The yr’s ultimate main, The Open Championship, has arrived with gamers set to tee off on the earth’s oldest, and arguably most prestigious, occasion from Thursday afternoon.
Watch each spherical of The Open Reside & Unique on Fox Sports activities, obtainable on Kayo | New to Kayo? Be a part of now & get your first month for simply $1.
A complete of 156 gamers will tee off within the hopes of lifting the Claret Jug late on Sunday, with a whopping 9 of these gamers being Australians.
So simply how will they fare and who’re the nation’s finest hopes?
Former touring professional and Fox Sports activities skilled Paul Gow has handed down his verdict, together with his picks to problem world No.1 Scottie Scheffler this week, and a shock contender.
READ MORE
TEE TIMES: Large nod for cult hero as Aussie tee occasions revealed for The Open
HOW WILL THE AUSSIES FARE?
“You’d have to take a look at Jason Day and Adam Scott. Adam Scott performed his manner into type on the US Open. Drove the ball quite a bit higher, acquired somewhat unfortunate with the circumstances and with the place his ball was mendacity on 11. Hit it by the again of inexperienced, and made bogey, and by no means actually recovered from that.
“Jason Day’s been enjoying some strong golf. Two years in the past, he completed second to Brian Harmon at The Open Championship. His golf has been trending effectively and he’s a scrambler. This golf will get powerful and nasty, and will get exhausting to deal with, and he likes to scramble his manner round.
Scheffler: ‘Do not Perceive the Level’ | 07:46
“Most likely two gamers which might be probably the most in-form gamers that you simply’ve acquired to take a look at are two LIV gamers. Lucas Herbert gained The Open qualifier ultimate spherical and performed some magnificent golf. He gained the Irish Open, so he loves these links-type of circumstances for a begin. He additionally has gained twice on the European Tour. He’s the man that’s in type. He’s the man that’s performed effectively on the LIV Tour this yr out of all of the Aussies and the opposite one is Marc Leishman. The harder the circumstances get, the windier it will get (the higher he will get). He’s from Warrnambool the place the birds, they don’t fly it’s so windy. He’s gained on the LIV Tour this yr. Performed the US Open and performed effectively. I believe he broke par within the ultimate spherical there. His placing has acquired somewhat bit higher and we all know he can hit some wonderful photographs in these windy circumstances. I believe these two are one of the best Aussie probabilities.
Schauffele on horror yr & Open hopes | 06:20
“There are some cracking tales out of the Aussies which might be going there. Ryan Peake, the left-hander, who got here again to golf at 32 years of age, labored with Ritchie Smith, his coach, and gained the New Zealand Open, which acquired him the beginning on this occasion. This’ll be his first main championship. He’s a very good participant. Devoted himself again to golf after a very troubled teenagers and into his 20s. However he’s turned it round, and he’s a man who performed alongside Cameron Smith rising up.
“He’s an ideal story and so is Elvis Smylie. After we’re the way forward for Australian golf, he’s certainly one of them. He’s forging his manner on the DP World Tour now after successful the Australasian Order of Benefit. That is his second Open Championships, performed final yr. Performed okay however didn’t make the reduce. He performed the US PGA this yr and made the reduce.”
WHAT ABOUT MIN WOO LEE?
“If he’s jealous of his sister successful, this would be the finest motivator for him. Since he gained the Houston Open, he hasn’t performed that effectively. He hasn’t pushed the ball effectively. 58 per cent of fairways and 62 per cent of greens. That’s not sufficient for somebody like him. He’s acquired to hit extra fairways and much more high quality photographs. Now, what’s in his favour is he grew up at Royal Fremantle golf course and he can deal with windy circumstances if the wind will get up. I believe this might be the factor that sparks him to get again on monitor to the best way we all know he can play.”
Why Scott & Day are real Open probabilities | 03:30
HAS LIV GOLF REALLY HURT CAMERON SMITH?
“I spoke to his coach, Grant Discipline, final week they usually’re engaged on some components of his golf swing and recreation. He’s 54 in driving accuracy and 62 in greens hit in regulation. That a part of his recreation is basically struggling. We all know his quick recreation is basically good, his pitching is basically good. They usually’re engaged on that. Within the LIV occasions when there’s much less stress, he’s been okay. I believe he’s had a seventh and in Dallas, he’s had a thirteenth. So at specific occasions, they’ve been okay however within the three majors to this point, whenever you’re within the warmth of the battle, it hasn’t fairly clicked.
“This week, he’s an Open champion, if all of it clicks for him, bang, it’s again in. He’s a tricky competitor and one of many hardest we’ve seen for a very long time. I wouldn’t write him off simply but. If he had the identical outcomes by the tip of subsequent yr, I’d say that the LIV has actually affected him. I’m not fairly positive, and I’m not shopping for into the concept that LIV has affected him simply but.”
Gow: McIlroy’s perspective HAS to alter! | 02:58
WHO CAN REALLY CHALLENGE SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER?
“(Scottie) Scheffler, you may’t ever take something away from him. If there are benign circumstances, his iron play is one of the best on the earth. His distance management together with his irons is one of the best on the earth. There is no such thing as a doubt. The numbers again that up.
“The 2 that I’m are: Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm. Fleetwood, coming in with undoubtedly a number of confidence after the Vacationers Championship. I do know he failed on that event, however he’s performed rather well all yr. He hasn’t gained within the US, which is the monkey on his again, however he’s gained ten occasions around the globe. He’s gained on the DP World Tour many, many occasions. He was runner-up to Lowry again in 2019. He was shut once more a few years later. He clearly loves it. The circumstances go well with him. He flights the ball. He’s a ball-striker. The whole lot simply throws me in the direction of him.
“The opposite is Jon Rahm. He’s performed good within the majors. As unhealthy as he performed final yr, he’s backed it up with some actually good showings on the US Open and the PGA, clearly he fell away. If he makes these putts and birdies 14 and 15, Scheffler’s acquired a bit of warmth on him. It didn’t occur however he’s had some strong outcomes on the LIV Tour and these are the kind of circumstances he thrives on. He’s very artistic across the golf course. His creativeness is like all of the Spanish, it’s simply ridiculous.”
LIV golf transfer backfired on Cam Smith | 02:01