Buckle up, have fun, and good luck!
152nd Open Championship
Royal Troon Golf Club
Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland
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Head-to-Head Matchups
(projected winner in bold)
Cameron Young (even) v Sungjae Im
With three cuts made in the first three major championships of the season and top-ten paydays in his last two TOUR starts, I’ll gladly accept even money in this match-up. Young is making his third start in the last three years at golf’s oldest major championship and never cashed outside a share of eighth place. While the Korean, Im, is on fire, his heat has not translated to the three majors (0-3) this season or The Open (T20, best finish in 2023). This environment favors big players tee-to-green, especially if the weather joins the party.
Xander Schauffele (4/5) v Ludvig Aberg
Playing the favorite in this match-up is an easy decision for me. Cashing 26 times from 29 starts, the 2024 PGA Championship winner has cashed in the top 25 in 22 events with seven finishes in the top five. The Swedish star is playing in his fourth major in his career. Leading after 54 holes at the Genesis Scottish Open last week, the World Number 4 faded on Sunday. Schauffele, cashing T15, only made one bogey for the week.
Brian Harman (5/6) v Jordan Spieth
The immovable object versus the irresistible force! After missing the cut in four straight events, the left-handed Georgian played his T21-T6 trend into a victory at Royal Liverpool last year and joined the Texan as a Champion Golfer. Spieth has never missed the weekend in ten previous attempts, yet he has not fired on his favorite tracks in 2024. Harman’s steely determination and newly found links mastery should carry on after T21 last week and cashing in eight consecutive weekends. In his previous 11 rounds, the Texan, father of now two, has not posted anything better than T26.
Rory McIlroy (6/5) v Scottie Scheffler
Making his 15th start on the links of the United Kingdom, the Northern Irishman owns the experience advantage. The 2014 winner at Royal Liverpool, the four-time major winner getting plus-money on his home continent resonates. Scheffler, making his third appearance at The Open, has a major championship under his belt already this season, a new baby, and an insurmountable lead in the FedExCup Playoffs. I know which of the two has the motivation and the crowd support.
NOW PLAYING: 152nd Open Championship
| Host Course | Royal Troon |
| Yards (per official scorecard): | 7,385 |
| Par: | 71 (36-35). |
| Greens: | Fine Fescue. |
| Stimpmeter: | 11 feet. |
| Rough: | Tall Fescue, Gorse. |
| Bunkers/Water Hazards/In-Play | Penal pot bunkers. Links course. |
| Architect(s): | James Braid (1922). |
| Defending Champion (course): | Henrik Stenson (-20; 264), 2016. |
| Defending Champion (event): | Brian Harman Royal Liverpool. |
| Multiple Champion(s) Entered: | Tiger Woods (3), Ernie Els (2), Padraig Harrington (2). |
| Course Record: | 63; Henrik Stenson (Round 4, 2016) and Phil Mickelson (Round 1, 2016). |
| 72 Hole Tournament Record: | 264; Henrik Stenson (lowest Open total; T-lowest in relation to par). |
| Facts of the Week: | Two of the last three Opens set scoring records at the host course. Cam Smith -20 at St Andrews (2022) and Collin Morikawa -15 at St George’s (2021). |
Royal Troon
George Strath and Willie Fernie expanded the original five holes to 18 holes in 1888. The five-time Open Champion, James Braid, redesigned the holes of the “old course” to prepare it for the 1923 Open Championship.
Royal Troon is hosting The Open for the 10th edition and for the first time since 2016. The track has added 195 yards to the scorecard and will play as the third-longest track in event history. The course features the longest Par-5 hole (No. 6, 623 yards) and shortest Par-3 hole (No. 8, 123 yards) in the Open Rota.
After ranking in the top five of most difficult courses played in 2004 (2nd) and 2016 (4th), the Par-71 (36-35) now extends to 7,385 yards.
The outward nine, with seven holes overlooking the Firth of Clyde, provides the scoring chances. The inward nine, nestled between the inland dunes and mounds, usually plays into the teeth of the northerly breeze and requires players to execute in difficult conditions.
