The 2015 British Open comes to us from the home of golf, St. Andrews, with all sorts of fantastic story lines. Tiger has shown improvement since is terrible showing at the U.S. Open. Jordan Spieth, on a Grand Slam watch, just finished a successful defense of his title at the John Deere Classic. Lastly, not to be outdone 2015 Players Champion, and don’t call him overrated, Rickie Fowler just won the Scottish Open. The only downer is defending champion Rory McIlroy is out with a leg injury after a soccer accident. The field is set and everyone is playing their best and it is setting up to be an epic showdown at St. Andrews. If you aren’t excited about this years British Open you just aren’t that into golf.
With that lets hear what The Sand Trap staff is expecting at this event.
1. Who are you picking to win the 2015 British Open at St. Andrews? At what score? Why did you make this choice?
Michael C. Hepp
I love a good redemption story, and Dustin Johnson is set up perfectly be get his first major. His disappointment at the U.S. Open would crush most average golfers but I get the sense that Dustin has a short memory and is ready to get his win. I am figuring on him winning at -16 as the Old Course doesn’t offer much defense with the current forecast.
Bill Chao
Dustin Johnson at -20. I had him for the win at Chambers Bay and he almost pulled it off. All of the reasons I picked him for the U.S. Open are still valid for the British Open.
Jamieson Weiss
Jordan Spieth, -14. I picked him for the first two majors. Enough said.
Mike McLoughlin
Well, what the heck, I’ll go with Jordan Spieth to win at -16. He’s clearly the best player in the world right now, he’ll get over the jet lag, get in his practice rounds and be ready by Thursday. St. Andrews does require some course knowledge but Tiger won there when he was 24. Spieth is hitting the ball and putting too well to count him out.
Scott Curry
Jordan Spieth at -8. He may be a bit tired, but so is the rest of the field. Fowler and Johnson will give him a scare, but his confidence in the final round has to be at an all time high.
Tristan Hilton
Obviously a long shot, but I think I’m going to go with Tiger to pull out his first win since 2013 and his first major since ’08. His performance at the Greenbrier showed that things are really starting to come around and this is a course that he obviously loves and can play really well at. I really would like to see him get to that -18 number. If that’s going to happen, it’s gotta start now.
George Promenschenkel
This could be the KOD, but I’m picking the hot hand, Jordan Spieth at 278 (-10). How can you argue with the year he’s having?
Erik J. Barzeski
My picks never come true, so I’m picking Tiger Woods at -12. It’s not going to happen, though. My second pick is Rickie Fowler at the same score… which also will not happen. He’s going to have a let-down from last week.
And a lot depends on the weather.
2. Tiger had his best week of golf in two years at the Greenbrier is last time out. What do you expect from him this week?
Michael C. Hepp
Tiger is going to play well and get lots of TV time, but not win. For him to contend he needs the winning score to be high, probably -6 or higher. The lower the score goes and the more under par he needs to be will push him out of contention. He gets a top 10 but doesn’t win or strongly contend.
Bill Chao
Tiger loves the Old Course. If his game has finally turned around, I fully expect him to do well. I think he will finish in the top 25.
Jamieson Weiss
I like Tiger to do… something. He seemed so confident going into Augusta, but hadn’t really seen the results on the course yet. Now he’s played well in a tournament, and even more importantly he hit the ball well in a tournament, even if his putting wasn’t all that great. At a course he loves, well, I would be surprised if he missed the cut. Let’s go with that.
Mike McLoughlin
I think Tiger gets a top 15. His game was looking better at the Greenbrier and I think his past history at St. Andrews will serve him well. Hopefully he’s worked out the kinks with all the pattern stuff and he’s ready to start playing some good golf.
Scott Curry
Tiger will do well and maybe even contend. He tends to do well on courses he has won on. The soft conditions may slow him down a bit because he can’t bomb it off the tee. This will give the long hitters and advantage unless with wind becomes a factor.
Tristan Hilton
I expect him to win! At the very least I expect him to make the cut and at least be in the conversation come Sunday.
George Promenschenkel
Baby steps. I’m buying the “getting closer” storyline for the moment. I’ll say that Tiger gets into the fray on the weekend before slipping to a respectable finish in the top 20.
Erik J. Barzeski
Tiger had a good week the last time out, so he’ll probably miss the cut again. I’ll wake up early to watch his first round and then vow never to do it again until he wins something and looks good doing it. So, maybe never again.
3. Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler are both young guns at the top of their games. Who do you expect to have the better week and why?
Michael C. Hepp
The PGA Tour would greatly benefit from both of these guys playing well this week. Setting up a three player rivalry would give the tour a great marketing campaign. I am going to go against the grain and say that Rickie has the better week that Jordan. I get the sense the Rickie has come to embrace the elements and he will have a better week.
Bill Chao
It’s hard to bet against Jordan Spieth this year, so I’m going to have to go with Jordan. Both guys are coming to the tournament having won the previous week, but Jordan is having a better year. Plus, he already knows what it takes to win at the majors.
