Horses for Courses: The Open Championship

St Andrews, the Home of Golf, hosts the sesquicentennial Open Championship and 30th time overall.

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The history of this great game can be traced back to St Andrews in the 15th century. For the purposes of finding Horses for Courses we'll head back to the turn of this century to find clues.

Hosting for the 30th time, the Old Course at St Andrews will play exactly 16 yards longer than the 2015 edition, won by Zach Johnson in a four hole aggregate playoff. The Par-72 set up will stretch to 7,313 yards but only has two Par-5 holes and two Par-3 holes. With fourteen holes sharing greens, there are only four holes that have their own putting surfaces. The first Open at St Andrews was played in 1873.

Tiger Woods set the standard with 269 in 2000 as he won eight shots and backed that up with 274 in 2005. Louis Oosthuizen blitzed the field by seven shots in 2010 as he was the only player to reach double figures on 272. Zach Johnson was the last winner here in 2015 on 273. The average winning score this century on the Old is 16-under but as Jack Nicklaus said yesterday, "Who cares?"

He's right.

The historical links layout is firmly designed, deciphered and delivered with the help of the winds of Mother Nature. Or the winds that don't develop. The track isn't overtly long and the landing areas and greens complexes were designed with anemometers in mind. The bunkering, fescue and firmness of the track will play just as big of a role as Mother Nature. Avoiding the 110 bunkers and reducing three putts will be high on the keys to success.

Plenty of first timers making their event debut this week again, with 42 players taking on their first Open Championship. Collin Morikawa became the first winner since Ben Curtis in 2003 to win on debut and returns to defend.

The field of 156 will all tee off on Hole No. 1 everyday. The top 70 and ties will play the final 36 holes. If tied after 72 holes, a four hole aggregate playoff will decide the winner. If there is no winner after four holes, No. 18 will be used until a winner has been determined.

The purse of $15 million will send the winner home with $2.5 million plus 600 FedExCup points, the champion golfer gold medal and the Claret Jug.

Let's find some horses for courses!

Horses for Courses

Odds sourced on Tuesday, July 12th at 3 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm.

Notes

• Tiger Woods is the only multiple champion at St Andrews in the field this week.
• Woods is the last player to win the Masters and Open in the same season (2005).
• Tom Watson is the last to win the US Open and Open in the same season (1982).
• Rory McIlroy is the last to win the Open and PGA Championship in the same season (2014).
• Louis Oosthuizen won here in 2010 and was P2 in 2015.
• Padraig Harrington (2) and Ernie Els (2) are the other multiple Open champs in the field this week.
• Henrik Stenson (264) holds the event record and the record to par (-20).
• Woods (269; -19) is the event record at St Andrews.
• Branden Grace (62, Royal Birkdale, 2017) holds the record for the lowest round posted in any major championship.
• Oldest Winner: Old Tom Morris, 46.
• Youngest Winner: Young Tom Morris, 17.
• St Andrews, in 1963, became the first Open to use Par-3 and Par-5 holes.
• Harris English has made the cut in 15 consecutive majors that he's entered.
• Rory McIlroy is the last to win the week before winning a major championship (2014 WGC-BI, PGA Championship).
• Streaking at The Open: Jordan Spieth (8), Justin Rose (7), Danny Willett (6), Kevin Kisner (5), Tony Finau (5), Kevin Na (5) and Xander Schauffele (4).

Recent Event Winners Stats

Key stat leaders

Top golfers in each statistic on the 2021-22 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week;