It's an exciting week as the seasons third Major is upon us with The Open Championship. Taking place at the historic Carnoustie Golf Links, this course promises to challenge even the worlds most elite golfers. Weather could have a significant impact on scores as well as the leaderboard, as it's not uncommon for the winds to blow quite fiercely at this coastal property.
As we take a look at field, we're not only looking for players that have been playing well recently, but also those who have a track record for excelling on links style courses. Who's your favorite to win this week?
Here's a look at our top 10 to keep an eye on...
Justin Rose - Rose has been on fire this season, with 3 wins, 12 top 10 finishes and is currently 17/17 in cuts made. The Olympic champion will undoubtedly be looking to add a Claret Jug to his trophy case.
Henrik Stenson - Another how's had a great season to date including 7 top 10 finishes, but has yet to bring home a victory. He has a great track record on links courses, and is in a great spot to challenge the leaderboard this week.
Jordan Spieth - The defending champion is still looking for his first win of the season, and what better place to do it that at a Major. He's been playing consistently this season, racking up 5 top 10 finishes, and seems to perform well on this style of course.
Rory McIlroy - The Open champion in 2014, Rory will be looking to reclaim the title. His ball striking has been spot on leading up to this event. If he can perform on the putting surface, I think he'll definitely be in the mix. Another challenge for Rory could be the wind conditions, which have given him trouble in the past.
Ricky Fowler - His playing style lends itself well to links style courses, and his statistics prove that. His scoring average on links style courses is trending higher than his overall scoring average, which is a rare occurrence given the difficulty of these courses. He has 6 top 10 finishes this season and is 14/17 in cuts made.
Adam Scott - He's been quite but consistent this season with a couple top 10 finishes and making 10/12 cuts. He plays well on links courses, and will be gunning for a break out tournament.
Zach Johnson - A proven winner, including a victory at The Open in 2015 at St.Andrews. Zach has been playing consistent this season making 16/17 cuts which includes 2 top 10 finishes. He's still hunting for his first win.
Phil Mickelson - Mickelson has a great track record on links style courses including victories at both The Open Championship as well as the Scottish Open. Although he's had a few frustrations on the putting green as of late, I expect Phil to raise to the occasion this week.
Francesco Molinari - Having a break out year, Molinari has 6 top 10 finishes on the season including 2 victories. He's consistently making cuts (17/19) and is definitely trending in the right direction. A Major victory this week would fit right in with the season he's been having.
Tiger Woods - Some might say he's a bit of a wild card, Woods is slowly regaining his tournament form and has already shown this season that he hasn't lost his touch. Although he's been close, he has yet to get his first win since returning to competitive golf, and he'd undoubtedly love for it to come at a Major. He has multiple Open Championship victories, so he knows what it takes to win in these conditions.
And now the fun part, selecting my DraftKings fantasy lineups. With so many great players in the field, there are a ton of variations to consider. Here's what I've gone with...
Starting Lineup
Ricky Fowler - $9,700
T.Woods - $8,900
Z.Johnson - $7,200
H.Stenson - $8,200
P.Mickelson - $8,100
A.Scott - $7,800
Alternate Lineup
Henrik Stenson - $8,200
Justin Rose - $10,200
T.Hatton - $7,900
Z.Johnson - $7,200
B.Grace - $7,900
F.Molinari - $8,600