The Open: SB Nation golf employees picks winners for Royal Troon

After an exhilarating Genesis Scottish Open, which noticed Scotsman Robert MacIntyre prevail by one over Adam Scott, the main target shifts from Scotland’s East Coast to the West, the place The Outdated Course at Royal Troon awaits.

Troon will host The Open Championship for the tenth time, because the Ayrshire course final welcomed the world’s finest in 2016. It’s a correct links-style structure, which receives loads of wind and rain off the Firth of Clyde. The primary six holes run alongside the coast, typically aided by a northerly wind that makes this stretch simpler than the remaining. Holes 7, 8, and 9 flip inland, with the well-known par-3 eighth, “The Postage Stamp,” being top-of-the-line brief holes on the planet. It solely measures 123 yards.

The again 9 turns in the direction of the clubhouse, a beastly set of holes highlighted by the brutal par-4 eleventh, often known as “The Railway.” This difficult par-4, measuring 498 yards, was probably the most troublesome gap on the PGA Tour in the course of the 2015-2016 season. It runs alongside a set of practice tracks, that means out-of-bounds is in play down your complete proper aspect, and it most frequently faces the prevailing wind.

Good ball-strikers and gamers with imaginative brief video games are likely to do properly on this course, so it is no surprise that Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson produced the best Open showdown since “The Duel within the Solar” in 1977, when Tom Watson narrowly defeated Jack Nicklaus at Turnberry.

So, contemplating all of this, let’s get to our employees picks, as we’ve got RJ Ochoa serving as our visitor picker this week as soon as once more:

Jack Milko — Workers Author, Golf

Picture by Stuart Kerr/R&A through Getty Pictures

Eight years in the past, in his fifth Open look, Tyrrell Hatton made the minimize for the primary time and tied for fifth at Royal Troon, a consequence that helped spark the then 24-year-old’s profession in the appropriate path. Hatton has since ascended to develop into top-of-the-line gamers on the planet.

However a serious championship is the one obtrusive omission on the Englishman’s resume. He has completed within the high 10 at 5 majors since that first journey to Royal Troon in 2016, which features a tie for ninth at Augusta Nationwide earlier this yr. Hatton has additionally made the minimize in 11 straight majors, relationship again to The 149th Open at Royal St. George’s.

He additionally jumped to LIV Golf in late January, which has not affected his sport a lot. Hatton gained the LIV Golf Nashville occasion by six strokes, one week after tying for twenty sixth at Pinehurst No. 2. He then got here in solo third in Anadalucía final week, lacking out on a playoff with Sergio Garcia and Anirban Lahiri by one stroke.

Hatton is trending in the appropriate path, and his sport fits Royal Troon properly. The three-time Ryder Cupper has lengthy been one of many sport’s high ball-strikers, however his brief sport is underrated, too. That mixture will assist him in Ayrshire, as I envision Hatton turning into the following Champion Golfer of the Yr.

DraftKings Odds: +2800

RJ Ochoa — Senior Producer, Running a blog the Boys

Picture by Luke Walker/R&A through Getty Pictures

The final time I used to be requested to choose right here at Taking part in By, I defied logic and selected Rory McIlroy over Scottie Scheffler. That didn’t work out properly!

Since then, McIlroy has been by what we’ll name “some stuff,” whereas Scottie has continued to play outstanding golf. Scottie nonetheless looks like the logical selection now that we’ve got reached Royal Troon, however issues felt that method at Valhalla and Pinehurst as properly.

I’m going to go only a bit out of left discipline and let my coronary heart actually make my decide in the way in which I assumed it did with McIlroy. Give me Tommy Fleetwood to win his first main championship title, which can undoubtedly be a win for the ages. He has been so shut, so many instances, and this looks like his week.

Let’s experience.

DraftKings Odds: +2200

Savannah Richardson — Workers Author, Golf

Picture by Andrew Redington/Getty Pictures

I’m going with Ludvig Åberg!

He’s on the cusp of a run, particularly after his sturdy performances at The Masters and the U.S. Open. He additionally performed properly on the Genesis Scottish Open, despite the fact that he struggled in the course of the last spherical—a theme that has sadly plagued him as of late. However I believe he’ll overcome these latest struggles and win in his Open Championship debut.

On high of that, Åberg vividly remembers what Henrik Stenson did on this golf course in 2016, even calling that day a “nationwide vacation” in Sweden. He’ll make it two Swedish winners in a row at Royal Troon.

DraftKings Odds: +1400

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. Make sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.