British Open 2018: Ranking of Top 25 Golfers on the Field by Most Valuable at Carnoustie

The Open Championship is perhaps the hardest of the four majors to predict on an annual basis, especially right now. At the Masters and the US Open, you have well-defined favorites that have performed brilliantly in recent years. Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson at Augusta National. Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka at the US Open. Even the PGA Championship has Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas. But The Open is, as it should probably be, much more ambiguous.

With this in mind, let us take stock of some recent trends as well as the recent history of the Open Championship sites to find the 25 golfers most likely to win the third major of 2018.

1. Marc Leishman (Best Finish – T2 in 2015): I had no legitimate idea of ​​who to put in this space (more on that in a minute). However, Leishman has rocked across the pond, where he has three top 10 in his last four Opens, including a playoff loss to St. Andrews in 2015. He also finished in the top 10 earlier this year at Masters. So laugh now but thank me later when you win your fantasy pool.

2. Sergio Garcia (2nd in 2007): He also finished three top-10 finishes in his last four outings at Opens, and was a finalist in 2007 at Carnoustie when Padraig Harrington won in the playoffs. I can not believe I'm boasting someone who finished in 70th place and has missed five cups in his last six PGA tournaments, but here we go. I am also encouraged by several top 15 on the European circuit after the US Open.

3. Rickie Fowler (T2 in 2014): Fowler has a lot of misunderstandings about his career up to now, but the main one among them might be that he was elite at Opens. He has been good – two top 10 in eight appearances – but he has as many top 20 in the last three Opens as you. Whatever it is, it comes out of a strong attendance at the Scottish Open, and a bad test at the insurmountable Carnoustie feels like he had a name written on it (do not listen to me, however, I chose it for the first two major of the year

4. Brooks Koepka (T6 in 2017): The double US Open champion has finished in the top 10 of each of his last two participations at the Open.If anyone needs to look and flex on the North Sea, it will be Koepka He has been nailed to major championships in recent years as well.Koepka has 12 top-20 in his last 15 major and has not missed a cup since 2013.

5. Tommy Fleetwood (T27 in 2017): Did his first cut last year at Birkdale, but he is apparently made to defend himself at these events.All ball flights plus a perfect attitude for Either one or the other Open (he was top five in each of the last two in the US) should play well at Carnoustie.

6. Rory McIlroy (Won in 2014): I did not see myself putting McIlroy, Garcia and Leishman in the top six of my rankings before I did research, but it did not show up. is not without a little punch. The average of the McIlroy finals (average of the finals) in the last five openings (excluding missed cuts) is 3.3. He won in 2014 and finished two more in the top five with a missed cup and a missed event (St. Andrews). "The most difficult test in the Open Rota" does not scream exactly "Rory McIlroy", but the data is the data. He was down amateur here in 2007.

7. Dustin Johnson (T2 in 2011): The Open might have to win him for Johnson to steep himself in Claret Jug Sunday. In my mind, D.J. has like 22 majors, but in reality he only has one. His closest call, technically, was in 2011 when he hit a ball out of bounds on second nine Sunday and Darren Clarke went on to win. The quintessence of his Open experience, however, was in 2015 when he opened 65-69 at St. Andrews and led halfway through. Then he closed 75-75 and finished T49.

8. Jordan Spieth (Earned in 2017): I do not know what to do with Spieth. He has finished two of the top five in his last three games, including this spectacular win last year. And yet, I have more confidence in the press room by getting rid of any "Hideki will win?" questions this week that I'm doing in the Spieth putter. Yet there is one all the time, and all the time to understand at one time. I do not know if "at any given time" will be at Carnoustie this week or Hawaii in January 2019.

9. Justin Thomas (T53 in 2016): It's hard to get Someone in the top 10 who has never managed to rank among the top 50 at the Open and has only two top 10 majors, but Justin Thomas does not. is not any one of a typical. If I put this player profile in my top 10, that's because I bet on talent, and he could have more than anyone in the game right now. It does not come with a ton of momentum – just a top 10 in its last seven PGA Tour events – but it's still the top 10 shots won on approach shots, from tee to green and to the general.

ten. Zach Johnson (Won in 2015): Three top 10 in his last six tries at this event, and he has – I can not believe it's a real statistic! – as many Jets Claret as victories of John Deere Clbadic. The average of his last five games is 16.0. Only Garcia, McIlroy and Phil Mickelson were better.

