British & Irish contenders for victory at The Open at Royal Troon
By Ben Coley
Last Updated: 12/07/16 11:45am
Could we see a British or Irish winner at The Open this week? Ben Coley looks at the home contenders in action at Royal Troon
Rory McIlroy
Two years ago McIlroy produced a measured final-round display to win The Open at Hoylake, undermining concerns that he would never get to grips with a kind of golf which doesn't necessarily play to his strengths.
By his own admission, Rory is at his best when courses are longer and softer than is typically the case on the Scottish coast, but there is little doubt that his brilliance means he can win any time, any place.
Having been forced to miss last year's Open due to an injury, McIlroy will be eager to make up for lost time and his preparation has been solid, third place in the Open de France demonstrating that his missed cut in the US Open was a mere blip.
If the weather plays fair and McIlroy gets off to a good start he could well be a factor, but his advantage over the rest is negated when the wind blows, which would have to be the primary concern for his backers.
Justin Rose
It's incredible to think that we are nearly 20 years on from a fresh-faced Rose bursting onto the scene with a top-five finish in The Open as an amateur.
What is even more incredible is that Rose has played in this championship 13 times since without yet matching that tie for fourth at Birkdale and part of the reason is that his high ball-flight isn't particularly suited to links golf, while his occasional short-game woes are also problematic when it comes to chipping from the tight lies we will see at Troon.
Still, this is a major champion we're talking about and Rose did produce his best effort since Birkdale when sixth at St Andrews last year.
Since then he has generally continued to play the consistent, competitive golf we've grown used to but a back injury sustained in the spring has resulted in a low-key preparation.
Lee Westwood
One of the greatest players in the game never to have won a major, perhaps Westwood will feel that The Open still offers him his best chance of changing that.
It was at this tournament in 2013 that he led with nine holes to play, after all, and just down the coast at Turnberry where he narrowly missed out in 2009. Certainly, a bit of experience and Westwood's trademark accuracy goes a long way on a links course like Troon, where he was fourth in 2004.
It is also worth noting that Westwood's close friend Darren Clarke was 42 when he finally landed his first major title in this event five years ago, so the 43-year-old need not look far for inspiration.
Having contended in both the Masters and the US Open this year, Westwood appears to have every chance of being in the mix once more come the weekend.
Danny Willett
The reigning Masters champion is a big price at 50/1 if you consider that he's ranked ninth in the world, ahead of every UK player bar McIlroy, and contended at St Andrews last year.
But like so many before him, Willett appears to be struggling to adjust to his new, elevated status as a major winner, with missed cuts in France and Germany providing a less-than-ideal preparation for the season's third major.
Willett did play reasonably well in the US Open to finish 37th and was third at Wentworth before that, so it's been an up-and-down few months which has involved plenty of off-course commitments, but it's rare for a player to miss two cuts in the run-up to The Open and go on to win.
Shane Lowry
The man who so easily could have won the US Open but for a disappointing final round, Lowry has understandably struggled to shake off events at Oakmont in his two starts since.
The Irishman finished 36th in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, a no-cut, small-field event which he'd won the year before, and then missed the cut in the Scottish Open last week on a course which he should have suited nicely.
On the plus side, this is a player who burst onto the scene with a win when still an amateur in miserable conditions at the Irish Open, while he was ninth in this event in 2014 and has become a regular feature towards the top of major leaderboards.
Troon will suit and perhaps Lowry will be all the more eager to prove a point after a near-miss in the US Open.
Russell Knox
The pick of the Scottish challenge, Knox arrives at Troon on the back of a solid week in the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, which represented a homecoming for the Inverness man.
Although he missed the cut on his Open debut last year, Knox has since come a long way, winning a World Golf Championship and contending on a regular basis in the US.
Keen to force his way into the Ryder Cup picture, Knox needs a big week here if he's to do so and his tidy game, which shows few weaknesses, means he could just manage it.
Best of the rest...
Matthew Fitzpatrick
Without doubt one of the brightest young talents in world golf, Fitzpatrick will be keen to return to the form which saw him register a top-10 finish in the Masters before winning in Sweden.
Chris Wood
Two top-five finishes in The Open and a win earlier this year in the BMW PGA Championship mark Chris Wood out as one to watch at a big price.
Andrew Johnston
The man they call 'Beef' has enjoyed a fantastic season, breaking through for his first European Tour win, and that came in difficult conditions. Johnston will relish this opportunity and his stellar ball-striking could take him a long way.
Callum Shinkwin
A former English Amateur champion, Shinkwin is really finding his feet on the European Tour and qualified for The Open with a fine performance in France. A huge talent to watch for the future - even if this is too much, too soon.
Richie Ramsay
A last-minute qualifier courtesy of a brilliant final-round in the Scottish Open, Ramsay is a known links lover who goes well in tough conditions - as long as he's not too hard on himself. Accurate and tough, he could spring a surprise.
Colin Montgomerie
It was here at Troon that Montgomerie played a lot of golf as a youngster, when his dad was club secretary, and he's been given the honour of getting the tournament under way. His course knowledge will be a huge help.
Paul Dunne
Tied for the lead with 18 holes to play at St Andrews, Dunne had a chance to win The Open as an amateur last year. Unsurprisingly it was too much but this talented youngster has since earned a European Tour card and is one to watch.
Matthew Southgate
There won't be a dry eye in the house if Southgate manages to contend on Sunday, almost a year to the day since he was diagnosed with cancer.
It's been an incredible return to the European Tour for the Southend man, who got healthy, got his card back and played his way into form before finishing in the top five in Ireland two months ago.
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