Open Championship Preview: Ranking The Top 50 Players In The Field At Royal Liverpool
Peter Byrne - PA Images. Getty Images.Before we begin, let’s address the elephant in the room: there are only 50 players in these rankings rather than the 100 I’ve done in the past. Sometimes, life gets in the way. My job has changed significantly in the past year. Back at Digest, I was a writer first and foremost, so I always had time to dive in to longform pieces because I really didn’t have much else on my plate. That’s different here at Barstool. We’ve been traversing the country filming YouTube series and social videos. And, for reasons I can’t quite understand, my wife actually wants to spend time with me the odd nights I am home. When you add things to your plate, something has to come off it if you’re going to remain sane. I’ll never stop writing, but I have to be more strategic with it.
To that end, diving into the top 50 rather than giving a cursory look at the top 100 made most sense…be honest, you didn’t really read the 50-100 guys when I did profile them anyway. Cutting down to 50 allowed me to spend more time on the guys who might actually win the tournament, and I’m proud of what we’ve compiled below.
This is the last major championship of the year, and next Monday you’ll be staring at an eight-plus month abyss. So soak up every second of this week, beginning with this comprehensive look of the top 50 players teeing it up. These are just one man’s picks. And, golf being impossible to predict, focus less on where they rank and more on what it says. This is the way I prepare for major championships, and reading the below will help you make bets, win your pool, or simply be a more informed viewer. You'll also notice I'm using Data Golf's world ranking instead of the Official World Golf Ranking. It's a simple reason: Data Golf's ranking is a much more accurate indicator than the OWGR. Happy major week, and happy reading:
50. Phil Mickelson
Age: 53 Data Golf ranking: 274 Open Championship appearances: 28
Best Open Championship finish: WIN, 2013
Was expected to take a victory lap of sorts after the PGA Tour/PIF deal but has said sense that he doesn’t want to expend extra energy and wants to focus on his golf. His golf, however, has taken a downward turn since that shock T2 at the Masters. He missed the cut at LACC and finished 26th and 41st—out of 48—in each of his last two LIV starts. But his best performances of the last three years—the win at Kiawah and the runner-up at Augusta— have come out of absolutely nowhere. Either way…let’s hope he decides the energy-saving isn’t working and lets it rip at the podium.
49. Louis Oosthuizen
Age: 40 Data Golf ranking: 75 Open Championship appearances: 15
Best Open Championship finish: WIN, 2010
Solo fourth in his last start heading into this, at LIV London, but has yet to complete a single round at a major championship this year. He withdrew from the Masters on Thursday and didn’t qualify for either the U.S. Open or the PGA Championship. After that stellar 2021 where he finished third or better in the year’s last three majors, he’s played five majors: two WDs, two missed cuts and a T60. He admitted when he went to LIV that he was already on his last legs on the PGA Tour, and he never really planned to play much past 40. This is all gravy for him, and he won’t be too broken up should he not play well.
48. Harris English
Age: 33 Data Golf ranking: 65 Open Championship appearances: 7
Best Open Championship finish: T15, 2013
His wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Emilia, on July 10. As such, we’re not sure he’s been practicing nor sleeping very much, but perhaps the first-time father afterglow will be just what he needs. When I asked him if he still planned to tee it up, he said: “Yeah, leaving tonight. My wife wants me to play.” That’s a proper golf wife. She gets it.
47. Victor Perez
Age: 30 Data Golf ranking: 116 Open Championship appearances: 2
Best Open Championship finish: T34, 2022
In a similar position to MacIntyre, Meronk and the rest of the European bubble boys. They’ve been the best players on the DP World Tour for a few years now and, given the new pipeline in world golf, will likely be playing stateside next year. Began the year with a big win at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and finally had a good major showing with a T12 at Oak Hill. Still, he’s made the cut in only four of 11 career major starts.
46. Adrian Meronk
Age: 30 Data Golf ranking: 54 Open Championship appearances: 1
Best Open Championship finish: T42, 2022
In a battle with fellow DP World Tour-based players for a Ryder Cup spot—will probably come down to him, Victor Perez, Yannik Paul, Robert MacIntyre, Rasmus Hojgaard and the like for that last European points list spot. He’s a 6’6” behemoth from Poland with a big enough game to compete anywhere, and he’s won three national opens, always cool trophies to have. Having missed the cut at the Masters and the U.S. Open, and only managing a T40 at the PGA Championship, he desperately needs a strong showing to make a strong case to Luke Donald
45. Si Woo Kim
Age: 28 Data Golf ranking: 39 Open Championship appearances: 4
Best Open Championship finish: T15, 2022
Somehow still just 28 years old. The years get distorted when you win a huge event at such a young age. He’s never quite become the full-fledged superstar that that Players Championship win at 21 might have suggestd, but he’s carved out an excellent career for himself and is having yet another solid year. The “but” here is a considerable one: he’s never had a top 10 in a major in 26 tries. The Memorial Tournament might be the closest regular Tour event to a major and he finished fourth this year, so that’s positive.
