British Open 2016: Field Odds, Favorites and Tournament Preview
The oldest major in golf makes its way back into the spotlight this Thursday as the 2016 British Open gets underway at Royal Troon Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland, with some of the biggest names of the game in attendance.
This will be the ninth time the Ayrshire venue has hosted the tournament, and Zach Johnson is making his way back across the pond with long odds to retain his British crown.
Heading into the competition, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and world No.1 Jason Day are joint favourites to claim the Claret Jug, with the former of that trio the only one to have lifted it in the past (2014).
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Royal Troon is a potentially treacherous par-71 links course, with a front nine running along the sea, holes played into tough coastal winds and a 17th hole (known as the Postage Stamp) that Graeme McDowell has said is going to cause "carnage," per BBC Scotland's Tom English.
Read on for a breakdown of the pre-tournament odds, complete with a preview of the top-billed favourites making their way to Scotland this week.
| Rory McIlroy +700 | 7-1 |
| Jordan Spieth +700 | 7-1 |
| Jason Day +700 | 7-1 |
| Dustin Johnson +1000 | 10-1 |
| Adam Scott +1800 | 18-1 |
| Rickie Fowler +2200 | 22-1 |
| Justin Rose +2200 | 22-1 |
| Sergio Garcia +2200 | 22-1 |
| Daniel Willett +2500 | 25-1 |
| Branden Grace +2500 | 25-1 |
| Henrik Stenson +2800 | 28-1 |
| Louis Oosthuizen +3300 | 33-1 |
| Phil Mickelson +3300 | 33-1 |
| Shane Lowry +3300 | 33-1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama +4000 | 40-1 |
| Bubba Watson +4000 | 40-1 |
| Martin Kaymer +4000 | 40-1 |
| Brooks Koepka +4000 | 40-1 |
| Lee Westwood +4000 | 40-1 |
| Paul Casey +5000 | 50-1 |
| Patrick Reed +5000 | 50-1 |
| Zach Johnson +5000 | 50-1 |
| Brandt Snedeker +5000 | 50-1 |
| Jim Furyk +5000 | 50-1 |
| Matthew Fitzpatrick +5000 | 50-1 |
| Charl Schwartzel +5000 | 50-1 |
| Tiger Woods +6600 | 66-1 |
| Graeme McDowell +6600 | 66-1 |
| Jimmy Walker +6600 | 66-1 |
| Justin Thomas +6600 | 66-1 |
| Matt Kuchar +6600 | 66-1 |
| Marc Leishman +6600 | 66-1 |
Visit Odds Shark for a breakdown of the odds list in full.
Rory McIlroy
Victory at the Irish Open in May meant McIlroy finally ended his search for silverware in 2016, an he boasts a unique advantage over other favourites in this tournament, having already won the British Open two years ago.
The elements are always among the most overbearing factors at The Open, and Telegraph golf writer James Corrigan recently said it could be a case of the wetter, the better as far as McIlroy is concerned:
Conditions didn't play havoc with McIlroy during his triumph in 2014, when it was only a fourth-round stumble that seeded doubt in his victory, as the man himself detailed to Sky Sports Golf:
Spieth and Day both travel to Ayrshire this week after tying for fourth place in last year's contest, finishing just a shot adrift of the play-off finishers, illustrating just how close they themselves came to the win.
McIlroy wasn't even a participant in the 2015 tournament because of an ankle injury, but the Northern Irishman can make up for that absence by making it two Claret Jugs in three years come Sunday.
Dustin Johnson
After a somewhat nonchalant start to 2016, Dustin Johnson has all of a sudden started to hoover up every trophy in sight following wins at the U.S. Open and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Needless to say, 2016 is quickly shaping up to be the American's year, and he informed the official PGA Tour Twitter account on what's driving him to becoming one of the world's in-form players:
Supporters need not fret if it's a slow start for Johnson at Royal Troon, either, after ESPN Stats & Info detailed his penchant for late, winning drives at each of those two recent championship victories:
The 32-year-old has twice finished in the top 10 of the British Open, tying for second place in 2011 before finishing joint-ninth in 2012, not to mention making the cut in each of the last six tournaments.
Zach's chances perhaps aren't as positive this year, but Dustin Johnson will be hoping to follow his namesake's performance from last year with a winning run of his own in Ayrshire.
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