The 152nd edition of The Open takes place at Royal Troon in Scotland, and there are plenty of Americans looking to replicate Brian Harman’s success last year.
Brian Harman was a machine in his 2023 victory at Royal Liverpool, a nearly faultless performance to win his first PGA Tour competition in over six years.
An American has won The Open four of the last eight years, so here’s a look at three competitors in this year’s field who stand a chance in the 2024 edition.
Brian Harman
The last American to retain the Claret Jug was Tiger Woods in 2006, winning in Royal Liverpool, the same venue Harman won at last year.
It’s a big ask for anyone to follow in Woods’ footsteps, especially when Harman has not been at his best in recent months.
His last top-five finish came in The Players Championship in March, where he tied for second with Wyndham Clark and Xander Schauffele.
Should Harman win again at The Open, it would be a magnificent achievement, but with Harman’s success at links courses and 2023 fresh in the memory, lightning could strike twice. Plus, the weather conditions won’t be as bad as last year, with the American overcoming treacherous conditions.
Scottie Scheffler
You can never discount the favorite Scottie Scheffler, especially when he’s first in the PGA Tour and world number one.
Scheffler won The Masters for a second time this year, but now he will be looking to tick off the majors he hasn’t won.
He has come second in The U.S. Open and PGA Championship in the last two years, but his best finish in The Open came in 2021, where he tied for eighth place.
He also pipped previously mentioned Harman to retain The Players Championship, so confidence will be sky-high.
And that’s without mentioning his playoff win against Tom Kim to lift the
Travelers Championship last month.
Now there only one question remains. Can Scheffler conquer Europe?
Xander Schauffele
Despite Schauffele’s recent struggles, he has performed consistently going into The Open, having finished inside the top 15 in his last six PGA Tour outings.
He is also second in the FedEx Cup rankings, only bettered by Scheffler, showcasing the form of Schauffele over the last few months.
Having lifted the PGA Championship in May, Schauffele has experience in winning majors. Also, he competed in this year’s Scottish Open, having won the competition two years ago.
Schauffele has a history of success on links courses and now could be the time to get one over Scheffler for the second time this year.
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