2011 British Open: Ranking Top 15 International Players at Royal St. George's

They are coming. Some of the best foreign golfers to come through the PGA, European Tour and across the globe.

And with the top four golfers in the country comes a pack of other golfers, young and old, who are hungry. They are ready.

They are fierce and, most of all, they want the same thing: to be the best there is on all soils.

The British Open, or as it is now called the Open Championship, will showcase the best of the best foreigners the golf world has seen.

And while there is a pecking order (according to the Official World Golf Rankings), there are some who are primed to continue their mastery of the major championships (Rory McIlroy, Charl Schwartzel) and those who are ready to take their first major and prove they belong in the show.

This is not a list based on rankings; rather, it's based on how they are playing and how I see them coming into the championship.

15. Ernie Els

The Big Easy is still on the map.

Anytime there is a major championship and Els is in the field, he is consideration for victory.

Els won the Open Championship in 2002 and has two U.S. Open Championships (in 1994 and 1997) to his credit.

14. Louis Oosthuizen

Only 28 years old, Oothuizen is a major threat on the Open Championship course at St. Andrews, having won last year. He entered last year's tournament ranked No. 54 in the world.

A 69 on Saturday last year placed Oosthuizen at 15-under par, and four shots clear of then second-place golfer Paul Casey. On the final day, he continued to lead, finishing ahead of Lee Westwood to claim the title.

13. Francesco Molinari

The Italian golfer is a two-time winner on the European Tour and was a member of the 2010 European Ryder Cup team.

He has four career wins to his credit.

12. Retief Goosen

Two US Open wins alone (2001 and 2004) make him a contender to be in the hunt.

Goosen's best finish at the British is a fifth-place tie in 2005 and 2009, so he is no stranger to the state of play.

With 44 career wins to his credit since 1990, he could make things interesting this weekend.

11. KJ Choi

He won the Players Championship in May for his biggest win of his career.

Choi is in the top 20 of players worldwide and breaking through with a win on foreign soil is not out of the realm of chance.

Look for him to play tough and be in the hunt come Saturday.

10. Robert Karlsson

The Swedish player spends most of his time on the European Tour. He could be the sleeper pick to break through and win his first major.

He tied for fifth in 1992 and has 14 career wins on his resume.

Right now he is ranked No. 18 in the world.

9. Ian Poulter

First off, he is my pick to win this weekend.

The British golfer plays on the PGA and European Tour. He has 14 career wins and was second at the Open Championship in 2008.

He is 16th in the world golf rankings.

8. Paul Casey

He has 12 career wins, 11 coming on the European Tour and was third in 2010 at the Open Championship. in 2009 he was not able to play a majority of events toward the second half of the season.

He is another young Brit who is looking to establish himself as one of the 10 best in the world. He is knocking on the door while being ranked 14th in world golf rankings.

7. Graeme McDowell

He won the 2010 US Open, which was his first win on the PGA Tour. Not a bad way to make a statement.

McDowell and Rory McIlroy are from the same Northern Ireland town and are in the thick of the hunt for this championship. Playing with McIlroy and having a rivalry of sorts can only make him better.

McDowell is currently ninth in world golf rankings.

6. Martin Kaymer

He was once the best in the game this year (Feb. 27) but now has slipped to third in the rankings.

He finished first the the PGA Championship last year and has a best finish at the Open Championship of seventh last year.

As one of the three best in the world (according to rankings), he should be in contention this weekend.

5. Charl Schwartzel

A win at the Masters and a great finish at the US Open. Could it be two out of three for the South African.

He is 11th in the world golf rankings, but his consistent play recently proves the rankings do not mean as much when you are on a hot streak.

4. Lee Westwood

Known as a consistent golfer in the field, Westwood has 35 professional wins to his credit and has been in contention for all four major championships since 2008, finishing no worse than third in any one of them.

He is currently second in terms of world rankings and has won a tournament on every major continent.

If he is consistent this week, playing in a field with the world's best, and avoids the rough and pot bunkers, he will be in contention again. Maybe this time he will win his first major championship.

3. Jason Day

The Filipino-Aussie finished second at the Masters and finished second at the US Open.

If Rory McIlroy had not run away with the title and hid at Congressional, you wonder what he could have done on the final day.

Besides McIlroy, Day is the hot pick for the week.

His 60th finish in last year's Open Championship does not bode well for him, but if he plays like he did in the first two majors, he becomes a major contender like the past two events.

2. Luke Donald

The current No. 1 golfer in the world won last week on the European Tour in preparation for this week's major.

He tied for fifth in the Open Championship in 2009.

Donald should challenge everyone in the field, and if not for Day and McIlroy, he could be the odds-on favorite to win the title. Winning last week gives him momentum going into the weekend.

1. Rory McIlroy

Can he make it two in a row?

That is the question he has to answer. McIlroy ran away with the US Open title after giving away the Masters Championship. Does the youngster from Northern Ireland have ice in his veins to make it back to back majors?

He does not lack confidence and seems to have the right mindset to become the best golf has seen since, well, you know who.

It remains to be seen if at such a young age he can conquer the golf world like others and maintain the even keel needed to be the best.