In a year where the state of the game of golf has changed forever, the return of The Open to St. Andrews, the home of golf, is almost poetic in a sense. Historic in entirely different terms, the Old Course saw Tiger Woods complete a career grand slam, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson take the final steps of their Open careers and players such as Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and John Daly – – plus Woods and Nicklaus — all raise the Claret jug on the 18th green. Tasked with sorting out which players have a realistic shot at joining past Open champions, the challenge lies in balancing current form, important championship pedigree and the nexus of golf experience. While Collin Morikawa proved last year at Royal St. George’s that previous success is not a prerequisite to winning, Jordan Spieth and Louis Oosthuizen were themselves a pair of former Open champions. Hopefully this list below will cut through all the noise and make things easier when we hope to identify the winner of the 150th Open Championship. Don’t miss the full Open TV schedule and coverage guide so you know when to tune in throughout the week.

2022 Open Championship field, standings

  1. Rory McIlroy (Win 2014): After playing four straight weeks, McIlroy took time away from competitive golf and will head into The Open with his latest result a T19 at the Travelers Championship. Unable to defend his 2014 title at St. Andrews due to a torn ligament in his left ankle from a “kickabout” with friends, the Northern Irishman’s relationship with the Home of Golf is curious to say the least. Finishing in a tie for third in 2010, McIlroy compiled rounds of 63-80-69-68 and watched Oosthuizen run away with the Claret Jug as he felt the wrath of Mother Nature in the second round. One of two players to finish in the top 10 of every major so far in 2022, McIlroy is the favorite on the Old Course. In addition to his win and T3 in 2010, the four-time major winner has posted T5, T4 and T2 results throughout his Open career and also has a great chance to add major No. 5 to his resume.
  2. Scottie Scheffler (T8 in 2021): While he was one of several top players to miss the cut at the Scottish Open, Scheffler has proven capable of bouncing back from bad starts. Finishing inside the top 10 in his Open debut last year at Royal St. A four-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, Scheffler narrowly missed out on a playoff with Matt Fitzpatrick at the US Open and lost to good friends Sam Burns at the Charles Schwab Challenge by one. While McIlroy is the betting favourite, Scheffler is still the best player in the world and a win would put him in some elite company.
  3. Jon Rahm (T3 in 2021): He fell off the pace over the weekend at The Renaissance Club, but Rahm is about as confident as it gets in the golf world. In the penultimate group in the final round of the US Open, the former world No. 1 surprised many with a 4-over round to finish T12 in the defense of his title. The Spaniard finished in a tie for third last year at Royal St. George’s and impressed over the final 54 holes, playing them to 12 under after opening with a 1 over round. It took him a while to get used to links golf, but all signs point to him potentially grabbing his second major title.
  4. Xander Schauffele (T2 in 2018): Scheffler sprinted to victory at the Masters and maybe Schauffele can do the same at The Open. Winning the Travelers Championship and the Scottish Open in his last two starts, the 28-year-old has now won three times this season, quickly shedding the nickname that he can’t seal the deal on Sundays. The next step is to lift a major league trophy and St Andrews could be the perfect landing spot for him. With nine top-10 finishes in his major championship career, Schauffele made the first close call of 2018 at Carnoustie when he finished T2. He has the game to compete on this stage, and now, he has to believe it’s his time.
  5. Jordan Spieth (Win 2017): The weekend at the Scottish Open may have been the perfect encapsulation of Spieth as a golfer. The final 36 holes were filled with eagles, pars, ridiculous short-game magic and moments that made you say, “What is he doing?” Despite the emotional toll of watching Spieth, he remains for my money the best links player in the world. In eight Open appearances, Spieth has a win at Royal Birkdale, a second at Royal St. George’s, a T4 in St. Andrews and another top 10 at Carnoustie. He entered St. Andrews seven years ago with the Masters and US Open in his possession and he came close to lifting the Claret Jug after jumping to a share of the lead with a birdie on the 70th hole.
