British Open 2024: Power rankings for the entire field at Royal Troon

For the 10th time in 101 years, the British Open is heading to the west coast of Scotland and Royal Troon. Resting on the coastline and adjacent to the Firth of Clyde, Royal Troon presents a perfect seaside links test of golf. Wind and weather will play a leading role as the best players in the world strive to hear their name echoed above the yellow scoreboards after the famous phrase, “Champion Golfer of the Year.”

I have always felt Troon carries a West Coast vibe. St. Andrews, Muirfield and many other famous Scottish links layouts rest on the east coast of Scotland near Edinburgh. Only Turnberry and Troon routinely take the Open out west. From the 1962 championship to the 2004 edition, Troon crowned six American winners in a row. Only a legendary final-round 63 by Henrik Stenson could stop Phil Mickelson from becoming the seventh.

Considering most of us cannot remember eight minutes ago, eight years ago the scoreboard was dominated by those two. JB Holmes finished in third place 11 strokes behind Mickelson and 14 behind Stenson. Keep in mind, the forecast fuels opportunity. Catch the correct wave of weather, and you have a shot to contend. Others find themselves away for the weekend when the elements push you toward an early exit.

RELATED: British Open 2024: An oral history of 2016 at Royal Troon

Set your alarms as there’s nothing better than early-morning Open Championship golf. Rising before the sun to watch the best in the world compete on what looks like another planet is a tradition I covet as much as a tap-in birdie. Enjoy our power rankings—which I’ve delivered for Golf Digest each major this year. At this point you are familiar with the format. To those reading for the first time, welcome to this wonderful reference medium designed to increase your enjoyment of the tournament. I suggest you bookmark the article, read the key, and use this list as a tool to take down your local pool and win those valuable weekend wagers.

It's time for Troon to take center stage. Enjoy the simplicity of seaside links, and all the wonderful madness it is about to entertain us with for the 152nd Open Championship.

Key:

• Age: Most majors are won by players in their 20s and 30s. Always good to keep track of these things.
• Odds to win: These are the futures odds listed for each player prior to tournament week.
• OWGR/Data Golf: Let’s face the facts, the OWGR is incomplete. To give us a better top line view of player performance, I included the Data Golf rankings.
• Masters/PGA/U.S. Open finish: With three majors behind us, how has the field performed?
• Open appearances/cuts made: The number of times a player has competed in the tournament along with the number of successful cuts made.
• Best Open finish: Again, another quick reference tool. Since 2000, there have been two debutant winners; Ben Curtis in 2003 and Collin Morikawa in 2021.
• Notes: A quick summary for each player to pique or deter your interest in their chances to win or play well in the 152nd Open Championship.

Nos. 126 and beyond

Jack McDonald was the qualifying story of the season as he holed a 25-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to eliminate two others and punch his ticket to The Open. A neighbor to Troon growing up, McDonald played the British Amateur on these revered links back in 2012. Speaking of 12, Jack was about 12 years old the first time he set foot on Troon’s Old Course. Now routinely taking walks down the beach alongside the opening six holes, McDonald dreamed of this opportunity in 2024. Local fans will be going wild for this young man should he make a serious run at the 36-hole cut.

Here are players I’d place 126th and beyond in our power rankings. You have a number of aging past Open champions such as David Duval and Justin Leonard with a number of amateurs who just feel fortunate to have a tee time this week.

Mason Anderson, Denwit Boriboonsub, Dan Bradbury, Daniel Brown, Darren Clarke, Dominic Clemons-a, John Daly, Joe Dean, Matthew Dodd-Berry-a, David Duval, Ernie Els, Darren Fichardt, Rickie Fowler, Todd Hamilton, Padraig Harrington, Michael Hendry, Angel Hidalgo, Aguri Iwasaki, Masahiro Kawamura, Minkyu Kim, Ryosuke Kinoshita, Kazuma Kobori, Gun-Taek Koh, Justin Leonard, Charlie Lindh, Luis Masaveu-a, Jack McDonald, Adrian Meronk, Elvis Smylie, Younghan Song, Jasper Stubbs-a, Altin van der Merwe-a, Ryan van Velzen, Jeung-Hun Wang

Nos. 101-125

Thirty-seven debutants are competing this year. Ten of those rookies are amateurs. Those men start with the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, Gordon Sargent, right down to 272nd-ranked amateur, Jasper Stubbs. Can Sargent make waves much like the 2023 British Amateur Champion Christo Lamprecht did one year ago when he led the 151st Open after Day 1? We will find out this week, but these young men are more prepared than ever for championship golf. Don’t be surprised if Sargent or another takes charge of this opportunity.

101. Sami Valimaki, 102. Matt Wallace, 103. Jacob Skov Olesen-a, 104. Santiago de la Fuente-a, 105. Phil Mickelson, 106. Vincent Norrman, 107. Stewart Cink, 108. Denny McCarthy, 109. Jorge Campillo, 110. Rikuya Hoshino, 111. Gordon Sargent-a, 112. Sam Horsfield, 113. Richard Mansell, 114. Joost Luiten, 115. Yuto Katsuragawa, 116. Tommy Morrison-a, 117. Alex Cejka, 118. Francesco Molinari, 119. Shubhankar Sharma, 120. Daniel Hillier, 121. Matthew Jordan, 122. David Puig, 123. Sean Crocker, 124. Liam Nolan-a, 125. Jaime Montojo-a

Nos. 71-100

Matteo Manassero was the youngest player ever to win the British Amateur at 16 years old. He defeated Sam Hutsby in that 2009 final. The two find themselves across another practice range preparing for another British Championship—with Manassero enjoying a career rejuvenation, evidenced further by a strong week last week in Scotland.

