Open Championship: Five players to watch

The world’s best golfers descend on Hoylake, near Liverpool, for the start of the 151st Open Championship on Thursday.

AFP Sport looks at five leading contenders to win the Claret Jug:

Scottie Scheffler (USA)

Age: 27

World ranking: 1

Major titles: 1 (2022 Masters)

The world number one has been remarkably consistent all season, winning the Players’ Championship and the Phoenix Open among 15 top-10 finishes in 19 events.

He has fallen just short of adding to his sole major at last year’s Masters.

Scheffler tied for 10th in his defence of the green jacket before finishing joint second at the PGA Championship and third at last month’s US Open.

The 27-year-old is playing in just his third Open. A third-place finish at last week’s Scottish Open — where he had missed the cut 12 months ago — suggests he may be growing more comfortable on a links course.

Rory McIlroy (NIR)

Age: 34

World ranking: 2

Major titles: 4 (2011 US Open, 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship, 2014 British Open)

Nine years on from lifting the Claret Jug the last time the Open Championship was held at Hoylake, McIlroy is still waiting to add to his tally of four majors.

The Northern Irishman has come agonisingly close in recent years, finishing in the top 10 of six of his last seven majors.

He missed out by just one shot at last month’s US Open and led going into the final round of last year’s Open Championship at St Andrews.

McIlroy heads to Royal Liverpool full of confidence after winning the Scottish Open last week.

Jon Rahm (ESP)

Age: 28

World ranking: 3

Major titles: 2 (2021 US Open, 2023 Masters)

Rahm is the other big hope for a European win after securing his second major at the Masters earlier this year.

Thirty-five years on from the last of Seve Ballesteros’ three Open Championship wins, Rahm is seeking to become just the second Spaniard to lift the Claret Jug.

His romp to victory on the Sunday at Augusta in April was a fourth win in his first eight events of 2023.

But his red-hot form has cooled since and he has struggled to produce his best at previous Opens.

A tie for third in 2021 is his best result in six previous appearances.

Brooks Koepka (USA)

Age: 33

World ranking: 12

Major titles: 5 (2018, 2019 and 2023 PGA Championship, 2017 and 2018 US Open)

Koepka’s victory at the PGA Championship and second at the Masters this year has dispelled suggestions that the stars of the LIV Golf breakaway tour would struggle to compete at the majors.

The American had won just once in four years prior to victory at the LIV event in Orlando in April.

But having overcome a persistent knee injury, the former world number one looks back to his best.

Koepka led after three rounds at the Masters before running out of steam.

Just a month later, though, he made no mistake at the PGA Championship by holding off Scheffler for a fifth major.

Cameron Smith (AUS)

Age: 29

World ranking: 7

Major titles: 1 (2022 British Open)

Smith has also remained competitive in the majors despite jumping ship to LIV just weeks after lifting the Claret Jug at St Andrews.

The Australian won the LIV event in London earlier this month and finished in the top 10 at both the PGA Championship and US Open.

With a game perfectly suited to the intricacies of links golf, Smith could become the first man since Padraig Harrington in 2008 to retain the Open Championship.

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