Here are The Post’s Mark Cannizzaro’s picks for this week’s British Open at Royal St. Georges Golf Course:
He may be ranked No. 2 in the world, but he’s the best player in the world right now, with finishes of T-5, T-8 and first in his first three majors this year. He’s No. 1 in strokes gained against the field for 2021. He, too, described himself as “relieved’’ to win his first major, which means he may be even more relaxed and better this week.
He’s almost always in contention at majors. He’s a big-game hunter, having finished in the top 15 in 17 of his past 21 majors. Oh yes, he’s a combined 84-under par in majors since 2016, 63 strokes better than the next best player.
Louis Oosthuizen
He’s another player who’s almost always in the mix at majors, as evidenced by his six runner-up finishes — including the last two majors. He was second to Phil Mickelson at the PGA Championship before finishing second to Rahm at the U.S. Open.
Scottie Scheffler
He’s seeking his first career victory, but Scheffler has played in six majors a pro and finished outside the top 20 only once. He had a strong showing at the Scottish Open last week and had top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.
Rickie Fowler
Sure, he hasn’t won or even contended in a while, but Fowler’s form has taken a turn for the better of late and he embraces the difficult conditions of links golf, including a strong performance in 2011, the last time the Open was played at Royal St. George’s.
