The 152nd Open Championship
Course: Royal Troon (par 71, 7,358 yards)
Purse: $17,000,000
Winner: $3,100,000
Preview
LIV Golf just experienced its most difficult course of the season in Andalucia, with just 11 of the 54 players in the field finishing even par or better. After failing to win in each of his two playoffs this season, Fireballs GC captain Sergio Garcia finally got over the hump at Valderrama, thanks in large part to Anirban Lahiri missing his tap-in putt on the 18th hole. It was doubly sweet for Garcia who, like Tyrrell Hatton in Nashville, also enjoyed a team victory after David Puig and Abraham Ancer defeated Bryson DeChambeau and Paul Casey on the first playoff hole. Joaquin Niemann and Jon Rahm continue to sit atop the LIV Golf individual season standings thanks to their respective top-10 finishes in Andalucia, while DeChambeau finally cracked the top-10 of the standings thanks to his ninth-place finish.
With the Open Championship on the horizon, 17 LIV Golfers will take to the links at Royal Troon, which last hosted the oldest major in 2016. Royal Troon holds a special place for a couple of the LIV Golf representatives, no more so than Majesticks GC co-captain Henrik Stenson, who won in 2016 by three strokes over HyFlyers GC captain Phil Mickelson. Mickelson found victory at the Open in 2013, and two other LIV Golfers -- Ripper GC captain Cameron Smith (2022) and Stingers GC captain Louis Oosthuizen (2010) -- will also tee it up at the Troon. Previous major winners include Rahm, DeChambeau, Smash GC captain Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson. Also in the field looking to hoist the Claret Jug for the first time include Niemann, Hatton, Ancer, Puig, Stinger GC's Dean Burmester, Majesticks GC's Sam Horsfield, Cleeks GC's Adrian Meronk, Hyflyer GC's Andy Ogletree and LIV Golf substitute John Catlin.
Royal Troon Golf Club is the venue for the 152nd Open championship, marking the 10th time the Scottish course has hosted the oldest major. The Troon will play nearly 200 yards longer than the last time it hosted in 2016, playing as a par-71 at 7,385 yards. As a links course in Scotland, how the weather changes during each day and across the tournament will be a major factor in who ends up making the cut. Wet and windy conditions are on the forecast, and how much that will factor on the scorecard could very well depend on when each player actually tees off. For an in-depth analysis of Royal Troon, including its long history, check out Len Hochberg's 2024 Open Championship Power Rankings.
Here's how the LIV Golf representatives have faired heading into the final major of the season:
Past Open Champions
Cameron Smith (2022)
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T6
- LIV Golf Standings: 7th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 7
- Performance at 2023 Open Championship: T33
- Performance at recent Majors: T32 at 2024 U.S. Open Championship, T63 at 2024 PGA Championship, T6 at 2024 Masters
After starting LIV Golf Andalucia one-over par across the first two rounds, Smith finished strong with a three-under 68 on Championship Sunday, en route to his fifth top-10 finish of the season. His 1.50 putts per hole leads the league this season, but getting to the green unscathed has been challenging for Smith, as he ranks 36th in GIR (65.28 percent) and 49th in driving accuracy (49.47 percent). The Ripper GC captain's T6 performance at Augusta marked his best finish of the major circuit, though he hasn't been in strong contention in each of his last two major outings. Smith entered the final round of the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews four shots back of Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland for the lead, but the Australian carded an eight-under 64 in the final round to capture the first major victory in his young career.
Henrik Stenson (2016)
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T27
- LIV Golf Standings: 39th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 19
- Performance at 2023 Open Championship: T33
Like many others in the field at Andalucia, Stenson fell victim to the challenging Valderrama course. He carded an eight-over 79 in the first round, which included a stretch where he was nine-over across the final seven holes. Stenson has just one top-10 finish this season, which came in Hong Kong when he finished T8. In a reversal of Smith, Stenson has had success in his accuracy game, as he ranks second in LIV Golf this season in driving accuracy (66.43 percent) and sixth in GIR (71.67 percent), but his 1.71 putts per hole is tied with Stinger GC's Brendan Grace for last in the league. The last time that the Open Championship was held at Royal Troon was in 2016, when Stenson rode a final round of 63 to beat Phil Mickelson by three strokes, and the Swede's score of 20-under par was, at the time, the major record for best score.