44. Byeong-Hun An
Age: 31 Data Golf ranking: 63 Open Championship appearances: 8
Best Open Championship finish: T26, 2021
Former U.S. Amateur champion began his career in Europe before establishing himself as a top-50 player in the U.S. Lost his game, mainly due to his putting, and dropped down to the Korn Ferry Tour for a year before earning his playing privileges back. Nabbed one of the last spots into the tournament with a T3 finish at the Genesis Scottish Open. “I gotta go back and do my laundry” he said upon learning the news. First major appearance since the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s.
43. Jason Day
Age: 35 Data Golf ranking: 30 Open Championship appearances: 10
Best Open Championship finish: T4, 2015
Returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in five-plus years at the AT&T Byron Nelson and entered the next week’s PGA Championship as one of the favorites. It made sense; he’d sustained a really high level throughout the first half of the year and seemed to have his short-game prowess back. It’s been poor since: missed cuts at the PGA Championship, the Memorial and the U.S. Open, and given his injury history and the miles on those tires—he’s an old 35—it’s fair to wonder if fatigue might be playing a role. Finished T45 in his last start at the Travelers before making the trip over. Finished T58 at the 2014 Open Championship at Hoylake.
42. Rasmus Hojgaard
Age: 22 Data Golf ranking: 141 Open Championship appearances: First
His win on home soil in the Made in Himmerland a few weeks ago, his fourth on the DP World Tour at just 22, was exactly what captain Luke Donald wanted to see. His five-over, MC Hammer at the Scottish Open, not so much. He and his twin brother have long been identified as promising players coming up the European pipeline, and while he’s closed the deal quite a few times, the algorithms still aren’t quite sold on his game. Given he won’t be in the FedEx Cup playoffs, this is his last opportunity to make a statement that he can hold his own against the world’s best players, not just average DP World Tour fields. His first Open start.
41. Kurt Kityama
Age: 30 Data Golf ranking: 90 Open Championship appearances: 4
Best Open Championship finish: T15, 2022
Played the European Tour for three years after graduating UNLV, so he’ll be comfortable back overseas. Won the Arnold Palmer Invitational to announce his arrival on the world stage but has missed the cut in seven of 12 starts since. Mixed in there, however, is a T4 at the PGA Championship. One of the longest players in world golf on a pound-for-pound basis.
40. Sahith Theegala
Age: 25 Data Golf ranking: 48 Open Championship appearances: 1
Best Open Championship finish: T34, 2022
A missed cut at the Scottish broke a streak of 21 consecutive cuts in a row, but a lot of those, especially recently, have been meh finishes in the T40 range. He’s one of the very few players who will not change any equipment for the firm turf at the Open. Last year, in his first one at St. Andrews, he said he simply putted everything possible so his wedge configuration wasn’t quite so important. For as physically large as he is, it’s surprising that the weakness in his game is his driving; he’s lost ground to the field in that stat in seven straight starts. He’s prone to the wild one.
39. Joaquin Niemann
Age: 24 Data Golf ranking: 36 Open Championship appearances: 3
Best Open Championship finish: T53, 2022
Began the year nicely in the Middle East and has played solidly on LIV, but the lack of eyeballs on those events and his duds in majors have him flying pretty far under the radar. Still doesn’t have a top 10 finish in 18 career major starts and nothing better than T53 in three Open Championship starts.
38. Sepp Straka
Age: 30 Data Golf ranking: 68 Open Championship appearances: 1
Best Open Championship finish: CUT, 2022
Sweet-swinging Austrian has put himself squarely in Ryder Cup contention with his second PGA Tour win at the John Deere Classic, where he flirted with a sub-60 round before a double bogey at the last. He doesn’t sound European—there’s a distinct southern drawl—but he lived in Vienna until he was 14 and very much feels Austrian. Earned his first top-10 in a major at the PGA Championship but missed the cut at the U.S. Open. Decided against playing the Scottish Open to go over a bit early. One of the few drawers of the ball left in world golf. They’re a proud bunch, and there’s still nothing prettier than a controlled draw to a back-left pin.
