Cnotes 2016 Open Championship News Notes Picki !

[CNOTES]

British Open 2016: Ranking the top golfers in the field at Royal Troon


Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott and Jason Day seem most likely to win the British Open this year


Here is the 2016 British Open field ranked from 1-20 based on how likely each golfer is to win this year's event. Royal Troon has always produced either extremely epic or quite forgettable champions, so this list was not the easiest to make. I looked at recent Open performance and how well golfers are playing coming in along with a little gut feeling on who's going to play well.
It should also be noted that this is not who I think will win (i.e. I don't believe Rory McIlroy will win this year), only who I think is most likely to do so if the event was played 1,000 times.


1. Dustin Johnson: Two straight wins and six straight cuts made at the British Open including two top 10s. Can get to No. 1 in the world with a win this week.


2. Adam Scott: Wait, Adam Scott?! His last four finishes at Opens: T10, T5, T3 and 2nd. That is insanely good. Had a top-20 showing at the U.S. Open as well.


3. Jason Day: Seven wins in 20 events. The clear world No. 1 until Johnson started destroying everything in sight. Finished T4 last year just one stroke out of a playoff at St. Andrews.


4. Jordan Spieth: Has finished in the top five in five of his last six major championships. And he cannot crack the top three on this list! Spieth is the most stubborn top-10 player in the world and maybe in the entire sport. That's a beneficial thing when it comes to Opens.


5. Sergio Garcia: And not just because I'm picking him, either! Top 10 in three of his last five Opens, already has a win on the PGA Tour this year and is coming off a T5 at Oakmont. Sergio Garcia winning Royal Troon is a real thing!


6. Zach Johnson: You can't win it (which Johnson did in 2015) if you don't make the cut (which Johnson has done nine straight times).


7. Rory McIlroy: Rory is clearly in "get out of my way, I'm barreling through whether you like it or not" mode this week. That either ends with a Claret Jug in hand (if the weather cooperates) or in complete and total destruction (if it does not). There is really not much in between there.


8. Hideki Matsuyama: Only has two career missed cuts at major championships and never one at The Open. Finished T6 in 2013 when Mickelson took the prize.


9. Rickie Fowler: I've long thought The Open is the major Fowler had his best shot at. The unfortunate part this year is that he is not exactly streaking coming in. Still, he's been tough at this tournament over the last five years with two top-five finishes and just one missed cut.


10. Lee Westwood: It would be pretty sweet to see Westy finally get his. Like Darren Clarke but probably even better. He has the resume, too. Top five in three of his last seven Opens with so many near-misses. One of only two players in the field to finish top 10 here in both 1997 and 2004.


11. Justin Rose: Why do I have Rose behind Westwood? How about the fact that Rose had his first top 10 as a professional at a British Open last year at St. Andrews. His only other top 10 came when he was low amateur in 1998.


12. Henrik Stenson: Just a litany of career disappointment at Open Championships on this list. Stenson has finished in the top three in three of the last seven Opens he has played but has sort of quietly missed his last three cuts on the PGA Tour.


13. Phil Mickelson: Of players who have made at least three of the last five cuts at Opens, only Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia have a better average finish than Mickelson. His average finish in the last five is just outside the top 10 including his win at Muirfield. He might be fading, but I'm also convinced he has one last sweet run at a major in him somewhere.


14. Marc Leishman: This is who my man Robby Kalland is picking as his sleeper, and it is a good one. Leishman very quietly has two top fives in his last two Open Championships including a loss in a playoff last year. Considering he only has three top 10s in majors overall, this seems like the tournament he's going to win if he's ever going to win one.


15. Louis Oosthuizen: Oosty has been great in Opens. He lost in a playoff last year after winning the Claret Jug in 2010. He also has not missed a cut since 2009. There is this as well.


16. Shane Lowry: Finished T9 at the Open Rory McIlroy won in 2014 and clearly has a flair for the dramatic. It would be pretty cool to see him rebound from his Oakmont disappointment with a Claret Jug. You can bet he would wear the inside of that thing out too.


17. Danny Willett: Has a Masters champ ever gone into an Open so overlooked? Willett has only played in two Opens but finished in the top 15 in both of them. The counter? Is Danny Willett really going to win two major championships in a year?


18. Branden Grace: Coming off a T5 at the U.S. Open at Oakmont. He seems like a big game hunter along with Leishman and the likes of Angel Cabrera. Four straight made cuts at this tournament although nothing better than a T20.


19. Graeme McDowell: Has made seven of eight cuts with two top 10s in that time. This is more gut than anything. It just seems more likely that McDowell will win a bad-weather Open than, say, Bubba Watson or Rory McIlroy.


20. Scott Piercy: Are we going to talk about his two straight runners up at the U.S. Open and Bridgestone Invitational or just pretend like they never happened?

 

[CNOTES]

Rory McIlroy drops truth bombs: I play golf to win majors, not grow the game


Rory McIlroy was fired up on Tuesday about the Olympics and everybody chasing his outrageous star power


You're on Rory McIlroy's turf now, folks. And he seems displeased with the onus of the future of golf being put on his shoulders. McIlroy spit some fire Tuesday in his British Open press conference when asked about the 2016 Rio Olympics and growing the game in golf.


