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TSN Senior Reporter

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CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – As the start of the Open Championship nears along with the deadline for making your picks in the office pool, here are a few players you might want to consider:


The Obvious

Dustin Johnson – He’s not the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer for nothing. Johnson has finished inside the top 10 in six of the last 10 majors he’s played. While he’s come genuinely close at the Open only once – that being a T2 finish in 2011, his game is as strong as it’s ever been with the possible exception of some loose putting. But he’s ranked tops in scoring average, birdie average and Strokes Gained: Total to name just a few.

Jason Day – Day is enjoying a strong season, already having logged two wins and nine top-25 finishes in 13 starts. He was close to getting into a playoff in 2015, but left a putt short on the 72nd hole that would have put him into a playoff. He’s coming off a missed cut at the U.S. Open, but has been in the top 10 in seven of his last 13 majors. He also leads the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Rory McIlroy – It’s been either feast or famine for McIlroy, who hasn’t won a major since he grabbed the 2014 PGA Championship. In the 13 major starts since then, he’s either finished in the top 10 or missed the cut in 11 of those tournaments. This year, he won at Bay Hill and added a couple of runner-up finishes on the European Tour. McIlroy intends to use an aggressive strategy off the tee, hitting driver often. If it pays off, he could earn another Claret Jug.

Justin Rose – For a guy who grew up playing these types of courses in these kinds of conditions, Rose has not had much success at the Open Championship. His best showing is still the memorable finish in 1998 when he tied for fourth as an amateur. But he’s made tremendous improvements on the greens this year, going from 123rd in Strokes Gained: Putting last year to seventh so far this season. That’s led him to two victories and seven top 10s in 12 starts on the PGA Tour.

Others to consider: Tommy Fleetwood, Brooks Koepka


The Not-So-Obvious

Alex Noren – It’s hard to think a player ranked 11th in the world is flying under the radar, but Noren is not among those frequently mentioned as possible winners at the Open. Even stranger is the fact that he’s coming in off a win at the Open de France. He’s added a runner-up and three third-place finishes around the world this year. He has just one finish inside the top-25 in the last 10 majors he’s played, but it was a tie for sixth at the Open last year.

Phil Mickelson – What will Lefty do this time to amaze and confuse us? The winner of the 2013 Open Championship was second in 2016 in a duel with Henrik Stenson, but missed the cut a year ago. While he’s at the advanced age of 48, Mickelson has a win and six top 10s this year, as well as some bizarre run-ins with the rule book. He’s talked about not using a driver this week, which may not be a bad thing considering how wayward it can be. Instead he’ll need to rely on his putter, which is a good thing. Mickelson is ranked second in putting on the PGA Tour.

Francesco Molinari – The Italian golfer has been on somewhat of a heater of late, with the scoring average over his last eight rounds coming in at 65.5. He won the Quicken Loans and was tied for second at the John Deere. The best part of his game? Tee to green where he’s ranked second on the PGA Tour. The worst part? Putting – he’s 184th in that stat. Still, at a course where driving accuracy is going to be at a premium to avoid the nasty bunkers, Molinari could put up some good scores.

Adam Hadwin – A relative newbie when it comes to links golf, Hadwin has taken a shine to the nuances of the ground game. He continues to feel good about all parts of his game and is just waiting for a break-out week when it starts to fire on all fronts. He’s spent a great deal of time lately honing his putting, usually his strong suit, but a part of the game that has slipped this year. He’s currently 111th in Strokes Gained: Putting after finishing inside the top-20 the last two years. If the putter is on track, he might surprise a few people.

Others to consider: Marc Leishman, Paul Casey