Phil Mickelson (2013)
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T27
- LIV Golf Standings: 44th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 30
- Performance at 2023 Open Championship: MC
- Performance at recent Majors: MC at 2024 U.S. Open Championship, MC at 2024 PGA Championship, T43 at 2024 Masters
Mickelson didn't necessarily have a bad round in Andalucia, but the HyFlyers GC captain has failed to accrue points in eight of 10 LIV Golf tournaments this season. He ranks near the bottom of the league in GIR, scrambling and driving accuracy, which doesn't bode well for his chances at the upcoming major. 2024 will mark the 30th Open Championship that Mickelson has participated in, a major in which he has a long history with, having won in 2013 at Muirfield. In his other appearances at Royal Troon, Mickelson finished third in 2004 and runner-up behind Stenson in 2016. Mickelson has missed the cut in four straight Open Championship tournaments.
Louis Oosthuizen (2010)
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T4
- LIV Golf Standings: 5th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 17
- Performance at 2023 Open Championship: T23
Oosthuizen got off to a flying start in Andalucia, carding three birdies over the first five holes of the opening round, but the Stinger GC captain wasn't able to carry that momentum through the rest of the weekend. Still, Andalucia marked his third top-five finish of the season, and the South African has rebounded well from LIV Golf Houston, when he was forced to withdraw prior to the second round due to a back injury. Oosthuizen leads the league in scrambling (73.29 percent) and ranks third in both driving accuracy (66.33 percent) and putts per hole (1.53). Oosthuizen captured the Open Championship in 2010 at ST. Andrews, defeating Majesticks GC's Lee Westwood by seven strokes. Oosthuizen came close in 2015 and 2021, finishing T2 and T3 at St. Andrews and Royal St. George's, respectively. He has missed the cut in both years the Open Championship took place at Royal Troon (2004, 2016).
Major Winners
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: 9th
- LIV Golf Standings: 9th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 7
- Qualification for Open Championship: Winner of the 2024 U.S. Open Championship
- Best Open Championship finish: T8 (2022)
- Performance at 2023 Open Championship: T60
- Performance at recent majors: Winner at 2024 U.S. Open Championship, runner-up at 2024 PGA Championship, T6 at 2024 Masters
DeChambeau notched his second-straight top-10 finish at a LIV Golf tournament in Andalucia, thanks in large part to his four-under 67 score in the second round. The Crushers GC captain has been the best performing LIV Golfer at the majors this season, highlighted by his one-stroke victory over Rory McIlroy at the U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst. DeChambeau leads the league in driving distance (322.5 yards) and ranks in the top-15 in GIR, scrambling and putting average. He's middle-of-the-pack in driving accuracy for the season, but his 85.71 percent clip at LIV Golf Nashville led the field. DeChambeau has made the cut in the last three Open Championships, with his T8 finish in 2022 marking his best outing at the oldest major.
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: 10th
- LIV Golf Standings: 2nd
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 8
- Qualification for Open Championship: Winner of the 2023 Masters
- Performance at 2023 Open Championship: T2
- Performance at recent majors: WD from 2024 U.S. Open Championship, MC at 2024 PGA Championship, T45 at 2024 Masters
Outside of LIV Golf Houston when he was forced to withdraw due to an infection on his left foot, Rahm has finished in the top-10 of every LIV Golf tournament this season. No other player in the league has done that, but while the Legion XIII captain has enjoyed three team victories in his debut year in LIV, an individual trophy has eluded the 29-year-old Spaniard. Although he sits behind Joaquin Niemann in the individual season standings, Rahm has arguably been, on paper, one of the most consistent players in LIV Golf this season. He leads the league in both GIR (73.41 percent) and birdies per round (5.14) and ranks in the top-10 in driving distance, putting average and scrambling. Rahm has made the cut in each of the last four Open Championships, finishing T2 and T3 in 2023 and 2021, respectively.