37. Corey Conners
Age: 31 Data Golf ranking: 23 Open Championship appearances: 3
Best Open Championship finish: T15, 2021
Always one of the better ball strikers out there and always one of the weaker putters. Feels like his career’s been stuck in neutral for a few years. Which isn’t a dig, of course—he’s a top 30 player in the world and two-time PGA Tour winner, even if both came at the same event. Has three top-10 finishes in 19 career major starts but all came at the Masters in consecutive years (2020-2022). His flat draw should cut through the wind well and he’s been T15 and T28 in his last two Open Championship appearances. Which goes back to my point about his career. A lot of T15s and T28s. Not sure he has the short-game prowess or the killer instinct to close out a major.
36. Russell Henley
Age: 34 Data Golf ranking: 16 Open Championship appearances: 8
Best Open Championship finish: T20, 2015
Likely the best player the casual fan wouldn’t recognize. He’s been an elite iron player for years, and iron play historically has the highest correlation with scoring average on the PGA Tour. Interesting, then, that his strokes gained approach is down a bit this year at 30th on tour. He is, however, leading the tour in driving accuracy, always crucial in majors. Missed just one cut in his last 11 starts and has a T4 at the Masters and a T14 at the U.S. Open to his name this year. Missed the cut in half his Open starts.
35. Robert MacIntyre
Age: 26 Data Golf ranking: 91 Open Championship appearances: 3
Best Open Championship finish: T6, 2019
Did everything but win the Scottish Open. Produced the shot of his life on the 72nd hole for a closing birdie and looked set to become the first Scot to win his national open since Colin Montgomerie. It wasn’t to be, with Rory McIlroy birdieing the final two holes to break his heart. That solo second will go a long way toward securing a PGA Tour card for next year, which he has heretofore not been able to do. That performance at Renaissance Club under the gun, coupled with a T4 in his previous start at the Made In Himmerland, has him back in the Ryder Cup picture. Top-tenned in his first two Open Championship starts.
34. Justin Thomas
Age: 30 Data Golf ranking: 43 Open Championship appearances: 6
Best Open Championship finish: T11, 2019
He’s going through the worst stretch he’s had in the last half-decade. Missed the cut badly at the Memorial, then again at the U.S. Open, where a second-round 81 left him feeling “embarrassed.” Seemed to get things back on track with a top-10 finish at the Travelers but then missed the cut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and took T60 at the Scottish Open. We don’t have reason to suspect it’s a health issue but, for a player of his pedigree to be dropping down the rankings as fast as he is, it’s a fair question. At 74th in the FedEx Cup standings, he’s in danger of missing the playoffs and relying on OWGR or sponsors exemptions to get into next year’s designated events. He’s as fiery as they come and he knows this is a Ryder Cup year. He was the emotional leader of the U.S. team at Whistling Straits and doesn’t want to put Zach Johnson in a tough spot, so there’s no one who wants to play better and show he belongs more than JT. Yet to post a top 10 in six Open Championship starts and has been T37 or worse in his last five major appearances.
33. Sam Burns
Age: 26 Data Golf ranking: 26 Open Championship appearances: 2
Best Open Championship finish: T42, 2022
There’s no two ways about it: it’s been a down year for the Louisianan, and it’d look even worse if it weren’t for his victory at the final WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. The main culprit has been a significant drop in his iron play, from 18th in strokes gained approach last year to 146th thus far this year. There have been some positive signs of late, however, with a T6 at Colonial, a T16 at the Memorial, a T32 at the U.S. Open and a solid showing at the Scottish, even if he disagreed with that weird ruling situation. For a player of his quality and his pedigree, having a best major finish of T20 in 13 tries doesn’t cut it.
32. Keegan Bradley
Age: 37 Data Golf ranking: 19 Open Championship appearances: 9
Best Open Championship finish: T15, 2013
Completed a childhood dream by winning the Travelers Championship, now the lone PGA Tour event in his native New England. It was his second win of the wraparound season after the Zozo Championship in the fall and put him squarely on the Ryder Cup bubble. He told me during our recent Side Gig shoot that he thinks about Rome “just about every minute of every day.” The good news, then, is that he’s playing the best golf of his career. His words, not mine. Hasn’t played Open Championships particularly well in his career and his missed the cut in each of his last three tries. He’s a higher ball hitter, which could be the reason why. Feels grateful to be having this later-career renaissance and knows how important this tournament, and the following FedEx Cup playoffs are, to his chances of making his first Ryder Cup appearance since 2014. Opted to skip the Scottish and flew over to the UK the Friday before the Open.
