{"id":24951,"date":"2016-07-13T14:41:46","date_gmt":"2016-07-13T13:41:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/19th-hole\/?p=24951"},"modified":"2016-07-13T18:15:30","modified_gmt":"2016-07-13T17:15:30","slug":"the-ultimate-open-championship-event-preview-and-betting-tips-royal-troon-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/19th-hole\/the-ultimate-open-championship-event-preview-and-betting-tips-royal-troon-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Open Championship Event Preview &#038; Betting Tips &#8211; Royal Troon 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The 3rd Major Championship of the year has arrived, so we thought we\u2019d take a look at the host course, the players in this year\u2019s field, and Open Championships gone by to see who we think might fare well at Royal Troon this week&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>See our quick links here to find out everything you need to know about The Open Championship at Royal Troon<br \/>\n<a class=\"button_link\" style=\"padding: 10px; width: 300; display: block; text-decoration: none; border: 1px solid #FFFFFF; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #006599; -moz-border-radius: 2px; -webkit-border-radius: 2px; border-radius: 2px; line-height: 17px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px;\" href=\"#tips\">Betting Tips by YGT<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"button_link\" style=\"padding: 10px; width: 300; display: block; text-decoration: none; border: 1px solid #FFFFFF; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #14987f; -moz-border-radius: 2px; -webkit-border-radius: 2px; border-radius: 2px; line-height: 17px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px;\" href=\"#course\">The Course<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"button_link\" style=\"padding: 10px; width: 300; display: block; text-decoration: none; border: 1px solid #FFFFFF; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #006599; -moz-border-radius: 2px; -webkit-border-radius: 2px; border-radius: 2px; line-height: 17px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px;\" href=\"#leewestwood\">Lee Westwood&#8217;s Guide to The Open<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"button_link\" style=\"padding: 10px; width: 300; display: block; text-decoration: none; border: 1px solid #FFFFFF; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #14987f; -moz-border-radius: 2px; -webkit-border-radius: 2px; border-radius: 2px; line-height: 17px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px;\" href=\"#facts\">Troon Facts &amp; The Winner (according to our points system)<\/a><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">HISTORY:<\/h5>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-24964 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 200px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 200\/100;display: block; margin: auto;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/19th-hole\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/when-the-open-was-first-played.gif\" alt=\"when was the open first played\" width=\"200\" height=\"100\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><br \/>\nOriginally contested over 36 holes on a single day and first staged in 1860, The Open Championship is golf\u2019s preeminent event, and one which has had a simple aim since the very beginning of its existence: to crown the \u201cChampion Golfer of The Year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is the only major championship to be hosted outside of the USA and the fact that it is always hosted on one of a select few links courses is perhaps what makes it so unique.<\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2CJHRXfHVTs?rel=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p>The first 12 Opens were held at Prestwick \u2013 coincidentally a 12 hole layout back then \u2013 before the tournament first strayed from Ayrshire to what is now considered \u2018The Home of Golf\u2019 in the form of St Andrews and its iconic Old Course in 1873. From then until 1894 when England\u2019s Royal St George\u2019s entered the fray, The Open would rotate between Prestwick \u2013 which only became an 18 hole layout in 1883 \u2013 St Andrews and Musselburgh, the world\u2019s oldest playing golf course.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-24965 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 439px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 439\/101;display: block; margin: auto;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/19th-hole\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/open-rota-courses.gif\" alt=\"open rota courses no longer on the rota\" width=\"439\" height=\"101\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><br \/>\nSince 1883, The Open Championship Rota has evolved further still, resulting in the tournament visiting am additional 10 courses to those already mentioned, with only Royal Cinque Ports and Princes Golf Club in Kent, and Turnberry, or Trump Turnberry to be precise, as well as Muirfield not still currently residing on golf\u2019s most prestigious list of marquee courses. The 1951 host Royal Portrush, recently announced as an addition to the Open Rota for the 2019 championships, has seemingly usurped the controversial American\u2019s Ayrshire gem; for now at the very least.