The top 70 and ties will make the weekend at Royal Troon. That sounds easy, but when you consider the weather, wind, and world class competition, that 70 number comes up quite quickly.

71. Brendon Todd, 72. Jordan Smith, 73. John Caitlin, 74. CT Pan, 75. Lucas Glover, 76. Eric Cole, 77. Ewen Ferguson, 78. Matteo Manassero, 79. Emiliano Grillo, 80. Tom Hoge, 81. Maverick McNealy, 82. Tiger Woods, 83. Zach Johnson, 84. Taylor Moore, 85. Thorbjorn Olesen, 86. Romain Langasque, 87. Mackenzie Hughes, 88. Nacho Elvira, 89. Jesper Svensson, 90. Nick Taylor, 91. Adam Schenk, 92. Guido Migliozzi, 93. Matthew Southgate, 94. Keita Nakajima, 95. Sam Hutsby, 96. Laurie Canter, 97. Andy Ogletree, 98. Adam Hadwin, 99. Henrik Stenson, 100. Calum Scott-a

Ranking the top 70 players (with write-ups for the top 50)

70. Will Zalatoris

• Age: 27
• Odds to win: 65-1
• OWGR: 46 Data Golf: 68
• Masters: T-9 PGA finish: T-43 U.S. Open: MC
• Open appearances: 2 Cuts made: 1
• Best Open finish: 28th (2022)

69. Yannik Paul

• Age: 30
• Odds to win: 200-1
• OWGR: 155 Data Golf: 197
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: N/A U.S. Open: N/A
• Open appearances: 1 Cuts made: 0
• Best Open finish: N/A

68. JT Poston

• Age: 31
• Odds to win: 150-1
• OWGR: 47 Data Golf: 47
• Masters: T-30 PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: T-32
• Open appearances: 2 Cuts made: 1
• Best Open finish: 41st (2023)

67. Alexander Bjork

• Age: 34
• Odds to win: 200-1
• OWGR: 109 Data Golf: 119
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: T-39 U.S. Open: N/A
• Open appearances: 5 Cuts made: 1
• Best Open finish: 41st (2023)

66. Ryo Hisatsune

• Age: 21
• Odds to win: 250-1
• OWGR: 91 Data Golf: 98
• Masters: MC PGA finish: T-18 U.S. Open: N/A
• Open appearances: 0 Cuts made: N/A
• Best Open finish: N/A

65. Rasmus Højgaard

• Age: 23
• Odds to win: 160-1
• OWGR: 95 Data Golf: 84
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: T-68 U.S. Open: N/A
• Open appearances: 1 Cuts made: 0
• Best Open finish: N/A

64. Thriston Lawrence

• Age: 27
• Odds to win: 200-1
• OWGR: 97 Data Golf: 158
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: N/A
• Open appearances: 2 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 42nd (2022)

63. Tom McKibbin

• Age: 21
• Odds to win: 150-1
• OWGR: 102 Data Golf: 73
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: N/A U.S. Open: T-41
• Open appearances: 0 Cuts made: N/A
• Best Open finish: N/A

62. Gary Woodland

• Age: 40
• Odds to win: 150-1
• OWGR: 173 Data Golf: 185
• Masters: MC PGA finish: T-60 U.S. Open: MC
• Open appearances: 11 Cuts made: 8
• Best Open finish: 12th (2016)

61. Marcel Siem

• Age: 43
• Odds to win: 300-1
• OWGR: 135 Data Golf: 264
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: N/A U.S. Open: N/A
• Open appearances: 6 Cuts made: 3
• Best Open finish: 15th (2021)

60. Sebastian Soderberg

• Age: 33
• Odds to win: 200-1
• OWGR: 90 Data Golf: 62
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: T-68 U.S. Open: N/A
• Open appearances: 0 Cuts made: N/A
• Best Open finish: N/A

59. Ben Griffin

• Age: 28
• Odds to win: 350-1
• OWGR: 68 Data Golf: 48
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: WD U.S. Open: N/A
• Open appearances: 1 Cuts made: 0
• Best Open finish: N/A

58. Austin Eckroat

• Age: 25
• Odds to win: 250-1
• OWGR: 55 Data Golf: 83
• Masters: MC PGA finish: T-18 U.S. Open: 74
• Open appearances: 0 Cuts made: N/A
• Best Open finish: N/A

57. Ryan Fox

• Age: 37
• Odds to win: 100-1
• OWGR: 63 Data Golf: 103
• Masters: T-38 PGA finish: 75 U.S. Open: T-56
• Open appearances: 7 Cuts made: 5
• Best Open finish: 16th (2019)

56. Alex Noren

• Age: 41
• Odds to win: N/A
• OWGR: 60 Data Golf: 42
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: T-12 US Open: MC
• Open appearances: 11 Cuts made: 7
• Best Open finish: 6th (2017)

