One of the annual sporting highlights is upon us with The Open Championship set to begin at 6.30am tomorrow.
The 144th edition of golf's oldest major will take place at the so-called home of golf, St Andrews and it promises to be another fascinating battle to see who will be lifting the claret Jug early on Sunday evening.
St Andrews always delivers magical moments, from Tiger Woods dominance in 2000, to Costantino Rocca's monster putt in 1995 and Seve's magical win in 1984, it brings out the best in the world's best golfers. The winners at St Andrews include Woods, Ballesteros, Nicklaus, Faldo, Jones and Snead showing it is the cream of the crop who rise to the challenge of the Old Course.
Jordan Spieth is the overwhelming favourite for this years event having won the first two majors of this year and the fact that defending champion and World Number One Rory McIlroy is missing The Open due to injury. However, if you are looking for a flutter this weekend, Spieth is offering no value.
With that in mind here are five men who I feel could be challenging come Sunday night.
Rickie Fowler: Best Odds (19/1 BWIN): The odds are shortening all the time on Fowler, who arrives at St Andrews in terrific form, having captured his first European Tour title at Gullane last week in the Scottish Open. For many, that is seen as the perfect preparation and Fowler is fully confident he can repeat the back to back double of winning the Scottish Open and The Open, like his countryman Phil Mickelson did in 2013.
He also won the Players Championship in wonderful fashion in May, playing the final six holes in six under at Sawgrass before he fought hard to defeat Sergio Garcia then Kevin Kisner in a sudden death play-off.
Fowler is also a lover of links golf and finished tied for second in last years Open behind McIlroy and also finished in the top five in 2011. He played in the last Open at St Andrews in 2010 and despite a 79 on the opening day, he recovered to finish inside the top 15.
He looks primed for a major despite his disaster at the US Open last month.
Louis Oosthuizen: Best Odds (25/1 Various): The popular South African was the winner at St Andrews in 2010 and looks in the right sort of form to win again at the Old Course. Oosthuizen has one of the best swings in golf and seems to finally be over the chronic back problems which have hampered his progress.
He comes into the event in great form off the back of a tied second at the links style US Open course of Chambers Bay and is bound to be perked up by returning to the scene of his only Major win to date.
Although he did enjoy some luck with the weather on the Friday in 2010, Oosthuizen showed terrific composure on the final day to ensure nobody else was ever in the hunt for the Claret Jug. If he discovers that sort of focus again, he'll take some stopping.
Paul Casey: Best Odds (40/1 Various): The Englishman started the final day in 2010 at St Andrews alongside Oosthuizen hoping to push for his first Major title, but that was put paid to after a horror show on the 12th.
Nevertheless Casey still finished tied third that week having shot three rounds in the 60s and is a big fan of St Andrews, having shot rounds of 66 and 62 over the Old Course in the last two years at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Casey was expected to kick on from that result in 2010, but fitness worries meant that he was winless for two years until he won the Irish Open in 2013. Since then, he has gradually got back to form and heads to St Andrews in a great frame of mind.
Only play-off losses to Bubba Watson and James Hahn stopped him from picking up titles on the PGA Tour this season and he also enjoyed a top six finish at the Masters. Great odds for a man I remain convinced will lift a Major.
Branden Grace: Best Odds (50/1 Various): Oosthuizen's countryman Branden Grace is another player who is well worth an each way bet this week. A former winner of the Dunhill Links in 2012, he shot rounds of 67 and 70 that year as well as two 69's in the same tournament last year around St Andrews.
A wayward drive on the 16th at Chambers Bay cost him his chance of winning the US Open last month but throughout that tournament, Grace looked liked he believed he could win a Major for the first time. Now he's heading to a course he loves and he'll be keen to follow in the foot steps of Oosthuizen.
He's already won this season in Qatar and South Africa and has six wins to his name on the European Tour since 2012. That winning habit is hard to get out of.
Tommy Fleetwood: Best Odds (90/1 BWIN): My final pick for the week goes to the Englishman Fleetwood who absolutely loves this course. He is a remarkable 26 under for his last four rounds at St Andrews and has finished in the top five in the Dunhill Links three times in the last four years so clearly loves the links golf courses of Scotland.
He backed that up with a top ten at Gullane last week and has enjoyed a consistent season on the European Tour. He also won at Gleneagles in 2013 and will be quietly confident of challenging this week.
The Open is a bit of a lottery, but I hope these men can add some cash to your wallet come Sunday night. The next four days promise to deliver superb sporting drama. Sit back on the sofa and put your feet up or if you are heading to St Andrews, have a great time!
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