McIlroy was asked to expand on his decision to withdraw from the Olympics in light of Jordan Spieth doing the same thing this week.


"I don't think it was as difficult a decision for me as it was for [Jordan Spieth]," said McIlroy on Tuesday. "I don't feel like I've let the game down at all. I didn't get into golf to try and grow the game. I got into golf to try to win championships and win major championships.


"All of a sudden you get to this point and there's a responsibility on you to grow the game. I get that, but at the same time that's not the reason I got into golf. I didn't get into golf to get other people into the game. I'm very happy with the decision I made, and I have no regrets about it."


Then he dropped some napalm on the entire idea of golf at the Olympics and, let's be clear, but the future of the sport at this event in jeopardy. That's fine, of course, but let's not ignore what is happening here.


"I'll probably watch the Olympics, but I'm not sure golf will be one of the events I'll watch."


So what will you watch, Rory?




Fire. Straight fire. And Rory will catch heat for all of this, but here is the reality: The best thing to "grow the game" is a pissed off, takes-no-prisoners Rory McIlroy. That's major-winning Rory and nothing galvanizes a sport like a young, likable superstar hurtling towards 10 majors.


That's an idea, by the way, which a British paper recently scoffed at by saying that McIlroy was in danger of becoming Ringo of the Beatles and getting left behind in the dust of Dustin Johnson, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth. So McIlroy threw a few subtle daggers their way, too.


"Probably not the first time I've been compared to the Beatles," said McIlroy on Tuesday. "Those guys are having a great run at the minute. I'm happy where my game is. I can't worry about other guys. I've got four major championships, and I'd love to add to that tally. Just as those guys would love to add to the one or two majors they have."


The one or two they have. Awesome.


If you love McIlroy, this is why you love him. Because he has swagger and then he has the game to back it up. If you dislike him, this is likely why you dislike him as well. Either way, though, you have to have an opinion about him which, ironically, is another great way to grow the game.


Polarizing stars with a fistful of major championships? Yeah, golf is going to be just fine whether McIlroy cares about it or not.

 

[CNOTES]

What Tiger Woods taught Jason Day about winning British Opens


The mental game of golf is as important as the quality of your swing or putting


Jason Day has always been a good golfer. Now he's a smart golfer which, in turn, has made him a great golfer. Of course, his relationship with Tiger Woods is well documented. On Monday at the British Open, Day talked about the most important theories Woods has taught him when it comes to holding trophies.


"When I talk to him, it's about how mentally tough he was," said Day. "When he would try and play against us and when he didn't have his best stuff, he would just find away to get it done. Miss it in the right spots. His game plan was, 'I just got to get this ball in the hole.' The mental strength that he had, just the will to try and get the job done regardless of how you're hitting it is probably the biggest thing."


Why is this important? Well, probably because it is smart. But also because it has informed the way Day has played golf in the last year (a 12-month span in which he has won seven times in 20 events).


"To really try to conquer yourself and try to conquer your ego at times," Day said of the challenge of winning majors. "If [Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy] beat me just because they play better, that's fine. But if I beat myself and let them beat me, that's what's disappointing and frustrating for me.


"Sometimes you stand up there and think you can play shots that are not percentage shots, and being able to hit away from certain locations. Even though you want to take them on and hit that heroic shot and turn out to be the victor, sometimes it's just not the right time. That's kind of conquering your ego a little bit."


The wisdom of a 40-year-old in the 28-year-old Day is a scary thought for his competitors. And at least some of that wisdom comes straight from Woods. Big Cat won't be at The Open this year, but his presence will be felt in his protege of sorts. Mental acuity and sound decision-making wins golf tournaments at the highest level. Day will take both in spades into Royal Troon as he tries to win his second major.

 

[CNOTES]

British Open 2016: Is Dustin Johnson going to win three straight events?


D.J. could pull off something only Ben Hogan, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have ever accomplished


Winning the U.S. Open, the Bridgestone Invitational and The Open Championship in consecutive order sounds pretty delectable, doesn't it?
Dustin Johnson is 72 holes from that three-tournament reality as he steps to the tee box this Thursday at Royal Troon. Suddenly, Johnson has gone from perennially underrated uber-talent to potentially the No. 1 golfer in the world depending on how things shake out this week.


Here's the problem.


There have been just 36 three-tournament (or more) winning streaks in PGA Tour history and only four this century (nine overall since 1980). Let's take it a step further. Only three of those (Tiger Woods in 2006, Ben Hogan in 1953, Rory McIlroy in 2014) have included two or more major championship wins. Johnson would enter that hallowed ground with a claret jug at Royal Troon on Sunday.


Considering that Johnson now only has two multiple-win seasons in his career (one of them being this season), it seems improbable that he would join Woods, Hogan and McIlroy on this list. Not to mention the fact that only five golfers have won the U.S. Open and British Open in the same year (Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Woods).


But with the way he is playing right now, I'm not exactly prepared to rule it out. Let's put it this way: of the absurd things that could happen at Royal Troon this week, this one is on the more believable end.


Johnson is the only golfer to finish in the top five at both the Masters and the U.S. Open in 2016. He has top 10s in five of his last six majors. And this is a course and tournament he could (and probably should) own.