55. Stephan Jaeger

• Age: 35
• Odds to win: 250-1
• OWGR: 43 Data Golf: 70
• Masters: MC PGA finish: 76 U.S. Open: T-21
• Open appearances: 0 Cuts made: N/A
• Best Open finish: N/A

54. Joaquin Niemann

• Age: 25
• Odds to win: 40-1
• OWGR: 108 Data Golf: 16
• Masters: T-22 PGA finish: T-39 U.S. Open: N/A
• Open appearances: 4 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 53rd (2022)

53. Justin Rose

• Age: 43
• Odds to win: 65-1
• OWGR: 67 Data Golf: 120
• Masters: MC PGA finish: T-6 U.S. Open: MC
• Open appearances: 20 Cuts made: 14
• Best Open finish: 2nd (2018)

52. Chris Kirk

• Age: 39
• Odds to win: 200-1
• OWGR: 35 Data Golf: 78
• Masters: T-16 PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: T-26
• Open appearances: 5 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 19th (2014)

51. Victor Perez

• Age: 31
• Odds to win: 250-1
• OWGR: 78 Data Golf: 88
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: MC
• Open appearances: 3 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 34th (2022)

Nos. 1-50

50. Jordan Spieth

• Age: 30
• Odds to win: 40-1
• OWGR: 34 Data Golf: 54
• Masters: MC PGA finish: T-39 US Open: T-41
• Open appearances: 10 Cuts made: 10
• Best Open finish: Won (2017)

I honestly have no idea what to write here. Jordan Spieth has never missed a cut in The Open (10 starts). To go along with his win, he only has two starts where he finished outside the top 30! The John Deere didn’t work, and he missed the cut in Scotland. Yet somehow, he will finish top 50 here. I cannot explain it, but if I drop his ranking anymore, I’ll regret it.

49. Dustin Johnson

• Age: 40
• Odds to win: 55-1
• OWGR: 438 Data Golf: 90
• Masters: MC PGA finish: T-43 U.S. Open: MC
• Open appearances: 14 Cuts made: 11
• Best Open finish: 2nd (2011)

Dustin Johnson has been an incredible Open contender over the years. He has five top 10s in 14 starts. Two of those top finishes came in the past three years! There’s no doubt DJ has the talent to contend at any time, but two missed cuts in majors this year gives us all a cautionary outlook.

48. Christiaan Bezuidenhout

• Age: 30
• Odds to win: 200-1
• OWGR: 42 Data Golf: 18
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: T-32
• Open appearances: 4 Cuts made: 3
• Best Open finish: 49th (2023)

Truth be told, Christiaan Bezuindenhout should be closer to the mid-range of this range, but an undisclosed injury at the Scottish Open forced him to withdraw. One of the best lag putters and short-game artists on tour, don’t be surprised if this South African makes a strong case for Mike Weir’s Presidents Cup team this week if he’s healthy.

47. Harris English

• Age: 34
• Odds to win: 150-1
• OWGR: 57 Data Golf: 56
• Masters: T-22 PGA finish: T-18 U.S. Open: T-41
• Open appearances: 8 Cuts made: 5
• Best Open finish: 15th (2013)

As good as Harris English has been at the U.S. Open, his Open Championship record is mediocre. In eight starts, English’s best finish is a tie for 15th, and that’s the only time he’s finished inside the top 45.

46. Louis Oosthuizen

• Age: 41
• Odds to win: 120-1
• OWGR: 149 Data Golf: 36
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: N/A U.S. Open: N/A
• Open appearances: 16 Cuts made: 9
• Best Open finish: Won (2010)

The 2010 Champion Golfer of the Year took the golf world by storm at St. Andrews with that historic performance. Oddly, this will be Louis Oosthuizen’s first major start in 2024, and we know his major resume contains more oddities—six runner-up finishes (2012 Masters, 2015 Open, 2015 and 2021 U.S. Opens and 2017 and 2021 PGAs). In nine LIV starts this season, he has four top 10s, and two runner-up finishes. His Data Golf ranking reflects Louis still having game. A strong week in Andalucía for the Stingers shows that data is right.

45. Nicolai Højgaard

• Age: 23
• Odds to win: 80-1
• OWGR: 45 Data Golf: 115
• Masters: T-16 PGA finish: T-68 U.S. Open: T-50
• Open appearances: 3 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 23rd (2023)

Nicolai Højgaard was hot in North Berwick last week, but will it last? He’s another player who has failed to capture his Masters form. Since Augusta National, Højgarrd had seven starts prior to Scotland, and his best finish was T-35 in Canada.

44. Abraham Ancer

• Age: 33
• Odds to win: 110-1
• OWGR: 360 Data Golf: 69
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: N/A U.S. Open: N/A
• Open appearances: 5 Cuts made: 3
• Best Open finish: 11th (2022)

Abraham Ancer qualified to earn a place in the 152nd Open. Yet to break through or gain a top-10 finish in this championship, Ancer did win LIV Hong Kong in March. Koepka and DeChambeau have continued to compete at a high level since joining the upstart tour, but the jury is still out on so many others like Ancer.