The winners in 2016 (Henrik Stenson) and 2004 (Todd Hamilton – not entered) registered at the top of the standings in Fairways, GIR, and Bogey Avoidance.
Shaping shots in the weather and wind while avoiding pot bunkers and gorse, which frame the links, will be the key to success this week.
The last time The Open was at Royal Troon, Henrik Stenson posted 20-under-par 264 to set the tournament scoring record. Closing with a course-record tying-63 (10 birdies, two bogeys), he won by three shots over Phil Mickelson, who set the course record in Round 1. Remarkably, third place was 11 shots adrift of second, and there were only 17 players who broke par.
Recent Winners
2023 Season Winners
| Event | Winner |
| Sentry Tournament of Champions | Jon Rahm |
| Sony Open in Hawaii | Si Woo Kim |
| The AMERICAN EXPRESS | Jon Rahm (2) |
| Farmers Insurance Open | Max Homa (2) |
| AT&T Pebble Beach | Justin Rose |
| WM Phoenix Open | Scottie Scheffler |
| The Genesis Invitational | Jon Rahm (3) |
| The Honda Classic | Chris Kirk |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | Kurt Kitayama (first TOUR win) |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | Scottie Scheffler (2) |
| Valspar Championship | Taylor Moore (first TOUR win) |
| Corales Puntacana | Matt Wallace (first TOUR win) |
| WGC – Dell Technologies MP | Sam Burns |
| Valero Texas Open | Corey Conners |
| Masters | Jon Rahm (4) |
| RBC Heritage | Matt Fitzpatrick |
| Zurich Classic of New Orleans | Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (first TOUR win for each) |
| Mexico Open at Vidanta | Tony Finau (2) |
| Wells Fargo Championship | Wyndham Clark (first TOUR win) |
| AT&T Byron Nelson | Jason Day |
| PGA Championship | Brooks Koepka |
| Charles Schwab Challenge | Emiliano Grillo |
| Memorial | Viktor Hovland |
| RBC Canadian Open | Nick Taylor |
| U.S. Open | Wyndham Clark (2) |
| Travelers Championship | Keegan Bradley (2) |
| Rocket Mortgage Classic | Rickie Fowler |
| John Deere Classic | Sepp Straka |
| Genesis Scottish Open | Rory McIlroy (2) |
| The Open Championship | Brian Harman |
| 3M Open | Lee Hodges (first TOUR win) |
| Wyndham Championship | Lucas Glover |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | Lucas Glover (2) |
| BMW Championship | Viktor Hovland (2) |
| TOUR Championship | Viktor Hovland (3) |
| Fortinet Championship | Sahith Theegala |
| Sanderson Farms Championship | Luke List |
| Shriners Children’s Open | Tom Kim |
| ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP | Collin Morikawa |
| World Wide Technology | Erik van Rooyen |
| Butterfield Bermuda | Camilo Villegas |
| The RSM Classic | Ludvig Aberg |
2024 Season Winners
| Event | Winner |
| The Sentry | Chris Kirk |
| Sony Open in Hawaii | Grayson Murray |
| The American Express | Nick Dunlap (a) |
| Farmers Insurance Open | Matthieu Pavon (rookie) |
| AT&T Pebble Beach | Wyndham Clark (54 holes) |
| WM Phoenix Open | Nick Taylor |
| The Genesis Invitational | Hideki Matsuyama |
| Mexico Open at Vidanta | Jake Knapp (rookie) |
| Cognizant Classic | Austin Eckroat (first time) |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | Scottie Scheffler |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | Scottie Scheffler (2) |
| Valspar Championship | Peter Malnati |
| Texas Children’s Houston Open | Stephan Jaeger (first time) |
| Valero Texas Open | Akshay Bhatia |
| 88th Masters Tournament | Scottie Scheffler (3) |
| RBC Heritage | Scottie Scheffler (4) |
| Zurich Classic | Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry |
| THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson | Taylor Pendrith (first time) |
| Wells Fargo Championship | Rory McIlroy (2) |
| 106th PGA Championship | Xander Schauffele |
| Charles Schwab Challenge | Davis Riley |
| RBC Canadian Open | Robert MacIntyre (first time) |
| The 49th Memorial Tournament | Scottie Scheffler (5) |
| 124th United States Open | Bryson DeChambeau |
| Travelers Championship | Scottie Scheffler (6) |
| Rocket Mortgage Classic | Cam Davis |
| John Deere Classic | Davis Thompson (first time) |
| Genesis Scottish Open | Robert MacIntyre (2) |
The 152nd Open Championship
Dating back to 1860, Prestwick’s 12-hole course and a field of eight golfers began the journey to establish the oldest major championship in history.
