It takes experience and savvy to overcome the challenging links courses of the British Open and lift that Claret Jug. That will be no different this year at Royal Birkdale. So if you’re looking for the best players to bet on, look for those who’ve put in the time and know their way around those links courses.
These three players, in particular, have a wealth of experience – not to mention success – in the British Open, and should be well worth wagering on for this weekend.
The defending champion didn’t have the greatest outing at the Scottish Open, where he finished a distant T26. However, he did recently win the Qatar Masters, which shows that his disappointing showing on the PGA Tour—five missed cuts in his last six tournaments—isn’t something to get overly freaked out about.
And of course, there’s something about the links that Stenson likes. The Swede has four top-three finishes at the Open over the past decade, and should be in contention to be the first Open champion to repeat since 2008. Here’s a little stat to remember: seven of the nine Open winners at Royal Birkdale had finished in the top six the year before.
Scott has been fairly quiet on Tour this season, and has yet to record a single top-five finish in 12 tournaments. However, he’s finding his best form at the moment as evidenced by his three top-10 finishes, which include a T9 at the Masters, a T6 at the Players, and a T10 most recently at the St. Jude Classic.
The Aussie has a very strong track record at the Open. He finished in the top-10 in four consecutive Opens from 2012-15, and was also a T8 the last time the Open was held at Royal Birkdale. With that sterling history coupled with his fine form, this might be the year Scott finally breaks through and claims his first Claret Jug.
Mickelson had a chance to add to his one Open title last year, but all he got was a second 2nd-place finish as he was runner-up to Stenson. Nevertheless, Lefty should not be left out of any conversation about potential Open contenders.
Mickelson is one of the most adept links players on Tour, and should feel right at home at Royal Birkdale. Even with his spotty form this season, he will still be one to watch. Oh, and he also qualifies as one of those in the top-six from last year, which is another reason to back him at Royal Birkdale.
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