43. Jason Day

• Age: 36
• Odds to win: 65-1
• OWGR: 29 Data Golf: 43
• Masters: T-30 PGA finish: T-43 U.S. Open: MC
• Open appearances: 11 Cuts made: 9
• Best Open finish: 2nd (2023)

One can only imagine what Jason Day’s rain suit will look like this week. That’s the problem, we keep discussing Jason’s wardrobe rather than his play. A T-23 finish at the John Deere Classic doesn’t do much to inspire our confidence considering his major championship trend this season.

42. Byeong Hun (Ben) An

• Age: 32
• Odds to win: 120-1
• OWGR: 30 Data Golf: 39
• Masters: T-16 PGA finish: T-43 U.S. Open: MC
• Open appearances: 9 Cuts made: 6
• Best Open finish: 23rd (2023)

Ben An rides this amazing reality check roller-coaster. Twice this season he has finished top 4 in back-to-back events only to then not follow either up with a win or another strong finish. Remember last year when he finished T-3 at the Scottish only to finish T-23 at Royal Liverpool? He has the talent to break that trend, but will he?

41. Sepp Straka

• Age: 31
• Odds to win: 80-1
• OWGR: 24 Data Golf: 37
• Masters: T-16 PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: T-56
• Open appearances: 2 Cuts made: 1
• Best Open finish: 2nd (2023)

Sepp Straka finished runner-up to Brian Harman in 2023—a performance that earned him a spot in Rome for the Ryder Cup. Eight top-25 results in his past 12 starts shows he’s ready to contend again. Straka has a solid major skill set, I like his chances to use it again at The Open.

40. Billy Horschel

• Age: 37
• Odds to win: 150-1
• OWGR: 61 Data Golf: 40
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: T-8 U.S. Open: T-41
• Open appearances: 9 Cuts made: 3
• Best Open finish: 21st (2022)

Billy Horschel was ranked 99th in the world rankings on Feb. 26. Since then, he has six top-25 finishes and a win on tour—putting him on the precipice of the top 50. Horschel’s current ball-striking is good enough to make the cut at Troon and secure a top-40 finish.

39. Kurt Kitayama

• Age: 31
• Odds to win: 200-1
• OWGR: 65 Data Golf: 74
• Masters: T-35 PGA finish: T-26 U.S. Open: MC
• Open appearances: 4 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 60th (2023)

The rough is out of control at Troon. You are going to hear about it endlessly on the coverage. When it comes to hitting the driver long and straight, Kurt Kitayama always rises up leader boards. A made cut at the Scottish only increases my outlook on him.

38. Max Homa

• Age: 33
• Odds to win: 40-1
• OWGR: 15 Data Golf: 34
• Masters: T-3 PGA finish: T-35 U.S. Open: MC
• Open appearances: 3 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 10th (2023)

What in the world is going on with Max Homa? At the start of 2024, Homa was seventh in the world rankings; he now sits 15th and is still falling! Max’s key to consistency was small misses with the driver. That skill has since left, and now there’s extra pressure on all aspects of his game.

37. Davis Thompson

• Age: 25
• Odds to win: 100-1
• OWGR: 38 Data Golf: 19
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: N/A U.S. Open: T-9
• Open appearances: 0 Cuts made: N/A
• Best Open finish: N/A

Once the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, Davis Thompson broke through winning the John Deere Classic in his second season on tour. The talented Thompson has been on a tear, and it continued with a good finish last week in Scotland scoring 65 on Sunday. The trend is your friend with Davis.

36. Si Woo Kim

• Age: 29
• Odds to win: 130-1
• OWGR: 50 Data Golf: 33
• Masters: T-30 PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: T-32
• Open appearances: 5 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 15th (2022)

Si Woo Kim is one of THE most accurate drivers on tour. That skill will serve him well next week at Troon. We must build our betting cards with ball-strikers, and few are better than Kim. Throw in slower Scottish greens, and that putter won’t be as much of an issue as usual.

35. Adam Scott

• Age: 43
• Odds to win: 80-1
• OWGR: 64 Data Golf: 41
• Masters: T-22 PGA finish: MC US Open: T-32
• Open appearances: 23 Cuts made: 18
• Best Open finish: 2nd (2012)

Adam Scott has 10 top-25 finishes at The Open Championship. Scott’s game suits seaside links golf. He just finished runner-up in Scotland! Adam drives it straight and can wield that long putter from all sorts of situations. He’s gained off the tee in 13 of his past 15 starts. That type of driver edge will be a huge asset this week.

34. Akshay Bhatia

• Age: 22
• Odds to win: 80-1
• OWGR: 25 Data Golf: 23
• Masters: T-35 PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: T-16
• Open appearances: 0 Cuts made: N/A
• Best Open finish: N/A

Akshay Bhatia is only 22 years old. He has two tour wins in the past 12 months and continues to contend week after week. Experience might keep him from the Claret Jug, but I fully expect Bhatia’s ball-striking to give him a shot at being near the top of the leader board over the weekend.

33. Sungjae Im

• Age: 26
• Odds to win: 65-1
• OWGR: 28 Data Golf: 17
• Masters: MC PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: MC
• Open appearances: 3 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 20th (2023)

Sungjae Im has six top-12 results in his last eight starts. What’s the issue? Those two lackluster performances were at the PGA and U.S. Open. Outside of the majors, Im has been incredible. Another solid week in Scotland (T-4), and I’m ready to ignore the major trend and back Sungjae through Sunday at Troon.