He has had success at the British Open, too: T9 in 2012, T2 the year before that. He opened with 65-69 last year at St. Andrews and looked prepared to part the North Sea en route to major No. 1. But it's never that easy with Johnson, who dropped off the leaderboard with a pair of 75s. It's never that easy.


What is easy is a game that will travel by land and by sea. Johnson was asked about Royal Troon after winning Bridgestone a few weeks ago. He gave the most D.J. answer ever.


Q: What do you do with your game going over to Troon?
Dustin Johnson: "Nothing."


Perfect. But also true. The short 7,100-yard par 71 can be set aflame on the front nine, and Johnson is long enough and has the kind of ball flight beneficial to holding on coming home when the wind is whipping for your soul.


"It's still a golf course," Johnson added. "I like the kind of golf over there. I enjoy it. You've got to use a lot of imagination. It's generally windy so you use the wind. You've got to use the ground. Ever since the first time I ever went over there, I've always enjoyed it. I feel like I play pretty well over there."


He does play well there. That is true. But he will have to play historically well to do something only McIlroy has done in the last 12 years -- win three in a row. Johnson is good enough, certainly, to get the job done. And if the lithe American with the rapper stride and outrageous swing can touch silver on Sunday evening in Scotland, well, we could be on the precipice of one of the great recent careers in American golf.

 

[CNOTES]

British Open 2016: One of these nine golfers will win at Royal Troon


These are the golfers who should be the actual favorites to win the third major of 2016


I did not have Danny Willett in my nine for the Masters. I did not have Dustin Johnson in my nine for the U.S. Open. So I'm not totally sure why you're still listening to me here. Or maybe I'm just due.


Either way, I've put together a list of the nine players I would stake my life on to win this golf tournament.


Throw everything else out the window. All the stats. All the trends. This is not most likely based on past performance or who's streaking into the tournament. It's just dudes who can get the job done at a major.


1. Dustin Johnson: I'm still not totally sure I trust him, but it's not difficult to envision him winning another major with the way he's hitting it right now. And consider the way he's striking his wedges right now.


2. Jason Day: I'm really going out on a limb with the top two players in the world in my top two. When the chips are down, he's learned to clear the mechanism. He might have to serve orange juice from the claret jug to his son Dash, but the Day family could pretty easily be drinking from a trophy come this time next week.


3. Sergio Garcia: Come at me. Sergio Garcia is going to win a major championship. Although it's probably not going to be this one considering about 20 of us are picking him.


4. Jordan Spieth: He has "historically great" written all over him. You could add him to a list of multiple-major winners at this course that includes Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer. He said on Tuesday he "craves" the claret jug. It will be his if he can control his iron play.


5. Rory McIlroy: I do love me a pissed off McIlroy heading into a major. Weather and proper draw will likely seal his fate one way or another, but if he gets the good side of both, we could be talking about No. 5 soon.


6. Adam Scott: Is he the best one-time major winner of all time? He's certainly up there along with other current golfers like Day and Johnson. He has taken so many shots at the jug you have to wonder if his time for winning one has already passed. He will have to hole a few of those gimmes he usually misses during an Open to win this week.
7. Lee Westwood: Just a hunch here. I think Westwood is going to be a factor Sunday afternoon.


8. Louis Oosthuizen: He has more forgotten than Scott is right now. One of the greatest swings of all time, not just in modern golf. I sometimes wonder what his mental engagement is like (which obviously matters at a bad-weather Open), but you can't question the ball-striking. And ball-striking, as we know, wins major championships.
9. Rickie Fowler: I feel less confident about this pick than I have in the past. But his ball flight is magnificent for a British Open, and he's tougher than Phil Mickelson's after a year in the sun. The Open is the major he'll win. It just might not be this week


9. Rickie Fowler: I feel less confident about this pick than I have in the past. But his ball flight is magnificent for a British Open, and he's tougher than Phil Mickelson's after a year in the sun. The Open is the major he'll win. It just might not be this week.

 

[CNOTES]

2016 British Open: Expert picks, predictions before a tough test at Royal Troon


Our golf writers give you their picks and predictions for what should be a terrific week of golf at Royal Troon in Scotland


Who are you picking at Royal Troon? That's all anyone wants to know this week. And rarely has the decision been more difficult, though you wouldn't know that based on how the CBS Sports golf writers made their calls.


The 2016 British Open field is loaded with stars who have already played tremendous golf this season, including a few who have notched important wins leading up to the third major of an extended season.


Let's not delay any further. Here's our picks for the 145th Open Championship.
Kyle Porter, golf writer


Winner: Sergio Garcia. Seven of the last nine Open winners have been 35 or older. Each major winner this season has been a first-timer. Garcia finished runner-up two years ago and T6 last year. He has nine (!) top 10s at the British Open in his career. It's all adding up for either the greatest week of his life or the most outstanding heartbreak Garcia fans have ever known.


Top 10 lock: Jason Day. His last 12 months have been astonishing, including seven wins in 20 events. He finished runner-up at this tournament last year and has the best combination of mental prowess plus physical tools in the sport right now. I would be stunned if he finished outside the top 10 and downright flabbergasted if he was outside the top 25.


