ROYAL TROON INFO
- It’s a links style 7,190-yard Par 71.
- Weather will be a factor and can change rapidly, stay up-to-date on that end.
- Last hosted an Open in 2004.
- Accuracy off the tee is important, but more so in that if you miss badly, you will be in trouble. Small misses are acceptable.
- Greens are smaller than average and not that difficult.
TARGET STATS
- SGT2G (emphasis on SG:OTT and SG:APR)
- SGP
- Birdie or Better %
- Par 4 Scoring
- Par 5 Scoring
- (not a stat, but…) Familiarity with locale and links style golf + good in bad weather
PICKS! PICKS! PICKS! PICKS! PICKS! PICKS! PICKS! PICKS! PICKS! PICKS!
- Jordan Spieth $11700: Finished one shot back last year, won last year’s U.S. Open at a links style course, excellent course management, feels like he’s trending towards a big win
- Sergio Garcia $10000: My pick to win, excellent history at The Open Championship, elite ball striker
- Branden Grace $9700: Solid all-around game, on the cusp of a breakthrough win
- Martin Kaymer $8400: Has a tendency to show up in big events, four top-15 finishes in his last five events, seems to play better in Europe, good price given his upside
- Charl Schwartzel $7800: He is making the switch from Nike to PXG for this tournament so there’s definitely some risk here, but he was (and maybe still is) the best price on the board IMO, four straight top-25s
- Graeme McDowell $7500: Really like him in the Millionaire Maker as a low-owned differentiation type play, good links player, solid Open track record
- Rafael Cabrera-Bello $6900: Has finished inside the top-32 in nine of his last 11 tournaments (and he’s playing a tough schedule), gains strokes on the field in all four key areas (OTT, APR, ARG, Putting)
- Gary Woodland $6300: Solid track record at The Open Championship (+19.1 PaFA in four starts), elite off the tee, good price
- Callum Shinkwin $5400: Coming off back-to-back top-10s at the French and Scottish Opens, up-and-coming Euro player
Good luck!
oreo
