The 142nd Open Championship
MUIRFIELD
Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland
July 18-21, 2013
Prize Fund: £5,250,000
Champion: £945,000

This week the PGA, European Tour and Japan Golf Tour are in Scotland for the 142nd playing of The Open Championship.  Muirfield (hosting for the 16th time) is one of many historic Open venues that first hosted this championship in 1892 and most recently in 2002 with Ernie Els prevailing in a 4-man playoff.  And it was Els last year as well, ending a ten year major drought with his dramatic one shot victory over Adam Scott at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.  Muirfield is going to play firm and fast, unlike the season’s previous major at Merion where we saw the U.S. Open played under very soft conditions with Justin Rose emerging as the champion.  Scott bounced back from his agonizing Open Championship back nine meltdown last year by claiming this year’s first major and the Green Jacket.  Last week we saw Phil Mickelson ending a twenty year drought in Europe by taking the Scottish Open title and 19-year-old Jordan Spieth became the first teenager to win on the PGA Tour in 82 years by winning the John Deere Classic in a playoff.  Only 10 players in history have won the week before a major and gone on to win the following week.  Most recently, Mickelson did it in 2006 and Tiger Woods in 2007.  Weather conditions this week are forecast to benign for Scotland but make no mistake, a stern test awaits.  The excitement and anticipation are building on the eve of the season’s third major.  Who will answer the call and take home the Claret Jug and the title of the Champion Golfer of the Year.  

Tournament Notes

Field Watch:  49 of the Top 50 OWGR are in the field (Steve Stricker not in the field).  Defending Champion:  Ernie Els; Runner-up: Adam Scott.
Past Champions in Field:  Ernie Els x2; Darren Clarke; Louis Oosthuizen; Stewart Cink; Padraig Harrington x2; Tiger Woods x3; Todd Hamilton; Ben Curtis; David Duval; Paul Lawrie; Mark O’Meara; Tom Lehman; Mark Calcavecchia; Nick Faldo x3; Sandy Lyle; Tom Watson x5. (Muirfield Champions: Els; Faldo x2; Watson).
Course Length:  Measures 7,192 yards on the card (Par 71; 36-35).
Field:  156 competitors including 7 amateurs.
Cut:  Top 70 and ties.  

Weather [Forecast]:  THU:  Partly Cloudy; High 74F / Low 61F; Winds W at 9mph; Rain Chance 10%.  FRI:  Sunny; High 73F / Low 58F; Winds E at 10mph; Rain Chance 0%.  SAT:  Partly Cloudy; High 73F / Low 58F; Winds E at 10mph; Rain Chance 0%.  SUN:  Mostly Sunny; High 70F Low 56F; Winds E at 11mph; Rain Chance 0%.
  
Names to Watch (Odds):

• Tiger Woods (10/1) – Since winning the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, Tiger is 0-fer in his last 16 majors.  Recovering from an elbow injury (suffered at this year’s U.S. Open) we haven’t seen Woods play a competitive round since finishing T32 at Merion.  Three-time Open champion, most recently at Hoylake in 2006 where he successfully defended his title.  Has only missed one cut in 16 Open Championships.  Five top 10s in nine 2013 starts including four wins.  Besides the layoff, only concern here is Tiger is 117th on Tour in Scrambling including 158th in Scrambling from the Rough.          

• Phil Mickelson (18/1) – Doesn’t have a stellar record at The Open with only two top 10s in 19 appearances. However, having just ended his 20 year win-drought in Europe last week and also being one of only 10 men who have won the week prior to also go on to win a major the following week he has to be seriously considered.  Solo 3rd and two T2s in his last five PGA Tour starts with a MC at The PLAYERS and The Greenbrier.

• Sergio Garcia (30/1) – Sergio hasn’t won yet in 2013 but has finished in the top 25 in 11 of the 14 worldwide events he’s played in.  Coincidentally, he’s also 11 of 14 in made-cuts at The Open including seven top 10s.  One of a handful in this week’s field who also played the 2002 Open Championship at Muirfield finishing in a tie for eighth.  1st on PGA Tour in Strokes Gained Putting and 1st in Scrambling From the Rough.

• Luke Donald (33/1) – Steady but unspectacular 2013 so far for Donald with eight top 25s in nine PGA Tour starts.  Followed a T25 at The Masters with a T8 at the U.S. Open.  Has three top 15s in his last four Open Championships included a pair of T5s in 2009 and last year.  Hasn’t played well in Europe this year so he’ll no doubt be looking to change that this week.  Ranks 6th on PGA Tour in Strokes Gained Putting and 22nd in Scrambling.

• Jason Day (35/1) – 14 for 14 so far in 2013 including five top 10s.  Followed his solo third at The Masters with a T2 at the U.S. Open.  While this is only his third appearance at The Open Championship (two for two so far), Day seems to have a penchant for playing well in the big tourneys.  Although a relative new-comer to major championships, he’s now accumulated four top 3s in just 10 starts. 
  
• Brandt Snedeker (40/1) – Only one for four in cuts-made but tied the 36-hole Open Championship record last year on his way to a T3.  Seven top 10s this year including a T6 at The Masters.  Has yet to win a major but won the Tour Championship last year and the $10M dollar Fed Ex Cup bonus so you know he can handle the pressure. 

• Rickie Fowler (50/1) – Three for three at The Open including two top 15s.  Has not shot worse than 72 in his last 11 Open Championship rounds.  Four top 10s so far in his 2013 PGA Tour season including a T10 at the U.S. Open.  25th in Scrambling including 3rd in Sand Saves.   

• Nicolas Colsaerts (66/1) – Bookend 65s on his way to a T7 in last year’s Open Championship.  Won the Volvo China Open in 2011 but really burst onto the world scene with his win at the Volvo Match Play Championship and his Ryder Cup performance in 2012.  Already has two top 10s in just six major appearances including a T10 at this year’s U.S. Open.  T8 at last week’s Scottish Open followed up his T21 at the AT&T National. 

• Bill Haas (90/1) – Has four top 10s in his last five starts including a win at the AT&T National.  Has yet to record a top 10 in a major but leads the PGA Tour in Top 10 finishes in 2013 with eight.  T19 at last year’s Open.

• Bubba Watson (100/1) – Tied 54-hole leader at the Travelers a few weeks back but stumbled on the back nine Sunday to finish in a T4.  Had a nationally publicized verbal spat with his caddy as well which I’m sure he would like to make amends for.  Flying in under the radar this week as he is no one’s Power Rankings but Muirfield is a course which requires you to work the ball both ways and not many can do that with accuracy better than Bubba.  Since missing the cut in his first two Open Championships he’s finished T30 and T23 in his last two.

• Bernd Wiesberger (150/1) – Has not missed a cut in his last 19 European Tour events and has nine top 25s during this streak.  Inaugural Open Championship for the Austrian but he’s won four times including twice in 2012.  11th on European Tour in Stroke Average.      

My Golf Channel Fantasy picks:  Group 1:  Brandt Snedeker; Group 2:  Rickie Fowler; Group 3:  Bernd Wiesberger; Group 4:  Brooks Koepka.