<\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/turnberry-resort\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"http:\/\/public.yourgolftravel.com\/blog\/Open%20Championship\/2016\/turnberry.jpg\" alt=\"open-championship\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><i style=\"color: #666;\">Trump Turnberry&#8217;s Ailsa Course is no longer on the Open Rota. Hopefully that will change so we can see the newly redesigned Ailsa Course in all its glory!<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p>So in its current guise, The Open Championship Rota consists of nine honoured courses, four in Scotland (St Andrews, Muirfield, Carnoustie and Royal Troon), four in England (Royal St George\u2019s, Royal Lytham &amp; St Anne\u2019s, Royal Liverpool and Royal Birkdale), and the newly reinstated Royal Portrush which takes pride of place on Northern Ireland\u2019s rugged County Antrim coastline. Each course has the honour of welcoming the Claret Jug and the elite players who compete for it roughly once every ten years, save for St Andrews which, since 1990 when Sir Nick Faldo became Champion Golfer of The Year, has acted as host once every five years.<\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/old-course-st-andrews\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"http:\/\/public.yourgolftravel.com\/blog\/Open%20Championship\/2016\/st-andrews.jpg\" alt=\"open-championship\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><i style=\"color: #666;\">The iconic St Andrews Old Course plays host to The Open every five years and has done since 1990 when John Daly claimed the Claret Jug.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p>Staged on golf\u2019s greatest courses, The Open also has a habit of producing great champions too. From early greats such as Old Tom Morris, Harry Vardon, James Braid and Bobby Jones, to \u201cThe Big 3\u201d of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, not forgetting the likes of 5-time winner, Tom Watson, European legend Seve Ballesteros, and the modern greats including Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and of course Tiger Woods, the list of past winners reads like a who\u2019s who of legends of the game.<\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/O470TDj49tc?rel=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p>But it\u2019s not just golfing greats who get their hands on the Claret Jug; The Open occasionally throws up a surprise winner. You\u2019re more than likely to hear the phrase \u201clinks golf is a great leveller\u201d at some point this week should you tune into all four days, a point proven by the likes of the unheralded Todd Hamilton, who just happens to be the last man to win The Open at Royal Troon.<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">THE COURSE:<\/h5>\n<p>Perched on Scotland\u2019s ruggedly beautiful west coast, Royal Troon was (originally as a 5 hole course) founded in 1878 and has since become one of the world\u2019s greatest links courses thanks in part to modifications carried out by Willie Fernie and James Braid, who tweaked the layout and lengthened the course in 1909. 2016 will mark the 9<sup>th<\/sup> time this Scottish golfing institution will host golf\u2019s oldest major championship.<\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/royal-troon\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"http:\/\/public.yourgolftravel.com\/blog\/Open%20Championship\/2016\/troon-1.jpg\" alt=\"open-championship\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><i style=\"color: #666;\">Avoiding the rough at Royal Troon is job number one for this week&#8217;s contenders looking to lift the Claret Jug.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p>For this year\u2019s Open, the course will measure 7,190 yards play to a par of 71. That is by no means long in comparison with modern golf courses but Open Championship courses don\u2019t tend to cater to the grip it and rip it style anyway, with players requiring good course management and plenty of guile around the greens, not to mention patience \u2013 plenty of patience with the weather at least \u2013 in order to triumph.<\/p>\n<p>A traditional \u201cout and back\u201d links course, Royal Troon, needless to say, is greatly affected by the direction and strength of the wind which, when blowing in its usual north westerly direction, makes scoring on the back nine particularly difficult. If the prevailing wind is in play at this week\u2019s Open, expect players to do the damage on the front nine, before turning for home and hanging for dear life in attempt to consolidate any shots they may have picked up in the 1<sup>st<\/sup> half of their round. Checkout the previous winners of The Open Championship when it has been held at Royal Troon Golf Club.