32. Sam Burns

• Age: 27
• Odds to win: 65-1
• OWGR: 27 Data Golf: 24
• Masters: MC PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: T-9
• Open appearances: 3 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 42nd (2022)

Similar to Sungjae Im, Sam Burns was a major mystery this season until Pinehurst. Suddenly a top 10 at the U.S. Open, and he’ll be on more radars for Troon. If Burns can continue his four straight starts of great off-the-tee play, he will be a great sleeper pick in most pools.

31. Matt Fitzpatrick

• Age: 29
• Odds to win: 30-1
• OWGR: 20 Data Golf: 30
• Masters: T-22 PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: T-64
• Open appearances: 8 Cuts made: 6
• Best Open finish: 20th (2019)

Matt Fitzpatrick is another player fixed inside the top 10 of the world rankings at last year’s end. Fitzpatrick is now ranked 20th and thus sits outside of our top 30 in the Open power rankings. For every fifth at The Players or The Memorial, we have twice as many missed cuts and mediocre made-cut finishes.

30. Matthieu Pavon

• Age: 31
• Odds to win: 120-1
• OWGR: 21 Data Golf: 72
• Masters: T-12 PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: 5
• Open appearances: 1 Cuts made: 0
• Best Open finish: N/A

I remember watching Matthieu Pavon on the practice range at Bay Hill earlier this year. I was impressed by his ball-striking and win at Torrey Pines. Pavon’s ability to score with his elite impact skills showed at the Masters and the U.S. Open. Another unknown name in your neighborhood pool, Matthieu makes great sense at Troon.

29. Min Woo Lee

• Age: 25
• Odds to win: 50-1
• OWGR: 31 Data Golf: 27
• Masters: T-22 PGA finish: T-26 U.S. Open: T-21
• Open appearances: 3 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 21st (2022)

Min Woo Lee has been cooking at the majors in 2024. No finish worse than 26th, he is one of a very select few to have such consistent results. One of the top-five drivers in the world (not hyperbole), Lee is looking to better his Scottish Open win from 2021 with a British one to match.

28. Aaron Rai

• Age: 29
• Odds to win: 100-1
• OWGR: 53 Data Golf: 25
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: T-39 US Open: T-19
• Open appearances: 2 Cuts made: 1
• Best Open finish: 19th (2021)

A final-round 63 on Sunday at the Genesis Scottish Open secured a spot in The Open for Aaron Rai. The Englishman’s play is absolutely worthy of a spot in this championship. Rai has five straight top-20 results and three straight top 5s! Over his past six events, Aaron is gaining over eight strokes against the field. Those are Scheffler/Schauffele type numbers. The big change has been his putter. Since recent work with PGA instructor John Graham, Rai has been gaining massive strokes with his flatstick. He ranked fifth at the Scottish on the greens and is poised to use that putter for a terrific finish at Troon.

27. Dean Burmester

• Age: 35
• Odds to win: 100-1
• OWGR: 122 Data Golf: 49
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: T-12 U.S. Open: 69
• Open appearances: 2 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 11th (2022)

Dean Burmester’s power has fueled a career season. Another forgotten player, in 10 LIV starts he has a win and eight top-20 finishes. The South African has made both cuts in previous Open appearances, so he’s poised to make some noise at Royal Troon.

26. Keegan Bradley

• Age: 38
• Odds to win: 120-1
• OWGR: 19 Data Golf: 35
• Masters: T-22 PGA finish: T-18 U.S. Open: T-32
• Open appearances: 10 Cuts made: 5
• Best Open finish: 15th (2013)

Keegan Bradley has shown why he’s a top-20 ranked player in the world this season. Three strong showings at the majors and the 38-year-old should be on everyone’s radar. With the excitement of “Captain Keegan” coming to light, I think the PGA’s validation of his passion inspires a very nice week on European soil.

25. Corey Conners

• Age: 32
• Odds to win: 80-1
• OWGR: 40 Data Golf: 15
• Masters: T-38 PGA finish: T-26 U.S. Open: T-9
• Open appearances: 4 Cuts made: 3
• Best Open finish: 15th (2021)

It seems like Corey Conners is ranked 25th or thereabouts in every power ranking. Conners won’t win, but just like we saw at the U.S. Open, make conditions difficult and Corey’s ability to keep it in play makes a big difference. Since this is going to be a “fairway finders” major test, I would keep Conners in mind.

24. Tom Kim

• Age: 22
• Odds to win: 40-1
• OWGR: 17 Data Golf: 26
• Masters: T-30 PGA finish: T-26 U.S. Open: T-26
• Open appearances: 2 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 2nd (2023)

Tom Kim has a very good record at the Scottish and British Open. The charismatic 22-year-old has three top 10s in his past four starts in these two championships. Accuracy is the key to scoring in links majors along with an excellent short game. Kim has both and will use them together to keep our attention at Troon.

