The Open Championship 2019: Preview and predictions
By Luke Norris
Five more stories that could be fun on Sunday
14. Rickie Fowler
This will be major No. 40 for Rickie Fowler and appearance No. 10 at The Open Championship and we still haven’t seen that big victory, something everyone thought would have happened years ago.
In his previous 39 major appearances, Fowler has finished in the top-10 on 10 occasions, eight of those coming in the top five, including a T-5 at The Open in 2011 and a runner-up in 2014, the same year he finished in the top five in all four majors. I like how Fowler plays in windy conditions and that could serve him well this week. Is this the week he gets it?
16. Adam Scott
There are only a few more-heartbreaking finishes than what happened to Adam Scott at The Open Championship in 2012. Scott had a four-stroke lead heading into the final round and maintained that lead over Ernie Els with just four holes to play. Four bogeys and an Els birdie later, Scott had lost by one stroke.
Sure, he bounced back the following year with a fantastic win at The Masters and then had three more consecutive top-10 finishes at this tournament but I think that getting this win could take away what happened seven years ago. Although he still hasn’t been able to pick up a win this year (or any win over the last three and a half years), he’s played very well and has racked up a couple of top-10 major finishes. It would be great to see the world number one get back in the winner’s circle with a victory at Royal Portrush.
20. Tommy Fleetwood
After a solid 2018, a year in which Tommy Fleetwood nearly won his first major championship and got himself into the top 10 of the world rankings, the Englishman has had somewhat of a rough go of it this year. He’s had a few good weeks, namely the T-3 at Bay Hill and the T-5 at The Players, but he’s finished outside the top 20 in five of his last seven starts.
Once thought to be one of the next big guns in the game, Fleetwood has the chance to put himself back in that conversation with a good showing in Northern Ireland this week. He remains one of the game’s best ball strikers and that could be a major asset for him if the winds pick up.
36. Sergio Garcia
After discussing Adam Scott’s heartbreak in 2012, Sergio Garcia is also no stranger to that feeling at The Open Championship. Back in 2007, Garcia had the chance to win his favorite major at Carnoustie. He held a three-shot lead heading into the final round but came back to the field early, creating a wild afternoon of lead changes. He missed an eight-foot par putt on the 18th to secure the win and then lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington, who had began the day six shots behind Sergio.
Garcia has played so well in this championship over the years, finishing in the top 10 on 10 occasions. It would be fun to watch him finally win The Open after all these years.
38. Jordan Spieth
It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since we’ve seen Jordan Spieth, the former top-ranked player in the world, win a golf tournament. His last win came at this very tournament two years ago but it seems like so long ago, doesn’t it? Since then, he’s dropped to 38th in the world rankings and hasn’t put himself in real position to win at all this year.
It looked like he had turned things around, posting three consecutive top-10 finishes, including a tie for third at the PGA Championship, but then he finished tied for 65th at the U.S. Open and missed the cut at the Travelers Championship in his most recent start. Spieth has too much talent to just go away, but there’s something not right and it would be great to see him fix things this week at The Open. He’s finished in the top 10 in three of his six starts at this tournament.