<\/p>\n<table style=\"margin: 0px auto;\" border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #006599;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Year<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #006599;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Champion<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #006599;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Score<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2004<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Padraig Harrington<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">1997<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Justin Leonard<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">1989<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Mark Calcavecchia<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">1982<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Tom Watson<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">1973<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Tom Weiskopf<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">1962<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Arnold Palmer<\/td>\n<td>-12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">1950<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Bobby Locke<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">1923<br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Arthur Havers<\/td>\n<td>&#8212;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/royal-troon\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"http:\/\/public.yourgolftravel.com\/blog\/Open%20Championship\/2016\/troon-2.jpg\" alt=\"open-championship\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><i style=\"color: #666;\">With upturned saucer like greens, a common feature on many a classic links course, as well as plenty of pot bunkers guarding the greens, this week&#8217;s winner will have to have their short game on point.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p>Besides the challenges presented by the weather, players will have to be most wary of the countless pot bunkers that are scattered all over the course, many of which aren\u2019t visible from the tee. Finding one of these is almost a guaranteed dropped shot and with plenty of deep rough and a spattering of gorse and broom also on the course, accuracy and course management will be paramount.<\/p>\n<p>Standout holes include the par 5 6<sup>th<\/sup>, which is the longest in Open Championship golf measuring in at just over 600 yards, and on the other side of the coin, you\u2019ve got the iconic par 3 8<sup>th<\/sup>, known affectionately as \u201cThe Postage Stamp\u201d, which just so happens to be the shortest hole on the Open Rota.<\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1zD7Jn5cFbo?rel=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p>With a green \u201cskimmed down to the size of a postage stamp\u201d, as Willie Park put it, and plenty of devilish pot bunkers and wicked slopes protecting the putting surface, this hole can wreak havoc on a scorecard, especially when the wind blows.<\/p>\n<p>Colin Montgomerie, a member of the club, once said of the hole&#8230;<\/p>\n[quote]\u201cIf I was playing downwind I would try and hit a sand wedge to the front of the green and let the ball release to the back where the pin usually is. Into the wind the shot can demand anything up to a five-iron and then things become interesting.&#8221;[\/quote]\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">ROYAL TROON QUOTES:<\/h5>\n[quote]&#8221;It&#8217;s not a golf course that suits long or straight hitters, it suits everybody. I would suggest this is certainly one of the fairest courses on The Open roster.&#8221; [\/quote]\n<p><strong>~ Padraig Harrington<\/strong><\/p>\n[quote]&#8221;I do like it. I think it&#8217;s very fair. If you hit a tee shot down the middle of the fairway, 99 percent of the time the ball is going to finish on the fairway. There&#8217;ve been a few occasions it hasn&#8217;t been that way for The Open Championship. I think it&#8217;s a very fair and tough test.&#8221; [\/quote]\n<p><strong>~ Darren Clarke<\/strong><\/p>\n[quote]&#8221;The course is awesome. The greens are the best greens that I&#8217;ve seen in the, I guess, 18 years that I&#8217;ve been playing in The British Open. They&#8217;re beautiful.&#8221; [\/quote]\n<p><strong>~ Mark Calcavecchia<\/strong><\/p>\n[quote]&#8221;It&#8217;s not about what&#8217;s long, it&#8217;s about what&#8217;s really well designed.&#8221;[\/quote]\n<p><strong>~ Thomas Bjorn on \u201cThe Postage Stamp\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n[quote]&#8221;Challenging a player for his precision as opposed to solely length is a lost art. The Postage Stamp is a perfect example of how you can challenge the best players in the world. I would love to see that implemented more.&#8221;[\/quote]\n<p><strong>~ Phil Mickelson<\/strong><\/p>\n[quote]&#8221;There&#8217;s going to be carnage. If the wind blows in the direction I was playing it in last week you&#8217;re going to have all kinds of numbers. The bunker pin-high right is unplayable. I hit six-iron. The next day I hit eight. It&#8217;s a very changeable golf hole.&#8221;[\/quote]\n<p><strong>~ Graeme McDowell on the par 3 8th<\/strong><\/p>\n[quote]&#8221;Even in a practice round you stand up there and it&#8217;s a potential card-wrecker. Always was and always will be. It does bring to mind the great par threes in the world of golf &#8211; Pebble Beach&#8217;s seventh, the 12th at Augusta, and the eighth at Royal Troon and they&#8217;re all short holes.