British Open: 3 Darkish Horses who can win Claret Jug at Royal Troon

Of all of the 4 main championships, The Open Championship is maybe probably the most unpredictable—very like the inclement climate that may blow throughout the Scottish coast at a second’s discover.

Look no additional than final yr, when Brian Harman decimated Royal Liverpool to win by six photographs at 13-under-par. Harman, who arrived in England with 125-to-1 pre-tournament odds, claimed his first main championship and, fairly frankly, no person noticed it coming. The lefty plucked his manner round Hoylake, avoiding Royal Liverpool’s penal bunkers whereas putting himself within the correct positions all week. His 6-under 65 on Friday sealed the deal, as no person got here near catching him over the weekend. Harman held a 5-shot lead on the 36-hole mark, carried that very same margin into Sunday, and received simply as a big longshot over the world’s greatest.

Maybe we see one other darkish horse win this week at Royal Troon. In spite of everything, this course produced the last word longshot winner in 2004, when Todd Hamilton defeated Ernie Els in a playoff. Hamilton arrived because the 56th-ranked participant that week, but prevailed because the Champion Golfer of the 12 months. He would by no means file a top-10 in a significant once more.

Predicting this championship isn’t any straightforward process, however we do have a trio of darkish horses we like. Listed here are three gamers who can shock the world and hoist the Claret Jug at Royal Troon:

3. Aaron Rai

Photograph by Andrew Redington/Getty Photos

Aaron Rai made his manner into The Open by the use of his robust end on the Genesis Scottish Open, the place he tied for fourth. A 7-under 63 on Sunday soared him up the leaderboard and booked him a ticket to Royal Troon—the highest three finishers on the Scottish Open earned a spot within the subject this week.

However his robust play at The Reinassance Membership was no outlier. Rai has posted 5 straight top-20 finishes courting again to the RBC Canadian Open in early June. He tied for nineteenth on the U.S. Open, however three late bogies on Sunday at Pinehurst prevented him from ending greater than that.

Rai then rebounded on the Rocket Mortgage Basic, tying for second. However he might have received in Detroit if not for a pedestrian, final-round even-par 72. Granted, the wind shifted, and situations worsened as that afternoon wore on, however Rai couldn’t benefit from the 54-hole lead he shared with Akshay Bhatia.

However, Rai ranks 4th on the PGA Tour in total strokes gained. He has performed flawlessly, rating first in driver accuracy share at 72.97% and third in greens in regulation share at 72.47%. Within the uncommon occasion he misses the inexperienced, he can rise up and down, too, rating tenth on tour in scrambling share. Placing has not been his robust swimsuit, however he nonetheless ranks 54th in strokes gained on the inexperienced.

Good ball-strikers and people with stable brief video games win Open Championships, and Rai suits that invoice. So it will actually shock many within the sporting world if Rai hoisted the Claret Jug together with his two black gloves, however after wanting on the numbers, it actually wouldn’t be that shocking in any respect.

DraftKings Odds to Win: +6500

2. Jason Day

Photograph by Warren Little/Getty Photos

It’s considerably shocking that Jason Day has not but received a Claret Jug, however possibly that is his week.

At 36, Day has revitalized his profession during the last couple of years. He received the AT&T Byron Nelson final yr, marking his first PGA Tour victory since 2018. He has since recorded 5 top-10 finishes, together with a tie for second at Royal Liverpool a yr in the past.

But, his ball-striking numbers this season are poor. Day presently ranks 149th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained approaching the inexperienced and 147th in greens in regulation share—startling figures for among the best iron gamers of the 2010s.

So, on condition that iron play is essential in The Open, why will we like Day this week?

First, he has expertise. Day tied for twenty second at Royal Troon in 2016 and is conversant in this observe, which many others on this subject aren’t. Second, Day has among the best brief video games on the planet. He’s beautiful across the greens—a testomony to his Australian roots—and an outstanding putter. On high of that, Day has an unimaginable creativeness, as he closes his eyes and visualizes each shot. Hyperlinks golf requires artistic imaginative and prescient, and Day has that. He may hit any shot in his bag.

DraftKings Odds to Win: +10000

1. Russell Henley

Photograph by Luke Walker/R&A by way of Getty Photos

The previous Georgia Bulldog is, fairly frankly, one of the underrated gamers on the planet.

He has made the minimize in any respect three majors this season, together with his greatest end being a T-7 on the U.S. Open. He has 5 high 10s total and most lately tied for forty eighth on the Vacationers Championship, which means he arrives in Scotland refreshed and able to go.

But, Henley doesn’t have a powerful historical past at The Open. He has missed 5 of 9 cuts and has not completed higher than twentieth. One MC of these got here at Royal Troon in 2016, and he missed one other at Royal Liverpool a yr in the past.

Nonetheless, Henley doesn’t have many flaws in his sport. He retains it in play, counting on his accuracy greater than distance to plot round golf programs. Plus, he’s a stable ball-striker, rating thirtieth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approaching the inexperienced.

On high of that, Henley has a dependable brief sport, as he ranks twenty sixth on tour in scrambling share and twenty third in strokes gained across the greens. His sport on paper matches properly to hyperlinks golf, however the outcomes haven’t proven it as of but.

Regardless of that, Henley has the sport to flip the script and win golf’s oldest main. He has 4 PGA Tour victories, however this might mark a career-defining second for the 110-to-1 longshot.

DraftKings Odds to Win: +11000

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. Be sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.