Read more: Rainy Weather Forecast Causing Uncertainty for British Open at Royal Troon
With one of golf's oldest championships on the horizon, experts and analysts have begun delivering their predictions for who may hoist the Claret Jug at Royal Troon in two weeks' time. One name being faded from contention by many is England's Tommy Fleetwood, who despite his status inside the top-25 of the world, faces an uphill battle to contend according to some.
Premier golf analytics expert Sia Nejad voiced scepticism over Fleetwood's chances to succeed at this year's Open. Key to Nejad's concern is Fleetwood's approach play, long seen as a strength but ranking only 104th on the PGA Tour over the past year. Royal Troon is a course where precise iron play will be paramount, amplifying any issues in that part of Fleetwood's game.
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Experience has also not been on Fleetwood's side to date. While establishing himself as a globally renowned talent since turning pro in 2013, the 33-year-old is still searching for that elusive first PGA Tour victory. Contending regularly in majors but never quite getting over the hump, doubts remain if Fleetwood has what it takes mentally to emerge from a stacked field. As Nejad stated, there is no chance he is putting money on Fleetwood at odds of +2200 based on current form.
Yet while some experts such as Nejad proceed with caution regarding Fleetwood's chances, others see room for optimism. His proven links golf pedigree remains an asset at a traditional Open venue. With two months also remaining before the season's final major kicks off, time exists for Fleetwood to iron out any wrinkles before taking on the renowned Scottish coastline. As in any Open Championship, talent and experience can equally carry a player to the title. Fleetwood has abundant amounts of both.
The coming days will provide clarity on Fleetwood's game ahead of the 2024 Open. For now, the jury appears split on if he has what it takes to contend for a first major triumph. But as every competitor knows, it only takes four focused days of golf to etch one's name in championship lore. Fleetwood will hope Royal Troon can provide the stage for that kind of enduring success and memory.
What makes Collin Morikawa a strong contender at Royal Troon
Collin Morikawa is perfectly suited to excel at the Open Championship. He showed just that when winning at Royal St George's last year. His strategic approach to links-style courses and precise iron play really shine through.
You've also got to love his record in this event recently. Taking home the Claret Jug in his last appearance plus averaging first in his last three trips - the guy clearly knows what it takes to get it done at the British Open.
Plus, his all-round game is spectacular. Driving distance, iron shots, putting - he's right up top on crucial stats for Royal Troon. Having such a complete game will serve him incredibly well.
And as if that wasn't enough, Collin is in prime form too heading in. A solid fourth at the Scottish Open a couple weeks back proves he's still playing some great golf. With momentum on his side, he'll be a huge threat again.
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When you think about his proven links skills, past Open dominance, and how strong all facets of his game are, it's hard to pick against Morikawa having a serious chance to defend his title. With that level of experience and ability, he'll be right in the mix come Sunday. Royal Troon could see another special performance from this guy.
2024 Open Championship odds, field
See Nejad's picks, best bets and predictions here.
Scottie Scheffler +450
Rory McIlroy +750
Xander Schauffele +1100
Ludvig Aberg +1400
Collin Morikawa +1400
Bryson DeChambeau +1400
Tommy Fleetwood +2200
Jon Rahm +2200
Tyrrell Hatton +2500
Viktor Hovland +3000
Robert MacIntyre +3500
Brooks Koepka +3500
Tony Finau +4000
Tom Kim +4000
Shane Lowry +4000
Patrick Cantlay +4000
Cameron Smith +4000
Sahith Theegala +4500
Hideki Matsuyama +4500
Joaquin Niemann +5000
Sungjae Im +5500
Min Woo Lee +5500
Cameron Young +5500
Adam Scott +5500
Wyndham Clark +6000
Matt Fitzpatrick +6000
Justin Thomas +6000
Brian Harman +6000
Aaron Rai +6000
Corey Conners +7000
Jordan Spieth +8000
Louis Oosthuizen +9000
Si Woo Kim +10000
Sepp Straka +10000
Russell Henley +10000
Max Homa +10000
Jason Day +10000
Alex Noren +10000
Akshay Bhatia +10000
Davis Thompson +10000
Sam Burns +11000
Ryan Fox +11000
Nicolai Hojgaard +11000
Dustin Johnson +12000
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +12000
Dean Burmester +12000
Rasmus Hojgaard +15000
Justin Rose +15000
Byeong Hun An +15000
Rickie Fowler +17000
Keegan Bradley +17000
Abraham Ancer +17000
Will Zalatoris +17000
Tom McKibbin +17000
Victor Perez +20000
Tom Hoge +20000
Tiger Woods +20000
Romain Langasque +20000
Denny McCarthy +20000
Adrian Meronk +20000
Harris English +20000
Matthieu Pavon +20000
Thorbjorn Olesen +25000
Padraig Harrington +25000
Matt Wallace +25000
Kurt Kitayama +25000
J.T. Poston +25000
Ewen Ferguson +25000
Billy Horschel +25000
Matteo Manassero +25000
Mackenzie Hughes +25000
Adam Hadwin +25000
Jordan Smith +30000
Sebastian Soderberg +30000
Matthew Southgate +30000
Eric Cole +30000
Phil Mickelson +35000
Nick Taylor +35000
Matthew Jordan +35000
C.T. Pan +35000
Stephan Jaeger +35000
Maverick McNealy +35000
Laurie Canter +35000
Brendon Todd +35000
Ben Griffin +35000
Austin Eckroat +35000
Richard Mansell +35000
Guido Migliozzi +40000
Gary Woodland + 40000
Francesco Molinari +40000
Emiliano Grillo +40000
Chris Kirk +40000
Alexander Bjork +40000
Henrik Stenson +40000
Taylor Moore +40000
Sam Horsfield +40000
Ryo Hisatsune +40000
Lucas Glover +40000
Keita Nakajima +40000
John Catlin +40000
David Puig +40000
Yannik Paul +50000
Thriston Lawrence +50000
Joost Luiten +50000
Gordon Sargent +50000
Rikuya Hoshino +60000
Stewart Cink +70000
Sami Valimaki +70000
Marcel Siem + 70000
Dominic Clemons +70000
Zach Johnson +100000
Yuto Katsuragawa +100000
Younghan Song +100000
Shubhankar Sharma +100000
Sean Crocker +100000
Santiago De la Fuente +100000
Jorge Campillo +100000
Joe Dean +100000
Jesper Svensson +100000
Dan Bradbury +100000
Adam Schenk +100000
Tommy Morrison +100000
Calum Scott +100000
Ernie Els +150000
Vincent Norrman +150000
Sam Hutsby +150000
Daniel Brown +150000
Jacob Skov Olesen +150000
Nacho Elvira +200000
Minkyu Kim +200000
Luis Masaveu +200000
Kazuma Kobori 200000
Ryosuke Kinoshita +250000
Ryan Van Velzen +250000
Mason Andersen +250000
Jasper Stubbs +250000
Jaime Montojo +250000
Jack McDonald +250000
Gun Taek Koh +250000
Elvis Smylie +250000
Daniel Hillier +250000
Angel Hidalgo +250000
Andy Ogletree +250000
Altin Van Der Merwe +250000
Matthew Dodd-Berry +250000
Liam Nolan +250000
Denwit Boriboonsub +250000
Alex Cejka +250000
Michael Hendry +250000
John Daly +500000
Darren Clarke +500000
Masahiro Kawamura +500000
Justin Leonard +500000
Jeunghun Wang +500000
Darren Fichardt +500000
Charlie Lindh +500000
Aguri Iwasaki +500000
Todd Hamilton +500000
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