\u201d[\/quote]\n<p><strong>~ Colin Montgomerie on The Postage Stamp<\/strong><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">HOW TO QUALIFY:<\/h5>\n<p>There are 26 ways in total to qualify for a place at The Open Championship, however some of the most popular ways of qualifying include:<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; The Top 50 in the OWGR Official World Golf Rankings<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; The Top 30 in the previous season\u2019s Race to Dubai (European Tour) and FedEx Cup (PGA Tour)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; All Previous Open Championship Winners<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; All players have won a major in the last 5 years<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; The Winners of The Amateur Championship and US Amateur<\/strong><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">THE FIELD:<\/h5>\n<p>As golf\u2019s greatest championship, it goes without saying that all of the world\u2019s best players will be in attendance at Royal Troon. 84 of the top ranked 85 players according to the Official World Golf Rankings are expected to play, and they will be lead by Dustin Johnson who will be looking to complete a remarkable hat trick after claiming the US Open and WGC Bridgestone Invitational in his last two starts, world number 1 Jason Day, who has won 7 times in the past 12 months, as well as Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, both of whom finished T3 in their last outings before heading to Scotland.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, unlike some of the other Major Championships and top ranking tour events, it\u2019s the fact that The Open isn\u2019t all about the game\u2019s biggest stars that makes it so special.<\/p>\n<p>In total over 150 golfers will tee it up at Royal Troon this week and in addition to the superstars of golf, World Golf Hall of Famers such as Vijay Singh and Colin Montgomerie return to action after lengthy absences \u2013 three years for Singh, six for Monty \u2013 and they\u2019ll be joined by the 12 survivors of local qualifying including the likes of Paul Dunne, who, as an amateur, held a share of the lead heading into last year\u2019s final round.<\/p>\n<h5 id=\"facts\" style=\"text-align: center;\">DID YOU KNOW?<\/h5>\n<p><strong>&#8211; Five of the eight men to have won The Open at Royal Troon have never gone on to win another Major Championship.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; Royal Troon was first introduced in 1878 as a 5 hole golf course.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; The last 6 winners of The Open Championship at Royal Troon have all been American.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; Englishman Arthur Havers won the first ever Open at Troon in 1925, claiming a prize of \u00a375.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; Home to The Longest and Shortest Holes in Open Championship Golf.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; Troon Golf Club was granted with Royal status in 1978 during its centennial.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; 1923 Open Winner\u2019s Share &#8211; \u00a375, 2016 Winner\u2019s share &#8211; \u00a31,175,000<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; 3 players from The Top 10 at The 2004 Open are competing this week too with Ernie Els, Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson all in attendance.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; Royal Troon Golf Club was the first and last golf club in Great Britain to be granted with royal status under Queen Elizabeth II.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SPECIALISTS:<\/h5>\n<p>Want to know who has been the most consistent player at The Open in recent years? Well&#8230;before we get into our picks and betting tips for this week\u2019s tournament, we thought we\u2019d have a look at the players who\u2019ve faired the best during the last 5 Opens\u2026<\/p>\n<table style=\"margin: 0px auto;\" border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #006599;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Player <\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #006599;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Points <\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Adam Scott<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>160<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Zach Johnson<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>120<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Rory McIlroy<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>75<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Phil Mickelson<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>75<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Dustin Johnson<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>60<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Henrik Stenson<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Sergio Garcia<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Tiger Woods<br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Graeme McDowell<br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Luke Donald<br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Ian Poulter<br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Paul Casey<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>(100 points for a win)<\/p>\n<p>(50 points for a top 5)<\/p>\n<p>(10 points for a top 10)<\/p>\n<p>(-25 points for a missed cut)<\/p>\n<h5 id=\"tips\" style=\"text-align: center;\">OUR PICKS:<\/h5>\n<p><strong>Tom Watt \u2013 YGT Luxury Travel \u2013 Dustin Johnson (10\/1)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Form player. US Open and Bridgestone back to back.