2011 British Open Predictions
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
After watching Steve Stricker pull of a thrilling win at the John Deere Classic, the PGA TOUR will make its way to the United Kingdom for the 2011 British Open. The Open Championship is the oldest of the four majors, and the only one played outside of the United States.
The venue for the British Open this season will be Royal St. George, where 13 previous Open Championships have been held. The last time the Open was held at Royal St. George was back in 2003, where Ben Curtis won with a 1-under 283.
Royal St. George is arguably the least liked of the nine venues that are currently listed as stops for the British Open. The unusual terrain of this course can turn what looks like a great shot into a miserable next shot. This problem rises up more off the tee, as you just can’t predict where the ball is going to end up once it hits the fairway.
Course management is a must at this event. There are going to be holes where you get unlucky, and have to settle for a bogey. The key is keeping the damage at a minimum and not letting one bad hole ruin your round.
The biggest factor that will determine the scores of this event is the weather. Royal St. George is the only venue that has seen a player win with all four rounds in the 80′s and the only one where a player has triumphed with four straight rounds in the 60′s. Wind figures to be the biggest problem for the golfers on Thursday and Friday, while more threatening weather is expected over the weekend.
For those of you looking to make a bet on the British Open,here is a look at three golfers who I feel have the best shot at holding up the trophy this weekend.
Rory McIlroy (+600) – If it wasn’t for an improbable collapse at the Masters, McIllroy would come into the British Open with wins at each of the first two majors. He absolutely dominated the field at the U.S. Open, and is arguably playing the best golf of his professional career. Having grown up overseas, McIllroy should be well prepared for the grueling challenge that awaits at Royal St. George. If McIllroy plays anywhere close to what we saw at the U.S. Open, he could run away with this title.
Luke Donald (+1000) – Donald showed he has what it takes to win overseas with a four-stroke victory at the Scottish Open in his last start. The 33-year-old native of Hempstead, England has yet to win a major in his career, but has really started to show some life of late in the big events. Donald finished tied for 4th at the Masters earlier this season, and is coming off a tie for 11th at the British Open in 2010. He has the game that can really excel at Royal St. George, as he is accurate from tee to green and is one of the best putters on TOUR.
Retief Goosen (+4500) – While I have listed a couple of favorites with my first two picks, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see a long shot come away with the trophy this week. My favorite outsider is veteran Retief Goosen. who has really played well at the British Open in his career. His two career major wins have both came at the U.S. Open, but he has had his most success at this event, finishing in the top 10 six times in the last nine years. He finished 6th at St. Andrews in 2010, tied for 5th at Turnberry in 2009, and tied for 10th at Royal St George back in 2003. Goosen comes into the event playing at a very high level, and is definitely worth the risk at +4500.
Complete British Open Odds
| Lee Westwood | +800 |
| Rory McIlroy | +600 |
| Padraig Harrington | +3500 |
| Phil Mickelson | +2500 |
| Justin Rose | +5000 |
| Martin Kaymer | +2000 |
| Ernie Els | +7500 |
| Graeme McDowell | +2500 |
| Ian Poulter | +6500 |
| Paul Casey | +6500 |
| Luke Donald | +1000 |
| Henrik Stenson | +6500 |
| Anthony Kim | +10000 |
| Ross Fisher | +7000 |
| Steve Stricker | +3000 |
| Retief Goosen | +4500 |
| Jim Furyk | +7000 |
| Robert Karlsson | +7500 |
| Sergio Garcia | +1600 |
| Chris Wood | +7000 |
| Rickie Fowler | +8000 |
| Nick Watney | +3000 |
| Sean O’Hair | +12500 |
| Camilo Villegas | +12500 |
| Francesco Molinari | +5000 |
| Dustin Johnson | +5000 |
| Adam Scott | +6000 |
| Geoff Ogilvy | +5000 |
| Ryo Ishikawa | +12500 |
| Jeff Overton | +8000 |
| Hunter Mahan | +6500 |
| Stewart Cink | +10000 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | +8000 |
| K.J. Choi | +2500 |
| Miguel Angel Jimenez | +12500 |
| Tim Clark | +15000 |
| Darren Clarke | +8000 |
| Edoardo Molinari | +10000 |
| Angel Cabrera | +7500 |
| Alvaro Quiros | +10000 |
| Charl Schwartzel | +4500 |
| Robert Allenby | +10000 |
| Bo Van Pelt | +8000 |
| Zach Johnson | +8000 |
| Alejandro Canizares | +20000 |
| Ben Curtis | +10000 |
| Jason Day | +3500 |
| Matt Kuchar | +3500 |
| Matteo Manassero | +6500 |
| Peter Hanson | +7000 |
| YE Yang | +8000 |
| Bubba Watson | +10000 |
| Brandt Snedeker | +10000 |
| Frederick Jacobson | +8000 |
More Golf Predictions
Got something to say?