  6. Matt Fitzpatrick (T20 in 2019): The US Open winner shook off any rust last week and finished a respectable T6 at the Scottish Open. Good for his eighth top-10 finish of 2022, Fitzpatrick has zero holes in his game and should be able to play a factor at St. Andrews. Adding significant distance off the tee will allow him to play corners more effectively around the Old Course, but this test may not be suitable for his style of play. Known for limiting mistakes and keeping the ball in front of him, the Englishman can occasionally slip up the leaderboard when the scoring conditions are ideal. Splitting hairs, yes, but those tend to add up in the big leagues.
  7. Justin Thomas (T11 in 2019): Since his PGA Championship win, Thomas has actually been very inconsistent with 3rd and T37 finishes that ended due to missed cuts. The best players in the world tend to rise to the occasion in major leagues, and the two-time major winner is no different. Watching his play from Southern Hills as well as The Players Championship, Thomas has clearly become one of the most creative players in the field. He’s probably hoping the wind blows with some ferocity as he quickly climbs this list, and more importantly, the leaderboard.
  8. Patrick Cantlay (T12 in 2018): For a big-game hunter, Cantlay hasn’t quite been able to do that in majors, but a quiet T14 finish at the US Open could be the turning point in his career. Consistently a fixture on the leaderboards, the PGA Tour’s reigning Player of the Year arrives in St. Andrews after a T4 result at the Scottish Open. This marked his seventh top-five finish of the season, although he was inexplicably without a solo victory. Cantlay has often done his best work on golf courses where birdies are plentiful, and given the modern player’s tool belt, the St. Andrews will be prone to low scores.
  9. Will Zalatoris (WD in 2021): It’s almost like Zalatoris is in the exact same spot as Morikawa was last season before his Open triumph. You could argue this is his first league appearance as he had to retire at Royal St. George’s after injuring his wrist when he tried to hit his ball from the tall grass. The other player to finish in the top 10 in every major this season, Zalatoris has experienced much closer calls than McIlroy. Never at the Masters, the world No. 13 lost in a playoff at the PGA Championship and came just inches away from winning one at the US Open. His ball-striking is elite and his hitting has been in the big leagues as well. There is some concern whether this rise is sustainable, but if he has a consistent performance on the vast greens of St. Andrews, he’ll be right there.
  10. Dustin Johnson (T2 in 2011): From a betting perspective, Johnson is my favorite to win the Open as he continues to drift up the odds table. The two-time major winner is an underrated links player who has six top-15 finishes in 12 previous Opens. He comes into this year’s championship knowing his struggles in the sport hampered his spring season. Since then, he’s had back-to-back top-10s in LIV Golf events and finished T24 at the US Open.
  11. Cameron Smith (T20 in 2019): I’m a little cooler than most on Smith’s outlook for the week as he’s been rested after a strong start to his 2022 campaign. His iron game has dropped from spring and his short game has seen some tumultuous moments. Three rounds in the 60s at The Renaissance Club with a T10 finish suggest he can challenge this week and improve his Open record. Who will win the Open Championship and which long shots will shock the golf world? Visit SportsLine now to see the predicted leaderboard and best picks, all from the model that has stuck eight golf majors, including this year’s Masters.
  12. Shane Lowry (Won 2019): Two years after the fact, Lowry made a fine defensive effort at Royal St. George’s with a T12 result. One of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour during the spring, the Irishman was a surprise out of weekend action at the US Open. He has since finished T9 at the Irish Open and possesses the short game magic often required to lift a Claret Jug. The player has been cold for the last month and will need to warm up if he wants to find his name on the front page of the leaderboard.
  13. Hideki Matsuyama (T6 in 2013): A 5-under final round at the US Open was enough to give Matsuyama a solo fourth-place finish at The Country Club. Just when you think you have the former Masters champion figured out,…