THE build-up to the first Major of 2015, the Masters at Augusta, was all about whether Rory McIlroy could complete the career Grand Slam at the ripe old age of 25.
Before the second Major, the question was whether Phil Mickelson could finally end his duck at the US Open and put an end to his own quest to tack all four Major boxes at Chambers Bay.
On both occasions, those Grand Slam ambitions were thwarted, and on both occasions a 21-year-old upstart by the name of Jordan Spieth ran off with the titles.
For the third Major of the year, the Open Championship, which gets going bright and early at St Andrews tomorrow, Spieth finally finds himself front and centre as thre big story of the week.
The young Texan, with the coolest of heads on his shoulders, comes in with a very real chance of going one better than anyone is history and completing the Grand Slam in one year, never mind over the course of a career.
And since McIlroy’s withdrawal last week due to an ankle injury, Spieth has been the overwhelming favourite and very much the man the rest of the field have to beat.
There has been much scrutiny about his decision to play in the John Deere Classic in Illinois at the weekend rather than come to Scotland and familiarise himself with links play, either by taking part in the Scottish Open at Gullane or by playing plenty of practice rounds at St Andrews.
Yet Spieth does things his own way, and he duly recorded another victory on Sunday night – his fourth in his last 12 events – before hopping on a plane and landing in Scotland on Monday afternoon.
That preparation means he will tee it up tomorrow morning having played only four rounds at St Andrews in his life, and given that the Old Course is used for the Open every five years and for two rounds of the Alfred Dunhill Championship every October, clearly others will have an advantage in terms of course knowledge.
Spieth doesn’t worry about such things, however, and a victory in Illinois is certainly a better way to prepare than a kickabout with your mates, and he will be confident of going well this week.
Yet the bookies are saying they can’t really give him away, and yesterday most of them pushed him out to 13/2 in order to get a bite.
Punters, it seems, are looking elsewhere and all logic and history says that players don’t win three Majors on the bounce, Tiger Woods in his pomp aside.
Spieth does have limited links experience, with his two outings in the Open yielding a 44th in 2013 and a 36th at Hoylake last term, and ehile he is the form horse, it might just pay to side with one who knows the track a little better.
He may well win, but I’m not going to be backing him and there is infinitely more value down the list a bit.
Rickie Fowler won the Scottish Open on Sunday to reinforce his love for links conditions and it would be no surprise if he followed the lead of his good friend Phil Mickelson in 2013 by claiming the Claret Jug a week after taking the Scottish crown.
He is third-favourite at a general 18/1, with Dustin Johnson, who is developing a worrying habit of throwing away Majors, tucked in at 12s.
Of the three market leaders, Fowler ticks the most boxes but he too comes up just short of being on my list this week.
And that list is headed by Adam Scott, who is in the next batch of players in terms of the betting at 25/1 (888sport).
The forecast is for a very mixed bag weather-wise over the four days, and I think it might take an experienced Open performer with a level head and good ball-striking qualities to get the job done.
Scott, ticks all of those boxes, as does my second main pick, Henrik Stenson.
The Aussie’s recent record in the Open is better than anyone else’s, although most people will choose to remember him finishing with four bogeys at Lytham in 2012 to hand the title to Ernie Els.
I’d rather focus on the fact he led the field a merry dance for most of that week, while he has answered any questions about his ability to claim a Major by winning the Masters since then.
Scott was also third behind Mickelson in tough conditions at Muirfield in 2013 and was fifth as McIlroy ran out the victor at Hoylake 12 months ago.
The fact that he plays a sporadic schedule built around the Majors means the Australian often comes in under the radar, and his form wasn’t great this season prior to a fast-finishing fourth at Chambers Bay when, crucially, Steve Williams was back as his caddie.
That is another reason to side with Scott this week as Williams was on the bag of Tiger Woods when he won at St Andrews in both 2000 and 2005, so they will have the best possible gameplan and should be right in the hunt come Sunday afternoon.