Sleeper: Scott Piercy (100-1). Why the long odds? He has finished runner-up at the last two events which, if you have not been paying attention, were a major and a World Golf Championship. If Dustin Johnson did not exist, Piercy could be going for three straight wins at Royal Troon. He probably won't win, but 100-1 is far too high for somebody hitting it like he is right now.


Top 5, in order: Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Jason Day, Shane Lowry, Adam Scott


Surprise prediction: There will be more golfers in the top 10 over age 35 than under age 30. If the weather whips around, this could become an old man's game and course knowledge plus patience could reign. That's bad news for the Rory McIlroys and Justin Thomases of the world.


Lowest round: 65 (6 under)


Winning score: 273 (9 under)


Winner's Sunday score: 70 (1 under)


Robby Kalland, golf writer


Winner: Sergio Garcia. It's time for to break through. The way Garcia has played recently, coupled with his performances in recent British Opens (T2 and T6 the last two tries), makes me think this is the year. He was close at the U.S. Open and just recently won the HP Byron Nelson. Let's make this is the year of ending years of major sadness with back-to-back wins by Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia.


Top-10 lock: Jason Day. I'm not stepping out on a limb here with Day, but the man's finished in the top 10 in four of his last five events and was T4 last year at St. Andrews. I'd be shocked if he's not in one of the final few pairings on Sunday.


Sleeper: Marc Leishman (80-1). He has finished in the top five at the last two British Opens. The links style courses fit his eye and he knows how to handle bad weather. Look for him to be in contention come Sunday as well.


Top five, in order: Sergio Garcia, Jason Day, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen


Surprise prediction: Ernie Els finishes higher than Dustin Johnson. The last time they played the British Open here, Els was in a playoff and lost to Todd Hamilton. He won a British as recently as 2012 and is playing excellent golf recently. Els has the ability to turn back the clock at the British Open, and I think he'll surprise with a strong showing, while Johnson will stumble a bit after back-to-back wins and finish below the Big Easy.


Lowest round: 66 (5 under)


Winning score: 274 (10 under)


Winner's Sunday score: 68 (3 under)

Adam Silverstein, golf editor


Winner: Jordan Spieth. Recency bias has Spieth ranked fourth in the odds entering Royal Troon. Here's why that's a joke: He's finished 4th or better in six of his last 10 majors and five of his last six. He was unimpressive at the U.S. Open but went T3 at WGC-Bridgestone two weeks ago and has all that early-season pressure off his shoulders. Enjoy your Spaniard; I'll take the American.


Top-10 lock: Jason Day. I did not want to make it a sweep here, but here's Day in the last six majors: T9, T4, 1, T10, T8. I'm not passing up those odds, even if Dustin Johnson is probably an equally good bet here.


Sleeper: Graeme McDowell (100-1). So I'm supposed to not take an Ulsterman who plays his best golf close to home? McDowell has two top-10s in the Open over the last four years and at 36 fits Kyle's older-man metric. And if I'm going to take a sleeper, he'll be 100-1 or better.


Top five, in order: Jordan Spieth, Danny Willett, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Justin Rose


Surprise predictions: I'm going to make two, because I'm feeling lucky and contrarian. First, Rickie Fowler will be in contention entering the weekend. That has not been the case for Fowler in a major since the 2015 Masters as he's been more likely to miss cuts than live up to the hot streak he pieced together in 2014. Second, Sergio Garcia will never be in serious contention. I'm not trying to be the ultimate hater here but literally -- and yes, I do mean literally -- everyone is taking Garcia to win at Royal Troon.


(Cough, cough.) He's made 12 of his last 13 cuts at majors after missing one-third of major cuts from 2004-12. I'd go so far as to take him to miss the cut, but I feel that would be straight disrespectful considering how well he's played recently. Look, I'm not the guy who will play Don't Pass on a craps table, but I'm just not feeling it for Serge. Let me be wrong.


Lowest round: 65 (6 under)


Winning score: 275 (9 under)


Winner's Sunday score: 67 (4 under)

 

[CNOTES]

2016 British Open: Tee times and groupings for Thursday Round 1, Friday Round 2


There are some marquee groups playing Troon on Thursday and Friday, but you're going to have to wake up early to see them


The tee times and groups are set for the first two rounds of the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon this week. There are some great ones too. The highlights are probably as follows.


Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry


Rickie Fowler, Jason Day and Danny Willett


Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson and Hideki Matsuyama


You'll have to rise early (I mean really early) to catch them as hose three groups above all go off before 5 a.m. ET on Thursday.


There are several others worth watching, of course. Here's a look at all 52 groups and what times they tee off for the first two rounds at the Open on Thursday and Friday.


All players tee off from the first hole on both days. All times Eastern.


