Every major tournament has its favourites. This week, keen-eyed observers at Royal Birkdale are prognosticating whether Jordan Spieth will add an Open Championship to his Masters and US Open titles, or whether Rory McIlroy will emphatically wave goodbye to his recent woes to capture a fifth major success.
However, while the game’s elite tries to harbour lofty expectations heaped on them, there’s a group of talented potential major winners flying under the radar on the links this week. Let’s take a look at 6 dark horses worth keeping an eye on at The Open.
Daniel Berger
As has been widely documented, Royal Birkdale has often brought the best out of American players, and there are few who have played such consistent golf this season than Berger. The world number 20 has only made one previous appearance at The Open – a missed cut in 2015 – but has improved massively since then. He has a win, a runner-up and a fifth-place finish in three of his last four events and, on current form, he may be one to keep an eye on this week.
Chris Wood
No player has ever won the Silver Medal for best amateur and the Claret Jug itself at the same venue. There are two players who can change that this week. One is Justin Rose, but his memorable exploits in 1998 disqualify him from ever flying under the radar here. Wood is a different story. The totemic 29-year-old hasn't really kicked on since his victory at the BMW PGA Championship last year, but he clearly has a liking for this venue, finishing tied-fifth in 2008. Two missed cuts and a withdrawal in his last three events doesn't inspire confidence, but don't be surprised to see Wood popping up on the leaderboard at Birkdale once again.
Justin Thomas
The talented American has already been turning heads on the links this week thanks to his classic throwback attire. Of course, the likes of John Daly and Jesper Parnevik didn't just throw anything on for the sake of it: they had the game to back up their flamboyant wardrobe – and Thomas is no different. The 24-year-old has performed impressively in both majors this season - with T22 and T9 finishes in the Masters and US Open respectively – so there is a sense that one of America's next great hopes can step up to the mark on the grandest stage like his good friend Jordan Spieth.
Alex Noren
For golf fans who watch the European Tour on a regular basis, Alex Noren is certainly no stranger. A stunning quartet of victories last season has been followed by clinching the BMW PGA in May, pushing the Swede into the top-ten in the world alongside illustrious compatriot Henrik Stenson. Noren himself recently said he was happy to be an "unknown" five-time winner but, play like he has for much of the last 12 months, and he won't be long escaping that dubious title. Noren seems destined for great things soon, and Birkdale may well be the place.
Francesco Molinari
The unassuming Italian isn't a prolific winner, nor is he a swaggering, swashbuckling presence on the course, but he is an ultra-consistent performer. Molinari has never truly done himself justice in the majors but, on past evidence, if that were to change, it will come at The Open. Molinari didn't play here in 2008 but, since missing the cut in 2011, he has picked up five straight top-40 finishes, with a T9 coming in 2013. His two best finishes this season came at the BMW PGA and The Players, so the 34-year-old certainly has the game to stay in the mix for four rounds at the biggest tournaments. He may be one of the longer shots on this list, but his steady game and calm demeanour always make it easier to back him as a dark horse.
Adam Scott
The Australian still has unfinished business with the Claret Jug. After painfully collapsing over the final stretch to let Ernie Els emerge as the champion in 2012, Scott has been a man on a mission ever since. He, of course, won the Masters in 2013 but the likeable 37-year-old remains determined to finally clinch the title that has eluded him.
Scott’s form this year has been far from scintillating but he’s established himself as a performer for the big-time and there’s no reason to suggest he won’t bring his A-game to Birkdale, where he finished T16 in 2008. The blessing in disguise is: thanks to his mediocre form of late, Scott goes into the event this week flying low on people’s radars. That, along with a steely determination to shed the unwanted title as a ‘one-major wonder’ may well make Scott a force to be reckoned with come Sunday.
