The British Open each season invites competitors back to the home of golf, and it presents a singular challenge even for the most accomplished individuals in the sport. Certain players revere links golf, appreciating its diverse strategies and the emphasis on imagination when using the terrain’s natural formations to maneuver the ball around the course. Conversely, others find it perpetually perplexing.
What elevates the career grand slam to such a prestigious position in golfing annals? Achieving this distinction necessitates expertise across all varieties of golf courses — a feat some are simply incapable of accomplishing on links. The recent Scottish Open showcased this difficulty, and as the 2025 Open Championship draws near this week at Royal Portrush, the question arises whether any participants will have assimilated insights from recent competitions.
Even past major titleholders face adversity in these settings, warranting a detailed examination of five such figures who have historically struggled to conquer Open Championship courses. Some are relatively new to Open competition, affording them ample opportunity to master the nuances of links play, whereas others have remained unable to replicate their successes attained elsewhere.
Keep the following in mind as you formulate your selections for The Open this week.
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Scottie Scheffler (9/2): To start, it’s important to note: Scheffler’s “difficulties” are only relative to his usual level of performance. Still, in four Open appearances, Scheffler has always made the cut, never finishing below T23, with a best finish of T7. It is the only major where he hasn’t placed in the top 5, primarily due to challenges on the slower greens found in the United Kingdom.
Scheffler has lost strokes on the greens compared to the rest of the field in his last three Opens. Extending this to include Scottish Opens, he’s lost strokes putting in his last six visits across the Atlantic. The greens on links courses have a distinct character compared to those stateside, and while Scheffler’s ball-striking skills are universally applicable, his putting can occasionally be a weak spot.
To reiterate, Scheffler’s performance at the Open is commendable compared to others, yet it appears to be the remaining hurdle in his ascent to legendary status.
Bryson DeChambeau (20-1): It’s significant that DeChambeau is not among the top 3 in the odds this week, considering he has consistently been mentioned alongside Scheffler and Rory McIlroy leading up to majors earlier in the year. In seven Open starts, DeChambeau has one top 10 finish (T8 in 2022), three missed cuts (including 2024) and no finishes better than T44.
It is plausible that DeChambeau’s playing style hasn’t been effective on the links. He typically launches the ball high and has occasionally struggled in windy conditions. The Open often involves at least a day or two of strong winds, and DeChambeau hasn’t yet mastered navigating the links in those conditions. He’s also lost strokes on the green in each of the last three years, due to the combination of slower greens and adverse weather.
Despite previous difficulties, DeChambeau believes he will break through in the 2025 edition of The Open. He claims to feel more confident in his swing and equipment and is becoming more comfortable on the greens.
“Whenever I’ve been here, for some reason, my golf swing hasn’t been optimal,” DeChambeau stated on Tuesday. “At the moment, it feels the best it ever has. I’m hitting the ball far and as straight as possible, while also learning how to improve my putting on these greens in windy and wet conditions. It’s a learning process. It will require some time, as it’s an experience I never encountered while growing up in California.”
Time will tell, but so far, his preferred playing style and links golf have not been a good match. DeChambeau’s challenge is recognizing where adaptation is needed because the course will not yield.
Justin Thomas (50-1): Thomas has yet to achieve a top 10 finish at an Open, with his best being T11 at Royal Portrush in 2019. He has three missed cuts and no other finishes in the top 30. Given his playing style, which seems well-suited for links golf, his struggles at The Open (and Scottish Open) are somewhat surprising.
Thomas is known for his shot-making ability, adapting trajectories and manipulating ball flight with his irons — a skill that typically proves advantageous in these settings. However, he has been unable to replicate his success on this side of the Atlantic, and has never truly been a contender for a Claret Jug. Consistency from round to round has been an issue, last year being a prominent example, as he started strongly, placing third after the first round, but steadily declined to T31 by the week’s end.
His past struggles at The Open are the primary reason for his 50-1 odds, a departure from his usual 25-1 to 35-1 range. His task this week involves figuring out how to dominate the links across all four rounds, not just one.
Matt Fitzpatrick (55-1): Ordinarily, The Open provides English, Scottish, and Irish golfers an advantage over their American counterparts, but Fitzpatrick hasn’t experienced this benefit. He was the low amateur in 2013 but has never finished above T20 (2019), with two missed cuts in his eight professional starts. Fitzpatrick has achieved top 10 finishes at every major except The Open, and whether due to the pressure of playing at home or a game that isn’t fully calibrated for the links, he has yet to perform at his peak there.
Hideki Matsuyama (66-1): Matsuyama, another exceptional ball-striker who hasn’t achieved the expected success at The Open, has, in fact, seen his Open performance decline over time. Despite a T6 finish in his 2013 debut, that remains his only top 10 finish, with three missed cuts and three other top 20s in an Open career that pales in comparison to his consistent contention in other majors.
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