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T17
- LIV Golf Standings: 11th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 15
- Qualification for Open Championship: Winner of the 2020 Masters
- Best Open Championship finish: T2 (2011)
- Performance at 2023 Open Championship: MC
- Performance at recent majors: MC at 2024 U.S. Open Championship, T43 at 2024 PGA Championship, MC at 2024 Masters
After missing the cut at the U.S. Open and finishing T51 at LIV Golf Nashville, Johnson rebounded with a respectable T17 finish in Andalucia. The 4Aces captain has just three top-10 finishes this season, including his victory in Las Vegas in February. Johnson ranks 10th in the league in GIR (70.56 percent), and while his 57.62 percent driving accuracy ranks 25th this season, he was able to navigate the challenging Valderrama course off the tee, finishing eighth at 59.52 percent. Johnson missed the cut in the 2023 Open Championship, but he finished in the top-10 in each of the prior two years, and he finished T9 at Royal Troon in 2016.
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T27
- LIV Golf Standings: 8th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 10
- Qualification for Open Championship: Winner of the 2023 PGA Championship
- Best Open Championship finish: T4 (2019)
- Performance at 2023 Open Championship: T64
- Performance at recent majors: T26 at 2024 U.S. Open Championship, T26 at 2024 PGA Championship, T45 at 2024 Masters.
Following his outing in the U.S. Open Championship, Koepka has failed to crack the top-24 in the last two LIV Golf tournaments, including a T42 finish in Nashville, which was his second-worst outing of the season. The Smash GC captain remains in the top-10 of the individual season standings, thanks in large part to his victory in Singapore. Koepka ranks in the top-20 in most statistical categories this season, though his 38.10 percent driving accuracy in Andalucia ranked 50th in the field. He's made the cut in seven of his nine previous Open Championship outings, including a five-tournament stretch where he finished in the top-10 four times.
Other Contenders
Adrian Meronk (200-1)
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T42
- LIV Golf Standings: 15th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 3
- Qualification for Open Championship: Top-30 in 2023 Race to Dubai
- Best Open Championship finish: T23 (2023)
- Performance at recent majors: MC at 2024 U.S. Open Championship, MC at 2024 PGA Championship, MC at 2024 Masters.
Meronk has hit a slump following his runner-up finish at LIV Golf Houston, with the Polish golfer missing the cut at the U.S. Open and finishing outside the top-30 at both LIV Golf Nashville and LIV Golf Andalucia. Meronk ranks 12th in LIV Golf this season in putts per hole (1.58), 16th in driving distance (309.1 yards) and 18th in GIR (68.52 percent), but his 54.76 percent driving accuracy is in the bottom half of the field. He has missed the cut in three consecutive majors, but he did finish T23 at the Open in 2023 and also made the cut in 2022.
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: 3rd
- LIV Golf Standings: 4th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 12
- Qualification for Open Championship: OWGR Top-50
- Best Open Championship finish: T5 (2016)
- Performance at 2023 Open Championship: T20
- Performance at recent majors: T26 at 2024 U.S. Open Championship, T63 at 2024 PGA Championship, T9 at 2024 Masters.
Hatton is also in contention for the title of LIV Golf's most consistent player. Unlike his Legion XIII teammate and captain Rahm, Hatton has claimed an individual trophy in his debut year, winning in Nashville by a commanding six strokes. Hatton has accrued points towards the LIV Golf individual season standings in every single tournament, thanks in large part to his putting game, with his 1.52 putts per hole ranked second in the league. After missing the cut in five of his first six Open Championship outings, Hatton has made it to the weekend in four of his last five appearances at the oldest major.
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T17
- LIV Golf Standings: 6th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 3
- Qualification for Open Championship: Winner of the 2023 Joburg Open
- Best Open Championship finish: T11 (2023)
- Performance at recent majors: 69th at 2024 U.S. Open Championship, T12 at 2024 PGA Championship
Burmester got off to a five-under start in Andalucia and entered the second round as the clubhouse leader. Things quickly turned sour for the South African, however, after he carded a four-over 75 on Saturday that included a stretch of five bogeys over seven holes. Burmester ranks fifth in LIV Golf this season in driving distance (316.2 yards), eighth in scrambling (66.25 percent) and 12th in both GIR (70.37 percent) and putts per hole (1.58), though his 52.86 percent driving accuracy is 41st, which could get him into trouble at Royal Troon. Like Meronk, Burmester has made the cut in each of his two Open Championship outings.
