The final major of the 2023 golf season gets underway this week with the unheralded Royal Liverpool Golf Club hosting the 151st Open Championship. The world’s best golfers will all be on hand at the historic seaside links course, situated along England’s west coast. But only one can take home the coveted Claret Jug.
Two of the three major champions this year (Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka) are multi-major winners; will it become three of four? Or will it be another first timer like Wyndham Clark?
Below, we rank our top 20 for The Open Championship:
20. Jordan Spieth
The Texan is entering in (very) questionable form and has not been the same player since an injury-related WD at the Byron Nelson in May… Before the injury, though, the 2017 Open champ was in solid form, having posted four top-5s amid a string of seven spring starts, highlighted by a T4 at the Masters and playoff loss at Hilton Head… So why do we still like him? Because the Open demands creativity, and no one is more imaginative than Spieth. And his record proves it: in his last seven starts at the Open, Spieth has never finished worse than T30, with five top-10s including a win in 2017 and runner-up in 2021.
Odds: 35-1
Book Rank: T13
Last 6: MC, MC, 5, MC, 29, MC
Last 6 Majors: MC, 29, 4, 8, 37, 34
Best at The Open: Win (2017)
19. Patrick Reed
The 2018 Masters champion enters in solid form with two straight top-5 finishes on the LIV tour, including a runner-up two weeks ago in London… Reed has finished in the top-20 in two of the season’s three majors, highlighted by a T4 at Augusta National… He currently sits inside the top 5 on the LIV Golf circuit’s season-long points standings… The Texan owns three career top-20 finishes at the Open with a solo 10th at Portrush in 2019 a career best.
Odds: 80-1
Book Rank: T28
Last 6: 2, 5, 39, 18, 12, 14
Last 6 Majors: 56, 18, 4, 47, 49, 34
Best at The Open: 10th (2019)
18. Talor Gooch
After being de-qualified by the USGA for last month’s U.S. Open, the Oklahoma native is considered the most disrespected elite player in the world. He enters with a chip on his shoulder, though, and in top form with three wins in his last six starts on the LIV tour… Gooch has finished T33 (2021) and T34 (2022) in his only two starts at the Open… In nine starts on the 2023 LIV Golf season, totaling 27 rounds, the 31-year-old from Oklahoma State has posted 23 rounds under par and only four over par. He continues to hold down No.1 spot on the upstart tour’s season-long points standings.
Odds: 80-1
Book Rank: T28
Last 6: 22, 1, 15, MC, 36, 1
Last 6 Majors: MC, 34, 34, MC, 20, 14
Best at The Open: T33 (2021)
17. Shane Lowry
The 2019 Open champ hasn’t contended much this season but has produced consistently solid results including five top-20s in his last six starts (all top-tier events)… Lowry has finished inside the top 20 in each of the three majors this season… He posted a T10 in the 2014 Open at Hoylake.
Odds: 35-1
Book Rank: T13
Last 6: 12, 19, 20, 43, 16, 12
Last 6 Majors: 20, 12, 16, 21, MC, 23
Best at The Open: Win (2019)
16. Matt Fitzpatrick
The victory in Brookline last year highlighted Fitzpatrick’s breakout 2022 season. Following a T10 at the 2023 Masters and a win at Hilton Head, it looked like the Northwestern alum was cementing himself as a top-10 star… But the 28-year-old Brit enters the final major of the season with just one top 10 in his last seven starts including a missed-cut at last week’s Scottish Open.
Odds: 40-1
Book Rank: 16th
Last 6: MC, 49, 17, 20, 9, MC
Last 6 Majors: 17, MC, 10, 21, 1, 5
Best at The Open: T20 (2019)
15. Wyndham Clark
After his surprise U.S. Open victory, Clark racked up two solid performances, both times finishing inside the top-30 in elite events… The Colorado native has made just one start at the Open, finishing T76 in 2022. With two wins on the season, though – including a major, he is no longer the player who teed it up at St Andrews. He’s now elite… Clark enters as the reigning U.S. Open champ and the world No. 10.
