The Open Championship Preview: Does this Tournament Favor the Elite?
Rory McIlroy has undoubtedly stirred the golf world up in the lead-up to the highly anticipated Open Championship. McIlroy seized victory at the Scottish Open this past weekend, expertly timing his peak performance just as we approach this year’s Open. Consequently, he’s catapulted ahead of Jon Rahm as the favorite on FanDuel for this championship.
Is it Worth Taking Rory at the Open?
What makes the Open Championship so appealing is its unpredictability, and this year will be no different. On any given day, you could have rain slashing sideways with 40mph winds, while the next day might offer perfect golfing conditions. The terrain is just as capricious, with fairway shots at 99% of golf courses worldwide potentially leading to a downhill lie or a tricky bunker shot at the Open.
Royal Liverpool, the venue for this year’s championship, is an especially interesting course. If we review the top 10 leaderboards from its previous Open Championships in 2014 and 2006, we find that, unlike many Opens, Royal Liverpool favors the most elite players.
In 2014, Rory McIlroy took the title, but names like Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Jim Furyk, and Adam Scott (then number one in the world) also featured prominently. The 2006 leaderboard paints a similar picture, with Tiger Woods claiming victory and Sergio, Furyk, Ernie Els, and Chris DiMarco (a top 25 golfer at the time) finishing strong.
While the weather will undoubtedly be a wild card, the course setup at Royal Liverpool tends to favor the truly elite players. It’s not an exceedingly long course, but it is gettable. Expect to see some low scores, and come Sunday, don’t be surprised if the usual suspects are making a run for the Claret Jug.
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