Be Prepared For Carnage At Carnoustie
The course they’ll be playing this week is Carnoustie, which is one of the traditional Open courses. It is well known for its tough scoring and famous incidents, including when Frenchman Jean Van De Velde took his shoes off on the 18th to play out of the burn in 1999. There’ll be a few players from that Open Championship playing this week.
Heart Felt Memories For Harrington
At the time of writing this preview, Padraig Harrington is the clear favourite to win with Rhino at 4/1. It’s easy to see why; he’s a two-time Open Championship winner and finished runner-up at this event the last two years. Coming back to Carnoustie will also bring back happy memories, as he won his first Open Championship here in 2007, so he knows his way around.
Last week, he played well at the Open, where he made the cut and finished in a tie for 22nd, which was a respectable effort. If he can put in another performance like that, then he surely is going to be there or thereabouts. However, at his current price, I’m happy to leave him alone.
Green Going Close
When it comes to my main selection for this year’s Seniors Open, I quite like the chances of Richard Green at 20/1. The Australian has gone close several times this year on the Senior Tour especially in the majors. Back in May, he finished second in the Senior PGA Championship, and then last month, he finished third at the Senior US Open, so he seems to raise his game for the big events. Like Harrington, he won’t mind coming back to Carnoustie, as his best ever finish at the Open Championship came in 2007, where he finished fourth. As long as he can keep the ball in play this week, I think he can build on his major near misses and get across the line here.
Cejka The Defending Champion
The defending champion going into this year’s Senior Open is Alex Cejka. He is a player who hadn’t really shown too much of an appetite for Links golf during his career until recently. Last year, he showed some great battling qualities at Royal Porthcawl, where the winning score was +5 over par. Even at this year’s Open Championship, he wasn’t disgraced, as he made the cut and finished in a tie for 75th. I wouldn’t be surprised if he put up a good defence, and at 22/1, he’s one to keep on side.
Vijay Can Be Victorious
My flyer for the week is going to be Vijay Singh. The Fijian has been one of the best players in the game over the past 30 years. He’s a former World Number One and three-time major champion. Though he’s never won an Open Championship, he has still played well on links courses in the past, which included a runner-up showing in 2003. Furthermore, at last year’s event, he finished in a clear third place and was only a couple of shots off the lead. In 2024, the 61-year-old has shown that he still has the ability after some Top 10 finishes. At 55/1, I can see him being competitive again and being in and around the leaders.
Seniors Open Shortlist
Richard Green EW (20/1)
Alex Cejka EW (22/1)
Vijay Singh EW (55/1)
