Fantasy Golf Predictions for the 2013 Open Championship July 18-21, 2013
Preview: Adam Scott came so close last year after almost winning the coveted Claret Jug with 4 holes to go before giving it away to Ernie Els. Scott has since grabbed a bit of redemption by pulling in the green jacket at the 2013 Masters. Over the past five years, the British Open is the only major that has not crowned a champion from among the top 10 in world rankings – a very interesting stat to say the least. This year’s contest marks the 16th Open located at Muirfield, ranking third on the all-time list behind St. Andrews (28) and Prestwick (24). All the big name stars will be back in full force and all eyes will be on Tiger Woods to see if he can clip that much anticipated 15th major.
The Course: Muirfield Golf Course measures 7,192 yards and plays as a par 71. This track is no picnic, and the fescue will prove that all week. The course is owned by the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and is widely considered the fairest course in the Open rotation. Every Open champion at Muirfield except two has made it into the World Golf Hall of Fame. That list includes Harry Vardon, Walter Hagen, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo and Ernie Els – and we all know Tiger will be there eventually. First laid out in 1891 by Old Tom Morris (yes the guy from the Golf Now commercials) as a 16-hole course, this track was redesigned in 1923 when the club purchased neighboring land to expand this beautiful track to what it known as today.
Photo via Muirfield.org.uk
The Weather at The 2013 Open Championship in Gullane, UK (from Weather.com)
Round 1: Thursday (July 18) 72 degrees, 0% chance of rain, cloudy.
Round 2: Friday (July 19) 72 degrees, 0% chance of rain, sunny.
Round 3: Saturday (July 20) 72 degrees, 0% chance of rain, sunny.
Round 4: Sunday (July 21) 70 degrees, 10% chance of rain, am clouds/pm sun.
2012 Results: It was ten years after winning his first Claret Jug (2002) that Ernie Els grabbed another when Adam Scott bogeyed his last four holes at Royal Lytham. Els began the day a whopping six shots off the Aussie’s pace but closed with a 2-under-par 68 that put him position for a runner-up finish. But Scott fell off pace after he missed 3-foot par at No. 16 and subsequently flew the green with his approach at No.17, drawing him and Els even. Scott’s 3-wood found a fairway bunker off the 18th tee which forced him to come out sideways. He couldn’t convert a 10-foot par attempt to force the playoff, leaving the title to Els. Also in the 2012 field was Tiger Woods who tied for third at four shots back in his best major finish since 2009.
Notes: Speaking of Woods, Tiger returns to competition for the first time since the U.S. Open, where he finished 12 shots behind winner Justin Rose while nursing a sore shoulder. Strained ligaments forced him to skip the AT&T National, though he was present at the event as the host. Adam Scott, a favorite this week, returns in style after being crowned a major winner in 2013. Graeme McDowell will also be among the favorites after making the French Open his third win in his past eight starts.
Top 5 Picks/Odds to Win The 2013 Open Championship:
Adam Scott (Golficity Odds 7/1): After bogeying the last four holes at Royal Lytham and St. Annes last year to lose by one stroke to Ernie Els, Scott will seek redemption this week at the event he should have won in 2012. Since breaking through at the Masters, he’s played just four times. He’s currently well rested and looks ready to tackle Muirfield.
Phil Mickelson (Golficity Odds 10/1): So far it’s been a great year for Phil with hils FedExCup hopes still very much alive. He piled on another win with a playoff victory at Castle Stuart on Sunday. It was his second win and sixth top-three finish in his last 13 starts. We like his chances on Muirfield this week.
Justin Rose (Golficity Odds 12/1): A well-rested US Open Champ, Rose has only played one event since his last victory (tied for 13th at the Travelers Championship). Rose leads the PGA TOUR in total driving, ranks 15th in GIR and second in adjusted scoring. He also shared 22nd place at Muirfield in 2002.
Tiger Woods (Golficity Odds 17/1): Tiger has won this event three times and tied for third last year. He has four victories in 2013, including THE PLAYERS but injured himself in his last outing – so we’re unsure how he’ll play out there. He leads the PGA TOUR in adjusted scoring and the all-around ranking. Tiger could surprise us all and win this thing as he’s done so many times in his illustrious career.
Charl Schwartzel (Golficity Odds 23/1): Schwartzel hasn’t played since finishing 14th at the U.S. Open but Charl has three top 15s in his last four starts, and he’s been enjoying some great successes since late 2012. Charl also has three top 25s in The Open Championship under his belt.
Sleeper Picks/Odds to Win:
Ernie Els (Golficity Odds 38/1): Ernie is the defending champion and has 13 top 10s in 18 appearances in this major, nine of which are top-fives! He’s also seen some recent success at the BMW PGA Championship (T6), U.S. Open (T4) and BMW International Open (win). Most of the time we love the defending champ pick (and for good reason), but given the strength of the field we feel he’s a bit of long shot this week.
Zach Johnson (Golficity Odds 50/1): Zach’s playoff loss at the John Deere Classic was his fourth top-three finish at TPC Deere Run in the last five years. He swung a hot stick last weekend and we see it carrying over. Since 2007, he’s 6-for-6 at The Open Championship with three top 20s, including a career-best T9 last year. Pick him if you need a sleeper and don’t trust Els…but don’t pick him as your number 1.
Last Week’s Fantasy Golf Predictions Results (2013 John Deere Classic):
Steve Stricker (Golficity Odds 8/1): T10
Zach Johnson (Golficity Odds 12/1): T2
Jordan Spieth (Golficity Odds 22/1): WINNER
Keegan Bradley (Golficity Odds 29/1): T61
Ryan Moore (Golficity Odds 35/1): T22
Last Weeks’ Fantasy Sleeper Picks/Odds to Win:
Scott Stallings (Golficity Odds 50/1): CUT
Louis Oosthuizen (Golficity Odds 50/1): CUT
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(Cover Photo Credit)