Get on Scott each-way at the 25s on offer, especially with a number of firms paying seven places.
That is also the advice about Stenson, who can be backed at the same price with Coral.
The unflappable Swede is one of the best players never to win a Major, but the feeling is that if he’s to break his duck, it will be in an Open.
Stenson comes in with course pedigree, finishing third to Louis Oosthuizen here in 2010, while he chased Mickelson all the way at Muirfield two years ago before finishing second.
He was also third behind Padraig Harrington in breezy conditions at Birkdale back in 2008, and his flawless long game will come to the fore the more the wind blows this week.
Stenson, second on his last outing in the BMW International Open in Germany, has all the tools to succeed at St Andrews, and it would be a crying shame if such a quality player doesn’t claim a Major crown at some stage.
It could well be this week, although Spieth, Fowler, Scott and a host of others will have plenty to say about that.
THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP: BEST OF THE REST
WITH many firms paying out on a top seven finish at St Andrews this week there is plenty of each-way value to be had, while the specials markets are also there to be plundered.
Here are five more players who could get themselves in the mix at decent prices...
SHANE LOWRY
THE big Offaly man played wonderfully for two days at Gullane in the Scottish Open last week before fading over the weekend, but I can forgive him that and still feel he is ideally suited to this week’s test.
He has a fine record at St Andrews, having finidhed third and sixth in the last two Alfred Dunhill Links Championships, and also won the Irish Open on links terrain at Baltray in 2009.
Lowry was ninth at Hoylake last year and repeated that result in the US Open at Chambers Bay last month.
A fine each-way bet at 45/1 (Coral) and also in the top GB&I markets at 9/1 with totesport.
BERND WIESBERGER
WHILE Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler took the big titles at the weekend, the Austrian is also a last-time-out winner, having claimed the Open de France at the fast-running Le Golf National 10 days ago.
That was the biggest victory of the big-hitting Austrian’s career to date and sends his to St Andrews in fine fettle, while he also confirmed his liking for links golf when just losing out in a play-off in the Irish Open at Royal County Down in May.
Played in the final group on the last day of the US PGA alongside Rory McIlroy last term and that experience will stand him good stead should he get in the mix here.
He’s great each-way value at 80/1 with Ladbrokes, who also offer 12/1 about him being top Continental European. He should be in the top four in that market so there is each-way value there as well.
BRANDEN GRACE
I EXPECTED big things of him at Gullane, and while he didn’t live up to those expectations in finishing 17th, Grace was still only five shots behind the winner.
A confirmed links lover who took the Alfred Dunhill at St Andrews in 2012 and was second to Phil Mickelson in the Scottish Open in 2013, the South African should be able to build on his fine performance at Chambers Bay, when only an errant drive at the 16th on the final day stopped him winning.
A great each-way poke at 45/1 with Bet365.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD
THE English youngster let a promising position slip on the final day at Gullane after playing beautifully in the worst of the conditions on Saturday afternoon.
Still managed a top 10 finish to further enhance his record in Scotland which includes a win at Gleneagles and a second a two fifths in the last four Alfred Dunhills.
From Southport and having grown up playing Hoylake and Birkdale, Fleetwood is a links natural who will relish and wind that blows and has no shortage of self-belief.
He’s a decent each-way shout at 80/1 (Ladbrokes) while the 7/1 offered by totesport about yet another top 10 in Scotland also appeals.
EDDIE PEPPERELL
IT is probably asking too of the youngster to win on his Major debut, but his links record over the last two seasons means he could ruffle a few feathers.
A fourth at Gullane on Sunday followed on from a tie for second in the wind and rain of Royal County Down in May. In addition, Pepperell was fourth in the KLM Open on a links course last season and recorded the same result in Qatar earlier this term, an event that is notorioulsy windy.
Might not win on Sunday, but he is worth a small each-way punt at 200/1 with Paddy Power, while the 15/2 quoted by totesport about a top 20 finish is very generous indeed.