23. Cam Smith

• Age: 30
• Odds to win: 22-1
• OWGR: 73 Data Golf: 45
• Masters: T-6 PGA finish: T-63 U.S. Open: T-32
• Open appearances: 6 Cuts made: 5
• Best Open finish: Won (2022)

Cam Smith is an absolute enigma. He withdrew from LIV Miami then finished T-6 at Augusta. He was runner-up in Singapore, then T-63 at the PGA Championship. Mediocre in Houston and the same at the U.S. Open. Until we really get a sense of his engagement level, a top-10 power ranking on the former Champion Golfer of the Year will just have to wait.

22. Sahith Theegala

• Age: 26
• Odds to win: 65-1
• OWGR: 14 Data Golf: 28
• Masters: T-45 PGA finish: T-12 U.S. Open: T-32
• Open appearances: 2 Cuts made: 1
• Best Open finish: 34th (2022)

Sahith Theegala has really improved his ball-striking this season. Theegala has eight top 20s. Five of those have come in signature events. Sahith is up for the big stage, but unfortunately his putter and short game have not been. We saw great signs in Scotland last week, but without a proven track record it is tough for this talented player to crack the top 20.

21. Cameron Young

• Age: 27
• Odds to win: 55-1
• OWGR: 23 Data Golf: 38
• Masters: T-9 PGA finish: T-63 U.S. Open: T-67
• Open appearances: 2 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 2nd (2022)

Cameron Young has dropped 10 places in the world rankings since April. Young is also coming off two straight top 10s where he shot 32 under par total—with his 59 at the Travelers. Which Cameron will show up at Troon? My guess it will be closer to the one who has two top 10s in The Open in two starts.

20. Brian Harman

• Age: 37
• Odds to win: 60-1
• OWGR: 12 Data Golf: 22
• Masters: MC PGA finish: T-26 U.S. Open: T-21
• Open appearances: 8 Cuts made: 4
• Best Open finish: Won (2023)

Brian Harman finished 12th heading into Royal Liverpool last year. If that was a sign, most missed it so please pay attention to the Scottish leader board from Sunday. Harman has been consistent since winning that claret jug. He has missed only two cuts, and one of the main reasons why is still his putter. The former Georgia Bulldog is a terror on the greens, gaining positively seven times in his past 10 starts.

RELATED: How Brian Harman beat the British tabloids last year in Liverpool

19. Russell Henley

• Age: 35
• Odds to win: 80-1
• OWGR: 18 Data Golf: 14
• Masters: T-38 PGA finish: T-23 U.S. Open: T-7
• Open appearances: 9 Cuts made: 4
• Best Open finish: 20th (2015)

Speaking of Bulldogs, Russell Henley is another Georgia alumni who played on the same team as Harris English and Brian Harman! Henley’s work in the majors has been impressive this year. Looking ahead to Troon, his accuracy off the tee and on approach will be a weapon. Fully rested since the U.S. Open, I have a strong feeling this dog will be hunting following his Georgia teammate’s win last year.

18. Robert MacIntyre

• Age: 27
• Odds to win: 65-1
• OWGR: 44 Data Golf: 89
• Masters: N/A PGA finish: T-8 US Open: MC
• Open appearances: 4 Cuts made: 4
• Best Open finish: 6th (2019)

Fresh off his first PGA Tour win with his father as caddie, Robert MacIntyre won on Sunday in his home country of Scotland. The crowds will be electric fueled by his victory at the Renaissance Club. I’m following the form from his two wins, the PGA Championship, and a solid Open Championship resume as I prepare my picks for The Open. Solid strikes off the tee and a positive putter make this Scot a possible 2024 version of Brian Harman.

17. Shane Lowry

• Age: 37
• Odds to win: 35-1
• OWGR: 33 Data Golf: 32
• Masters: T-43 PGA finish: T-6 U.S. Open: T-19
• Open appearances: 11 Cuts made: 6
• Best Open finish: Won (2019)

The 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year has elevated his career major resume since winning the claret jug. He recently followed up a top 20 at the U.S. Open with a top 10 at the signature Travelers. Rested and ready for Troon, the ball-striking is up to the task. If the putter is the question, Shane’s answered it squarely gaining positively in four of his last five starts with the flatstick.

16. Justin Thomas

• Age: 31
• Odds to win: 40-1
• OWGR: 26 Data Golf: 20
• Masters: MC PGA finish: T-8 U.S. Open: MC
• Open appearances: 7 Cuts made: 4
• Best Open finish: 11th (2019)

I’ve always believed Justin Thomas would be a great Open Championship player. Yet in 11 starts, he only has one result inside the top 40. Thomas has incredible skill, but to cash in higher than a top-20 finish, his problematic putter will have to start answering some questions. Lag putting and steady work inside six feet brings home the claret jug. Will JT’s spot of success at the Scottish be a precursor or just a false premonition?

15. Wyndham Clark

• Age: 30
• Odds to win: 50-1
• OWGR: 5 Data Golf: 29
• Masters: MC PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: T-56
• Open appearances: 2 Cuts made: 2
• Best Open finish: 33rd (2023)

A man cannot live on a steady diet of driver and putter in major championships. Wyndham Clark needs his iron game to regain that “signature” form was saw earlier in the season. A top-10 finish at the Travelers got us all excited, and then a 62 on Sunday at the Scottish … now we’re all running to the betting window.