ROUND 1 ROUND 2 PLAYERS


1:35 a.m. 6:36 a.m. Colin Montgomerie, Marc Leishman, Luke Donald


1:46 a.m. 6:47 a.m. Steven Alker, Marcus Fraser, Sanghee Lee


1:57 a.m. 6:58 a.m. Jeunghun Wang, Jon Rahn, Ryan Palmer


2:08 a.m. 7:09 a.m. Sandy Lyle, Scott Gregory, David Duval


2:19 a.m. 7:20 a.m. Richie Ramsay, Danny Lee, Harris English


2:30 a.m. 7:31 a.m. Alex Noren, Steven Bowditch, Kevin Chappell


2:41 a.m. 7:42 a.m. Darren Clarke, Thorbjorn Olesen, Jim Furyk


2:52 a.m. 7:53 a.m. Justin Thomas, David Lingmerth, Kiradech Aphibarnrat


3:30 a.m. 8:04 a.m. Branden Grace, Patrick Reed, Byeong Hun An


3:14 a.m. 8:15 a.m. Paul Lawrie, Brandt Snedeker, Thongchai Jaidee


3:25 a.m. 8:26 a.m. Padraig Harrington, Louis Oosthuizen, Jamie Donaldson


3:36 a.m. 8:37 a.m. Scott Piercy, Paul Dunne, Jamie Lovemark


3:47 a.m. 8:48 a.m. Victor Dubuisson, Jimmy Walker, Scott Hend


4:03 a.m. 9:04 a.m. Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry


4:14 a.m. 9:15 a.m. Ross Fisher, Steve Stricker, Vijay Singh


4:25 a.m. 9:26 a.m. Danny Willett, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day


4:36 a.m. 9:37 a.m. Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Bubba Watson


4:47 a.m. 9:48 a.m. Gary Woodland, James Morrison, Soomin Lee


4:58 a.m. 9:59 a.m. Smylie Kaufman, Chris Kirk, George Coetzee


5:09 a.m. 10:10 a.m. Billy Horschel, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Hideto Tanihara


5:20 a.m. 10:21 a.m. Matteo Manassero, Shugo Imahira, Russell Henley


5:31 a.m. 10:32 a.m. Kodai Ichihara, Robert Rock, William McGirt


5:42 a.m. 10:43 a.m. Brendan Steele, Richard Stene, Matt Jones


5:53 a.m. 10:54 a.m. Patton Kizzire, Nicolas Colsaerts, Rod Pampling


6:04 a.m. 11:05 a.m. Dave Coupland, Nathan Holman, Phachara Khongwatmai


6:15 a.m. 11:16 a.m. Scott Fernandez, Rikard Karlberg, Haydn Porteous


6:36 a.m. 1:35 a.m. Greg Chalmers, Kristoffer Broberg, Clement Sordet


6:47 a.m. 1:46 a.m. David Howell, Seung Yul Noh, Tony Finau


6:58 a.m. 1:57 a.m. Jordan Niebrugge, Nick Cullen, Robert Streb


7:09 a.m. 2:08 a.m. Ben Curtis, Stefano Mazzoli, John Daly


7:20 a.m. 2:19 a.m. Francesco Molinari, Kevin Kisner, K.T. Kim


7:31 a.m. 2:30 a.m. Todd Hamilton, Justin Leonard, Mark Calcavecchia


7:42 a.m. 2:41 a.m. Soren Kjeldsen, Lasse Jensen, Bill Haas


7:53 a.m. 2:52 a.m. Paul Casey, Charl Schwartzel, Kevin Na


8:04 a.m. 3:03 a.m. Emiliano Grillo, Joost Luiten, Charley Hoffman


8:15 a.m. 3:14 a.m. Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar, Andrew Johnston


8:26 a.m. 3:25 a.m. Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood, Ernie Els


8:37 a.m. 3:36 a.m. Satoshi Kodaira, James Hahn, Andy Sullivan


8:48 a.m. 3:47 a.m. Ryan Moore, Bernd Wiesberger, Tommy Fleetwood


9:04 a.m. 4:03 a.m. Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Russell Knox


9:15 a.m. 4:14 a.m. Zach Johnson, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson


9:26 a.m. 4:25 a.m. Chris Wood, Yusaku Miyazato, Mark O'Meara


9:37 a.m. 4:36 a.m. Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jason Dufner, Marc Warren


9:48 a.m. 4:47 a.m. Anirban Lahiri, Sergio Garcia, Keegan Bradley


9:59 a.m. 4:58 a.m. Webb Simpson, Yuta Ikeda, Thomas Pieters


10:10 a.m. 5:09 a.m. Rafael Cabrera-Bello, J.B. Holmes, Brandon Stone


10:21 a.m. 5:20 a.m. Marco Dawson, Matthew Southgate, Yosuke Tsukada


10:32 a.m. 5:31 a.m. Jack Senior, James Heath, Brian Gay


10:43 a.m. 5:42 a.m. Jim Herman, Fabian Gomez, Anthony Wall


10:54 a.m. 5:53 a.m. Paul Howard, Daniel Summerhays, Colt Knost


11:05 a.m. 6:04 a.m. Oskar Arvidsson, Harold Varner III, Tyrrell Hatton


11:16 a.m. 6:15 a.m. Ryan Evans, Callum Shinkwin, Zander Lombard

 

[CNOTES]

Golfers to Bet - British Open


Tournament: The Open Championship
Date: Thursday, July 14th
Venue: Royal Troon Golf Club
Location: South Ayrshire, Scotland


The world’s top golfers will head to Scotland for The Open Championship on Thursday, Jul. 14. Last year, Zach Johnson emerged as the winner of the oldest of the four major championships. He shot a 15-under in that tournament, defeating both Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen in a four-hole playoff.


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The last time Royal Troon hosted this tournament, Todd Hamilton was the golfer that ultimately won. He shot a 10-under that year, but that number may not be good enough to win it in 2016.