31. Sungjae Im -
Age: 25 Data Golf ranking: 25 Open Championship appearances: 2
Best Open Championship finish: T81, 2022
Recently hired Will Wilcox, who’s got a helluva story of his own, as his caddie for stateside events, but he’ll have a Brit on the bag this week. Hopefully it’ll spur a turnaround in the Open; he has a missed cut and a T81 in his only two starts, having missed the 2021 tournament as he prepared for the Olympic games. (A reminder that all South Korean men are required to fulfill military service unless exempt, and a medal would’ve gotten him that exemption. He wasn’t close). He’s not playing his best, with his last four starts producing two missed cuts, a T24 and a T29, and he’s yet to post a major top-10 not at the Masters.
30. Justin Rose
Age: 42 Data Golf ranking: 22 Open Championship appearances: 19
Best Open Championship appearance: T2, 2018
The rest of his Ryder Cup peers all left for LIV—Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, etc—but Rose stayed put, not quite ready to jeopardize his major championship future for a payday. He’s followed up that choice with a resurgent year and picked up his first win in over four years at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am. He’ll be the elder statesman of sorts on Luke Donald’s team, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still capable of winning big tournaments. He’s got seven top-25 finishes in his last 10 starts, including a T16 at the Masters and a T9 at the PGA Championship. Hard to believe it’s been 25 years since he burst onto the scene as a baby-faced 17 year old who finished T4 at the 1998 Open at Royal Birkdale. Took T23 at the ‘14 Open at Hoylake.
29. Adam Scott
Age: 42 Data Golf ranking: 32 Open Championship appearances: 22
Best Open Championship finish: 2, 2012
Still hits it plenty long enough to compete and still has all the tools necessary. He’s been frustrated by his inability to keep it all together for 72 holes and thus contend, which he hasn’t really done this year. He’s one of the few players in the field who has played multiple Opens at Hoylake, and the memories are positive: he was T8 in 2006 and T5 in 2014. Doesn’t have a major top-10 since the 2019 U.S. Open.
28. Tom Kim
Age: 21 Data Golf ranking: 34 Open Championship appearances: 1
Best Open Championship finish: T47, 2022
Finally of legal drinking age, though he has little interest. What’s more, he told us on the Fore Play podcast that the post-Presidents Cup celebration was the first party he’d ever been to. It was at last year’s Scottish Open where a T3 finish catapulted him into golfing relevance, and he’s been a mainstay since. Has two very solid finishes in the majors this year, a T16 at Augusta and a T8 at LACC, and he was just one back of Rory McIlroy’s lead heading into the final round at the Renaissance Club. The rare young gun who doesn’t fly it 300+, he relies on a quality that’ll never truly go out of style: accuracy. He’s 10th on tour in strokes gained approach and seventh in fairway hit. Keeping the ball in front of you like that’s always going to help in major championships, and that week at the Renaissance Club should have him feeling excellent heading into Royal Liverpool.
27. Brian Harman
Age: 36 Data Golf ranking: 31 Open Championship appearances: 7
Best Open Championship finish: T6, 2022
Quietly enjoying an excellent summer. Took T2 at the Travelers, T9 at the Rocket Mortgage and entered the final round of the Scottish Open firmly in contention. He’s not going to wow you on the driving range but that’s not what counts in this game; he gets the very most out of his abilities and has been putting the lights out for two months. Zach Johnson feels like a natural game comparison, and Zach Johnson won an Open Championship. Notched just his second top-10 major finish at last year’s Open and was T19 the year before.
26. Hideki Matsuyama
Age: 31 Data Golf ranking: 24 Open Championship appearances: 8
Best Open Championship finish: T6, 2013
Nothing really to write home about thus far this year—his best finish in 2023 is a fifth-place finish at the Players, where he was a mile back. Been dealing with a neck injury for what feels like forever and it’s possible it’s impacting his game and his practice. Finished top 10 in the first Open Championship appearance of his career but none since; it’s been his worst major of the four, with two missed cuts and a T68 in his last three Open starts. Prefers to hit it sky-high and isn’t the greatest wind player in the world.
25. Shane Lowry
Age: 33 Data Golf ranking: 28 Open Championship appearances: 10
Best Open Championship finish: WIN, 2019
Feels like he’s been stuck between No. 20 and 40 in the world for the last few years. Hasn’t really contended for a title in nine-ish months but he’s been very consistently good in the big events, with 11 finishes of T23 or better in his last 13 major championship starts. With five top 20 finishes in his last six starts coming into the event, he’ll surely feel like he’s playing well enough to contend but simply hasn’t put all the pieces together in one week. His lone major championship victory came at this tournament in brutal weather, and he finished in the top 10 at the 2014 Open at Hoylake.