The 2024 edition features a field of 158 players, thanks to the return of Justin Leonard (1997 winner) and Todd Hamilton (2004 winner at Royal Troon).
There are 19 previous winners competing this week, tied for the most since 2015 at St. Andrews.
All 50 players from the Official World Golf Ranking are entered and are joined by 12 amateurs, the most from the ranks of the non-professionals since 1987.
The field will be cut to the top SEVENTY and ties after 36 holes. The cut for the 2016 event was 4-over 146 while the cut for the 2004 edition was 3-over 145.
Since Ernie Els won his second Open title in 2012, all the winners to follow have won The Open for the first time.
Phil Mickelson won the 2013 Scottish Open and is the last winner to be victorious the following week at The Open Championship. Robert MacIntyre, the winner last week at the Genesis Scottish Open, will look to join this club.
The Last Time:
- To win the week before a major championship and go on to win: Rory McIlroy at the 2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational followed by the 2014 PGA Championship.
- To win consecutive majors in the same season: Jordan Spieth at the 2015 Masters followed by the U.S. Open.
- To win The Open plus another major championship in the same season: McIlroy in 2014.
- To win two majors in the same season: Brooks Koepka in 2018.
- Bobby Jones is the last amateur to win The Open, 1930.
The winner will take home 750 FedExCup points plus $3.1 million from the $17 million purse.
Recent Winners – The Open
Italics – not entered this week.
| Year | Winner | Notes |
| 2023 | Brian Harman (-13) | Won his first major championship cruising home by six shots. |
| 2022 | Cameron Smith (-20) | Won his first major championship by setting the tournament record at St Andrews. |
| 2021 | Collin Morikawa (-15) | For the second time in his career, he won a major championship on his first attempt. Also set the tournament scoring record at St George’s. |
| 2020 | No Event | |
| 2019 | Shane Lowry (-15) | Won his first major championship by six shots at Royal Portrush in terrible weather. |
| 2018 | Francesco Molinari (-8) | Won his first major championship by two shots over Xander Schauffele, Justin Rose, and Rory McIlroy at Carnoustie. |
| 2017 | Jordan Spieth (-12) | Won his THIRD major and first Open at Royal Birkdale. |
One and Done
I’ll be joining Spotter’s game again this season. Now, where did I put my checkbook…
35 events.
1 player per event (plus a backup pick if your guy gets kidnapped on Wednesday night and doesn’t make it to the first tee Thursday).
1 use per year.
Add up the total money and Spotter is yer uncle!
| Event | Selection | Earnings |
| The Sentry | Collin Morikawa | 690,500 |
| Sony Open in Hawaii | Corey Conners | 18,592 |
| The American Express | Adam Hadwin | 310,800 |
| Farmers Insurance Open | Jason Day | 0 |
| AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | Jordan Spieth | 70,125 |
| WM Phoenix Open | Matt Fitzpatrick | 156,200 |
| The Genesis Invitational | Max Homa | 329,000 |
| Mexico Open at Vidanta | Tony Finau | 145,125 |
| Cognizant Classic | Russell Henley | 32,850 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | Scottie Scheffler | 4,000,000 |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | Will Zalatoris | 0 |
| Valspar Championship | Sam Burns | 0 |
| Texas Children’s Houston Open | Wyndham Clark | 54,418 |
| Valero Texas Open | C Bezuidenhout | 67,735 |
| 88th Masters Tournament | Rory McIlroy | 175,500 |
| RBC Heritage | Patrick Cantlay | 1,160,000 |
| Zurich Classic | Nick Taylor | 122,375 |
| THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson | Stephan Jaeger | 112,100 |
| Myrtle Beach Classic | Daniel Berger | 20,350 |
| Wells Fargo Championship | Sahith Theegala | 47,000 |
| 106th PGA Championship | Brooks Koepka | 113,962 |
| Charles Schwab Challenge | Taylor Moore | 0 |
| RBC Canadian Open | Mackenzie Hughes | 295,316 |
| 49th Memorial Tournament | Ben An | 200,200 |
| 124th United States Open | Xander Schauffele | 639,289 |
| Travelers Championship | Brian Harman | 520,000 |
| Rocket Mortgage Classic | Akshay Bhatia | 616,400 |
| John Deere Classic | Denny McCarthy | 252,400 |
| Genesis Scottish Open | Ludvig Aberg | 330,750 |
| Total Winnings: | 10,480,987 |
His game has more fun stuff to it. Reach out @A340Spotter on Twitter or A340Spotter@frontier.com for more details and to join.
