British Open 2013: Predicting How Surprising Contenders Will Fare in 3rd Round

Golf fans have grown accustomed to seeing some unexpected names near the top the leaderboard at majors, so it isn't shocking to know that several unheralded players are in contention midway through the Open Championship. Playing well for half a tournament is one thing, but it remains to be seen if they can keep it going over the weekend.

Surprise winners are nothing new at the British Open, so there are several unsung players who have a golden opportunity to grab the brass ring. For every underdog near the top of the leaderboard, though, there are also names like Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood, Dustin Johnson, Angel Cabrera, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott within at least a few shots, so holding them off won't be easy.

Here is a complete breakdown of the most surprising contenders heading into Saturday's third round at Muirfield, as well as analysis of their chances to remain in contention come Sunday.

Miguel Angel Jimenez

When Spanish veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez's second round ended on Friday, he was trailing a handful of golfers on the leaderboard. The likes of Cabrera, Zach Johnson and Rafael Cabrera-Bello faltered a bit, though, which left Jimenez all alone in first at three-under par. Being in this position isn't anything new for the 49-year-old Jimenez, as he always seems to be in the mix at majors for a period of time.

That period of time has never lasted throughout an entire tournament, but Jimenez has a top-10 finish in all four majors, to his credit, so he knows what it feels like to be there. Even though he hasn't won, it's unlikely the moment will get to him. Jimenez is an extremely eccentric fellow, sporting a ponytail and having a bit of a gut as well.

Fellow player Keegan Bradley was thoroughly impressed with the way Jimenez carried himself on Thursday.

If Jimenez is able to hang on to his lead for the next two days, then there will probably be cigars and wine galore. Jimenez is the type of player who isn't going to implode in the third round, but it would be surprising to see him in the lead come Sunday.

Look for Jimenez to shoot an even round or perhaps a shot or two over par, which will allow a couple players to overtake him heading into Sunday. As cool as it would be to see Jimenez win a major, it simply isn't in the cards.

Martin Laird

The Open Championship has a rich history of Scottish winners. In fact, the first 29 winners were Scots, so it can be argued that history is on Martin Laird's side. No Scottish player has won the British Open since Paul Lawrie in 1999, but he did so on Scottish soil, which may be yet another sign in Laird's favor. There will be a ton of Scottish support for Laird this weekend at Muirfield, as he is very much within striking distance entering the third round.

After shooting one under par in the first round, Laird had an up-and-down second round on Friday. He ended up even for the day, but his round included five birdies and five bogeys, so he was all over the map. After a red-hot birdie streak, Laird was three under par and two strokes off the lead at one point in the second round, according to the PGA Tour. And while he dropped a couple shots, he remains just two stokes behind Jimenez.

Laird, admittedly, hasn't been great since winning the Valero Texas Open, but he's used to links play, and he has to be feeling at home this week. That comfort level may be something that can carry him to the top over the next two rounds. It would still be a major surprise if Laird finds a way to lift the Claret Jug, but of all the surprise names that are in contention, he has the most staying power, and the best chance to be in the mix on Sunday.

Rafael Cabrera-Bello

After a fantastic round of 67 to kick off the Open Championship, there was plenty of pressure on Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello to keep it going on Friday. A couple early birdies actually allowed him to move into the lead for a brief time at five-under par, but the conditions proved too difficult for him moving forward, as he finished the day with a three-over 74, according to the PGA Tour.

Luckily for Cabrera-Bello, the field came back to him a bit, so he is only two shots behind Jimenez at one-under par. Had Cabrera-Bello played a steady, even round of golf like Jimenez or Woods, he would be in the lead right now. He couldn't hold it together, though, as he was three over par on the back nine Friday after shooting even on the front. Cabrera-Bello seemed to lose his way, so he had to be happy to see the round come to an end.

Cabrera-Bello has had a chance to reflect upon what happened, so perhaps he can recapture the groove he found in the first round on Saturday. In all likelihood, though, Cabrera-Bello will tumble even further down the leaderboard. He had his chance to contend, but he blew it with a poor second round. Golf has a lot to do with momentum, so it would be very surprising to see him bounce back in the third round.

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