One major absence on the 7,175-yard course will be Tiger Woods. Woods is still recovering from a back injury that has taken him away from a majority of the past two seasons worth of golf. It’s a shame that he won’t be out there, as he holds the tournament record with a score of 19-under back in 2000.


Fortunately, the field will still have guys like Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and Justin Rose. Johnson is the hot hand coming in, having won the U.S. Open in the middle of June and following that performance up with a win at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational later in the month.


With that out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the best value plays heading into the British Open:


Golfers to Bet


Dustin Johnson (8/1) - It’s not always fun to choose chalk, but it’d just be irresponsible to leave Johnson off of this list. Heading into The Open Championship, Johnson has come away with victories in each of the past two tournaments he has played in. One of those tourneys was the U.S. Open back in mid-June, when Johnson shot a four-under to win his first ever major. He is putting better than ever and that has always been the part of his game that has been missing. Johnson is a monster off the tee and has the in between game as well. As long as he can make some putts then he’ll be in the hunt on championship Sunday. He’s worth putting a few units on at 8/1 in this tournament and will likely be a force for the remainder of the season, as his confidence is sky high right now.


Rickie Fowler (30/1) - Fowler has really been miserable in the biggest tournaments this year, failing to make the cut at The Masters, the PLAYERS and the U.S. Open. That type of play certainly isn’t encouraging, but he is still one of the most talented players on the TOUR and that is why he is seventh in the OWGR. Fowler has the total package on the golf course, but he is a headcase of sorts. He is capable of taking himself out of any tournament when the going gets tough, so it’s important that he remains cool on the opening day of this tournament. If he can get off to a hot start then it’s very likely that he’ll be a threat to win come Sunday. He’s worth taking a shot on at 30/1, as he is not the type of player to get favorable odds like these often.


Justin Rose (30/1) - Justin Rose is yet another golfer that has had a bit of a disappointing season, but he is still the 11th ranked golfer in the OWGR. Rose has also been competitive at the bigger tournaments this year, tying for 10th at The Masters and tying for 19th at the PLAYERS. Rose did, however, get cut at the U.S. Open and followed that performance up with a 10-over tournament at Bridgestone. Rose will be looking to right the ship in this tournament and he’ll certainly have enough reasons to do be hungry heading into this one. Rose is an English player, so the British Open is something he has always wanted to win, and he also is in search of his first victory of the year. Rose was once one of the top-five golfers in the world, so he’s worth taking a shot on at 30/1.


Hideki Matsuyama (50/1) - When looking for a dark horse that could pay off in this tournament, it’s tough to avoid putting a half-unit or so on somebody like Matsuyama. Matsuyama has struggled a bit this season, but he is still one of the most promising young golfers on the TOUR. Matsuyama is 17th in the OWGR and while this season hasn’t been as good as last year, it hasn’t been all bad either. Matsuyama won the Phoenix Open in early February and has a total of five top-10 finishes on the season. Two of those happened to have come at The Masters and the PLAYERS as well. He is a big time player and it’s hard to imagine him not finding a way to get things done in this tournament.


