It’s not always the Jack Nicklauses, the Tiger Woods and the Rory McIlroys who win the Open. Sometimes it’s an unlikely figure coming through the ranks.
Remember Ben Curtis (2002) or Todd Hamilton (2003). Remember in 2010 it was Louis Oosthuizen, unknown then but to South Africans and European Tour obsessives. He won by seven shots at St Andrews.
It could be a veteran retainer we thought had missed his chance, like Darren Clarke in 2011. It could be one last time when it all falls into place for a great champion, like Ernie Els in 2012. It’s sometimes the last guy standing when everyone else crashes, like Stewart Cink in 2009.
Sometimes it’s Paul Lawrie, a talented but unheralded tour player, who comes storming from 10 shots back for a career defining win. Okay, that was a record comeback and probably a historic one-off. But it happened.
Picking a sleeper in a 156-strong field is a bit of a lottery. The Old Course at St Andrews can be like that at the best of times, and particularly in the hard, fiery and fast state it’s in for the 150th Open.
Here’s six contenders at the 150th Open you won’t find in most people’s favourites list, but are worth keeping an eye on…
Ryan Fox
The New Zealander, son of All Black rugby legend Grant Fox, is the DP World Tour’s in-form player of late.
Hits it a mile, and has a number of strong performances on links, notably in the Irish Open plus a 64 on the Old Course at the Dunhill.
He’s made the cut in all but one of his five Opens, and closed out in 2015 with a 67, which shows that he can play if it gets blustery. The one caveat is that he doesn’t win as much as he should, with three second place finishes this year alone.
Max Homa
I never do this but I couldn’t pass up a round at North Berwick. Ever since I saw the @NoLayingUp vid years ago I knew it was special. Lives up to the hype! https://t.co/a7lA2aWllZ
— max homa (@maxhoma23) July 8, 2022
The 32-year-old has made his breakthrough over the last couple of years and is threatening to enter elite status. He’s not exactly coming in under cover, standing 9th in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup and 19th in the World Rankings, with two wins this season already.
His links pedigree is puppy-sized, but he’s making up for lost time. Last week he played 54 holes in 24 hours, two rounds of the Scottish Open and a quick 18 at North Berwick trying to get a feel for the terrain.
He feels a bit like Jason Leonard did before the Texan won at Troon in 1997 – not experienced at links golf, but with the right sort of game to do well quickly.
Danny Willett
#TeamCallaway’s @Danny_Willett going Rogue on the range. 🚀 #TheOpen #Callaway | #RogueST pic.twitter.com/Rr89ECyoMg
— Callaway Golf Europe (@CallawayGolfEU) July 12, 2022
It was perhaps understandable that the Yorkshireman slumped after his 2016 Masters triumph. That was the culmination of 18 months of really solid and elite play that included leading at halfway in…the 2015 Open at St Andrews.
He’s painstakingly built himself back into a top player, has three wins in the last four years and while he hasn’t played that much this year, had a 12th place at the Masters.
The last of those wins, of course, was in last year’s Dunhill. It’s dangerous to equate Old Course conditions from September to July, but it surely can’t hinder.
Seamus Power
“As a player growing up in Britain and Ireland, it’s something you dream of. That’s the plan and the goal. Obviously, to go and win the 150th Open at St Andrews would be something for the ages" #theopen #seamuspower https://t.co/KE9mVV6b0v
— Irish Golfer (@IrishGolferMag) July 12, 2022
Just when it seemed Ireland’s overflowing cup had drained their major championship contenders with McIlroy, Lowry, Clarke and McDowell, along comes Power.
A contemporary of McIlroy in amateur days, he took a longer and less celebrated path up the ranks. But he won on the PGA Tour last autumn and has enjoyed solid debuts in the first three majors of the year.
Perhaps his game has been Americanised to the extent that all his amateur links ability diminished. But so far this late developer has shown no signs of being overawed in elite company. And the Old Course is no stranger to him.
Victor Perez
We don’t have a local in The Open this year. Except for someone who hails from South West France, of course.
Victor moved to Dundee when his partner was studying at the city’s Dental School and has settled here.
And although he likes to keep his public profile low, Perez has embraced golf life in this area as well. He’s regularly uses the practice facilities at St Andrews Links and plays at golf courses across Fife and Angus.
That culminated in an Alfred Dunhill Links Championship victory in 2019. He loves playing links golf – it’s a big reason why he’s stayed in this part of the world – and might sneak in under the radar.
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