11. Jon Rahm (T44 in 2017): He has already proven that he can win anywhere in the world. I think (I think ) that it is better for him if the weather whistles all week because he has every time, but I am concerned about his state of affairs. mind he feels that he has had the wrong side of the picture. 19659002] 12. Patrick Reed (T12 in 2016): I wanted to put Reed before Day, I really did, but I just could not do it. Captain America sweeping the jug and drinking the most American fluid – Fireball, I presume – before parading through the streets of Paris in his green jacket in September in a Ryder Cup is the kind of scenario I'm here for. Reed has finished in the top five in each of the last three majors, but none of the top 10 in the Open. It's hard for me to reconcile Patrick Reed, a great elite championship golfer, but it has happened.

13. Justin Rose (T4 in 1998): He has (perhaps surprisingly) not had the greatest career at this event. Rose has only two top 10 historics, and one of them came in amateur in 1998 at Royal Birkdale. He finished T12 here in 2007, however. Emoji of eyeball.

14. Tiger Woods (Won 2000, 2005, 2006): The winner three times will benefit from the fact that the pilot is removed from his hands. However, I'm not sure his game is sharp enough to win one of the biggest tournaments right now. Shinnebad m & # 39; s removed my confidence.

15. Phil Mickelson (Won in 2013): Can shoot 12 under to win by seven. May try to separate the North Sea with one of his 3 irons. Can just drop the dirtiest cuts that humanity has ever seen and not worry about its score. Who knows.

16. Jason Day (T4 in 2015): Only one top 10 here in his career. However, he'll hit that 2 iron for days, on the baked fairways on which Brandt Sndeker (!) Hits a distance of 400 yards.

Just hit a 427 out of 18 @TheOpen . Guys would hit him in the burn in front of the green 450+ .. Carnoustie is cooked but the greens are pure .. Never seen an Open this firm .. Will be a great week if it stays like that .. pic.twitter. com / AUXyPGF4iu

– Brandt Snedeker (@BrandtSnedeker) July 14, 2018

17. Henrik Stenson (Won in 2016): supported his win in 2016 with a T11 last year, and I would definitely have Stenson in my top 10 if it's for a injury that l & rsquo; Made out of the Scottish Open last week. I am worried enough to let him down so far. He is in good health, however, he is in my top 10.

18. Adam Scott (2nd in 2012): finished his series of four consecutive top 10 starting from 2012-15 with a pair of finishes outside the top 20 in the last two seasons. He has not missed a cut here since 2009, but he has only one top-10 in 15 starts on the PGA Tour since the beginning of the year. He is one of four golfers (McIlroy, Garcia, Leishman) with at least three top 10 in the last five Opens.

19. Louis Oosthuizen (Won in 2010): He had a curious story here. Two top two (including a win at St. Andrews in 2010), but he missed the last two cups at Royal Troon and Royal Birkdale. Only a top 10 in his last 11 major leagues, but I can not stop the swing.

20. Hideki Matsuyama (T6 in 2013): Not his best major, of course, but he seems to be finding his way with three consecutive top 20s on the PGA Tour after suffering early injuries of the season. No top 10 in his last four starts at The Open.

21. Rafael Cabrera-Bello (T4 in 2017): Speaking of top 10, it looks like this guy has about five of them at this event. The reality, however, is that he has one, and he came to Royal Birkdale last year. He is sort of a poor Adam Scott (who, in reality, is not a very poor man)

22. Paul Casey (T3 in 2010): Casey is another guy who should have more top 10 at this event than he actually does. Currently number 4 on the PGA Tour in terms of overall winning strokes and perhaps having one of his best years perhaps ever.

23. Alex Noren (T6 in 2017): So much for that. It has just come out of a top 10 last year as well as a monstrous victory at the Open de France, which is, I believe, what kids call trend.

24. Francesco Molinari (T9 in 2013): This is not hard.

Francesco Molinari's goals average over his last 8 laps?

65.5

– Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) July 15, 2018

25. Ian Poulter (2nd in 2008): Only two made cuts in his last five Opens, but his average was 8.5. I know a lot of people probably do not want Poulter to win a major. I want it more than maybe something else than a play-off Tiger-Phil. Four consecutive top 20 on the European Tour.