The Open Championship 2015: Four Golfers To Watch This Week
With the 144th playing of the Open Championship set to begin at St. Andrews, the home of golf, the world’s most elite golfers will tee off early Thursday morning in pursuit of the historic Claret Jug. With 21-year-old Jordan Spieth looking to complete the third leg of the calendar year Grand Slam this week, Tiger Woods in pursuit of his 15th major championship title, and Rickie Fowler looking to win his first major after winning last week at the Scottish Open, there are a host of golfers primed to play well and walk away with the trophy come Sunday. Let’s take a look at the four golfers to watch throughout the week.
Jordan Spieth
Spieth has played magnificent golf this season, racking up four wins in 2015 including The Masters and the U.S. Open. He won just last week in a playoff at the John Deere Classic, and looks to be an unstoppable force. With world number one Rory McIlroy out of the field this week, Jordan is perhaps the overwhelming favorite to win this week. With a win, Spieth will not only dethrone McIlroy for the top ranking but also capture his third consecutive major in the same calendar year, a feat last accomplished by Tiger Woods in 2000. Of course, the links style challenge presented by St. Andrews will certainly be a different test for Jordan’s game, and his best finish so far at a British Open was a tie for 36th last year. But if he can continue his outstanding play, there’s no reason to question why he can’t contend for the trophy when the weekend rolls around.
Rickie Fowler
Fowler came off last week’s win at the Scottish Open confident and prepared to pursue his first major championship victory this week at the Open. His victory certainly proves that he has the skill and creativity to navigate a links style golf course. Fowler also proved that he could handle the pressure of a big stage with his victory at The Players earlier this season as he triumphed over the world’s best golfers. Last year, Fowler finished in the top five in all four majors, including a tie for second at the Open, results that show Rickie is knocking on the door for his first major. Will he win this week? If he plays as well and as confidently as he did coming down the stretch last week at the Scottish Open, he definitely has a shot to be in contention.
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods is going to be unpredictable. He’s already missed two cuts this season and shot in the 80s three times, statistics that would shock almost anybody considering how great Woods once was. But there was a glimmer of hope, a sign of progress at the Greenbrier Classic where he finished in a tie for 32nd at seven under par. Woods seemed to have more control of his swing, and even though he was still erratic off the tee with the driver at times, he still hit a multitude of good shots both off the tee and with his irons. It seems that everything comes down to this — if he makes a good solid swing he hits a perfect shot nearly every time, but when his tempo quickens and he loses his rhythm then there is no knowing where his shots will miss. If Tiger can play like he did at the Greenbrier, then he will make the cut this week and maybe be in contention, but his chances of hoisting the Claret Jug are slim considering the fact that it’s been nearly two years since Tiger has even been close to contention on the weekends of any tournament let alone a major.
Louis Oosthuizen
Oosthuizen won the Open the previous time it was played at St. Andrews in 2010, so he knows the nuances of the course and certainly understands how to beat a links style setup. Louis has just come off a second place finish at the U.S. Open, playing extraordinarily well on the weekend, and will be looking to carry that momentum into this week. His play at the U.S. Open is a testament to his solid game, and with a sound, effortless golf swing and his experience at St. Andrews, Oosthuizen is certainly another player to look out for down the stretch of this championship.
(Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
