With the third major of the season beginning tomorrow at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, it’s time to start thinking about who should you be keeping an eye on. From solid favourites to captivating underdogs we’re breaking down the top players entering the Open Championship field on Thursday and taking a look at who just might be lifting the Claret Jug come Sunday.
Here are our Top 5 picks to watch this week at the Open Championship.
Check out this week's special offers.
Tiger Woods
The Nike player might seem like an obvious choice but injuries throughout last season and subsequent back surgery have meant Tiger Woods was forced to miss a chunk of tournaments this year including the first two majors. But the timeout seems to have only made the 38-year-old hungrier in the pursuit of his elusive number 15.
Telling reporters this week that the only acceptable finish for him is first. So will Woods shine at Hoylake in 2014? U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson seems to think so. “He’s a tough competitor,” says Watson. “He knows how to swing the golf club. And, yes, he’s had some injuries and other things, issues, but the thing is, he’s had a long career, and I fully expect it to be a longer career.”
Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson wowed golf fans last year by winning the Scottish Open and then pulling out a stunning performance the following week at the Open Championship. Becoming the first-ever player to win the two tournaments back-to-back. The 44-year-old hasn’t managed a top-10 finish since Muirfield but after a slow start to the season seems to be picking up the pace. Coming in last week T11 at Royal Aberdeen, Mickelson is looking to put an end to his top-10 dry spell and hopefully reclaim the Claret Jug he returned on Monday.
The American admitted this week that the 142-year-old trophy cup had been an excellent companion the past 12 months and had even enjoyed a $40,000 bottle of wine. “One of the things that I stressed is that we have to treat the Claret Jug with reverence and respect that it deserves and only put good stuff in it. There was no bad stuff allowed,” said Mickelson. “And that was the best bottle that was ever put in there.”
Justin Rose
England’s own Justin Rose is on fire as of late, claiming victory in his last two tournaments, including Sunday’s Scottish Open. The 33-year-old is now firmly set on following in Mickelson’s footsteps to become the second player to win the Scottish and the Open Championship in the same year in back-to-back weeks. In pursuit of his second major victory, Rose is feeling confident and strong ahead of Thursday’s tee-off. Telling reporters, “It's always easy after two wins to get carried away and say you're playing the best golf of your life, but I'm definitely more experienced and experience plays a huge part in being able to capitalise on your best golf.”
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy is looking to secure his third major title this week at Hoylake. That is if the 25-year can avoid the dreaded second-round slump that he’s rapidly becoming known for. Last week McIlroy followed a stunning course-record opening round of 64 at Royal Aberdeen only to blow it on Friday with a 78. The Nike player tried to explain the issue to reporters this week stating,
“I feel like sometimes this year when I’ve gotten myself into the lead or I shot 63 in the first round, I focused too much on where I was on the leader board or where I was in the tournament instead of just going out and trying to play another solid round of golf.” While his Open Championship record isn’t the best we’ve seen, last year he failed to make the cut for the first time in his career, McIlroy is hoping to stay focused and attack the links this week. If he can navigate past the second round we think he’s got a fighting chance.
Sergio Garcia
Will 2014 finally be Sergio Garcia’s major year? The 34-year-old Spaniard enters the competition tomorrow eight years after finishing T5 at the 2006 Open Championship, the last time it was held at Royal Liverpool. It’s a course that suits the golfer’s game well and many believe might be the one he can finally conquer.
Garcia has had an extremely positive year on the course so far, racking up numerous top-ten finishes and coming in T2 at last month’s Travelers Championship. Currently ranked number 9 in the world a major seems to be all that’s missing for Garcia.
