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The Open Championship 2018: Predictions, picks and upsets

By Luke Norris

CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND - APRIL 24: EDITORS NOTE GRADUATED COLOUR FILTER USED ON THE CAMERA; The Claret Jug, the Open Championship trophy as the sun rises beside the sixth green during the media day for the 147th Open Championship on the Championship Course at the Carnoustie Golf Links on April 24, 2018 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by David Cannon/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND - APRIL 24: EDITORS NOTE GRADUATED COLOUR FILTER USED ON THE CAMERA; The Claret Jug, the Open Championship trophy as the sun rises beside the sixth green during the media day for the 147th Open Championship on the Championship Course at the Carnoustie Golf Links on April 24, 2018 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by David Cannon/R&A/R&A via Getty Images) /
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Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy walks off the 18th green after playing a practice round at The 147th Open golf Championship at Carnoustie, Scotland on July 17, 2018. (Photo by Andy BUCHANAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy walks off the 18th green after playing a practice round at The 147th Open golf Championship at Carnoustie, Scotland on July 17, 2018. (Photo by Andy BUCHANAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP/Getty Images) /

The Open Championship Pick

While I only went into detail on 15 of the 156 players in this field, there are certainly plenty of others that could make a run at the Claret Jug. For instance, there’s Masters champion Patrick Reed, who’s been as consistent as anyone coming into The Open. He made an early charge at the U.S. Open with five birdies in his first seven holes on his way to a solo fourth finish. Charley Hoffman always seems to put a few good rounds together at major championships and just got himself a top-20 finish at the Scottish Open.

Sergio has 10 top-10 finishes at this championship and would love some redemption from 2007. Guys like Francesco Molinari, Hideki Matsuyama, Marc Leishman, Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau would love to break through with their major championship. The list goes on and on.

But there can only be one.

And the winner of The Open Championship is …

Rory McIlroy.

Yep, I’m a glutton for punishment. I’m gonna go ahead and hate myself again for doing it but I’ve gone with him all year and that crazy little voice is telling me that he’s going to show me something this week. Add that to the fact that I’d hate myself if I didn’t pick him and he went out there and did something spectacular and here we are. As I mentioned earlier, he’s had recent success at The Open recently and I think that continues at Carnoustie. But if he doesn’t pick up a win here, I guarantee a new pick for the PGA Championship. I’m sure he’ll take that pressure into consideration when he tees it up on Thursday alongside Marc Leishman and Thorbjorn Oleson.

With all that being said, however, something tells me that an Englishman has a real shot to win The Open for the first time since Nick Faldo did so at Muirfield back in 1992. Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Paul Casey make up a trio that could seriously end that drought and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see one of those guys, especially Fleetwood, do just that.

I really wanted (and almost did) to pick Rickie Fowler here. He seems so close to winning that elusive major and I think this course sets up nicely for him. It would not surprise me to see that breakthrough victory this week.

Next: Best golfer from every state

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