Spencer Schultz (@ravens4dummies on Twitter/X) has joined PressBox to share his favorite plays each day.
Here are picks for The Open:
The final major of the year is upon us. With that, here are eight golfers that I love this week with a little write up. I like them as a top-30 finish round robin and/or parlay, to finish top-20 and top-10 if even or better odds, and each of them to win.
Scottie Scheffler: At +450 for good reason, Scheffler appears to have returned to his dominant form over the last few weeks. Scheffler is as lethal as them come from around the green, creative and has expressed his affinity for links style golf in the wind throughout the week. In the last 36 rounds, no one has gained more strokes (+3.16) in windy conditions or onto small greens (+2.40) ball striking onto small greens such as Royal Troon’s postage stamp sized 123-yard par 3 green. As usual, if Scheffler can putt, he will win.
Collin Morikawa: At +1650, Morikawa is a recent winner of this tournament. His long iron game, low penetrating ball flight and creativity scrambling will all bode well at Royal Troon. Morikawa is a links golf savant, gaining 1.97 strokes over his last 36 rounds on olde courses, third best in the field.
Xander Schauffele: Schauffele is top five in strokes gained in the wind, putting and on small greens. He profiles well at Troon with his combination of distance, creativity and putting prowess.
Tom Kim: While Kim is still only 22, he has played in 65 events, made 53 cuts and has won on Tour three times while posting eight top-five finishes and 14 top-10s. He’s comfortably good in links style golf with a runner-up at this event last year, then third, sixth and 15th at the Genesis. His approach shots have been on fire over the last month or so. Kim is a streaky young golfer who is still adjusting his swing with new swing coach Chris Como, and it’s caught rhythm as of late.
Robert MacIntyre: Coming off a win at the Genesis, it would be truly poetic for the native to win back to back, but his prowess on the links with his incredible putting would shock absolutely no one.
Tony Finau: Finau is in great form heading into the final major of the year and is looking to get that elusive first major championship victory. Perhaps no one other than Rory McIlroy has more pressure to win one at this point. Finau has placed third, ninth, 15th and 28th with a missed cut over the last five British Opens. His approach, particularly onto small greens, has been among the best in the world over the last few tournaments with 0.98 strokes gained over the last 24 rounds played.
Cameron Young: Young has been spectacular in his first two British Opens, with a runner-up and eighth place finish. His 3.38 strokes gained at the tournament (min. 8 rounds) are by far the best figure over the last two tournaments. He has been a strong major player in general, averaging 3.88 birdies per round since 2020, the third best figure entering the tournament.
Jordan Spieth: Since 2018, Spieth is -30 at The Open, second to only Tommy Fleetwood (-32). He’s finished no lower than 30th in the tournament dating back to 2014 and never missed the cut. His creativity around the green is unparalleled, and dating back to 2010 no one has gained more strokes per round at the tournament with a minimum of 36 rounds.
Tommy Fleetwood: Another Open stud, Fleetwood’s signature iron shaping and links style prowess will bode well. This tournament is the best shot Fleetwood has at finding a win, with his experience in similar courses, iron striking and creativity.
Photo by Soheb Zaidi on Unsplash.com
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