24. Min Woo Lee
Age: 24 Data Golf ranking: 42 Open Championship appearances: 2
Best Open Championship finish: T21, 2021
A super exciting young prospect with a unique look—the mock turtleneck, spotty mustache and shades—and an electric game. He’s the heir apparent to Tiger Woods in the stinger department and should produce some TopTracer gold on the firm links this week. With top 20 finishes in each of the past two majors, including a T5 at the U.S. Open, he’s secured a PGA Tour card for next year and comes in full of confidence, playing the best golf of his life. His experience at the Players Championship, where he held the 54-hole lead, will surely have him feeling there’s no reason he can’t beat all the best players in the world on the biggest stage.
23. Jordan Spieth
Age: 29 Data Golf ranking: 20 Open Championship appearances: 9
Best Open Championship finish: WIN, 2015
Opens bring out the best in him—he’s the anti-Palm Springs golfer, meaning he prefers to shape shots to fit holes rather than playing driving-range golf in domelike conditions. It’s why he’s a fan favorite over there, at least among Americans, and he’s given them plenty to cheer about with five top-10 Open finishes in his career, including each of the last two, and he’s never missed an Open cut. That’s all the good stuff. The bad: he comes in off missed cuts at both the U.S. Open and the Scottish Open. Needs to hit the gas just a touch to lock up a Ryder Cup spot.
22. Patrick Reed
Age: 32 Data Golf ranking: 27 Open Championship appearances: 8
Best Open Championship finish: 10, 2019
Top five finishes in each of his last two LIV events, which you may be surprised to know. Was part of the strong LIV showing at Augusta with a T4 and followed it up with a very respectable T18 at Oak Hill. His short game remains world-class no matter what tour he’s playing on but perhaps it’s a bit nullified overseas; he has just one top-10 finish in eight Open starts.
21. Cameron Young
Age: 26 Data Golf ranking: 35 Open Championship appearances: 1
Best Open Championship finish: 2, 2022
A bit of a sophomore slump. That might sound harsh, but his play last year suggested massive things to come in 2023 and it simply hasn’t materialized. It hasn’t been horrible by any stretch—he has a top 10 in the Masters and a T6 in his last appearance—but it’s just not quite the level it was in 2022, when he finished second five times, including at the Open Championship. He’s third in driving distance and 12th in strokes gained off the tee but the putting has been pretty horrible this year. As such, he’s experimented with different putters and grips and seems to have settled on the claw. Another guy who needs to step on the gas if he’s to book his ticket to Rome.
20. Bryson DeChambeau
Age: 29 Data Golf ranking: 37 Open Championship appearances: 2
Best Open Championship finish: T42, 2022
He appears the happiest he’s been in quite some time—his body’s in much better shape than it was a few years ago, his dominance of headlines has been overtaken by the LIV-PGA fiasco, and he’s officially buried the hatchet with fellow LIVer Brooks Koepka. The game’s in a decent spot, too, with a T4 at the PGA Championship, a T20 at the U.S. Open and a solo second at LIV Valderrama. He’s managed to keep the speed even after the weight loss. How? “It’s all neurological,” he says. That’s the Bryson we know and love. Sneaky took T8 at last year’s Open at St. Andrews.
19. Tony Finau
Age: 33 Data Golf ranking: 17 Open Championship appearances: 6
Best Open Championship finish: 3, 2019
He’s gone five consecutive events without a top-30 finish after a stretch in which he posted top-30 finishes in 13 of 14 starts. His putting has been poor recently and he comes in off a T45 at the Travelers and a missed cut in his title defense at the Rocket Mortgage. All that said…this is Tony Finau, easily one of the five most gifted players on Tour, and he’s always just one swing thought or feel away from kicking it back into gear and feasting on birdies. He’s learned how to close tournaments out when he gets a chance, a lesson he learned the hard way, and the only thing missing from his resume is a major championship. Made the cut in each of his six Open Championship starts.
18. Denny McCarthy
Age: 30 Data Golf ranking: 14 Open Championship appearances: First
The algorithms are super high on this guy—it’s because he’s playing fantastic golf. Prior to this year he was known primarily as a one-trick pony of sorts, perhaps the world’s greatest putter but not much else. That’s changed this year. His last four starts: a playoff loss at the Memorial, a T20 at the U.S. Open, a T7 at the Travelers and a T6 at the John Deere. But don’t get it twisted: he still putts the absolute lights out of it. It’ll be interesting to see how he adjusts to the slower greens in the UK; he opted not to play the Scottish to get acclimated, and this will mark his first Open Championship.
