It’s Open week, one of the most thrilling weeks in the golfing calendar, returning to Royal Troon, South Ayrshire, for the 10th time. The previous nine Opens at Royal Troon have each crowned a different Champion Golfer of the Year, a statistic that doesn’t favour the defending champion, Bryan Harman. Here are my top picks for this year’s quest for the Claret Jug.
Robert MacIntyre
Golf came home on Sunday as MacIntyre could not have asked for a better way to prepare for The Open by being the first Scotsman since Colin Montgomerie in 1999 to win the Scottish Open.
Once again, the Scottish Open produced a dramatic end as MacIntyre birdied his last remaining hole to finish 18 under par, a shot clear of the Australian veteran Adam Scott.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Scottish Open is MacIntyre’s second win on tour this season. He won the Canadian Open back in June and achieved a respectable tied-eighth at the PGA Championship. Despite a missed cut at the US Open and a slow start to his PGA Tour career, MacIntyre’s form is certainly trending in the right direction to win his first major, and what better place to do it than in your own country.
Ludvig Åberg
The Swedish superstar only turned pro in June 2023. Since then, he has been a part of a winning European Ryder Cup team, won the Omega European Masters, and finished tied for second in his first-ever major at The Masters.
In his press conference at Royal Troon on Monday, Åberg expressed how much he is looking forward to his first ever Open Championship.
“I’m very excited about it. I think it’s going to be a cool week, a cool tournament, this having been my first Open, having never even been to one. I’m trying to soak it all in Monday through Wednesday, then come Thursday be as ready as I can to play good golf.”
There have been some question marks as to whether the Swede is capable of finishing strong in tournaments. He had a two-shot lead over MacIntyre in the Scottish Open but eventually finished four shots behind the Scotsman. And despite a good showing at The Masters, he never got close enough to eventual winner Scottie Scheffler, finishing four shots behind.
There is no doubt that Åberg has the talent to become a major champion, and now he has more experience of what it takes to win one. I would not be surprised if he is lifting the Claret Jug come Sunday.
Bryson DeChambeau
The current US Open champion and LIV golf star comes into this Open week as one of the most talked-about golfers on the planet. He has made a connection with fans that hasn’t been seen in golf for a long time.
DeChambeau has been the leading figure from the LIV golf contingent, proving that you can still perform at the highest standard despite not playing as many events. He pipped Rory McIlroy to the US Open despite not having the best final round, proving how resilient a golfer he has become.
With a tied sixth finish at The Masters, second place at the PGA Championship, and a win at the US Open, he is the most in-form golfer on the planet this year when it comes to majors. And when you see him in such a relaxed mood last week with ex-footballer Gareth Bale, it’s hard to bet against the big-hitting American.
Gordon Sargent (Amateur)
Sargent reached the No.1 spot in the world amateur rankings in February 2023. Although he was twice overtaken by Ludvig Åberg, Sargent reclaimed the top position in August, earning the Mark McCormack Medal and exemptions into the US Open and The 152nd Open.
By that time, the Vanderbilt University student had already won the NCAA individual title, becoming only the ninth freshman to achieve this feat. He was also invited to The Masters and the US Open, where he finished as the leading amateur in a tie for 39th place.
I was fortunate enough to witness Sargent first-hand at The Walker Cup, where he won all four of his games in America’s victory over Great Britain and Ireland at St Andrews. He’s certainly one of the favourites for this year’s Silver Medal.
Embed from Getty ImagesTommy Fleetwood
Surely it’s time for the world number 12 to win his first major. Fleetwood, who is undoubtedly a fan favourite across the world of golf, has come close to the Claret Jug before. Finishing second at Royal Portrush in 2019, tied fourth at St Andrews in 2022, and tied 10th last year at Royal Liverpool.
At the start of the year, the Englishman won the Dubai Invitational, beating Rory McIlroy by one. He produced one of the shots of the weekend in the Ryder Cup last year, confirming the win for Europe after a two-up win over former Open champion Collin Morikawa.
I’ve been one to follow and support Fleetwood for a long time. He is one of golf’s good guys, doing so much for the growth of the game, opening a Tommy Fleetwood Academy in both the UK and Dubai. If he were the one to do it this week, I don’t think there would be a dry eye out on the course.
Cover photo: TROON, SCOTLAND – JULY 15: The Claret Jug is displayed during a practice round prior to The 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon on July 15, 2024 in Troon, Scotland. (Photo by Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
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