Open Championship Preview: Can Dustin Johnson Win Back-to-Back Majors?
By Michael Shamburger
The 145th Open Championship is sure to be a good one, but really, you can say that about any British Open going into it because you know what you’re going to get: weather, tall grass, and difficult bunkers. This year at Royal Troon is no different, minus a few small things.
Chalk
Dustin Johnson
Well it was bound to happen eventually right? Dustin Johnson won a major and now he’s on a roll. Johnson, who fought through just a little bit of controversy at the U.S. Open, followed his win up there with a win at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and is now the Vegas co-favorite to win at Royal Troon. Who saw that one coming with Day, Spieth, and McIlroy on the board?
DJ is fifth in average scoring at The Open since 2010 at 70.75. In that time he’s finished T14, T2, T9, T32, T12, and T49. Johnson currently ranks second in strokes gained off-the-tee, second in strokes gained tee-to-green, and first in strokes gained total. Also, the greens at Royal Troon are small, so if DJ can find the fairway off the tee, he should do well because he ranks second in proximity to the hole. Johnson has also gone from 71st in strokes gained putting in 2015 to 38th this season which has definitely helped him get into contention more often. This season the U.S. Open champ has 10 top 10 finishes this season and nine of those were top five finishes.
Odds – 8/1
Jason Day
Has anyone played better golf over the last year and a half than Jason Day? I think not. Day has won eight tournaments since July 26th of 2015. EIGHT! That is why he is number one in the world. There’s absolutely no reason Day cannot win this week. He’s got three wins this year and finished in the top 10 in both the Masters and U.S. Open. Just look at where he’s finished in his last nine starts: 1, 1, T10, T23, T5, 1, T27, T8, T3. Yeah.
Odds – 8/1
Jordan Spieth
Remember that time Jordan Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open back-to-back and then was one stroke out of a playoff at St. Andrews? Yeah, those were nice times. I’m not sure why anyone would overlook Spieth this week or count him out, but for some reason he feels like a bit of an after-thought *ducks to avoid incoming you’re a moron*. If he keeps his approach shots under control, once he gets on the green he’s a machine. I like him to finish in the top 10, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up higher because other than the U.S. Open this year, his major appearances over the last year and a half include two wins, two second place finishes, and a tie for fourth.
Odds – 9/1
Rory McIlroy
RORY IS BACK AT THE OPEN! McIlroy won The Open the last time he played in it and if his press conference says anything about his current state of mind, he’s ready to get back to the top. I mean, someone asked McIlroy if he felt like Ringo because he’s dropped to fourth in the world rankings. His response was to bring the heat, “Not really. I mean, those guys are having a great run at the minute…I’ve got four major championships, and I’d love to add to that tally, just as those guys would love to add to their one or two majors that they have and just keep going.”
Whoa! Fire up the Rory bandwagon because with that attitude he may as well just grab the Claret Jug and run around with it over his head like a championship belt!
Unless of course he does things like this.
Odds- 9/1
Adam Scott
This guy had been having a rough go until this year when he bounced back and won in back-to-back weeks at the Honda Classic and WGC-Cadillac Championship. Since that early March WGC win though, Scott has only one top 10 appearance in eight tournaments. He leads the field in strokes gained on approach and in strokes gained tee-to-green, which as I’ve pointed out a few times already, could be the defining factor this week. While his putting is still an issue, I’m keeping him on my list.
Odds – 21/1
Not Chalk
Justin Rose
Rose has won a tournament every year since 2010 and has five top 10 finishes and a third place finish this season. He is also a major champion and has yet to win this year, so…yeah. He’s probably good for a top 10 finish here.
Odds – 30/1
Sergio Garcia
Wouldn’t that be something? Sergio finished second early this year at the Honda Classic and won the AT&T Byron Nelson. It was the first time Sergio had stepped up to take home a trophy in a PGA Tour event since the 2012 Wyndham Championship. He’s trending in the right direction and everyone wants him to win a major, so if you like Sergio, go for it.
Odds – 30/1
Zach Johnson
He won last year. He’s a two-time major champion. He doesn’t do anything that really makes him stand out, but if the weather gets nasty you can bet he’ll be up near the top.
Odds – 50/1
Lee Westwood
Westwood has finished in the top three in majors 9 times and in the top 10 a total of 18 times. He finished second with Jordan Spieth this year at the Masters and walked with Dustin Johnson on Sunday at the U.S. Open. I like him this year.
Odds – 50/1
My Pick
I’m rolling with DJ. If you follow me on Twitter, you should, you already know he’s my favorite golfer and I’ve been waiting for him to get to this point for a while now. If he wins his third start in a row I wouldn’t be surprised and my bank account would really love it.