The Open Championship: Power ranking the top 10 for Carnoustie

The Open Championship returns to Carnoustie for the first time in over a decade, one of the toughest courses in the rota. Who will prevail at “Carnasty” and lift the Claret Jug?

When you think about the Open Championship (or British Open, to be all-inclusive), Carnoustie is one of the courses that comes to mind immediately.

It’s set to host its eighth Open this week, getting back into the fold for the first time since Padraig Harrington’s victory in 2007.

This has been one of the toughest venues in the Open rota. The cumulative winning score is 1-under (9-under since 1968) due to traditional penetrating winds and a demanding links layout.

It’s the site of Paul Lawrie backing his way into a win at 6-over in 1999, with Jean van de Velde backing into the dreaded Barry Burn.

That same year, rising teenager Sergio Garcia went crying into his mother’s arms after two rounds in the 80s. In 2007, Garcia left crying for another reason.

Just about everyone that year had a horror story. Even Harrington reaching 7-under included a 73 on the way.

Along with the majors, Carnoustie is also one of three courses used at the annual Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the European Tour.

Weather this week looks rather benign with temperatures in the 60s Fahrenheit, with little to no rain. Early in the practice rounds, Carnoustie played very firm and fast due to an unseasonably warm and dry summer.

Players have reported drives of 400+ yards on the baked out fairways, so this could be a week where shorter, straighter hitters will have a better shot than usual.

For the foreseeable future, this major championship seems as unpredictable as ever in the post-Tiger dominance category.

There are perhaps a few names you can disparage due to their past performance on links courses. That doesn’t take away from the fact that there are still 20-plus guys who have as good a shot as any to hoist the Claret Jug.

The thing is, there’s a great chance that it will, in fact, almost certainly be one of those 20.

Jimmy Walker may not be considered elite, but he’s won a bunch on Tour and looks close to that form again post-illness. Zach Johnson’s win in 2015 might have been a bit of surprise, but it made him a two-time major winner and added to what now looks like a Hall of Fame career.

Really, Danny Willett is the only major winner in the past six or seven years that makes you scratch your head.

Long story short, you can feel confident that a worthy player will win this week. It’s in the eye of the beholder to take a stab at who in that elite group is most likely to come through.

Also, I advise bettors and DFS players to wait until Wednesday night to set their lineups in order to see which side of the draw will have the better weather forecast. No other major fluctuates with the conditions quite like the Open.

Here are 10 players I like to tame Carnoustie and join the pantheon of Tommy Armour, Henry Cotton, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Paul Lawrie and Padraig Harrington as winners at this historic venue: