Steve Palmer
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Open Championship week is with us again and the 2023 champion will be awarded the famous Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool on Sunday, but which of the 156 players will be proudly clutching it?
Here is our guide to every player in the field, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses and past success in golf’s Major tournaments.
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Byeong Hun An: Punched a late ticket to the Open with 3rd place at the Scottish Open on Sunday. Has no top-10 finishes in his 26 Major starts.
Abraham Ancer: His Open form is MC-MC-59-11. He won the Saudi International in February, but has been awful on the LIV circuit since.
Adri Arnaus: His Open form is MC-76 and the Spaniard has been generally dreadful since April.
Jose Luis Ballester: A Spanish amateur. The 19-year-old won the European Amateur Championship in Estonia last month.
Kyle Barker: This South African is outside the world’s top 500 but has found some form on the Sunshine Tour. This is his Major debut.
Hadyn Barron: The Australian is only just inside the world’s top 1,000. Taking 4th in the Australian Open in December secured his Major debut.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout: A 3-time DP World Tour champion, but he has been playing poorly on the PGA Tour and has Open form of MC-53-68.
Alexander Bjork: The consistent Swede who has been churning out top-10 finishes on the DP World Tour but has never made the cut in a Major.
Richard Bland: The veteran has been banking dollars on the LIV circuit. He has Open form of MC-22-67-MC.
Dan Bradbury: The Englishman won the Joburg Open in November last year and makes his Major debut this week aged 23.
Keegan Bradley: The 2011 US PGA champion tied for 19th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. He won the Travelers Championship last month but has missed the cut in the last 3 Opens.
Sam Burns: Burns’ form has dipped since he won the WGC-Match Play in March. He has Open results of 76-42 but has never had a Major top-10 finish.
Jorge Campillo: The Spaniard enjoyed purple patch in the spring, winning in Kenya, but has missed cut in all 6 of his Major starts.
Alejandro Canizares: This is his 4th Open appearance, aged 40, with previous results of 27-MC-MC. He is ranked outside the world’s top 500.
Laurie Canter: An LIV player who won the Porthcawl qualifier by 4 shots. He has Open results of MC-37-79.
Patrick Cantlay: Cantlay is consistent but is winless this year. He has solid Open results of 12-41-MC-8 but is yet to go into the Sunday of a Major with a serious chance.
Tiger Christensen: A 19-year-old German amateur who came through the West Lancashire qualifier. Set for a tough week.
Stewart Cink: The 2009 Open champion was competing on Champions Tour last week. He missed the cut in the 2006 Open at Hoylake, then was 47th in 2014.
Wyndham Clark: The new US Open champion has taken his game to a new level. He lacks links experience, though, sharing 76th place in his debut last year.
Darren Clarke: The Open champion of 2011. He missed the cut in the 2006 Open at Hoylake, then was 26th in 2014. Now playing just for fun aged 54.
Corey Conners: A Canadian greens-in-regulation machine who struggles when he gets closer to the hole. He has Open form of MC-15-28.
Harrison Crowe: A confident 21-year-old Australian amateur who is the Asia-Pacific Amateur champion. This is his Open debut after he missed the cut in the Masters in April.
John Daly: The 1995 Open champion missed the cut in the 2006 and 2014 Opens at Hoylake. Wild Thing is becoming increasingly tame at the age of 57.
Jason Day: Day tied for 58th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. The injury-plagued Aussie, the 2015 US PGA champion, has missed the cut in his last two Opens.
Bryson DeChambeau: The LIV rebel has bounced back to form in the last few months. The 2020 US Open champion has Open results of MC-51-MC-33-8.
Thomas Detry: The 30-year-old Belgian remains a maiden on both the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour. He has Open form of MC-34.
Ernie Els: The South African legend finished 3rd in the 2006 Open at Hoylake, but missed the cut in 2014. He is just making up the numbers now, aged 53.
Nacho Elvira: The inconsistent Spaniard threw away the Made In HimmerLand title the week before last. This is his Major debut.
Harris English: The Georgian missed the cut in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. He has no top-10 finishes from 7 Open starts, but has arrived in decent form this year.
Oliver Farr: This Welsh journeyman came through Porthcawl qualifier but is outside world’s top 500. He missed the cut in his Open debut last year.
Ewen Ferguson: An accurate 27-year-old Scot who has won twice on the DP World Tour. He is playing well going into his Major debut.
Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira: A 23-year-old Argentinian amateur and the Latin America Championship winner. He missed the cut in the Masters and the US Open.
Tony Finau: Finau has gone badly off the boil since winning in Mexico at the end of April and is enduring a disappointing Majors campaign.
Read Diane Knox Balas’s expert Open picks and predictions
Zack Fischer: A 33-year-old American journeyman won the Argentinian Open to book his Open debut. He has been struggling on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Alex Fitzpatrick: Matt’s younger brother came through the West Lancashire qualifier. This is his Major debut but he has a bright future.
Matt Fitzpatrick: Last year’s US Open champion won the RBC Heritage in April. He has a mediocre Open record of 44-MC-44-MC-20-26-21.
Tommy Fleetwood: The in-form Englishman is playing close to his Southport home. He missed the cut in the 2014 Open at Hoylake but was Open runner-up in 2019 and 4th last year. He should be in the mix.
Rickie Fowler: Runner-up in the 2014 Open at Hoylake, he has been resurgent this season, winning Rocket Mortgage Classic earlier this month. A huge threat this week.
Ryan Fox: A links-loving New Zealander who won the Dunhill Links Championship last year. He is yet to make any impact in an Open (49-MC-39-16-67-MC).
Talor Gooch: Gooch was player of the season on the LIV circuit, winning 3 times. He is full of confidence going into his 3rd Open start (33-34).
Branden Grace: Grace tied for 36th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. He carded the lowest round in Major history (62) in the 2017 Open, finishing 6th. He could be dangerous.
Ben Griffin: An Open debutant aged 27. The PGA Tour maiden has been struggling on that circuit for the last 5 months.
Emiliano Grillo: An Argentinian underachieverwith no top-10s in 22 Major starts. He was a fortunate winner at Colonial in May.
Seungsu Han: The in-form Korean-born American 36-year-old won the Korean Open by 6 shots to book his Open debut.
Brian Harman: The diminutive left-hander tied for 26th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. He was runner-up in 2017 US Open and 6th in the Open last year and he’s playing well right now.
Padraig Harrington: A 2-time Open champion, he missed the cut in the 2006 and 2014 Opens at Hoylake, but is playing well aged 51.
Tyrrell Hatton: A 2-time Dunhill Links champion who missed the cut in the 2014 Open at Hoylake, but was 5th in 2016 and 6th in 2019. A likely contender.
Russell Henley: Henley missed the cut in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. He has a mediocre Open record of 73-MC-20-MC-37-MC-MC-62, but is in solid form.
Lucas Herbert: A short-game master with Open results of 51-MC-15. The 3-time DP World Tour champ has 1 PGA Tour title.
Kazuki Higa: The Japanese player missed the cut in his Open debut last year. A prolific winner in his homeland, but yet to make a serious impact elsewhere.
Daniel Hillier: A big-hitting New Zealander who won the British Masters earlier this month. He is a rising star, but missed the cut in both his previous Major starts.
Kensei Hirata: A Japanese 22-year-old who won the Mizuno Open in May to book his Major debut. He has been struggling to maintain a place in the world’s top 500.
Lee Hodges: An Open debutant aged 28 and a PGA Tour maiden. This is a steep learning curve and he will do well to make the cut.
Tom Hoge: An accurate iron player who has badly lost his form over the last 4 months. He missed the cut in his Open debut last year.
Nicolai Hojgaard: The Dane earned an Open spot with 6th place in the Scottish Open on Sunday. A classy youngster playing in his 3rd Open (MC-53).
Rasmus Hojgaard: A 4-time DP World Tour champion at the age of 22. Bursting with talent, but is making his Open debut.
Max Homa: Now a 6-time PGA Tour champion, he has a terrible Majors record and Open form of 40-MC. He also lacks links experience.
Billy Horschel: The Floridian has been struggling with his swing this year and looks set to slip outside world’s top 50. He has a poor Open record and missed the cut in the 2014 Open at Hoylake.
Rikuya Hoshino: The 27-year-old Japanese player has missed the cut in his previous 2 Opens and has no top-20 finishes in Major competition.
Viktor Hovland: A 4-time PGA Tour champion with 2023 Majors form of 7-2-19 and Open results of 12-4. He looks a Major winner waiting to happen.
Sungjae Im: The South Korean won a low-grade event in his homeland in May but has been generally awful on the PGA Tour since. He has Open form of MC-81.
Hiroshi Iwata: The 42-year-old Japanese has played in 3 Opens and is yet to make a cut. That streak is likely to continue.
Jazz Janewattananond: The 27-year-old Thai has flopped in his 3 previous Opens (MC-MC-46). He qualified to play this time at Porthcawl.
Dustin Johnson: DJ tied for 12th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake and can boast 5 Open top-10 finishes. The former world #1 is a 2-time Major champion.
Zach Johnson: Zach Johnson missed the cut in the 2006 Open at Hoylake, then was 47th in 2014 before winning the Open in 2015. A 47-year-old in the twilight of his career.
Matthew Jordan: A links master who came through the West Lancashire qualifier. A Hoylake member from the age of 7, he has top-20 claims.
Takumi Kanaya: The improving Japanese won on the Asian Tour in February. He has missed the cut in his 3 previous Opens.
Kyungnam Kang: A 40-year-old South Korean making his Open debut. He has been playing well, but lacks overseas experience.
Taichi Kho: The pride of Hong Kong turned pro in February and won on the Asian Tour in March. This is his Major debut aged 22.
Michael Kim: He turned 30 last week and his career is stabilising. He had dropped outside the world’s top 1,000, but is almost back inside the top 100 now. He finished tied for 35th in his only previous Open.
Bio Kim: A Korean making his Open debut aged 32. The least likely of the quartet of Kims to make an impact this week.
Si Woo Kim: Has no top-10 finishes in his 26 Majors and poor Open record of MC-67-MC-15. He is a 4-time PGA Tour champion aged 28.
Tom Kim: The Korean ace reached 13th in the world rankings in January, but has been quiet since. A 2-time PGA Tour champion who tied for 47th in his Open debut last year.
Chris Kirk: Kirk tied for 19th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake, his best Open finish in 4 starts. A 5-time PGA Tour champion in decent form.
Kurt Kitayama: This 2-time DP World Tour champ beat an elite field to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour in March, but has a terrible Open record of MC-MC-72.
Brooks Koepka: Koepka tied for 67th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. He is now a 5-time Major champion after his PGA Championship win in May. A top-10 finisher in 4 of his last 6 Open starts.
Christo Lamprecht: The amateur champion is making his Open debut aged 22. The South African is 6ft 8in tall and has a bright future.
Romain Langasque: An underachieving Frenchman. He was the amateur champion at Carnoustie in 2015 but is yet to make any impression in an Open (65-63-MC).
Pablo Larrazabal: He missed the cut in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. He is a 9-time DP World Tour champion, but has never made an impact in a Major.
Thriston Lawrence: A 4-time DP World Tour champion aged 26. He tied for 42nd in his Open debut last year. He could make the cut without seriously contending.
Kyoung Hoon Lee: The Korean has missed 7 cuts in 11 Major starts, with no top-20 finishes, but is a 2-time PGA Tour champion.
Min Woo Lee: An Australian youngster with huge potential. The 2021 Scottish Open champion has Open results of MC-21 and is well equipped for links golf.
David Lingmerth: The Swede tied for 3rd place in the Scottish Open on Sunday to gain a last-gasp Open berth. He has Open form of 74-MC.
Hurly Long: A German with 1 victory on the Challenge Tour but who is a DP World Tour maiden. This is his Major debut and he is likely to be outclassed.
Shane Lowry: Lowry tied for 9th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake and was the 2019 Open champion. A links master who must be strongly considered again.
Joost Luiten: He finished 13 over par to miss the cut in the 2014 Open at Hoylake and has no top-20s in 20 Major starts. He has been winless for more than 5 years.
Robert MacIntyre: The Scottish left-hander has a solid Open record (6-8-34) and has made the cut in 10 of his 11 Majors. He was an impressive runner-up to Rory McIlroy in the Scottish Open last week and is a lively outsider.
Alex Maguire: An Irish amateur making his Open debut aged 22. He has been impressing on links terrain, but making the weekend would be great achievement.
Hideki Matsuyama: Tied for 39th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. The Masters champion in 2021, but is injury-plagued and has been struggling for form.
Denny McCarthy: Making his Open debut aged 30. He has played in 8 Majors and missed only 1 cut. He is playing well but lacks links experience.
Rory McIlroy: The clear tournament favourite after his win in the Scottish Open last week. He won the 2014 Open at Hoylake and has posted 4 Open top-5s since. His last Major victory was the 2014 US PGA.
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Connor McKinney: A Scottish-born Australian 21-year-old who came through Final Qualifying to earn a Major debut. He is outside world’s top 1,000.
Adrian Meronk: The Polish powerhouse is hunting a Ryder Cup debut. He tied for 42nd in his first Open last year and is a 3-time DP World Tour champion.
David Micheluzzi: The 26-year-old Aussie has rapidly climbed the world rankings over the last 18 months, winning 3 times on his home circuit. This is his Open debut.
Phil Mickelson: Mickelson tied for 22nd in the 2006 Open at Hoylake and was 23rd in 2014. He was Open champion in 2013, but has missed the cut in the last 3 editions and turned 53 last month.
Guido Migliozzi: The Italian has 3 DP World Tour titles but has missed the cut in his 2 previous Opens.
Francesco Molinari: Molinari tied for 15th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake, then won the 2018 tournament at Carnoustie, but is in dreadful form now aged 40.
Taylor Moore: The Texan made his PGA Tour breakthrough in March in the Valspar Championship. He is a solid player but little can be expected in his Open debut.
Collin Morikawa: A 2-time Major champion who lifted the Claret Jug at Royal St George’s in his Open debut 2 years ago. He is finding top form again at the ideal time.
Trey Mullinax: The Alabama slammer’s lone PGA Tour title came in last year’s low-grade Barbasol Championship. He tied for 21st in his Open debut a week later.
Keita Nakajima: A former world #1 amateur. The 23-year-old Japanese has great potential but has missed the cut in all 3 of his previous Majors.
Joaquin Niemann: A LIV defector who won twice on the PGA Tour before making the switch. He has no top-10s in 18 Major starts.
Alex Noren: The links-loving Swede has won 10 times on the DP World Tour with 4 Open top-20s on his record. He missed the cut in Scotland last week.
Thorbjorn Olesen: A 7-time DP World Tour champion, he tied for 64th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake, but is playing well this year.
Louis Oosthuizen: He missed cut in the 2006 Open at Hoylake, but was 36th there in 2014 and the Open champion in 2010. He has been struggling for fitness and form aged 40.
Adrian Otaegui: The Spaniard defected to LIV before getting axed from the 2023 roster. He has missed the cut in his last 4 Majors.
Yannik Paul: An improving German making his Open debut. He is a solid player, but back niggles have developed at an inopportune time.
Marco Penge: The 25-year-old Englishman came through Final Qualifying. He missed cut on Open debut 12 months ago and has been struggling on the Challenge Tour.
Victor Perez: The Frenchman has lost his form since finishing 12th in the US PGA in May. He has missed the cut in 7 of his 11 Majors.
Thomas Pieters: The Belgian was a late defector to LIV and is a 6-time DP World Tour champion. He has made the cut in all 5 of his Open starts without contending.
JT Poston: A 2-time PGA Tour champion who has no top-30s from his 11 previous Majors. He tied for 6th in Scotland on Sunday.
Seamus Power: The Irishman withdrew from Scottish Open last week after 9 holes, suffering with hip problems. He missed the cut in his Open debut last year.
Andrew Putnam: The 34-year-old from Washington state has no top-30s from his 11 Major starts and is an unappealing option.
Jon Rahm: The Masters champion was the only member of the world’s top 5 to skip last week’s Scottish Open to stay fresh for his Hoylake debut. The 2-time Irish Open winner on a links course has to be considered.
Richie Ramsay: An accurate Scotsman with a passion for links golf. His last victory came at a course close to Hoylake (Hillside) in the Cazoo Classic. He is playing well, but has a poor Majors record.
Patrick Reed: Reed missed the cut in the 2014 Open at Hoylake, but the 2018 Masters champion has 3 Open top-20s on his record and has been playing well on the LIV circuit.
Davis Riley: This is an Open debut for the sweet-swinging Mississippi man. He won the Zurich Classic PGA Tour pairs event alongside Nick Hardy in April but lacks links experience.
Graeme Robertson: A 35-year-old Scot who came through the Dundonald Links qualifier for his Open debut having spent 7 years working in a desk job.
Brandon Robinson Thompson: A 30-year-old making his Open debut. He has been effective on minor tours, but the qualifier is making huge step up in class.
Martin Rohwer: An Open debut for the 29-year-old South African who came through the Cinque Ports qualifier. He has been in tidy Sunshine Tour form, but is ranked outside the world’s top 700.
Justin Rose: Rose tied for 23rd in the 2014 Open at Hoylake and was 4th in his Open debut as an amateur in 1998 and 2nd in 2018, but he has a generally disappointing Open record.
Antoine Rozner: A greens-in-regulation machine who lacks putting touch but is a 3-time DP World Tour champion. He tied for 59th in his only previous Open.
Kalle Samooja: Makes his Open debut aged 35. The Finn has never made a cut in a Major and his lone DP World Tour title came last year in Germany.
Check out the best Open prop bets from Diane Knox Balas
Xander Schauffele: A consistent Majors performer who tied for 2nd in the 2018 Open and won the Scottish Open last year. He has been on leaderboards all season without winning.
Scottie Scheffler: The world #1 is a 2-time winner this year, with incredible ball-striking form and an Open record of 8-21. He lacks links experience in comparison to other members of elite.
Adam Schenk: An Open debutant aged 31. He has won once on the Korn Ferry Tour and was runner-up in a PGA Tour event in May. He is playing well.
Charl Schwartzel: He tied for 22nd in the 2006 Open at Hoylake and was 7th in the 2014 tournament there. An LIV defector with a putting bugbear.
Adam Scott: Scott tied for 8th in the 2006 Open at Hoylake and was 5th in the 2014 edition there. He has been playing well for 2 months and the former world #1 and Masters champion has every chance.
Taiga Semikawa: A former world #1 amateur making his way as a pro. Has already won 3 times on the Japan Tour and is an enormous talent making his Major debut.
Shubhankar Sharma: The Indian has finished 51st in both of his previous Opens. He is a 2-time DP World Tour winner, but is lacking form and confidence.
Callum Shinkwin: A 2-time DP World Tour champion with Open results of MC-MC-41. A qualifier who has been struggling to make cuts lately.
Marcel Siem: The fiery German won his 5th DP World Tour title in February. He has an Open record of 27-MC-MC-MC-15 but is playing well.
Cameron Smith: The defending champion is a Hoylake debutant. He warmed up by winning LIV Golf London last time out and has found his form at the ideal time.
Jordan Smith: A strong ball-striker with 2 DP World Tour titles and an Open record of MC-47. He could make the cut without contending.
Travis Smyth: An Open debut for the 28-year-old Aussie who has won on the Australasian Tour and the Asian Tour. He has been playing well in Asia.
Matthew Southgate: A links lover who is a Carnoustie member, but missed the cut in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. A qualifier in decent nick.
Jordan Spieth: Spieth tied for 36th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake and was the Open winner in 2017. He is a 3-time Major champion but has had wrist problems this year.
Scott Stallings: He missed the cut in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. He has 3 PGA Tour wins, but none since 2014, and an abysmal Majors record.
Henrik Stenson: The Swede tied for 48th in the 2006 Open at Hoylake, then was 39th in 2014. He was the Open champion in 2016 and the LIV defector is in decent form.
Michael Stewart: A Scot making his Open debut aged 33. He was a much-touted youngster but has been struggling on Challenge Tour.
Sepp Straka: The 30-year-old Austrian won his second PGA Tour title in the recent John Deere Classic. He missed the cut in his Open debut last year.
Ockie Strydom: An Open debut for the 38-year-old South African. He has won 2 low-grade DP World Tour titles this season, but has been terrible recently.
Connor Syme: An accurate 27-year-old Scot who has missed the cut in all 3 of his previous Majors. He has won once on the Challenge Tour.
Nick Taylor: A Canadian hero after winning his national Open last month – his third PGA Tour title. He is an Open debutant and lacks links experience.
Sahith Theegala: A cavalier Californian who tied for 34th in his Open debut last year. He was 9th in his Masters debut in April and is talented but inexperienced.
Justin Thomas: A former world #1 and 2-time Major champion who is enduring a crisis of confidence. He has missed 3 of his last five cuts and has a poor Open record.
Brendon Todd: Tied for 39th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. A weak driver, but he is accurate and putts well. He has missed his last 4 Major cuts.
Sami Valimaki: A flashy Finn who goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. This is his Open debut but he has never made the cut in a Major.
Matt Wallace: The Londoner has an Open record of MC-51-40 but is a prolific winner (4 times on the DPWT, once on the PGA Tour).
Marc Warren: Tied for 39th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake for his best Open finish. A 4-time DP World Tour winner, but he has been outside world’s top 100 for 7 years.
Gunner Wiebe: The American, 34, reached the world’s top 1,000 by finishing 2nd in the British Masters at start of this month.
Danny Willett: Willett missed the cut in the 2014 Open at Hoylake but was the Masters champion in 2016. He has twice finished 6th in Opens, but is in poor form.
Oliver Wilson: He has missed the cut in 5 of his 6 Open starts and has no top-10s in Major competition.
Gary Woodland: Tied for 39th in the 2014 Open at Hoylake. The US Open champion in 2019 has been winless since and has missed the cut in his last 3 Opens.
Kazuki Yasumori: Japanese player making his Open debut aged 25. He is outside the world’s top 900.
Cameron Young: The powerhouse lost form for 3 months after the Masters, but bounced back with 6th spot in the John Deere Classic. He was the Open runner-up last year in his debut.
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