A favourite, a drought and a Canadian: Best bets and long shots for the Open Championship

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This article was published 12/07/2021 (1909 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Open Championship — or British Open — is back after it was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year marked the first time since the Second World War that the oldest major in the world was not contested.

Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England will play host, for the 15th time, at 7,211 yards and par 70. It’s known for its unpredictable terrain: plenty of bunkers, and humps and bumps along the fairway that can send even the best of shots offline.

Last time the club, established in the 1880s, hosted the Open was 2011. The Claret Jug was won by Darren Clarke that year, the first time he had been even close to the top of the leaderboard at a major in a decade. Prior to that it was Ben Curtis, who came out of nowhere to win the 2003 Open. Curtis was the lowest-ranked golfer (396th) to win a major since the official world rankings were established.

Will another long-shot capture the Claret Jug, or will one of the favourites rise to the top? Here are some of the possibilities (with odds from GolfOdds.com):

Favourites

• Jon Rahm (9-1): He finally got the major monkey off his back by winning the U.S. Open in June. The betting favourite showed no signs of a victory hangover last week at the Scottish Open, where he finished seventh, just two shots out of a playoff. If he can keep his emotions in check, he could win his second major in a row.

• Rory McIlroy (16-1): He has been struggling of late, but made consistent improvements at the majors this season (missed cut/tie for 49th/tie for seventh). Although he missed the cut at the 2019 Open, his previous efforts went 1-T5-T4-T2 (didn’t play in 2015 because of injury) and he notched a T25 at Royal St. George’s in 2011. He hasn’t won a major title in almost seven years, but this could be the one.

• Jordan Spieth (20-1): Links golf fits Spieth’s manic approach to the game, and the proof is in the results for the 2017 Open winner. He has finished outside the top 20 just once in the last five starts at the Open, and arrives playing his best golf in years.

Middle of the pack

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• Shane Lowry (40-1): The defending champion has had a sneaky-good season. He has missed the cut just once in 2021 with four top-10 finishes, including a tie for fourth at the PGA Championship at linksy Kiawah Island.

• Rickie Fowler (60-1): He was in contention at Royal St. George’s in 2011 (in awful weather) and has played the Open well enough in his career: 10 starts, nine made cuts with three top-10 finishes.

• Lee Westwood (60-1): Is it coming home? Westwood, at 48, is an Englishman looking to finally win his first major, not unlike Clarke in 2011. His steady attitude, experience and fine form of late suggest the stars are aligning.

Long shots

• Stewart Cink (150-1): He has had his son as a caddy all season and it’s paid off in a big way: two victories in seven months. He’s seventh on tour in greens in regulation, 10th in total driving efficiency — and, oh yes, has won the Open (2009).

• Guido Migliozzi (150-1): Jason Logan, the editor of SCOREGolf, said on the Next Round’s on Me podcast that he’s bullish on the 24-year-old Italian this week and for good reason. Migliozzi finished tied for fourth at the U.S. Open and has finished in the top five in his last three starts worldwide. He won twice on the European Tour in 2019.

• Mackenzie Hughes (250-1): The Canadian is making his Open debut and looking to follow in the footsteps of Curtis, the 2003 winner in his first Open — and, like Hughes, an alum of Kent State University. The native of Dundas, Ont. arrives after playing in the final group at the U.S. Open and has two top-15 finishes in his last three starts.

Adam Stanley is an Ottawa-based contributor to the Star’s Sports section and the host of golf podcast Next Round’s On Me. Follow him on Twitter: @adam_stanley