The Open - Power Rankings
The Champion Golfer of the Year will be named Sunday as Royal Troon hosts the 145th Open Championship. Last year was a memorable one hosted by historic St. Andrews, Spieth’s run at continuing his pursuit of claiming all four majors in the same season, and Zach Johnson’s exciting playoff victory. Royal Troon last hosted the event back in 2004 and is sure to once again serve as an exciting venue. The tournament’s website provides the following preview for the course:
One of the great links courses in Scotland, Royal Troon has hosted The Open on eight occasions since 1923.
The course has a rich history of producing memorable moments from Arthur Havers’ winning performance in 1923, in which he holed from a bunker on the 18th green to lift the Claret Jug, to 71-year-old Gene Sarazen’s hole in one on the famous Postage Stamp 8th hole in 1973 on the 50th anniversary of his own victory at The Open.
The Open at Royal Troon is regarded as one of the most difficult challenges in championship golf and 2016 promises to deliver another worthy Champion Golfer of the Year. This year the course will measure 7190 yards and play as a par 71.
Here are the players to watch this week, along with my DraftKings lineups.
Jason Day - Fell just short of making the playoff last year at St. Andrews. Seemed to spur him on to what has become an incredible 12 months of golf. He looks like he is going to win every event he plays.
Dustin Johnson - Very similar to Day in that he has just won two big tournaments in his last two starts (U.S. Open & World Golf Championship). I’m curious to see if he can keep up the terrific play and put together a memorable run over the next few months. He has struggled to do so in the past.
Rory McIlroy - Won this event in 2014. While he is not playing at the same caliber as he was two years ago, he does seem primed to win another big event.
Adam Scott - Has been playing some stellar golf this year, and seems to always be in contention for the majors.
Branden Grace - In the last year he has won on European soil, U.S. soil, and contended in major championships. It was said a few months ago that it was only a matter of time before he won a PGA Tour event, and since this is now something he’s accomplished, we can move on to saying that it is only a matter of time before he claims a major.
Matt Kuchar - Has six top-10’s since The Masters, half of which have been top-3 finishes. Playing some of the best golf of his career.
Jordan Spieth - He hasn’t been as consistent as we became accustomed to last year, but he should always stay on your radar.. This season has not been what he would have hoped it to be at this point, but that doesn’t mean it’s been a bad year, and it doesn’t mean he won’t have a very big week.
Justin Rose - He has won a U.S. Open (2013), but there isn’t a major championship that he can’t win. I believe his game is underrated and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see him complete the career grand slam by the end of his career.
Bubba Watson - He certainly possesses the creativity often required to perform well in links golf, and has been contending consistently in events for over a year now.
Scott Piercy - I wouldn’t call Piercy a career journeyman, for he’s always had a solid game, but his runner-up finishes in his last two events (U.S. Open & World Golf Championship) have certainly turned a lot of heads. I will be very interested to see how he responds this week as he takes his game to links-style play.
Sleeper Picks
Lee Westwood - Charged up the leaderboard at the U.S. Open a few weeks ago. Has yet to win a major championship despite the fact that he has contended numerous times in the last decade.
Sergio Garcia - A sleeper for similar reasons to Westwood, except Sergio’s game has been consistently better over the last few months. An incredible talent who desperately wants to get the “major” monkey off his back.
And now my DraftKings picks for this week.
I like both my lineups, for I feel I’ve taken advantage of some of the great value that is available. There is no getting around the high price tag for players such as Johnson & Scott, but Watson, Snedeker, Piercy & Rahm are all solid picks that are available for a relatively low cost. I did have a little trouble taking Garcia at $10,000, but I think he’s due for another big week in an Open Championship, and it would be great to see him snatch a title.
Starting Lineup:
Dustin Johnson - $12,000
Shane Lowry - $8,800
Bubba Watson - $8,000
Brandt Snedeker - $7,700
Scott Piercy - $7,400
Jim Herman - $5,700
Alternate Lineup:
Adam Scott - $10,600
Sergio Garcia - $10,000
Louis Oosthuizen - $9,000
Scott Piercy - $7,400
John Rahm - $6,600
Ross Fisher - $6,400
This article was written by Jonathan Carr (@jonathanwcarr) as part of our weekly #FantasyGolf series. Each week we preview the upcoming PGA Tour event and highlight some of the players we'll be keeping an eye on. As a scratch golfer himself, Jonathan has a keen eye for what it takes to be successful on and off the golf course. His passion for golf is surpassed only by his passion for his faith and his family.
Read some of Jonathan's other articles here.