14. Patrick Cantlay

• Age: 32
• Odds to win: 30-1
• OWGR: 8 Data Golf: 7
• Masters: T-22 PGA finish: T-53 U.S. Open: T-3
• Open appearances: 5 Cuts made: 4
• Best Open finish: 8th (2022)

Patrick Cantlay gave us a very pleasant surprise at the U.S. Open with a top-five finish. One of the most well-rounded players in the world backed up a third place in our national championship with a fifth at the Travelers. Suddenly a training injury sidelined him from the John Deere Classic, but all signs point toward the rest being precautionary more than problematic. Cantlay’s early season ball-striking drama off the tee and on approach is gone and if healthy will again contend come the weekend at Troon.

13. Brooks Koepka

• Age: 34
• Odds to win: 25-1
• OWGR: 48 Data Golf: 44
• Masters: T-45 PGA finish: T-26 U.S. Open: T-26
• Open appearances: 9 Cuts made: 7
• Best Open finish: 4th (2019)

Brooks Koepka has four top-10 finishes in the Open Championship and five finishes of T-39 or worse including two missed cuts. Each of the last two majors since Brooks berated his own Masters effort have been below Koepka’s standards. Since winning the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, Brooks has one top 25 in a major. Koepka continues to statistically play well, but the results have been very mediocre. I believe the secret sauce is still in there, but whether or not Brooks finds it in 2024 remains to be seen.

12. Jon Rahm

• Age: 29
• Odds to win: 22-1
• OWGR: 10 Data Golf: 8
• Masters: T-45 PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: WD
• Open appearances: 7 Cuts made: 6
• Best Open finish: 2nd (2023)

All eyes were on Jon Rahm in his home country of Spain last week when the LIV tour visited Valderrama. Rahm finished 10th and proved he’s healthy and ready to compete in another major championship. He followed up the foot injury withdrawal at the U.S. Open with a third place at Nashville. Though he’s still yet to win a LIV event, we can again start to mention his name as a next level contender behind the favorites to take home the claret jug.

11. Tyrrell Hatton

• Age: 32
• Odds to win: 30-1
• OWGR: 22 Data Golf: 13
• Masters: T-9 PGA finish: T-63 U.S. Open: T-26
• Open appearances: 11 Cuts made: 5
• Best Open finish: 5th (2016)

Tyrrell Hatton has turned his Open Championship record around in recent years. The angry Englishman has finished top 20 in three of the last four editions. The recent winner of LIV Nashville brings a proper major championship resume for 2024 to the final exam of the year. Much like Stenson before him, Hatton’s history of great ball-striking and timely putting places him massively in the contention conversation for Troon’s Old Course.

10. Tony Finau

• Age: 34
• Odds to win: 40-1
• OWGR: 16 Data Golf: 12
• Masters: T-55 PGA finish: T-18 U.S. Open: T-3
• Open appearances: 7 Cuts made: 6
• Best Open finish: 3rd (2019)

Tony Finau has a sneaky solid record in the Open Championship. In seven starts, he has six top-30 finishes. Finau’s key to success is his ball flight. An underrated short game and Finau’s flat trajectory keeps the score low during difficult weather conditions. Tony’s also been on a tear the past two months. In his past seven starts, Finau has finished outside the top 18 only once! One final edge for Finau are the slower greens. We have all seen him struggle with the flatstsick, but a stickier surface might just be the key to Finau grabbing the jug at Troon.

9. Viktor Hovland

• Age: 26
• Odds to win: 25-1
• OWGR: 7 Data Golf: 10
• Masters: MC PGA finish: 3 U.S. Open: MC
• Open appearances: 3 Cuts made: 3
• Best Open finish: 4th (2022)

Viktor Hovland has an 81 at the Masters and a 78 at Pinehurst to go along with a third-place finish at the PGA Championship. So many of the game’s best players have witnessed incredible success and disappointment this year. Viktor’s incredible driving and long iron acumen are a perfect fit for Troon. The talented 26-year-old is on the door step of winning one of golf’s four greatest prizes. And don’t forget, this is the reigning FedEx Cup champion! Three Open starts and three top-13 results, Hovland is a top player on the odds board for a reason at this championship, believe it!

8. Hideki Matsuyama

• Age: 32
• Odds to win: 30-1
• OWGR: 13 Data Golf: 11
• Masters: T-38 PGA finish: T-35 U.S. Open: 6
• Open appearances: 9 Cuts made: 6
• Best Open finish: 6th (2013)

A quick exit at the Scottish Open, and everyone forgets that Hideki Matsuyama is always at his very best when we least expect it. A strong favorite at the Masters and he finished 38th. No expectations at the U.S. Open and Matsuyama finishes sixth. Get the idea? Hideki has plenty of ball speed to handle these links and one of the best short games in the field. Another player who will benefit from slower greens, I wouldn’t make the mistake of forgetting Matsuyama just because of one missed cut.

7. Tommy Fleetwood

• Age: 33
• Odds to win: 22-1
• OWGR: 11 Data Golf: 9
• Masters: T-3 PGA finish: T-26 U.S. Open: T-16
• Open appearances: 9 Cuts made: 6
• Best Open finish: 2nd (2019)

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Tommy Fleetwood’s first win on the PGA Tour actually wasn’t on the PGA Tour. Fleetwood flushes it and has the talent to control his trajectory like few others. A win in Dubai and nine top 20s in 2024, and this guy is ready for a next level moment. If you believe in great golf stories, keep this in mind. Fleetwood’s caddie and lifelong friend Ian Finnis returned to Tommy’s bag after heart surgery at the Scottish Open. These two have had a terrible year, but all of that could change with a claret jug at Troon.

