British Open Odds 2013: Golfers with Best Chance to Challenge for Crown

The 2013 British Open is just days away, and the sports world is waiting with anticipation to see if Tiger Woods will finally end his well-documented five-year major drought. 

But outside of Woods, the field is stocked with a number of intriguing challengers, and if this season has taught us anything, it's that nobody should be counted out of contention beforehand. 

Just last month we saw Justin Rose fend off Phil Mickelson and Jason Day to capture his first-ever major at the U.S. Open, and earlier this year, we watched as 2012 British Open runner-up Adam Scott found redemption at the Masters. 

Now, with the British Open set to begin later this week, here's a look at the latest odds in preparation for the historic tournament. 

Rank	Golfer	Odds
1	Tiger Woods	8-1
2	Phil Mickelson	16-1
3	Adam Scott	18-1
4	Justin Rose	18-1
5	Rory McIlroy	18-1
6	Lee Westwood	20-1
7	Luke Donald	20-1
8	Graeme McDowell	22-1
9	Ernie Els	25-1
10	Jason Day	25-1

Odds courtesy of Bovada

Justin Rose

Given that Rose hasn't come even remotely close to challenging for the crown at the British Open, it seems a little much that he's heading to Scotland pegged as one of the top contenders.

In fact, Rose's best finish at the tournament came in 1998, when he finished fourth as an amateur, so although winning back-to-back majors would make for a great story, one shouldn't count on that happening. 

But it should be noted that Rose's clutch performance last month was the stuff of legends, and given how much confidence he's likely to have gained after his win at Merion Golf Club, he can't be ruled out.

Adam Scott

That being said, there are a handful of other big names who seem to be reasonably safe bets to be in contention come Sunday, such as Adam Scott. 

Fans will remember Scott's late meltdown in 2012 and how it left him one shot back of eventual winner Ernie Els, but the way in which he responded might be even more important. 

Rather than wallowing in the agony of coming so close on a grand stage, Scott bounced back to defeat Angel Cabrera in a sudden-death playoff at the Masters, thus capturing that elusive first major title. 

Scott isn't the favorite going into the tournament, but given how close he came to tasting victory last year, he's certainly worth keeping an eye on. 

Tiger Woods

As is the case with every major these days, virtually everyone's eyes will be on Tiger Woods every time he's on the course. 

But for whatever reason, the same golfer who became adored for coming up big with the world watching has become something of an also-ran in major tournaments in recent years, and until he finally bags major win No. 15, he's not nearly as safe of a bet as he used to be. 

The good news is that, according to Steve DiMeglio of USA Today, Tiger says his elbow is feeling better, and it's safe to assume that he'll be in the running this time next Sunday.

But whether he's got it in him to get over the five-year drought remains to be seen.