Odds to win The Open Championship - per Sportsbook.ag


Dustin Johnson 8/1
Jason Day 8/1
Jordan Spieth 9/1
Rory McIlroy 9/1
Adam Scott 21/1
Branden Grace 30/1
Henrik Stenson 30/1
Justin Rose 30/1
Rickie Fowler 30/1
Sergio Garcia 30/1
Danny Willett 35/1
Louis Oosthuizen 40/1
Shane Lowry 40/1
Phil Mickelson 45/1
Brooks Koepka 50/1
Bubba Watson 50/1
Hideki Matsuyama 50/1
Lee Westwood 50/1
Martin Kaymer 50/1
Zach Johnson 50/1
Matthew Fitzpatrick 60/1
Paul Casey 60/1
Brandt Snedeker 65/1
Matt Kuchar 65/1
Patrick Reed 65/1
Charl Schwartzel 70/1
Marc Leishman 70/1
Jim Furyk 75/1
Scott Piercy 85/1
Chris Wood 95/1
Andy Sullivan 100/1
Byeong-Hun An 100/1
Ernie Els 100/1
Graeme McDowell 100/1
Justin Thomas 100/1
Russell Knox 100/1
Kiradech Aphibarnrat 110/1
Rafael Cabrera-Bello 110/1
Daniel Berger 120/1
Padraig Harrington 120/1
Alex Noren 125/1
Francesco Molinari 125/1
Jason Dufner 125/1
Thongchai Jaidee 125/1
Thorbjorn Olesen 125/1
Bernd Wiesberger 150/1
Bill Haas 150/1
Billy Horschel 150/1
Brandon Stone 150/1
Danny Lee 150/1
David Lingmerth 150/1
Emiliano Grillo 150/1
J.B. Holmes 150/1
Jimmy Walker 150/1
Jon Rahm 150/1
Joost Luiten 150/1
Kevin Kisner 150/1
Kevin Na 150/1
Webb Simpson 150/1
Robert Rock 170/1
Soren Kjeldsen 170/1
Jamie Donaldson 175/1
Steve Stricker 175/1
Brendan Steele 200/1
Charley Hoffman 200/1
Chris Kirk 200/1
Gary Woodland 200/1
Harris English 200/1
Hunter Mahan 200/1
Paul Dunne 200/1
Richard Sterne 200/1
Rikard Karlberg 200/1
Ross Fisher 200/1
Tony Finau 200/1
Victor Dubuisson 200/1
Colin Montgomerie 220/1
Andrew Johnston 250/1
Anirban Lahiri 250/1
Callum Shinkwin 250/1
George Coetzee 250/1
Harold Varner III 250/1
Jeunghun Wang 250/1
Keegan Bradley 250/1
Marc Warren 250/1
Matthew Southgate 250/1
Russell Henley 250/1
Ryan Moore 250/1
Ryan Palmer 250/1
Smylie Kaufman 250/1
Tommy Fleetwood 250/1
Vijay Singh 250/1
William McGirt 250/1
Hideto Tanihara 300/1
Kim Kyung Tae 300/1
Miguel Angel Jimenez 300/1
Paul Lawrie 300/1
Robert Streb 300/1
Seung yul Noh 300/1
Zander Lombard 300/1
Scott Hend 350/1
David Howell 400/1
James Morrison 400/1
Jordan Niebrugge 400/1
Patton Kizzire 400/1
Soomin Lee 400/1
Anthony Wall 500/1
Brian Gay 500/1
Fabian Gomez 500/1
Haydn Porteous 500/1
James Hahn 500/1
Justin Leonard 500/1
Kristoffer Broberg 500/1
Nathan Holman 500/1
Rod Pampling 500/1
Scott Gregory 500/1
Steven Bowditch 500/1
Yosuke Tsukada 500/1
Yuta Ikeda 500/1
Clement Sordet 750/1
Darren Clarke 750/1
Jack Senior 750/1
James Heath 750/1
John Daly 750/1
Kodai Ichihara 750/1
Lasse Jensen 750/1
Nick Cullen 750/1
Phachara Khongwatmai 750/1
Sang Hee Lee 750/1
Satoshi Kodaira 750/1
Scott Fernandez 750/1
Shugo Imahira 750/1
Steven Alker 750/1
Ben Curtis 1000/1
Dave Coupland 1000/1
David Duval 1000/1
Marco Dawson 1000/1
Mark Calcavecchia 1000/1
Mark OMeara 1000/1
Nick Price 1000/1
Oskar Arvidsson 1000/1
Ryan Evans 1000/1
Sandy Lyle 1000/1
Stefano Mazzoli 1000/1
Todd Hamilton 1000/1
Tom Lehman 1000/1


Odds Subject to Change

 

[CNOTES]

The Open Championship Preview
July 11, 2016




After going three for four in the 2015 Majors, admittedly my 2016 Major picks couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start (thanks Rory). However just like NBC and my man Johnny Miller, this is the week I make my “Ali like return to the ring.” Outside of the Masters, the British Open is my second favorite Major of the year, and with the return of Johnny to the booth, what’s not to love?


Royal Troon will host its ninth British Open this week. Like most British Open courses, Troon couldn’t play any more different going out than coming in. The front nine plays much easier going out (downwind) and much more difficult on the back nine coming in (into the wind), which should make the final nine holes Sunday afternoon very interesting if the wind is up. To put it another way, Gary Player famously said, the back nine at Troon is, “the most difficult in the world when the wind is blowing.”


So the question as always is; who will survive the wind and be holding the Claret Jug come Sunday afternoon?


Here are the 18 to watch (sorted by odds):


18. Jason Day (8/1): Let’s start at the top with the number one player in the world. Despite winning seven of his last 19 tournaments, Day still “only” has one Major win to his credit. I don’t think anyone would be surprised if he added a second win this week but I don’t see it happening. Day’s ball flight along with his forgettable Sunday at the WGC leave cause for concern. I think a sixth straight Top 10 this week is all but a lock, just not his second Major victory.


17. Rory McIlroy (8/1): After refusing to buy into the Rory hype for the last two years I reluctantly drank the kool-aid this year not once (Masters - T-10), but twice (US Open - MC) and got burned badly each time. So Rory is officially dead to me…which probably means he will win the British Open. Outside of his win at the Irish Open, McIlroy frankly has done very little the last 22 months to indicate any chance of winning this week.


16. Jordan Spieth (8/1): The past six British Open winners at Royal Troon have been American, with the last two (Leonard and Hamilton) having Dallas ties. This will of course mean absolutely nothing when he tees it up starting Thursday morning. Spieth has always seemed to play his best golf with a chip on his shoulder and has several coming into this week. Most recently he got passed by DJ to drop to number three in the OWGR last week. I know he said he's trying to play quicker and have more fun, but you have to wonder if that’s working against him based on his recent play? Spieth is the biggest wildcard in the field to me this week. Nothing he does, from winning, to missing the cut, will surprise me.


15. Dustin Johnson (17/2): After finally getting his first major last month at Oakmont, DJ could win the next six Majors and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Day might be the number one player in the world but DJ is the hottest. With that said, I think the British Open and this course in particular might be the one place DJ could struggle a little. And by struggle, I mean finish outside of first but inside the Top 10.


