British Open: 3 Dark Horses who can win Claret Jug at Royal Troon

Of all of the 4 main championships, The Open Championship is probably essentially the most unpredictable—very similar to the inclement climate that may blow throughout the Scottish coast at a second’s discover.

Look no additional than final 12 months, when Brian Harman decimated Royal Liverpool to win by six photographs at 13-under-par. Harman, who arrived in England with 125-to-1 pre-tournament odds, claimed his first main championship and, fairly frankly, no person noticed it coming. The lefty plucked his manner round Hoylake, avoiding Royal Liverpool’s penal bunkers whereas inserting himself within the correct positions all week. His 6-under 65 on Friday sealed the deal, as no person got here near catching him over the weekend. Harman held a 5-shot lead on the 36-hole mark, carried that very same margin into Sunday, and received simply as a big longshot over the world’s greatest.

Perhaps we see one other darkish horse win this week at Royal Troon. After all, this course produced the last word longshot winner in 2004, when Todd Hamilton defeated Ernie Els in a playoff. Hamilton arrived because the 56th-ranked participant that week, but prevailed because the Champion Golfer of the Year. He would by no means file a top-10 in a serious once more.

Predicting this championship isn’t any simple process, however we do have a trio of darkish horses we like. Here are three gamers who can shock the world and hoist the Claret Jug at Royal Troon:

3. Aaron Rai

Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Aaron Rai made his manner into The Open by the use of his sturdy end on the Genesis Scottish Open, the place he tied for fourth. A 7-under 63 on Sunday soared him up the leaderboard and booked him a ticket to Royal Troon—the highest three finishers on the Scottish Open earned a spot within the discipline this week.

But his sturdy play at The Reinassance Club was no outlier. Rai has posted 5 straight top-20 finishes courting again to the RBC Canadian Open in early June. He tied for nineteenth on the U.S. Open, however three late bogies on Sunday at Pinehurst prevented him from ending increased than that.

Rai then rebounded on the Rocket Mortgage Classic, tying for second. But he may have received in Detroit if not for a pedestrian, final-round even-par 72. Granted, the wind shifted, and situations worsened as that afternoon wore on, however Rai couldn’t benefit from the 54-hole lead he shared with Akshay Bhatia.

Nevertheless, Rai ranks 4th on the PGA Tour in total strokes gained. He has performed flawlessly, rating first in driver accuracy proportion at 72.97% and third in greens in regulation proportion at 72.47%. In the uncommon occasion he misses the inexperienced, he can stand up and down, too, rating tenth on tour in scrambling proportion. Putting has not been his sturdy go well with, however he nonetheless ranks 54th in strokes gained on the inexperienced.

Good ball-strikers and people with strong brief video games win Open Championships, and Rai suits that invoice. So it will definitely shock many within the sporting world if Rai hoisted the Claret Jug along with his two black gloves, however after trying on the numbers, it actually wouldn’t be that stunning in any respect.

DraftKings Odds to Win: +6500

2. Jason Day

Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images

It’s considerably stunning that Jason Day has not but received a Claret Jug, however possibly that is his week.

At 36, Day has revitalized his profession over the past couple of years. He received the AT&T Byron Nelson final 12 months, marking his first PGA Tour victory since 2018. He has since recorded 5 top-10 finishes, together with a tie for second at Royal Liverpool a 12 months in the past.

Yet, his ball-striking numbers this season are poor. Day presently ranks 149th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained approaching the inexperienced and 147th in greens in regulation proportion—startling figures for among the finest iron gamers of the 2010s.

So, on condition that iron play is essential in The Open, why can we like Day this week?

First, he has expertise. Day tied for twenty second at Royal Troon in 2016 and is conversant in this observe, which many others on this discipline aren’t. Second, Day has among the finest brief video games on this planet. He is beautiful across the greens—a testomony to his Australian roots—and an exceptional putter. On high of that, Day has an unimaginable creativeness, as he closes his eyes and visualizes every shot. Links golf requires artistic imaginative and prescient, and Day has that. He may hit any shot in his bag.

DraftKings Odds to Win: +10000

1. Russell Henley

Photo by Luke Walker/R&A by way of Getty Images

The former Georgia Bulldog is, fairly frankly, some of the underrated gamers on this planet.

He has made the reduce in any respect three majors this season, along with his greatest end being a T-7 on the U.S. Open. He has 5 high 10s total and most not too long ago tied for forty eighth on the Travelers Championship, which means he arrives in Scotland refreshed and able to go.

Yet, Henley doesn’t have a robust historical past at The Open. He has missed 5 of 9 cuts and has not completed higher than twentieth. One MC of these got here at Royal Troon in 2016, and he missed one other at Royal Liverpool a 12 months in the past.

Still, Henley doesn’t have many flaws in his sport. He retains it in play, counting on his accuracy greater than distance to plot round golf programs. Plus, he’s a strong ball-striker, rating thirtieth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approaching the inexperienced.

On high of that, Henley has a dependable brief sport, as he ranks twenty sixth on tour in scrambling proportion and twenty third in strokes gained across the greens. His sport on paper matches nicely to hyperlinks golf, however the outcomes haven’t proven it as of but.

Despite that, Henley has the sport to flip the script and win golf’s oldest main. He has 4 PGA Tour victories, however this could mark a career-defining second for the 110-to-1 longshot.

DraftKings Odds to Win: +11000

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be positive to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.