British Open 2015: Latest News and Predictions Heading into St Andrews

The Open Championship returns to the ancestral home of golf this year, as the world's best players will be teeing it up on the historic Old Course at St Andrews in Fife, Scotland.

While the seaside links track is a breathtaking venue, it comes with plenty of unique obstacles. The course boasts 112 bunkers, many of which have steep faces that require golfers to play out sideways or even backward.

There's also the infamous Road Hole. The par-four 17th features a blind tee shot and small stone wall up the right side. Many players have been forced to play shots off the wall in an effort to get back in play.

The Old Course certainly provides a unique test, and the swirling winds off the North Sea only increase the track's difficulty, as the 7,305-yard par-72 course can suddenly play a great deal longer—or shorter—in the blink of an eye.

The greatest players in the world will need their full arsenal of shots to successfully navigate 72 holes at St Andrews.

As we anxiously await this prestigious tournament to commence, let's take a look at some of the latest news surrounding contending players in The Open Championship and predict where they are likely to finish on the leaderboard come Sunday evening.

Open Championship News

Oosthuizen Aims to Strike Again

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There are fewer players in the field with more confidence heading into the 2015 Open Championship than Louis Oosthuizen. The South African flourished when the tournament was last held at the Old Course, cruising to a seven-stroke victory over the likes of Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson in 2010.

It just so happens that Oosthuizen will return to the same venue this year with a great head of steam after a runner-up finish in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay—another links course. In that tournament, the South African opened with a dreadful 77 but quickly bounced back, shooting 66, 66 and 67—including a record-setting 29 on his final nine holes—to finish the tournament.

When asked what has helped improve his game recently during a press conference, via PGATour.com, Oosthuizen acknowledged a change to his putting routine.

"It put my stroke in positions where I wanted it, and I got more confident with it," he said. "On a clutch putt which I felt I needed to make, I freed my stroke a bit off by doing that. I did it a lot coming into the last nine holes on Sunday, and it worked. It was something we worked on so it was great to see it pay off."

If the South African can keep his momentum going and putt in that same manner on the massive greens at St Andrews, he'll be a name to watch come Sunday.

Prediction: Oosthuizen finishes T5.

Woods Talks Form and St Andrews

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Tiger Woods is no stranger to success at St Andrews. He won the tournament at the Old Course in 2000 and 2005. His form has been less-than-stellar of late, as he's put together some monster numbers, including shooting an 80 and 76 on Thursday and Friday, respectively, to miss the cut by a great margin.

However, we've seen some signs of life from Woods since, as he shot 66, 69, 71, 67 to finish tied for 32nd in the Greenbrier Classic. While that finishing position isn't anything to write home about, it gave the veteran some much-needed confidence and momentum heading into the year's third major.

Woods spoke about how his play at The Old White TPC helped his confidence during a press conference, per Bob Harig of ESPN.com:

"

I did a lot of work. I feel good. Sunday at Greenbrier is probably the best I hit it in two years. That was fun. It sounds crazy when I told everyone at Greenbrier that I felt close, after the scores I shot at the Memorial and the U.S. Open. I just didn't quite have the feel yet. I shifted the baseline so much I just didn't quite have the feel yet.

"

Arriving at St Andrews early was a brilliant move by Woods. If afforded him a couple of extra days to get acclimated with the course, and according to Woods, he was "shocked" at the soft conditions on the Old Course and was forced to modify his approach as a result. That extra practice could go a long way.

Prediction: Woods finishes T20.

Spieth Practicing Wall Shots

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Jordan Spieth enters The Open Championship as the favorite on Odds Shark, likely because McIlroy won't be making an appearance thanks to an ankle injury he suffered while playing soccer with friends. The 21-year-old won both the Masters and U.S. Open this year, and with a win at St Andrews, he would overtake the Northern Irishman for the No. 1 spot in the world.

The Masters and U.S. Open winner arrived in Scotland after winning the John Deere Classic and instantly hit the Old Course for a practice round. However, Spieth's practice round wasn't exactly typical, as the world No. 2 decided to practice some shots off the wall on the 17th hole, also known as the Road Hole.

Ron Borges of the Boston Herald relayed an interesting comment from Spieth regarding the Road Hole's infamous wall:

Jason Sobel of ESPN.com added pictures of Spieth's practice shots:

Two of his best qualities are his maturity on the course and ability to remain calm and collected in all situations. He is a master of course management, and after watching this kind of preparation, it's easy to see why he's capable of making difficult tracks seem easy to navigate. Simply put, he's ready for anything.

While Spieth began his preparations for The Open Championship, his confidence appeared to be almost tangible. There's arguably no one in the world playing better golf than the young American right now, and that's why he's poised to take his third major of the year.

Prediction: Spieth wins.