17. Max Homa
Age: 32 Data Golf ranking: 18 Open Championship appearances: 2
Best Open Championship finish: T40, 2021
It brings us no joy to say this, but Max Homa at the Majors is officially a thing. He’s been an elite PGA Tour player for a few years now and has won on difficult, major-caliber courses but has been stunningly barren in the big four. Hopefully the missed cut on home soil at the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, where he’s the course record holder, was the nadir. He was asked in his next start if he’s in a slump and quickly pointed out that he’d just played a bogey-free round, and there was a time not long ago that a birdie-free round was more likely. He has that perspective of having seen the very bottom, and it fuels the competitor that he is. Bounced back from back-to-back missed cuts with a T21 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and a T12 at the Scottish. The word relentless is tattooed on his arm, and he’ll keep hammering that major championship rock until it finally breaks. Still looking for his first top 10 in one in what will be his 17th attempt.
16. Matt Fitzpatrick
Age: 28 Data Golf ranking: 20 Open Championship appearances: 7
Best Open Championship finish: T20, 2019
I’ll always remember this quote from Bones Mackay, who caddied for Fitzpatrick for a few events in 2020: “he might not be a threat in Palm Springs, but in majors, when the going gets tough, he’s going to be a threat.” It’s come to fruition in the past few years: he’s been T21 or better in six of his last seven major starts including the win at Brookline and near-miss at Southern Hills. Having only an OK summer by world-top 10 standards and comes in off a T49 at the Travelers and a missed cut at the Scottish Open. He’ll surely play a practice round or two with his younger brother, Alex, who qualified for his first major championship start. This is the only major he’s yet to post a top 10 in, which is curious: he hits one of the lower balls you’ll see on tour. Oh, and he’s British.
15. Talor Gooch
Age: 31 Data Golf ranking: 29 Open Championship appearances: 2
Best Open Championship finish: T33, 2021
He’s won three times on LIV this year and he’s No. 93 in the world rankings. That should show you why we’ve switched over to Data Golf. He’s been a headline-maker over the last 18 months and seems to be playing with something of a chip on his shoulder. All three of his LIV wins have come outside the United States, so he’s certainly comfortable on foreign soil. He knows well that he needs to perform in major championships to cement his status as a world-class player; there are world-class players on LIV, and they’ve proven it in the majors—Brooks Koepka being the clearest example—but there hasn’t yet been a player who’s become world-class solely by his strong play on LIV. We still just don’t know how to contextualize those wins, but we do know how to contextualize top 10s in majors. He’s never had one and didn’t even try to qualify for the U.S. Open. Plenty of eyeballs on him this week.
14. Dustin Johnson
Age: 39 Data Golf ranking: 15 Open Championship appearances: 13
Best Open Championship finish: T2, 2011
With his laconic nature and social media aversion, it was easy to sometimes lose track of DJ even before he made the leap to LIV. It’s even easier now, but he remains a world-class player. He has five top-10 finishes in the Open and, with a win this year on LIV and a top-10 in his last major start at LACC, still has the game. He was seen partying with Paulina during the PGA Tour-LIV senate hearings which perfectly encapsulates his personality and why he left; he’s in a different part of his life, nearing 40, and feels totally and completely secure with what he’s accomplished in his career. Whether that’s affected his motivation or his practice habits, only he knows. Would it be a surprise to see him pick one off and suddenly be ¾ the way to the career Grand Slam? Not in the slightest.
13. Patrick Cantlay
Age: 31 Data Golf ranking: 4 Open Championship appearances: 4
Best Open Championship finish: T8, 2022
I’ve hammered him in past field rankings for his lack of major success. I’ve also done it in person, at the Memorial, and you could tell he wasn’t thrilled with the question: “Fortunately, my career’s not over yet.” In fact, he’s right in his prime, and both the OWGR and Data Golf peg him as the fourth best player in the world. He’s been T14 or better in each of his last five major starts but continues to put himself too far back on Thursday; those high finishes are somewhat misleading, then, if the goal is to win the golf tournament rather than rack up dollars and points. At this point in his career, it has to be about winning golf tournaments. Especially the biggest ones. He waffled on whether to make the trip over for the Scottish but opted to do so last minute, eventually missing the cut.
12. Collin Morikawa
Age: 26 Data Golf ranking: 10 Open Championship appearances: 2
Best Open Championship appearance: WIN, 2021
The season-long stats tell the familiar story of elite ball striking and below-average putting, but he’s been rolling it better in his last few starts. He’s actually gained ground on the greens in each of his last four events and loved every second of being back in contention again at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where he lost in a playoff to Rickie Fowler. Played the Scottish Open each of the past two years but never with much success, so he opted for a quick little vacation to London with his wife instead this year. Still hasn’t won since that 2021 Open victory at Royal St. George’s, and given how wildly competitive he is, you know that’s eating at him. He’s made the cut in 10 straight majors and has eight top-20 finishes in those. A great, steady pick in DFS formats.