Recapping Last Week – Genesis Scottish Open
Another bad beat. Aberg was cruising along until the SUNDAY SCARIES knocked him back, again this time, to T4.
Guess I should have used MacIntyre!
Sad!
I have cashed $200k or more over the last *SEVEN WEEKS and have gone nowhere.
| RBC Canadian Open | Mackenzie Hughes | 295,316 |
| 49th Memorial Tournament | Ben An | 200,200 |
| 124th United States Open | Xander Schauffele | 639,289 |
| Travelers Championship | Brian Harman | 520,000 |
| Rocket Mortgage Classic | Akshay Bhatia | 616,400 |
| John Deere Classic | Denny McCarthy | 252,400 |
| Genesis Scottish Open | Ludvig Aberg | 330,750 |
What a format!
MY CHOICE: Ludvig Aberg – T4
Not many hit it better tee-to-green and not many are in the field. One of the very few at the top of the tops who does not have anything to prove, I’m hoping his natural ability to knock the cover off the ball overwhelms this seaside track at only 7,237 yards.
Others to Consider (from who I have available):
Tommy Fleetwood: Nice record around here, tough laydown, but he is probably in the top spot next week. It could have been worse. I could have rostered T34!
Viktor Hovland: Or maybe it will be him next week. T46 with all four rounds under par.
Tom Kim: In two trips to East Gullane, he’s played in the final group, cashed T6, and was solo third in 2022 on debut. T15 doesn’t stink. He’s hot and hopefully is in the field at Sedgefield.
Hideki Matsuyama: If he wasn’t making his tournament debut, I’d be more inclined. I really hope he’s in the field on the way back at 3M in Minneapolis. MC.
Justin Thomas: He could be the TPC Southwind savior. T62. I’ll remind you his best finish at The Open is T11 with nothing else inside T40.
Aaron Rai: A wonderful backdoor top 10 with 63 in the final round. T4.
Robert MacIntyre: Maybe it will HIM next week! Well, shit, it was THIS week! WINNER
Sungjae Im: No wonder why I suck! Oh, wait, my last six weeks have all hit the top 15. NOT. GOOD. ENOUGH. Another week, another T12 or better, this time T4. He’s missed the cut at every major this season and has nothing better than T20 from three previous Opens.
Wyndham Clark: I guess I should have struck while the iron was hotter earlier in the season. I’ll save the home game in Denver for him. Speaking of backdoor top-10 paydays, Clark went one better than Rai, 62, to sneak into T10.
This Week – The Open Championship
The weather, the links, the wind, the bad breaks, the pot bunkers, the draw, the haggis, what a show!
I have it down to Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood, and Tyrrell Hatton. I can make the case for all easily so this will come down to preference.
MY CHOICE: Tommy Fleetwood
The pain. The suffering. The shouts of “C’mon Tommy lad”. I’m here for it.
Oh, and he’s on the wrong side of the draw as of this writing.
CAUTION IS THROWN TO THE WIND.
Others to Consider (from who I have available):
The list from above didn’t change.
I’d point out that the prize pools for the FedExCup Playoffs are bigger than the $17 million on offer this week.
The unpredictability of this event and its penchant for interesting winners makes it the most difficult to handicap.
Have fun, good luck, and set your alarm!
Glass Houses 