Don’t bet on an American to win the British Open

If there is anything predictable about the British Open, it’s that it will always be unpredictable.

Whether it’s wind, rain, cold or a perfect storm of all three, it’s fair to say that the person holding the prestigious Claret Jug Sunday afternoon will have survived a gauntlet of obstacles.

The 140th British Open — held at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England — runs for four days beginning Thursday. All TV coverage here in the States will be handled by ESPN.

Unlike many tournaments, this one is not about the golfers who can bomb it the furthest off the tee. Links courses are all about precision and avoiding the potential land mines in the form of pot bunkers, tall grass, deep rough and rolling fairways. Even the best of shots can be punished by a bad bounce or roll.

So who has what it takes to make the fewest mistakes and recover from the inevitable bad breaks? All conversations have to start with Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (pictured), who destroyed the field last month in winning the U.S. Open. His length and accuracy are both superb, and he showed he has the temperament to win on the biggest stage (especially nice to see after he completely folded with a lead in The Masters).

Suffice it to say that the winner most likely won’t be American. With Tiger Woods injured (and struggling when he does play), no player on this side of the Atlantic has emerged to dominate internationally. Phil Mickelson is way too erratic to win the British, so the best chance we most likely have is Steve Stricker, Nick Watney or Matt Kuchar — all of whom have yet to win a major.

We would never be one to condone gambling, but here are bodog’s favorites and odds to win it all this week:

Rory McIlroy: 7/1
Lee Westwood: 11/1
Luke Donald: 11/1
Martin Kaymer: 22/1
Nick Watney: 28/1
Sergio Garcia: 28/1
Graeme McDowell: 30/1
Steve Stricker: 30/1
Jason Day: 33/1
K.J. Choi: 35/1
Matt Kuchar: 35/1
Charl Schwartzel: 40/1
Dustin Johnson: 40/1
Justin Rose: 40/1
Padraig Harrington: 40/1
Phil Mickelson: 40/1

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