British Open Picks 2013: Power Ranking This Year's Top Groups

The 2013 British Open is quickly approaching, and now that the official tee times have been released for golf's third major of the season, played at Gullane, Scotland's Muirfield Golf Links, it's time to choose the top groups in the field.

Ernie Els will be defending the claret jug after his win last year at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, and he won the last time the Open Championship was contested at Muirfield, which was in 2002.

Els is playing with Englishman and reigning U.S. Open winner Justin Rose and world No. 8 Brandt Snedeker, so the group is bound to generate some hype.

Given how elite this slate of competitors is, though, there are plenty of others to watch for over the first 36 holes. Below is a power ranking of the top groups for the first two days, along with detailed analysis of each.

Note: Statistics and tournament history are courtesy of PGATour.com. British Open information was obtained from the official website.

5. Bubba Watson, Nicolas Colsaerts and Dustin Johnson

Hopefully golf fans will be treated to better play from this bunch than was the case when they were grouped together for the U.S. Open.

Only the Belgian Bomber Colsaerts managed to play well at Merion, posting a one-under 69 in Round 1 and eventually notching a respectable top-10 finish. Watson finished tied for 32nd, while Johnson was by himself in 55th, and they shot 76 and 77 respectively in the second round.

But none of that does anything to diminish the excitement of the three being grouped together again. These are arguably the three most powerful players in the game today.

What makes Watson intriguing is his imaginative shot-making, which calls into question his course management at times due to unnecessary aggressiveness. Nevertheless, it's very entertaining.

The fact that Watson has won the Masters shows he can get it done under the most intense pressure, but his game hasn't translated well to the Open Championship to date.

Colsaerts has a hard time putting, but can hit greens with the best of them. If his flatstick starts functioning, there's no telling how good he could ultimately be.

As powerful as Johnson is, too, his launching point is perhaps most fascinating. The seven-time PGA Tour winner can hammer it while still eluding the swirling breeze, which makes him a favorable bet at tougher courses.

In his past three Opens, Johnson boasts descending finishes of T-14, T-2 and T-9. Perhaps this Open is when one of the best players not to have won a major breaks through.

4. Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar and Luke Donald

The majestic swing of Scott and the fact that he blew a four-shot lead with four to play in 2012 to essentially hand Els the Open makes following him intriguing on its own.

Even more impressive was how classy Scott was in handling himself after such a massive disappointment and collapse, and it culminated in a Masters triumph earlier this year.

Kuchar has a spotty record at the British Open, but he did manage his first top 10 with a tied-for-ninth effort at Royal Lytham. Given how well he grinds and holes clutch putts, perhaps Kuchar can make some noise—though he's not well acclimated to links golf.

As raging of a success as Donald's career has been, he has not seriously threatened for a major, though he is playing them better. At the Open alone, the former world No. 1 has had joint-fifth finishes in two of the past four years.

A solid short game is so important around a track like Muirfield, and that's something Donald sports in spades. If the weather doesn't get too volatile and Donald can get plenty of roll off the tee, he could really threaten for the claret jug.

3. Justin Rose, Ernie Els and Brandt Snedeker

In 1998, Rose tied for fourth at Royal Birkdale at the age of 17, which indicated he might be the next superstar. Deciding to turn pro thereafter may have been a bit of a rash decision—especially when he missed his first 21 cuts—but those trials and tribulations hardened Rose into the player he is today.

With a major title finally on his resume, Rose has ascended to No. 3 in the world, which is precisely where many thought he would wind up.

The fact that Els missed the cut at last week's Scottish Open shouldn't hurt his stock too much coming into the British Open, where he looks to be the first back-to-back champion since Padraig Harrington in 2007 and 2008.

What was lost in the tight finish and Rose's aforementioned win at Merion was the fact that Els played stellar golf and finished tied for fourth in the end. The Big Easy then backed it up with a victory at the BMW International Open.

The beginning of 2013 was fruitful for Snedeker, but a nagging rib injury has halted his progress. As wonderful of a putter as he is, though, he should still be a factor at Muirfield.

Snedeker finished tied for third in last year's Open Championship, finished in a respectable tie for 17th at the U.S. Open and is coming off of a top-10 finish at the AT&T National.

2. Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell and Louis Oosthuizen

One player who is definitely not afraid to stand up to Woods is McDowell, who beat the legend at his own event, the then-named Chevron World Challenge, in a 2010 playoff.

The 2011 season was a clunker for McDowell, but the Northern Irishman managed to recover brilliantly and played in the final pairing in both the U.S. Open and at this event in 2012. He's been hot and cold in his current campaign, but one can't discount his three wins worldwide.

In fact, McDowell is coming off a win at the Alstom Open de France on the European Tour.

Woods' elbow injury has stymied the incredible start he had to this season, winning four times and nearly winning a green jacket at Augusta National before settling for a tied-for-fourth finish.

Health has been a concern for Oosthuizen too, as he withdrew from the HP Byron Nelson Championship and the U.S. Open. The 2010 Open champion at St. Andrews is usually at his best when birdies are the objective, so if conditions turn for the worse at Muirfield, he could be in significant trouble.

It will be interesting, above all, to see where Woods' game is and to see which McDowell will show up. Though he's won three of his previous eight starts, the other results were missed cuts.

Oosthuizen didn't make the weekend at the John Deere Classic, which is a venue that suits his strengths. Perhaps he'll snap out of it in time for another push for major contention.

1. Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama and Phil Mickelson

In light of McIlroy's struggles and Matsuyama's lack of name recognition, some may scratch their heads in ranking this threesome so high.

The resumes of McIlroy and Mickelson can't be discounted, though, and if either one should emerge victorious come Sunday, he would be just one leg away from completing the career Grand Slam.

This is also a nice change of pace. The Woods and McIlroy hype was getting a little old, as neither was quite playing up to his potential alongside the other.

Mickelson is coming off of a victory at the Scottish Open and is brimming with confidence. He said in Tuesday's press conference that he really enjoys links golf, which wasn't always the case (h/t Golf Channel's Jason Sobel):

The defining characteristic of Mickelson's game is his sensational short game, and just in case he has to hit it backward at Muirfield, he's proven he can do that with this shot form Monday's practice round:

Let's not forget about Matsuyama, who is probably the least-talked-about emerging youngster in golf. In 2011, the prodigy won on the Japan Tour as an amateur, and he only turned professional this April.

Matsuyama didn't waste time succeeding, winning his third start as a pro at the Tsuruya Open

That was followed up by a triumph at the Diamond Cup Golf tournament and a top 10 at the U.S. Open in his third major appearance. He might not have the experience to contend on the weekend, but Matsuyama could be one of the surprise players in the early going.