5 players to watch at Open Championship as Rory McIlroy seeks to bounce back
Brian Harman is set to defend his title at the 152nd Open Championship, scheduled to take place at Royal Troon from July 18-21. Harman, who secured a six-shot victory at Royal Liverpool last year, did not qualify for the Open the last time it was held at Troon in 2016, when Henrik Stenson triumphed over…
Brian Harman is set to defend his title at the 152nd Open Championship, scheduled to take place at Royal Troon from July 18-21. Harman, who secured a six-shot victory at Royal Liverpool last year, did not qualify for the Open the last time it was held at Troon in 2016, when Henrik Stenson triumphed over Phil Mickelson in a memorable duel.
Here are five players to watch in this year’s final major championship, according to the PA news agency:
**Rory McIlroy**
Rory McIlroy will be under intense scrutiny following his heart-wrenching performance at June’s US Open, where he lost a two-shot lead late in the final round, bogeying three of the last four holes at Pinehurst to finish one stroke behind Bryson DeChambeau. McIlroy has a history of bouncing back, as seen when he won his first major at the US Open two months after a similar collapse at the 2011 Masters. He also finished joint fifth at Troon in 2016, although far behind Stenson.
**Bryson DeChambeau**
Bryson DeChambeau clinched his second US Open title with a remarkable up-and-down from a bunker on the 72nd hole. He has shown excellent form in this season’s majors, finishing sixth in the Masters and second in the US PGA Championship, where Xander Schauffele’s major-record of 21 under par was needed to surpass him. DeChambeau’s best finish in six Open appearances is a top 10 at St Andrews in 2022.
**Tyrrell Hatton**
Tyrrell Hatton tied with McIlroy for fifth place in 2016, acknowledging that Stenson and Mickelson were in a class of their own that week. Hatton won his first LIV Golf event by six shots in Nashville in June, shortly after a 26th-place finish in the US Open, marred by a closing 77. He also finished ninth in the Masters and is a two-time winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
**Scottie Scheffler**
Scottie Scheffler’s tie for 41st in the US Open marked his worst finish since October 2022. However, he quickly bounced back by winning his sixth title of 2024, defeating Tom Kim in a play-off at the Travelers Championship. The two-time Masters champion, 28, will be making his fourth Open appearance at Troon, with his best finish being eighth on his debut in 2021 and solid performances just outside the top 20 in the past two years.
**Brian Harman**
Brian Harman aims to become the first back-to-back winner of the Open since Padraig Harrington in 2008. He has had a quietly impressive year, including a tie for second at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Although he missed the cut at the Masters, Harman finished 26th in the US PGA Championship and 21st in the US Open.