British Open 2019: 5 dark horse picks who could win at Royal Portrush

British Open 2019: 5 dark horse picks who could win The Open Championship

PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 15: Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland walks of the first tee during a practice round prior to the 148th Open Championship held on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 15, 2019 in Portrush, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/R&A/R&A via Getty Images) /

2 of 6

PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 15: Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland signs autographs during a practice round prior to the 148th Open Championship held on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 15, 2019 in Portrush, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) /

5. Graeme McDowell (66-1)

Turn on any coverage of the 2019 British Open at this point and much of the talk is going to be about Rory McIlroy playing this tournament in his home country. However, that is also the case for 39-year old Graeme McDowell and, frankly, he has a better case for calling Royal Portrush home as it is, in fact, where he grew up playing golf in Northern Ireland — even if he doesn’t hold the course record there like McIlroy does.

The 2010 U.S. Open winner, McDowell has actually played exceptionally well in the two majors that he’s qualified for in the 2019 season. He finished inside the top 30 at both the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship earlier this year, which obviously bodes well for the veteran’s performance in majors right now.

While not always spectacular, McDowell has also been consistent for much of this year. In 17 PGA Tour starts this season, he has made the cut in 16 tournaments with one win (the Corales Puntacana), three top 10s and seven top 25 finishes. And yes, even though he missed the cut at both the Irish Open and Scottish Open, he still has been playing well overall this year.

Really, though, it’s hard to not be intrigued by a player who may know Royal Portrush better than anyone else in the field for the 2019 British Open having 66-1 odds, has been a tremendous putter this season — critical for links golf — and playing relatively well this season. Thus, McDowell is a fascinating dark horse that could steal the Northern Irish spotlight in the final major of 2019.

Home/The Open Championship