14. Justin Rose (24/1): Rose has three missed cuts in his last six British Open’s and only one Top 10 as a pro (last year). My bigger issue with Rose though is his back problem. He tried to give it a go at the US Open and missed the cut. I don’t bet on golfers that are injured. Until his back is fully healthy, I’ll pass on Rose.


13. Sergio Garcia (25/1): If Sergio is ever going to win a major, one would have to assume the British Open would be it with nine top 10’s, including two runner-up finishes. But…it’s Sergio Garcia and it’s a major.


12. Henrik Stenson (25/1): Stenson finally ended his winless drought last month at the BMW International Open in Germany and followed it up with a respectable T-13 at the Scottish Open this past weekend. Will he continue his solid play at the British Open? Probably. Will it be solid enough to get him the Claret Jug come Sunday? No.


11. Rickie Fowler (27/1): Yes, Rickie Fowler has two top 5’s in only six British Open starts, and yes Fowler has always thrived when it comes to playing in the wind. But the guy has four missed cuts in his last eight starts including both Majors in 2016 as well the PLAYERS and the Memorial. At this point, just making the cut at the British Open would be a victory for Fowler.


10. Branden Grace (29/1): The good news for Grace is that he has made the cut in all five of his British Open starts. The bad news, his best finish so far is a T-20 (coming last year). I think if Grace were to win a major it would come at the US Open, not the British Open.


9. Danny Willett (30/1): Todd Hamilton’s win here in 2004 put him in the conversation of the most out of nowhere Major Champions in golf history. Even as the 9th ranked player in the world, Danny Willett joining the very small list of multiple Major winners in the same year wouldn’t be quite as shocking as Hamilton’s win but it wouldn’t be too far off either. I’ll play the odds here that Willett doesn’t join that list.


8. Louis Oosthuizen (33/1): Louis has a win and runner up when playing the British Open at St Andrews. In his seven other British Open starts…his best finish is a T-19 with two missed cuts. Until the British Open returns to St Andrews in 2020 I’ll pass on Louis.


7. Shane Lowry (35/1): Can he put that final round at the Oakmont behind him this quickly? Based on his play at the WGC I would have to say no.


6. Phil Mickelson (35/1): Mickelson comes in with a lot of momentum off his final round 66 at the Scottish Open…very similar to DJ coming into the US Open off his final round 63 at the St Jude. He also finished solo 3rd here at the 2004 British Open (one shot out of the playoff). But two missed cuts in his first two majors of 2016 are much more concerning. I think Phil is around for the weekend but that’s about as good as you can expect from him this week.


5. Zach Johnson (55/1): Believe it or not, Zach Johnson has one of the best recent records of anyone on tour at the British Open. Along with his win last year, he also has top 10’s in three of last four years. With his history here and coming off a T-8 at the U.S. Open I fully expect Johnson to be somewhere on or near the leaderboard this week but the words “Zach Johnson wins back-to-back British Opens” just aren’t plausible to me.


4. Patrick Reed (65/1): Top 10 finishes by Patrick Reed in a major prior to the 2016 British Open…zero. Top 10 finishes by Patrick Reed in a major following the 2016 British Open…zero


As for my top three picks this week. With a good variety in odds, I’m taking a piece of each of them, all for different reasons.


3. Brandt Snedeker (60/1): At 60/1, this is my dark horse pick…or my weather insurance pick. Sneds could win or miss the cut by 5 shots, and it will probably all depend on the weather. The nastier the weather the more I like this pick. There might not be a better bad weather player on the planet than Sneds. His win earlier this year at Torrey Pines came in a monsoon similar to that of the Bishop’s round from Caddyshack. The guy gets better as the weather gets worse. The forecast for Troon as of today is calling for a relatively calm four days by British Open standards; but as everyone knows that can change in a moment’s notice. And if it does change for the worse, having a smaller play on Snedeker at 60/1 should be well rewarded.


2. Lee Westwood (40/1): At 40/1, this is both an emotional and gut pick. He finished 4th here in 2004 and has four total top 5 finishes in the British Open. The fact that he was T-2 at the Masters this year and was in the penultimate group of the final round at Oakmont, I’d say he is clearly playing well in 2016. My general rule has always been, if it’s a major stay away from Westwood, Sergio and DJ. But if DJ can finally get the monkey off his back of winning a major…why not Westwood four weeks later? And at 40/1 no less.


1. Adam Scott (20/1): At 20/1, this is the best value and safest pick in the field. The guy is simply a stalwart on the British Open leaderboard lately with five top 10’s…including four in a row. Quite frankly it's hard to believe he hasn't claimed a claret jug already with the way he's played in this event the past few years. If not for four straight bogeys out of nowhere on the back nine in both 2012 AND 2013 the guy would probably have back to back Claret Jugs already. While he’s obviously cooled down from his torrid start to 2016, I think this is the year he finally keeps it together on the back nine Sunday and wins his first British Open turning my 2016 back into a profitable year.


19th hole – Of course, the smart thing to do is just ignore everything I have said to this point and bet on the one and only…the 1995 British Open Champion…John Patrick Daly at 1000/1.

 

[CNOTES]

MY PICK TO WIN THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP


ONLINE
07/12/2016
12:17 AM


[Ticket #: 267717736] ODDS TO WIN THE 2016 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

07/13/2016 @ 10:45 PM TNT [80309] Sergio Garcia 26.54