at St Andrews, lifting the Claret Jug the last time The Open was played here.
For me, Louis has the most elegant swing in the game, it’s just heavenly to watch. I also think he’ll take a lot of confidence from his U.S. Open showing at Chambers Bay. Although he had a nightmare opening day 77, he then bounced back with three brilliant rounds in the 60s to nearly win it.
If the putter is hot I expect him to be contending come Sunday afternoon.
Justin will win more majors, that’s the unanimous opinion from pretty much everyone in the game.
He’s a quality player and so comfortable with his technique now due to all the hard work he’s put in with with Sean Foley. As with Oosthuizen, the key to Justin winning will be the flat stick. He’s a streaky putter but if he can get the feel early in the week, the rest of the field need to watch out.
He has so much inner confidence, is tough mentally and obviously know what it takes to win a Major.
Tommy Fleetwood (66/1)
24 year old Tommy grew up playing links golf in Southport, and I really feel he’s a great outside bet for The Open.
He’s been in great form recently, is a quality player and without doubt a future Ryder Cup star.
He’s had a great season, posted a final round 69 at Chambers Bay to finish T27 in his first US Open, in difficult links-like conditions, and then had good weeks in Germany and last week in Scotland.
If he wins he might even cut his long flowing locks!
Shane Lowry (40/1)
I picked Shane for the Masters and not the U.S. Open, which was a school girl error given his love of links golf.
I’m hoping he doesn’t let me down now I’ve instilled my faith in him again. I interviewed Shane a lot at Chambers Bay and I know how much he’s enjoying the game right now and how well he’s playing.
Momentum is a great thing in golf and the Irishman has bucket loads right now. He’s a quality ball striker and I’m really excited about his chances at St Andrews.
Rickie Fowler (18/1)
I’d tipped Rickie for a great tournament at the U.S. Open and he badly let me down. I’ll tell him to his face when I next see him!
His missed cut at Chambers Bay was a big shock and I really expect him to make amends at the home of golf. He loves links golf, he’s got an impressive Open record, he’s a creative shot maker with great hands and if the weather turns ugly Rickie won’t be perturbed.
His major record last year speaks for itself, with Top 5s in all of them and as I mentioned prior to the U.S. Open, he took an awful lot of confidence from his Players win.
Plus he’s trying to do a Phil Mickelson and win the Scottish Open and The Open back-to-back. He really has got great vibes coming in.
Brandt Snedeker (40/1)
I mentioned in my U.S. Open preview that Open Championship form would be a key tell in the that tournament. Brandt proved that to be the case as he had great week at Chambers Bay, posting a -1 score and a Top 10 finish.
He’s got a good Open record and for me, is one of the best putters in the game, with that brisk pop stroke. I also love Brandt’s attitude and you need that at the Open.
You will get bad bounces and tough breaks but it’s all about accepting things and moving on. He’s also got Butch in his stable which is always a bonus!
Betway are paying 1/4 odds on 1-2-3-4-5-6 places at the 2015 Open Championship.
