139th Open Championship Picks

Perhaps never has there been a year when The Open was more . . . wide open. If the events of November 2009 had never happened, Tiger Woods would be the overwhelming favorite. As it stands, he is just the favorite at 6-1 odds. He won at The Old Course in 2000 and 2005. He claims it as his "favorite course." But this isn't 2000 or 2005 and odds are just odds.

This year's field is strong. Europeans dominate the World Top 15 and with Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell's U.S. Open win in June, the Europeans are feeling more confident than ever. Ross Fisher and Lee Westwood have come close to winning majors recently. Rory McIlroy, despite just turning 21, seems on the cusp of a major win and breaking out of the stratosphere into world super stardom. Padraig Harrington has won two of the past three Opens and is always dangerous on a links course having grown up playing his father's course outside Dublin. Ian Poulter is known for his flashy clothes, but the Englishman's game has substance, as proven by a near miss at the 2008 Open and a win at this year's WGC-Matchplay Championship. And let's not forget arguably the hottest of the Europeans, Justin Rose. Rose has finally broken through with wins in two of his last three tournaments, the Memorial and the AT&T, and what could have been another win at the Travelers if not for a bad hole.

With Tiger the favorite and Phil with a chance to take over the #1 ranking in the world with a win at St. Andrews, I still think it will be a European who takes home the Claret Jug on Sunday. Most of these players have grown up playing The Old Course at St. Andrews and that is so critical when it comes to playing a course like this, where course strategy is so crucial. They are also more experienced and adept at playing in the cool, wet, windy seaside elements.

So, let's get to the picks.

Favorite: Tiger Woods. Hey, he's a 6-1 favorite; he's won the last two Opens played at St. Andrews; and he's the #1 ranked golfer in the world. On paper, he's the favorite.

Dark horse: Steve Stricker. It's difficult to call a player ranked 4th in the world a dark horse, but Stricker hasn't won a major championship. He is coming off a solid performance at the John Deere Classic, albeit on a track not even remotely similar to the type of golf being played this week. But he also is one of the best putters on tour, year in and year out. And he's a great lag putter. The winner this week will need to lag more than his fair share of putts close.

Sleeper: Sergio Garcia. If ever there was a sleeper, Sergio is it. As a matter of fact, has he been pulling a Rip Van Winkle outside of Madrid since the fall '08 season? He is under the radar this week.....way way under the radar. But he's played well in Opens and if the weather doesn't get too nasty, Sergio could be near the top come Sunday.

Contender: Rory McIlroy. Rory's one of those players who has grown up playing links style golf and has played St. Andrews often during his amateur days. Can he be as strategic all week as he needs to be to pull off the inevitable? He could be the leader going into Sunday. Will he be able to navigate the final three holes and take another giant step toward the #1 ranking?

Winner: Padraig Harrington. Harrington thrives in links golf. He also thrives on navigating courses, thinking his way from hole to hole. He's a grinder. He's used to big, undulating greens and should be able to lag his way to a bunch of two putts. Look for it to come down to the ol' Irishman and the young lad McIlroy as they navigate their way through the road hole and up 18. And look for the winner of the gold medal and champion golfer of the year to be....Padraig Harrington.