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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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Brooks Koepka British Open 2019 Royal Portrush featured groups
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 16: Brooks Koepka of the United States reacts during a practice round prior to the 148th Open Championship held on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 16, 2019 in Portrush, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

7: Brooks Koepka, Louis Oosthuizen, Shubhankar Sharma

It’s a major championship, so that means that all eyes are going to be on Brooks Koepka. We’ll get to him in just a second, though, because I don’t want to completely gloss over the rest of this group.

Shubhankar Sharma is the 196th-ranked player in the world right now, and while I don’t want to minimize his talents at all, this is going to be a tough week just because of who he’s playing with. Trying to play up to the level of a guy like Koepka is no easy task, and even though he’s a two-time European Tour winner, making any kind of meaningful run here would be a major shocker.

Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open winner, doesn’t make a lot of headlines, but he does still pop up on some big leaderboards from time to time. He finished tied for seventh at the U.S. Open this year, and he finished second at the 2015 Open after holding a share of the 54-hole lead. Never count the South African star out at events like this, as he certainly has the experience needed to handle anything Royal Portrush can throw at him.

And then there was Koepka. Few players have ever reached the heights of major championship success so consistently, and I don’t think he stops now. Keep in mind, Koepka made the jump from Florida State to the European Challenge Tour when he turned pro, and he’s earned a pair of top-ten finishes in his British Open career, in 2015 and 2017.

Koepka’s caddie, Ricky Elliott, is a member at Royal Portrush – perhaps that knowledge is why Koepka snubbed Tiger’s request for a practice round? – so he’ll have whatever little edge that provides, too. Oh, and he’s finished no worse than second in his last four majors. The fact that he has seven top-tens in his last nine majors is just as incredible.

Brooks Koepka is rightfully the favorite for a bunch of spectators, casual and hardcore alike. The British Open hasn’t always been his best event, but when you’re playing as well as BK is, it’s hard to argue against him. All eyes are on him this week.

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