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British Open 2019: Featured pairings for the first two rounds at Royal Portrush

By Brandon Raper

PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 17: General view of the 16th hole during a practice round prior to the 148th Open Championship held on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 17, 2019 in Portrush, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 17: General view of the 16th hole during a practice round prior to the 148th Open Championship held on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 17, 2019 in Portrush, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) /
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Rickie Fowler British Open 2019 Royal Portrush featured groups
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 15: Rickie Fowler of the United States plays a shot during a practice round prior to the 148th Open Championship held on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 15, 2019 in Portrush, United Kingdom. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images) /

5: Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, Kevin Kisner (5:20/10:20)

Kevin Kisner was a runner-up in last year’s Open Championship, and I’m sure if you look hard enough in the throngs of fans that will be following this group, you might just find one or two people who could tell you that.

Of course, not a lot of people would have picked the journeyman out of South Carolina to become a strong Open contender, but this is the kind of pure golf test that he thrives in. Unfortunately, I don’t love his form since winning the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, with just two top-25 finishes and a missed cut at the Scottish Open.

The two obvious stars of this group are Hideki Matsuyama and Rickie Fowler, and while they’re two very different players and personalities, they have one common tie: huge talents that are still hunting for their first major championship. That adds a whole extra level of pressure to this week’s British Open, and their fates will be determined by how well they attack that.

For Matsuyama, it’s been almost two years since his last victory, the 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He was third in the world after that week, and he’s down to 29th now. He’s been on the comeback trail recently, but I don’t know that this is the week he gets it all to come together. Still, the talent is undeniable, and it wouldn’t be any kind of a shock to see him make a run for the Jug.

For Rickie Fowler, a major championship is still a defining factor in his career, but he seems to have just about everything else in his game, and indeed his life, in order. Plus, you can’t ever – EVER – bet against a guy rocking that mullet.

Fowler hasn’t exactly been lighting the TOUR on fire over the past couple of months, but with each passing year, he’s gained valuable experience that has brought him closer and closer to the pinnacle. The Open might not be his breakthrough, but he’s carrying himself with the kind of maturity and confidence that you just have to watch.

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