<\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/openchampionship\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"http:\/\/public.yourgolftravel.com\/blog\/Open%20Championship\/2016\/dustin.jpg\" alt=\"open-championship\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p>Has come close in Open before but probably now has belief. Would rather it was Sergio though!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paul Gartland \u2013 UK Sales \u2013 James Heath (501\/1)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A winner on the challenge tour three weeks ago, Heath\u00a0then took a week off to go to final qualifying where he came second and followed that up with a 3<sup>rd<\/sup> placed finish on the Challenge Tour last week. Granted the golf courses on the Challenge Tour are not as hard as the European Tour but 37 under par for the his last 8 rounds of competitive golf is as rich a vein form as you will find anywhere.<\/p>\n<p>Heath also won the Lytham Trophy as an amateur with a score that would have won The Open any time it has been played there and was under par at Royal Cinque Ports in final qualifying so he definitely has the game to cope with links golf.<\/p>\n<p>This is a very, very long shot at 501\/1, but some with some bookmakers paying out on the top 8 places and ties; this could offer great value. The big question is can he do it on a cold Thursday afternoon in Scotland?!<\/p>\n<p>For an outright winner, it\u2019s hard not to go with Dustin Johnson, my short price pick. DJ\u2019s playing great and now has a major under his belt so I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll be in the mix come Sunday evening.<\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V320FVJGccw?rel=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><i style=\"color: #666;\">Having already picked Danny Willett and Dustin Johnson for The Masters and US Open respectively, Mark Crossfield &amp; Coach Lockey have their say on who will win at Royal Troon.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><strong>Callum Forbes \u2013 Overseas Product \u2013 Branden Grace (31\/1)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Grace has now had 3 top 5 finishes in majors since the start of 2015 and should have probably turned one into a win at Chambers Bay last year. He&#8217;s mastered the wind and the links before when winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on 2 separate occasions, and showed good form with 3 strong rounds in last week\u2019s Scottish Open. If he&#8217;s in the mix come Sunday, he&#8217;ll have as good a chance as any to get his name on the Claret Jug!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sam Brookes \u2013 UK Sales \u2013 Justin Rose (36\/1) <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Justin\u2019s got a great record in the Majors of late.<\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/openchampionship\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"http:\/\/public.yourgolftravel.com\/blog\/Open%20Championship\/2016\/justin.jpg\" alt=\"open-championship\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p>He has 10 top 10 finishes in majors in addition to his US Open win and was brought up on links golf so he is my pick this week.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chris Beeson \u2013 UK Product \u2013 Branden Grace (31\/1)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This man is going from strength to strength and while he is yet to win a major, he\u2019s proved on several occasions he has the game to get over the line against the best players in the world. He was in the hunt last week at the Scottish Open which shows he can play links golf well, especially in poor conditions. He has the game and if his putter is on he could go close.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sam Sperring \u2013 YGT Marketing \u2013 Matt Fitzpatrick &#8211; Top 5 Finish (12\/1)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I once treated myself to a new pair of sunglasses off the back of a top 5 finish bet at The Open, so for the sake of nostalgia, I have gone for this type of bet again. As we often see at The Open, driving accuracy is once again likely to be something that the eventual winner relies heavily on and whilst Dustin Johnson is hard to overlook at the moment, I don&#8217;t believe that you need his super-human distance to overcome a course like Royal Troon.<\/p>\n<p>For some reason Matt Fitzpatrick&#8217;s name is jumping out at me this year. He made the cut at The Open in 2013 and eventually finished tied 44th as the low amateur. More recently he won the British Masters, beating some big names such as Shane Lowry in the process and although he did fail to make the cut at the Scottish Open last week, I am backing him to have learnt a few things from the experience and translate them to a better result at Troon.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Callum Bruce \u2013 YGT Events \u2013 Lee Westwood (51\/1) <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lee has finished in the top ten on both occasions he has played the course previously.<\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/openchampionship\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"http:\/\/public.yourgolftravel.com\/blog\/Open%20Championship\/2016\/lee.jpg\" alt=\"open-championship\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p>He&#8217;s an obvious choice for YGT!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Oliver Gunning \u2013 YGT Marketing \u2013 Shane Lowry (51\/1)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It might be a bit of a case of heart ruling head but Shane has been knocking on the door of a Major for a couple of years, most recently at this year\u2019s US Open. He obviously fell back at the US Open having led going into the final round but that experience will put him in good stead as he takes on the windswept links at Royal Troon.<\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/openchampionship\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"http:\/\/public.yourgolftravel.com\/blog\/Open%20Championship\/2016\/shane.jpg\" alt=\"open-championship\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p>As always, the weather looks like it will play a factor in The Open Championship with wind and rain forecast for parts of the week, this will surely play into the hands of the Irishman who originally hails from Esker Hills Golf Club in County Offaly. Those with a good memory will remember him winning The Irish Open as an amateur in testing conditions at County Louth GC, beating Robert Rock in a playoff.<\/p>\n<p>Lowry&#8217;s form, solid all round game and being comfortable in testing weather conditions could see him take home The Claret Jug on Sunday at Royal Troon.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nick Martin \u2013 YGT Marketing \u2013 Chris Wood (91\/1)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Chris is having a fantastic year winning The BMW PGA Championship in May, his biggest career win to date and he is also currently 5th on The Race to Dubai. In his first ever Open Championship in 2008, he was in top form coming Tied 5th, pretty good for a rookie? He is yet to win a Major but have a good feeling you may see Chris Wood at top of the leaderboard come Sunday evening.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Aaron Taylor \u2013 YGT Marketing \u2013 Dustin Johnson (10\/1)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Having caused so much heartache for so many punters over the years DJ is finally paying dividends and that trend will continue at the Open this week. He has the game to tear apart Troon, whether it be driving into strong headwinds or getting close to par 4 greens in one, he also has 2nd to none ball striking capabilities. The monkey is well and truly off his back and if his putter is as solid as it was on the last round of the US Open this is his for the taking. Prediction DJ to sneak it by a shot over Day, with Rory closing with the lowest round of the day but leaving it too little too late<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rory Anderson \u2013 YGT Marketing \u2013 Rory McIlroy 1<sup>st<\/sup> Round Leader (17\/1)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll also be putting some cash on Dustin to win his 2<sup>nd<\/sup> major of the year but it\u2019s hardly a great revelation to urge you guys to back the form player in world golf so I\u2019ve gone a bit left-field with my pick. In reality 1<sup>st<\/sup> round leaders are harder to predict than overall winners so you can expect decent odds no matter who you go for but there are a couple of factors to consider.<\/p>\n<p>The weather at Troon is expected to be pretty brutal at times during this week\u2019s Open, and while it\u2019s unlikely it\u2019ll force a Monday finish as was the case at St Andrews in 2015, from Friday onwards, high winds and plenty of rain are on the cards.<\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/openchampionship\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"http:\/\/public.yourgolftravel.com\/blog\/Open%20Championship\/2016\/rory.jpg\" alt=\"open-championship\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr style=\"clear: both;\" \/>\n<p>Granted predicting the weather on the Scottish coastline can be pretty pointless at times but with Thursday morning looking relatively calm, and with the chance of the winds forecast for Friday arriving a little earlier than expected later in the afternoon, I\u2019ll be looking to the early starters to set the pace in Round 1.<\/p>\n<p>In amongst the players teeing off before 10am, you\u2019ve got the stellar trio of Jordan Spieth (09:03), Jason Day (09:25) &amp; Rory McIlroy (09:36)&#8230;it\u2019s almost impossible to predict which of those might go lowest in Round 1 but backing Rory to lead at the end of play on Thursday paid dividends for me in 2014 when he fired a 1<sup>st<\/sup> Round 66 to lead by one. That year he turned a fiver into a juicy \u00a390 for me&#8230;cheers Rors!<\/p>\n<p>That wasn\u2019t the 1<sup>st<\/sup> time Rors had lead after Round 1 at The Open. Who could forget his opening 63 at St Andrews in 2010? He might have shot 80 in the 2<sup>nd<\/sup> Round but if you\u2019re backing a 1<sup>st<\/sup> round leader that matters diddly squat.