Most of this week’s pre-training conversation will revolve around the leading lights. Rory, Scotty and Tommy are three of them. Three of the last four winners were American, then Aussie Cam Smith, whose success at St Andrews.
But there are value and various markets everywhere, and we highlight three performance players or course formats that may be repeated this week.
Ryan Fox
- Age: 38
- World Ranking: 32
- Open appearance: 8
- Best Open Finish: T16 2019 (Portrush)
- Career Victory: 19
Six years ago, the best major result of the New Zealander in 24 games came. Fox then played under three rounds around Dunluce Stadium, a real link expert, in Ireland, with a handful of high scores, including a playoff loss at Russell Knox of Balliffen.
Otherwise, he was the winner of Dunhill Links (Old Stadium, Kings Barnes, Canosti) and when he won the PGA title at Wentworth two years ago, he moved to the next level, like Portursh a Harry Colt Layout.
Fox isn’t even eligible for Augusta this year, but he’ll be there next year. This season, he only canceled two wins in the Myrtle Beach Classic and the PGA Tour in Canada, before winning two wins in Canada and capturing both of them on additional holes.
It’s not surprising to see Kiwi bounce around the rankings this week with his nonsense and excellent goal matches.
Harry Hall
- Age: 27
- World Ranking: 73
- Open appearance: debut
- Best open surface: No/a
- Victory: 3
There are always something very romantic about supporting people who want to get the final qualifying match. Cornishman made her first public appearance after 67 seconds of back-to-back in Burnham & Berrow, and you just need to go back to Dan Brown’s public debut 12 months ago for some inspiration. Justin Rose also tied for second place last year with Burnham and Berrow.
Hall has performed well in the season – he won the game with his first championship last year.
If Hall is a threat this week, this is a nice little story that might be repeated. Hall is a member of West Cornwall, and he was recently a part of a special match to celebrate former member Jim Barnes’s open victory in Prestwick.
“We played 27 holes in Prestwick and we had a great day,” Hall said. “Prestwick was in contact with Phil Rowe, who was Phil Rowe in 1999, grew up in West Cornwall, Jim Barnes also grew up in West Cornwall, Jim Barnes also won his last Open in Prestwick 100 years ago. We were from West Cornwall. Cornwall took eight or nine guys and beat eight or nine guys from Prestwick and we had a little game.
“We played 18 better holes in the morning and then 16 of us went out to play the same group. We played four, one eight team game, we played 8 holes, so one team got knocked out, every hole was knocked out, it was the last hole – it was great.”
Tony Finna
- Age: 35
- World Ranking: 45
- Open appearance: 8
- Best Open Finish: Third Time in 2019
- Pro Wins: 9
Tolerize me. The main sighting of Finau this week was having a putter device, and his work on the green is usually very mediocre. He was on the radar of nobody and his last victory was in Mexico in 2023.
But he is still in the top three in Pinehurst in 2024, plus an impressive finish, this year is average, not poor.
But the real beacon of melancholy is his third place here last year. The United States scored a 68-70-68-71 shot, in the second win over Tommy Fleetwood.
And, if you do want someone to be able to fly the ball down, Finau will be near the top of many lists.
Finna said: “The second shot of Saturday 11. I made a perfect motivation when it rained and blowing to the side. I had 206 fronts and 228 holes, so I pulled out my 2 irons, it rained, it rained sideways, and blew 30 from the left, trying to hit there. So far, it’s the most challenging shot to date.
“Festivalscue on the right and bunker on the left and fescue on the left.
Finau’s “class law” is still among the top 50 in the world, and his price does not reflect this.
Read the next article: Where are they now? The last 10 open champions