Jamieson Weiss
Despite the fact that I picked Spieth to win, I think Rickie also has a very good shot to win this week. He’s had some pretty good results across the pond, which Spieth can’t exactly say. I think this is as good a time as any for Fowler to notch his first major.
Mike McLoughlin
Like I said in my earlier post, I’m expecting Jordan to play well and Rickie will probably be in the mix. I think this is going to be another great major championship week.
Scott Curry
It will be close. I expect Fowler and Spieth to be in the final two groups both Saturday and Sunday regardless of weather.
Tristan Hilton
Speith is going to have the better week. Rickie has had a good year to this point, and I expect both to have a legit chance at winning, but at Sunday’s end, Speith’s name will be higher up on the leader board.
George Promenschenkel
I think both will play well, but I did pick Spieth to win. Jordan has proven to be very calm in the toughest of circumstances. Rickie is also having a great year and he’s been close in majors before, but he hasn’t won one (at least not yet).
Erik J. Barzeski
Jordan’s going to get caught up in some weather and have a let-down week. His lack of preparation (I admire his playing in the John Deere, though – I’m glad he played, but it cut into his preparation) will hurt him a bit too. He’ll make the cut but not really be a story. 2015 will not be the year we see a calendar year slam.
Rickie will do okay.
4. Who is a darkhorse who hasn’t been making much noise that you expect to play well this week?
Michael C. Hepp
I am going with Paul Casey. He has had good showings at the Old Course in the past and is playing pretty well once again.
Bill Chao
Lee Westwood. How cool would it be if he won at St. Andrews?
Jamieson Weiss
I don’t know if it’s possible that someone who is second on the FedEx Cup points list could be considered an underdog, but nobody ever talks about Jimmy Walker. I think he’s got a real chance.
Mike McLoughlin
I’m going to go with 51 year old Miguel Angel Jimenez who has been playing some of the best golf of his life the past couple years. He also hit that cool shot on the Road Hole by banking his third shot off the wall and onto the green.
Scott Curry
I’m going with a local hero Paul Lawrie. He has won it before, 1999, and is a bit long in the tooth at 46. But every open in Scotland brings out the best from the local players. I expect a Scot to rise to the occasion and Lawrie has the credentials to do it.
Tristan Hilton
How about Danny Lee? He won two weeks ago and nearly won last week and in the process played himself into the Open. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him contend at St. Andrews.
George Promenschenkel
Tommy Fleetwood is -41 in his last eight tournament rounds on the Old Course. He’s well known in Europe, but probably a little undervalued in the U.S. That could change this weekend.
Erik J. Barzeski
Is Chad Campbell playing? 🙂 I’m picking Lee. Westwood or Danny… I don’t know which. Ask me Sunday. Afternoon. 🙂
5. What is your most memorable or favorite moment from the British Open that has been hosted at the Old Course?
Michael C. Hepp
I know everyone else is going to say 2000 (most of TST staff is young), but that is not even close to the 1995 playing of the British at St. Andrews. The ups and downs of the 72nd hole were unbelievable. The Italian, Constantino Rocca from the valley of sin to get into a four hole playoff with John Daly. John Daly saying that the whole week all he ate was chocolate muffins. So many good memories of that Open.
Bill Chao
I haven’t been a golfer or a golf fan for very long, so the 2010 British Open was the first one at the Old Course that I watched. From that year, it would definitely have to be Tom Watson’s farewell on the Swilcan Bridge. Oh, and he gets to do it again this year.
Jamieson Weiss
This isn’t exactly a moment, but the fact that Tiger won in 2000 without hitting into a single bunker astounds me. The fact that someone can go so low on the Old Course without getting overly aggressive and hitting into a bunker just one time is incredible. I don’t know if I can overstate how crazy that is.
Mike McLoughlin
For me the most memorable at St. Andrews was Tiger winning in 2000, completing his career grand slam and shooting -19. David Duval made a charge during the first several holes but Tiger didn’t falter and kept making birdies. That was also the round where Duval hit four shots to get out of the Road Hole bunker on the 17th hole.
Scott Curry
2005, Jack Nicklaus playing his final Open Championship gets his photo taken on the bridge on 18 the same year as his successor wins.
Tristan Hilton
I would probably have to go with Tiger’s win in 2000. After this year though, it’ll be his win in 2015.
George Promenschenkel
Tiger Woods humbling the entire field in the 2000 edition shooting -19 and winning by eight. Honorable mention: Jack Nicklaus waving goodbye on the Swilcan Bridge. I will be watching when Tom Watson does the same Sunday
Erik J. Barzeski
One of my first memories of golf was Costantino Rocca duffing a chip and then holing out through the valley of sin. I recalled the memory vividly as I putted from about where he chipped from (got it to about five feet) in playing the Old Course a few years ago.
Photo credits: © Koji Aoki