Jon Rahm is 7/1 favourite for the Open Championship – much shorter than anyone else in the betting for the final Major of the season – and the Spaniard is full of confidence in the wake of his US Open success.
Rahm did not just win at Torrey Pines – he did so in the style of a champion. Birdies at the two closing holes to seal a first Major victory was courageous stuff from the 26-year-old and further prestigious silverware seems almost certain at some stage soon.
Are back-to-back Major triumphs in the offing? He clearly deserves top billing. It is easy to forget that he probably would have won his tournament prior to the US Open had a positive Covid test not forced him to withdraw before the final round of the Memorial.
Rahm was six shots clear through three rounds of the Memorial and producing his best golf of the year. Last week, he dropped from world number one to number two after finishing seventh in the Scottish Open, missing a lot of short putts along the way. Maybe that untimely dent to self-belief with the flat-stick will cost him the Claret Jug.
Calm Koepka Could be Ready for Fifth Major
If Rahm fails to improve on his poor Open record this week, Brooks Koepka could be the man to take advantage. The Floridian had knee surgery four months ago and finally appears to be nearing full fitness, rediscovering the swagger which once made him the dominant force in the sport.
Even though he has been playing through discomfort, Koepka has still managed to contend for Major titles, finishing runner-up to Phil Mickelson in the US PGA Championship in May, then fourth in the US Open at Torrey Pines a month ago.
What drama will we see here on Sunday afternoon?
#TheOpen pic.twitter.com/6W9CwS8of3
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 13, 2021
The most encouraging aspect for Koepka fans, though, was that he was able to follow up four gruelling rounds in the US Open with fifth place in the Travelers Championship a week later.
The 31-year-old closed with a 65 in the Travelers and his knee problems seemed a thing of the past. Koepka has won four of the last 15 Majors he has played, posting three second places in that period. The 16/1 Open quotes are extremely attractive.
Ancer May Offer Solution for Open Punters
Heavy rough seems to be the main problem for the Open competitors this week – some players have said they have never seen such penal hay lining the fairways at an Open – and an accurate driver like Abraham Ancer could be in his element.
Ancer, who has already contended in the Masters, is yet to make an Open cut. His brilliant summer form, though, which includes fifth place in the Valspar Championship, second in the Wells Fargo, eighth in the US PGA and fourth in the Travelers Championship indicates he can be a Claret Jug threat this time.
The Mexican, who starred in the 2019 Presidents Cup, is a gutsy little fighter and 66/1 is an appealing each-way price with eight places on offer.
*All odds correct at time of writing