11. Tyrrell Hatton
Age: 31 Data Golf ranking: 6 Open Championship appearances: 10
Best Open Championship finish: T5, 2016
Missed more cuts (six) in the Open than he’s made (four), but it’s a little misleading given he missed five of his first six before his blossomed into the world-class player he is today. He’s played terrific golf virtually all year—though, Tyrrell being Tyrrell, you wouldn’t be able to tell by his comportment. He’s gone 14 consecutive majors without a top-10 finish; perhaps the issue is patience. Majors punch you in the mouth, and you’ve got to be able to take it. Nice, then, for him to bounce back from a disastrous beginning to the PGA Championship (+7 though 9 holes) to finish T15. He took T6 at the Scottish Open and, alongside Fleetwood and Fitzpatrick, forms a trio of Brits very much capable of becoming the first Englishman to win the Open since Nick Faldo in 1992.
10. Wyndham Clark
Age: 29 Data Golf ranking: 11 Open Championship appearances: 1
Best Open Championship finish: T76, 2022
It’s been a rather rapid rise to stardom. At this time last year, he was ranked 218th in the world and actually moved up two spots with a T76 at St. Andrews. A T76 won’t do much for him this time around. His world has changed. That’s what happens when you win a designated event and a major championship in the span of a month, and carry yourself with grace and gratitude while doing it. Long identified as an underachiever given his natural ability, a much-improved iron game has keyed his come-up—he’s gone from 173rd in strokes gained approach to 24th. This will be just his second Open Championship appearance and he’ll quite enjoy being announced on the first tee as the reigning United States Open Champion.
9. Rickie Fowler
Age: 34 Data Golf ranking: 9 Open Championship appearances: 11
Best Open Championship finish: T2, 2014
Guess who’s back…back again…Rickie’s back. Data Golf has him as high as No. 6 in the world right now and you won’t find many who’d argue that; held the 18-, 36- and 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open, nearly shot 59 at the Travelers then won the Rocket Mortgage Classic with an all-time celebration after holing the final putt. He’s got the it factor, and let me be the 10,000th person to note that golf is a better sport when Rickie Fowler’s as high on this list as he is. Fired three consecutive under-par rounds to begin the Scottish and he’s had plenty of Open Championship success in the past—including a runner-up finish the last time the Open was held at Hoylake. He’s somewhat old school in his feel-first tendencies and he has no problems working the ball both ways, as well as up and down. It couldn’t have been fun to watch the 150th Open at St. Andrews from home, but those dark times are a thing of the past. Rickie is…wait for it…back.
8. Xander Schauffele
Age: 29 Data Golf ranking: 5 Open Championship appearances: 5
Best Open Championship finish: T2, 2018
Perhaps the surest bet in world golf to put up a respectable showing. He comes in having made 27 consecutive cuts, has finished T18 or better in each of his last six major appearances and has 11 top-10 finishes and 18 top-25s in 25 career major championship starts. Unsurprisingly, he's in the positive in every key strokes gained category. He's a soft-spoken kid—until you get to know him, that is—and for that reason he tends to evade the "favorites" conversation heading into each major. You sense he'd prefer it that way. Didn't play great the Scottish Open (T42) but he's not the type to let one off-ish week fester.
7. Brooks Koepka
Age: 33 Data Golf ranking: 13 Open Championship appearances: 8
Best Open Championship finish: T4, 2019
Back to his major-feasting best. Feels he should’ve won the first two majors of the year—he did, of course, win one of them to equal Seve Ballesteros’ major tally of five—and finished T17 at LACC, where he admittedly quite disliked the golf course. He’s been excellent on LIV Golf also this year, so you can make of that what you will. Posted top 10s in three of four Open Championships before missing the cut last year, but we can essentially disregard any results from 2022 given his health and his emotional state. Has plenty of experience on links given his years playing on the Challenge and DP World Tours. He truly cares about winning four tournaments a year and this is the fourth, his last opportunity for eight-plus months to add another serious piece of hardware to his ever-growing collection.
6. Viktor Hovland
Age: 25 Data Golf ranking: 7 Open Championship appearances: 2
Best Open Championship finish: T4, 2022
Among the most consistent performers of the year and has been a killer in the majors—played in the final pairing of last year’s Open at St. Andrews, where he admits he played too conservatively, then again at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, where his challenge to Brooks Koepka came undone at the 16th hole. Not to be deterred, he picked up the biggest title of his career in his very next start at the Memorial and has kept the solid play rolling through the U.S. and Scottish Opens. He, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Collin Morikawa are the only players on tour in the top 10 in both strokes gained off the tee and strokes gained approach, which tells you the level of his ball striking. Comes in off 23 consecutive made cuts and has a T12 and a T4 in his only Open starts. That first major’s coming.