6. Ludvig Åberg

• Age: 24
• Odds to win: 12-1
• OWGR: 4 Data Golf: 5
• Masters: 2 PGA finish: MC U.S. Open: T-12
• Open appearances: 0 Cuts made: N/A
• Best Open finish: N/A

Ludvig Åberg never played in the Masters and finished runner-up. He never played a U.S. Open and was the 36-hole leader. No modern player has ever competed in a Ryder Cup before they played in a major. The list goes on and on … a DP World Tour win? Check. PGA Tour win? Check. At this point, what would stop Ludvig from achieving anything? Maybe his recent Sunday scoring? The talented touring professional hasn’t broken par in a final round since the Masters. Most see his odds and expect his power ranking to be lower, but the fact is the superstars down here score better on Sundays.

5. Collin Morikawa

• Age: 27
• Odds to win: 16-1
• OWGR: 6 Data Golf: 4
• Masters: T-3 PGA finish: T-4 U.S. Open: T-14
• Open appearances: 3 Cuts made: 1
• Best Open finish: Won (2021)

Nobody deserves a win more this season than Collin Morikawa. A return to his longtime coach Rick Sessinghaus in March has regained their magic. One year ago, Morikawa was ranked 23rd in the world rankings and then missed the cut at The Open. Now he is one of the betting favorites to capture his second claret jug. Since finishing third at the Masters, Collin has five top 5s and no finish higher than 23rd in nine starts. It has been an incredible run—one that will close with a win very soon. Strong in Scotland, Morikawa keeps moving the needle closer.

4. Bryson DeChambeau

• Age: 30
• Odds to win: 12-1
• OWGR: 9 Data Golf: 6
• Masters: T-6 PGA finish: 2 U.S. Open: 1
• Open appearances: 6 Cuts made: 4
• Best Open finish: 8th (2022)

Bryson DeChambeau is no doubt a top-five talent in these rankings. Bryson’s major record alone places him near the top, but sporadic wire grass is not Troon rough. DeChambeau must get his driver in the fairway to compete for a claret jug. In six Open Championship starts, DeChambeau has only one top 10 and that was at St. Andrews, the least penal of all the Open venues. The lag putting, approach game and strategy are all more than championship worthy, but missing fairways in this stuff finishes off your chances to take home the trophy.

3. Xander Schauffele

• Age: 30
• Odds to win: 14-1
• OWGR: 3 Data Golf: 2
• Masters: 8 PGA finish: 1 U.S. Open: T-7
• Open appearances: 6 Cuts made: 6
• Best Open finish: 2nd (2018)

The king of consistency in major championships, Xander Schauffele is the only worldwide player who has kept pace with Scottie Scheffler’s ball striking this season. Sure, Schauffele has not had as many wins, but he’s been so competitive since taking control of his career in the off season. The PGA champion backed up his first major championship win with a seventh-place finish in Pinehurst. He and Bryson are the only two who can finish top 10 in every major. Xander can say one better: He finished second at The Players, too.

2. Rory McIlroy

• Age: 35
• Odds to win: 7-1
• OWGR: 2 Data Golf: 3
• Masters: T-22 PGA finish: T-12 U.S. Open: 2
• Open appearances: 14 Cuts made: 12
• Best Open finish: Won (2014)

No one has lost the Masters quite like Rory McIlroy did back in 2011. Following that disastrous final-round performance, McIlroy went to Congressional and won the U.S. Open by eight strokes. Remember when Rory lost at St. Andrews two years ago? A month later he took home the FedEx Cup. I’m not comparing “cups” to claret jugs, but what this shows is an amazing ability to reset. Rory has been incredibly resilient in his career, and if you count him out after that late putting performance at Pinehurst, you just haven’t been paying attention.

1. Scottie Scheffler

• Age: 28
• Odds to win: 9-2
• OWGR: 1 Data Golf: 1
• Masters: 1 PGA finish: T-8 U.S. Open: T-41
• Open appearances: 3 Cuts made: 3
• Best Open finish: 8th (2021)

For the fourth time in 2024, Scottie Scheffler’s odds are under +500 to win a major championship. Since Scottie won the Hero World Challenge back in December, his 2024 has consisted of six wins, seven top 10s and a T-41 at the U.S. Open. That one seems quite odd, doesn’t it? Crazy as it sounds, that’s the one that worries me the most. Scottie Scheffler is perfectly suited to win on any golf course, anywhere in the world. Don’t get me wrong, we have five or six really good contenders for this crown, but without some help from the Troon police, a weather forecast, or some unknown entity, the rest of these guys are seemingly playing for second place.

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Keith Stewart is a five-time award-winning PGA professional, a betting contributor and content partner with Golf Digest and founder of Read The Line, the premier on-site live golf betting insights service covering the LPGA and PGA Tour. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter here and raise your golf betting acumen. Keith's winning content can also be found on SportsGrid, Bleacher Report and The Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @readtheline_.