2023 Open Championship: Top 10 Power Rankings at Hoylake

It’s time for the final men’s major championship of 2023, The 151st Open Championship.

The Open Championship rota turns toward Royal Liverpool Golf Club Hoylake to host the 151st edition of this historic tournament.

Often known simply as Hoylake, this club was established in 1869 in Merseyside, England. It’s hosted The Open 12 times beginning in 1897 and last in 2014.

Rory McIlroy won this event for the first and only time at Hoylake just under a decade ago in wire-to-wire fashion. He topped Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia by two shots.

Prior, Tiger Woods hit just one driver all week here in 2006 when he won by two over Chris DiMarco.

Hoylake has undergone some changes since 2014. The 139-yard par-3 15th hole has been flipped 180 degrees to now play toward the water. New tee boxes on par-5s No. 15 and No. 18 allow each to tip out over 600 yards.

It will play to a par of 71 at around 7,400 yards.

There are opportunities to be aggressive at Hoylake, particularly if the weather is benign. It isn’t the most demanding course on the Rota, but wind and weather can make it plenty diabolical.

We’re looking at a waterlogged weather week at The Open Championship.

Temperatures are projected to be in the 50s-60s Fahrenheit with a chance for rain in the forecast every day in practice and tournament rounds. Double-digit mile-per-hour winds are also expected.

Will Zalatoris and Tiger Woods are the main absences this week as most of the game’s stars are in good health.

It would be nice to see those two in action, but the rest of the stars will be out in England.

Let’s get down to estimating who will rise up to the top 10:

A run of impressive golf continued for Tommy Fleetwood last week at the Genesis Scottish Open. Falling out of contention on Sunday and double-bogeying the 72nd hole might have left a sour taste in his mouth, but Fairway Jesus should still take solace in notching his fifth Top-10 of 2023.

The Englishman carded rounds of 70-66-63-72 to take T-6th at The Renaissance Club. He ranked sixth in the field in driving accuracy (65.38%), was 12th in strokes gained putting (4.394), and got up and down from the only bunker he found all week.

Fleetwood now comes to about as close of a home game as he’ll get at Hoylake. He grew up less than 25 miles away in Southport

He’s not exactly a course expert, but Fleetwood has more experience at Royal Liverpool than most.

“One of my close friends was a member, so we played it, like, once or twice a year,” Fleetwood was quoted in a Golf.com article. “I know the course well enough to walk ’round it. Do I know the intricacies of it? No. Plus, we would always play it in winter conditions, very soft and stuff. But it was my first Open, Hoylake in 2014, so it’ll be a home venue like it was at Royal Lytham. It’ll be very cool going back there.”

Fleetwood was a young pro when The Open Championship last came here in 2014. He had a European Tour under his belt the year prior, but Fleetwood was not yet the Ryder Cup stalwart we now know him to be. Rounds of 74-76 left him four off the cut line.

Fleetwood is regarded as one of the world’s best players without a major. He’s had his chances, logging six top-10s in 33 starts. Fleetwood has 24 made cuts. He’s made 22 of his last 25.

The long-locked lad MC’d at his first three Open Championships but hasn’t missed the weekend since 2016. His best major finish is twice finishing solo second. One of those was in 2019 at Royal Portrush.

Fleetwood ranks seventh on the PGA Tour in total SG per round (1.85). He’s also seventh in SG off-the-tee (1.41). When on, he can punish any course with his ball striking.

Wind and rain in the forecast this week shouldn’t spook him. Fleetwood is primed to be a factor once again in the United Kingdom.