Odds: 55-1
Book Rank: 19th
Last 6: 25, 29, 1, 12, MC, 1
Last 6 Majors: 1, MC, DNQ, 76, MC, DNQ
Best at The Open: T76 (2022)
14. Bryson DeChambeau
The 2020 U.S. Open champ has reworked his body once again and appears close to prime form, ala 2018-2020. The 29-year-old lost the bulk while maintaining the crazy swing speed… Now lean and chiseled, DeChambeau enters with some solid results including a T4 at the PGA, a T20 at the U.S. Open and a solo second at LIV Valderrama… The California native finished T8 at last year’s Open. He seems due.
Odds: 65-1
Book Rank: T24
Last 6: 13, 2, 20, 10, 4, 7
Last 6 Majors: 20, 4, MC, 8, 56, DNP
Best at The Open: T8 (2022)
13. Collin Morikawa
What do we make of the two-time major champ? He’s been all over the map the past two seasons, largely due to an inconsistent short game. Rocketing out of the gate with two majors in his first two full seasons on tour, Morikawa was a constant presence near the top of the world rankings. That’s no longer the case. After starting the 2023 season with a pair of top-3 finishes, Morikawa has posted just three top-10s in 14 starts and is close to falling outside the top 20. The good news: one of those top-10s came in his most recent start – a playoff loss to Rickie Fowler at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Odds: 30-1
Book Rank: T11
Last 6: 2, MC, 14, 29, 26, MC
Last 6 Majors: 14, 26, 10, MC, 5, 55
Best at The Open: Win (2021)
12. Rickie Fowler
Speaking of Fowler. He’s clearly back! The fan favorite entered the 2022-23 season ranked 185th in the world. He enters England holding a ranking of No. 22… On the season, the 34-year-old star has posted fifteen top-20s, including eight top-10s, highlighted by a win in Detroit – his first victory in four years… He finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy the last time the Open was held at Royal Liverpool.
Odds: 22-1
Book Rank: T6
Last 6: 42, 1, 13, 5, 9, 6
Last 6 Majors: 5, MC, DNQ, DNQ, DNQ, 23
Best at The Open: T2 (2014)
11. Viktor Hovland
The world No.5 enters Royal Liverpool off six straight starts of T29 or better, headlined by a win at the Memorial and runner-up at the PGA… Hovland owns top-10 finishes in five of the season’s top-tier events: 1st Memorial, T2 PGA, T7 Masters, T3 Players, T10 Arnold Palmer… He owns three top-10s in his last four major starts, including a T4 at last year’s Open. Finished T12 (2021) in his only other Open start.
Odds: 22-1
Book Rank: T6
Last 6: 25, 29, 19, 1, 16, 2
Last 6 Majors: 19, 2, 7, 4, MC, 41
Best at The Open: T4 (2022)
10. Dustin Johnson
Fully healed from an injury which hampered his game earlier in the season. Now (laughably) ranked 79th in the world, DJ enters off three straight top-10s including a T10 at the U.S. Open and a solo 5th in London… The longtime world No.1 and two-time major winner could become just the 13th player in history to win three of the four legs of the grand slam.
Odds: 35-1
Book Rank: T13
Last 6: 5, 9, 10, 55, 37, 1
Last 6 Majors: 10, 55, 48, 6, 24, MC
Best at The Open: T2 (2011)
9. Tommy Fleetwood
The 32-year-old Brit is always difficult to bet on because he seems to have that one bad round that bites him at a moment’s notice. Yet, he seems to be playing much more consistent this season than even prime Fleetwood of 2018-2019… He’s finished T6 or better in five of his last ten (stroke-play) starts on the PGA Tour, including three of his last four results. He nearly won the Canadian Open, then chased it with a T5 at the U.S. Open. He comes in off a T6 at the Scottish Open… Also: Fleetwood owns three top-5s in his last six major starts.
Odds: 25-1
Book Rank: 8th
Last 6: 6, MC, 5, 2, MC, 18
Last 6 Majors: 5, 18, 33, 4, MC, 5
Best at The Open: 2nd (2019)
8. Xander Schauffele
The reigning Olympic gold medalist enters off a disappointing T42 in defense of his Scottish Open title but brings forward a streak of 27 cuts-made… While he has yet to win a major, Schauffele has consistently finished well in the biggest events, with eleven top-10s in 25 major starts… Schauffele, Hovland, and Patrick Cantlay are considered the best players in the world without a major.