<\/p>\n<h5 id=\"leewestwood\" style=\"text-align: center;\">LEE WESTWOOD&#8217;S GUIDE TO THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP<\/h5>\n<p><iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Rvm062XFxRA?rel=0&amp;controls=0&amp;showinfo=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">RECENT CHAMPIONS:<\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table style=\"margin: 0px auto;\" border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #006599;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Year<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #006599;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Champion<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #006599;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Score<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2015<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Zach Johnson<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2014<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Rory Mcilroy<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2013<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Phil Mickelson<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2012<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Ernie Els<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2011<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Darren Clarke<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2010<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Louis Oosthuizen<\/td>\n<td>-16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2009<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Stewart Cink<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2008<br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Padraig Harrington<\/td>\n<td>+ 3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2007<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Padraig Harrington<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2006<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Tiger Woods<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2005<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Tiger Woods<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #14987f;\"><strong> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">2004<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Todd Hamilton<\/td>\n<td>&#8211; 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 3rd Major Championship of the year has arrived, so we thought we\u2019d take a look at the host course, the players in this year\u2019s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":24953,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3967,5162,7,5169,5287,5293,5195,5204,80,5289,5292,5170,5185,5295],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-24951","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-darren-clarke-2","8":"category-golf-features-2","9":"category-golf-news","10":"category-golfers","11":"category-graeme-mcdowell","12":"category-jack-nicklaus","13":"category-jason-day-golfers","14":"category-jordan-spieth","15":"category-justin-rose","16":"category-lee-westwood","17":"category-padraig-harrington","18":"category-rory-mcilroy-golfers","19":"category-open-championships","20":"category-tiger-woods"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Ultimate Open Championship Event Preview &amp; Betting Tips - Royal Troon 2016 - 19th Hole Golf Blog by Your Golf Travel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/19th-hole\/the-ultimate-open-championship-event-preview-and-betting-tips-royal-troon-2016\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Ultimate Open Championship Event Preview &amp; Betting Tips - Royal Troon 2016 - 19th Hole Golf Blog by Your Golf Travel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The 3rd Major Championship of the year has arrived, so we thought we\u2019d take a look at the host course, the players in this year\u2019s...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/19th-hole\/the-ultimate-open-championship-event-preview-and-betting-tips-royal-troon-2016\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"19th Hole Golf Blog by Your Golf Travel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-07-13T13:41:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-07-13T17:15:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.yourgolftravel.com\/19th-hole\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/blog-feature-open-preview.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"399\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rory\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rory\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"18 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.yourgolftravel.com\\\/19th-hole\\\/the-ultimate-open-championship-event-preview-and-betting-tips-royal-troon-2016\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.yourgolftravel.com\\\/19th-hole\\\/the-ultimate-open-championship-event-preview-and-betting-tips-royal-troon-2016\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Rory\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.yourgolftravel.com\\\/19th-hole\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0efc819cb9b123f6904afad1735bb7bc\"},\"headline\":\"The Ultimate Open Championship Event Preview &#038; 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