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T6
- LIV Golf Standings: 1st
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 5
- Qualification for Open Championship: Winner of the 2023 Australian Open
- Best Open Championship finish: T53 (2022)
- Performance at 2023 Open Championship: MC
- Performance at recent majors: T39 at 2024 PGA Championship, T22 at 2024 Masters.
Niemann's reign at the top of the LIV Golf individual season standings continues after his eighth top-10 finish of the year in Andalucia. The Torque GC captain leads the league in birdies per round (4.8), and he ranks second, third and sixth in driving distance (320.1 yards), GIR (72.22 percent) and putts per hole (1.56), respectively. He hasn't had a lot of success across his four prior outings at the Open Championship, but he has made the cut in each of his two previous major outings.
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T42
- LIV Golf Standings: 38th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: Debut
- Qualification for Open Championship: Top-five International Federation ranking
- Performance at recent majors: MC at 2024 PGA Championship
Ogletree has finished T29 or worse in all but one LIV Golf tournament this season, with his third-place finish in Adelaide being the exception. While he ranks 12th this season in putts per hole (1.58), he ranks 50th and 51st in driving accuracy (49.29 percent) and GIR (60.56 percent), respectively, which will give him a lot of trouble at Royal Troon. The 152nd Open Championship will be the fourth major outing in Ogletree's career.
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T27
- LIV Golf Standings: 31st
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: Debut
- Qualification for Open Championship: Winner of the 2024 IRS Prima Malaysia Open
- Performance at recent majors: 55th at 2024 U.S. Open Championship, MC at 2024 Masters.
The second Open debutant on this list, Puig has failed to accrue points in six of the last seven LIV Golf tournaments, though he did finish third in Singapore. Puig can certainly get the ball in the air, with his 315.5 yard driving distance ranking seventh in the league this year, but he also ranks 39th and 49th in driving accuracy (53.57 percent) and GIR (62.78 percent), respectively. Like Ogletree, the Open Championship at Royal Troon will be Puig's fourth major outing in his career.
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T23
- LIV Golf Standings: 24th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 3
- Qualification for Open Championship: Final Qualifying at West Lancashire
- Best Open Championship finish: T67 (2021)
- Performance at 2023 Open Championship: MC
Horsfield followed his runner-up finish at LIV Golf Nashville with a top-24 finish in Andalucia, though the Englishman struggled to find the fairway, connecting on just 38.10 percent of fairways. His 53.10 percent driving accuracy ranks 40th this season, though his 68.52 percent GIR is 18th. The upcoming Open Championship marks the ninth major of Horsfield's young career.
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: 26th
- LIV Golf Standings: 12th
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 6
- Qualification for Open Championship: Final Qualifying at Burnham and Berrow
- Best Open Championship finish: T11 (2022)
- Performance at 2023 Open Championship: T49
Ancer's streak of top-24 finishes ended at eight following his outing in Andalucia. Still, the 33-year-old was able to capture his first LIV Golf trophy of his career in Hong Kong, beating Cameron Smith and Paul Casey on the first playoff hole. Ancer leads the league in driving accuracy (68.10 percent) and ranks 10th and 12th in both GIR (70.56 percent) and putts per hole (1.58), respectively, which should translate decently well to Royal Troon. Ancer has made the cut in each of his last three Open Championship OUtings, including a T11 finish in 2022 when he was one stroke off of a top-10 finish.
- Performance at LIV Golf Andalucia: T23
- LIV Golf Standings: 42nd
- Number of Open Championship Appearances: 3
- Qualification for Open Championship: T3 at 2023 IRS Prima Malaysian Open
- Best Open Championship finish: MC
Catlin has filled in for Charles Howell III (tibia) for the last three LIV Golf tournaments, and the former has taken advantage of the opportunity, finishing top-24 in each outing. Catlin sits atop both the International Series Rankings and the Asian Tour Order of Merit, thanks to his victories at International Series Macau and the Saudi Open presented by PIF.
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