You have to go back to the “Tiger Slam” days in 2000 and 2001 to find the last time Tiger Woods came into a major as such an overwhelming favorite. Ladbrokes has Woods as a 5-2 favorite to win this week at the British Open.
The memories of Woods’ rout at St. Andrews in 2000, along with his improved play this year, have everyone predicting a repeat.
But obviously golf doesn’t work that way. Considering the last two Open winners were Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton, this definitely is one tournament that doesn’t go to form.
So if not Woods, then who? Here’s a list of possible contenders:
Ernie Els
He’s the consensus choice after Woods. He won in Muirfield in 2002 and finished second to Woods in 2000.
Els has won three times on the European Tour but has endured subpar finishes in the majors; 47th in the Masters and tied for 15th in the U.S. Open. Els wants to jumpstart his season. St. Andrews would be the perfect place for him to do it.
Vijay Singh
It all depends on his putting. Singh has been hitting the ball well, but his putter has held him back.
After playing five straight tournaments, Singh took last week off, although you can be sure he logged plenty of hours at the range. Perhaps he found his putting stroke.
Phil Mickelson
He’s another biggie who has been lackluster of late. He hasn’t had a top 10 finish since the beginning of May; he tied for 33rd in the U.S. Open.
Mickelson doesn’t have a great British Open record, but he did come in third last year at Royal Troon. So perhaps he has figured out how to play this tournament.
Retief Goosen
Goosen still is struggling to get over his final round disaster in the U.S. Open when he shot 81 at Pinehurst. He played only so-so in his last two events on the European Tour.
But Goosen has the talent to bounce back. If he gets into contention on Sunday, expect him to play better this time around.
David Toms
Toms shined as a relative unknown in his first British Open, finishing fourth at St. Andrews. Now that he is one of the world’s top 10 players, he is considered one of the favorites. If the weather is calm, and it becomes a birdie fest, watch out for Toms.
Luke Donald
Despite not making the cut in five previous British Opens, the expectations couldn’t be higher for the Northwestern alum. During the last two years, he has emerged as one of the top players in the world. He is viewed as one of Europe’s top hopes to win the title. He will be looking to do more than make the cut this year.
Sergio Garcia
He still remains Europe’s top hope to bring the Claret Jug back to the continent for the first time since Scotland’s Paul Lawrie won in 1999. Garcia hasn’t been impressive in the Open, missing the cut last year. Still, St. Andrews is a long-hitters course and Garcia has plenty of distance to thrive here.
Todd Hamilton
The defending British Open champion will receive far more attention this time around. He has yet to post a top 10 finish this year, so he hardly goes into the Open with much momentum. Still, he will want to make a good showing in defense of his title.