5. Jon Rahm
Age: 28 Data Golf ranking: 3 Open Championship appearances: 6
Best Open Championship appearance: T3, 2021
Put some distance between himself and Everyone Else with his performance in the spring—his Masters win was his fourth of the year, including two other designated events, and he seemed poise to put together an all-time season. He’s since been passed as world No. 1 by Scottie Scheffler and, while it hasn’t been anything nearing concerning, he’s gone four straight tournaments without threatening the lead. Given the standard he set the first few months of the year, it sure seems like a drop off. Enters off two weeks of rest and will feel fresh arriving in Northern England, where he’ll look to complete the third leg of the career Grand Slam. He hasn’t played the Open as well as he has the other three majors but still has a T3 to his name from 2021. It’s amazing how fast narratives change in this sport, and a win here would turn this into a five-win, two major season, and we don’t see those very often.
4. Tommy Fleetwood
Age: 32 Data Golf ranking: 12 Open Championship appearances: 8
Best Open Championship finish: 2, 2019
Playing some of the best golf of his life, and it’s coming at a great time. The European Ryder Cup team needed someone like him to step up into world-class territory to compete with the top-end talent on the American side. Probably should’ve won the Canadian Open and followed it up with a T5 finish at the U.S. Open, his fourth top-five finish since March. Entered the final round of the Scottish Open in contention only for a disappointing Sunday, capped by a disappointing double-bogey at the last. Still, all systems are firing as he heads back to home soil in search of that ever-elusive first major championship. Finished fourth at last year’s Open. He’s one of those players you don’t want to get too invested in because there’s been plenty of heartbreak, but he’s never had a better chance than this one.
3. Scottie Scheffler
Age: 27 Data Golf ranking: 1 Open Championship appearances: 2
Best Open Championship appearance: T8, 2021
Let’s not become numb to his ruthless excellence this year. Scheffler hasn’t won since the Players in March but has now finished T12 or better in 19 straight events and has finished T5 or better in 7 straight. His season-long earnings are now north of $19 million, by far the most-ever in a PGA Tour season, and he still has a major championship and two FedEx Cup playoff events with their $20 million purses to go…not to mention the Player Impact Program and the season-long FedEx Cup bonus. It’s entirely possible he brings home $40+ million alone this year before endorsements. It’s an absolutely absurd run, particularly given he’s still 134th on tour in strokes gained putting. He leads in the tour in: strokes gained overall, strokes gained tee to green, strokes gained off the tee and strokes gained approach. One can only wonder what he might’ve accomplished had the putter been a more active participant this year. It’d be a shame for this year to end without a major championship, but such is the cruel nature of this game. He’s got top 10s in eight of his last 10 major starts and top-threes in his last two. He’ll almost certainly be there with a chance on Sunday. And if the putter cooperates…
2. Rory McIlroy
Age: 34 Data Golf ranking: 2 Open Championship appearances: 13
Best Open Championship appearance: WIN, 2014
Just when you thought his game was starting to wobble, with missed cuts at the Players and the Masters, he’s come back in a massive way. I genuinely think the merger was the best thing that could’ve happened to him. It was a reminder, albeit a cruel one, that he is a golfer first and foremost, and that all the effort and time and energy he spent reshaping the future of the PGA Tour led to a situation where he wasn’t in the room when it came time to dealmaking. He’s done talking about it, he’s back to focusing on birdies over bureaucracy, and the recent returns are hugely positive. In two starts since the deal he’s gone solo 2nd at LACC and a big-boy win at the Scottish Open, where he birdied the last two holes dead into the wind to leapfrog Robert MacIntyre. The swing looks great and he seems to have an edge about him these days—wouldn’t you, if you put your neck on the line for years and were made to look somewhat silly? Now returns to a course he’s won a major at. Odds are he’s going to keep giving himself chances in these majors, and the door will eventually fall. It has to.
1. Cameron Smith
Age: 29 Data Golf ranking: 9 Open Championship appearances: 5
Best Open Championship appearance: WIN, 2022
A thoroughly impressive effort to stay in the top 10 of the OWGR playing so few events that actually get points. The defending champion on the strength of an all-time major championship round, his 64 to pass crowd favorite Rory McIlroy and snatch the 150th Open at St. Andrews. He’s kept up the excellent play on LIV, where he won the most recent event in London, and has top 10 finishes in each of the prior two majors. There is no doubt he remains one of the very best players in the world and perhaps the greatest putter on earth. With Smith, and he’d be the first to tell you this, his chances hinge on his ability to keep the driver in play. If he’s hitting it straight, he’s absolutely a threat, and he’s one of the very best closers in the sport.