Matt Fitzpatrick made his major breakthrough at the US Open last month and I see no reason why he can’t make it a double at St Andrews this week.
The forecast looks good for the week which suggests the course is going to be playing firm and fast.
That will suit a player, such as Matt, who can control their ball flight and plot their way around the course.
Matt has plenty of experience around St Andrews as an amateur and as a professional. It will play completely different to how it is set up for the Dunhill Links Championship but that knowledge of the course will be very beneficial.
He was well-placed at the Scottish Open and finishing tied sixth in his first event after winning a major was impressive.
He can be right up near the top of the leaderboard again this week because his approach play is great and he is an excellent putter. That is a great combination for the Old Course.
The only question mark would be whether he has enough in the tank because it will have been an exhausting and emotional spell for him.
Tommy Fleetwood is a player who has a spring in a step and he tends to play well at the Dunhill Links.
I don’t think he has anything to prove around there and this might be the time he lands a major.
I’m pretty confident he will be in the mix come Sunday.
Danny Willett has a strong Open track record and also plays well at St Andrews so he could contend.
Another Englishman with a great form in the Dunhill Links is Tyrrell Hatton but he hasn’t tended to play well in the majors.
Shane Lowry has really stepped up and he knows he has got what it takes to win an Open so he goes into this week with nothing to prove.
He knows St Andrews like the back of his hand and he goes into the week well rested after a week off.
Adam Scott is a great ball striker and he has the game to do well this week.
As for Tiger Woods, there will be a massive interest to see how he performs.
I saw a video of him playing the course at the weekend and I think it will be a great achievement if he makes the cut, given his fitness issues which saw him sit out the US Open.
Tiger. Jack. St Andrews.#The150thOpen pic.twitter.com/873Ia8ZE6U
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 11, 2022
I’m not expecting him to contend on this occasion.
Rory McIlroy is a player I expect to finish in the top-10 but I don’t expect him to win another Claret Jug.
One player who could be up there challenging is Jordan Spieth but he runs hot and cold. You are never sure what to expect from him but if his game clicks then he could have another tilt at n Open victory. He missed out on a play-off by a shot the last time the Open was at St Andrews so he is one to watch.
I think the winner could come from Fitzpatrick, Fleetwood, Willett and Lowry with Scott as an outsider. It’s a historic 150th edition of the Open and it is certain to be a great spectacle whoever comes out on top.
Successful Scottish Open
I was hugely disappointed to miss the Genesis Scottish Open at Renaissance due to illness.
It was a fantastic field and the weather played its part as it was exactly what the tournament organisers would have been hoping for.
There was plenty of sun but also a good bit of wind to challenge the players. It was a shame that the draw was very one-sided and favoured the players who teed off early on Thursday.
It looked great on television and would have been the perfect preparation for The Open for the players who are in the field at St Andrews this week.
The team at Renaissance deserve credit because they have made changes to the course to make it more demanding for the players and it proved to be a good test.
The course ticks lots of boxes in terms of the on-site accommodation, the infrastructure around the event and the willingness of Renaissance to make improvements every year in order to attract a top field.
This was the fourth time the event has taken place at Renaissance and the feedback from the players seems to have been very positive.