Odds: 30-1
Book Rank: T11
Last 6: 42, 19, 10, 24, 18, 2
Last 6 Majors: 10, 18, 10, 15, 14, 13
Best at The Open: T2 (2019)
7. Patrick Cantlay
The world No.4 has not been particularly stellar in majors, with just four top-10s in 23 starts… He’s finished T14 or better in each of his last five major starts but is rarely in contention, producing more backdoor top finishes… On the season, the 31-year-old UCLA product has only four results outside the top-25, with five top-4 finishes… Finished T8 last year at St Andrews.
Odds: 28-1
Book Rank: T9
Last 6: MC, 4, 14, 30, 9, 21
Last 6 Majors: 14, 9, 14, 8, 14, MC
Best at The Open: T8 (2022)
6. Tyrrell Hatton
Hatton enters Royal Liverpool on a heater with seven top-20s, including four finishes of T6 or better, in his eight most recent starts… The 31-year-old Brit carded 62 in the second round of the Scottish Open en route to a T6… The world No. 13 finished T27 (US Open), T15 (PGA) and T34 (Masters) in the season’s three majors.
Odds: 28-1
Book Rank: T9
Last 6: 6, 27, 3, 12, 15, 5
Last 6 Majors: 27, 15, 34, 11, 56, 13
Best at The Open: T5 (2016)
5. Jon Rahm
The Spaniard has cooled off some since his record-setting form to begin the season… Still, a win this week would give him five wins and two majors on the season and totally flip the script… On the season, Rahm owns eight top-10s including four wins and three additional top-3s… In seven career Open starts, Rahm has only a single top-10 result (T3 in 2021).
Odds: 14-1
Book Rank: 3rd
Last 6: MC, 10, 16, 50, 2, 15
Last 6 Majors: 10, 50, 1, 34, 12, 48
Best at The Open: T3 (2021)
4. Cameron Smith
The 27-year-old Aussie – and undisputed greatest putter on the planet – enters in tip-top form, highlighted by a win last week in London… On the season, Smith has made 15 worldwide starts and finished inside the top 10 eight times, including two wins… In his last seven major starts, Smith has finished T13 or better five times, including a win and three other top-10s.
Odds: 16-1
Book Rank: 4th
Last 6: 1, 12, 4, 11, 9, 2
Last 6 Majors: 4, 9, 34, 1, MC, 13
Best at The Open: Win (2022)
3. Rory McIlroy
The Northern Irishman busted out of his mini slump back in May and now appears to be in prime form, witnessed by six straight top-10s including a runner-up at the U.S. Open and a win last week at the Scottish Open… Still, it’s shocking that the (now) 34-year-old has not won a major since the 2014 PGA Championship, which came a month after he’d won The Open by two strokes at Royal Liverpool… He’s been far from a no-show on the major stage, though – producing 19 top-10s since 2015 (averaging more than two per season), including six in his seven most recent major starts.
Odds: 6-1
Book Rank: 1st
Last 6: 1, 7, 2, 9, 7, 7
Last 6 Majors: 2, 7, MC, 3, 5, 8
Best at The Open: Win (2014)
2. Scottie Scheffler
The world No. 1 enters in crazy-good form, with nineteen consecutive top-12 finishes, including a current streak of seven straight top-5s – five of which were top-3s… In his last 10 major starts, the Texan owns eight top-10 finishes, including four top-3s (meaning he’s regularly contending)… Scheffler leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained: overall, tee to green, off the tee and approach.
Odds: 7-1
Book Rank: 2nd
Last 6: 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 2
Last 6 Majors: 3, 2, 10, 21, 2, MC
Best at The Open: T8 (2021)
1. Brooks Koepka
The Florida State product does not need help getting himself hyped for majors, as he’s consistently excelled on the biggest stages. In a three-season blitzkrieg (2017-2019), Koepka won four times while finishing runner-up twice more. Starting in 2020, though, the 33-year-old has battled through a multitude of injuries which limited his play and hampered his once-dominant style. Now injury free, and in top form, Koepka returned to the major stage in April and finished T2 at the Masters. He chased it with a win at the PGA – his fifth career major. Despite being a critic of L.A.C.C., he finished T17 at the U.S. Open… No one is better on the major stage than Brooks Koepka.
Odds: 20-1
Book Rank: 5th
Last 6: 17, 3, 17, 14, 1, 3
Last 6 Majors: 17, 1, 2, MC, 55, 55
Best at The Open: T4 (2019)
Five More: Tom Kim, Max Homa, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley
