ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Rory McIlroy entered this week as a clear favorite to win the 150th Open Championship — no surprise given that he owns three straight top-10 finishes in the 2022 major championships to this point — at the course that perhaps fits him better than any of the others. As the week has progressed with Round 1 action nearly underway, McIlroy maintains his spot atop the oddsboard at 9-1, according to Caesars Sportsbook.
McIlroy, interestingly enough, has never finished in the top 10 at all four majors in a single season — something he probably doesn’t care much about unless that statistic includes a victory but nonetheless remains an achievable mark this week at the Old Course at St. Andrews. He missed The Open the last time it was held at St. Andrews in 2015 with a soccer injury. He almost certainly would have entered as the favorite that year as well after winning two of the prior four majors. In 2010, he infamously opened with 63 but shot 80 in Round 2 only to finish T3 behind Louis Oosthuizen and Lee Westwood.
“For me, [this Open Championship] feels more consequential because I’ve played really well the first three majors,” McIlroy told CBS Sports this week. “I got off to a great start at Southern Hills, couldn’t really keep it rolling. I had a decent chance at the U.S. Open as well. I finished second at Augusta [National], but I felt like I never had a chance that week. I’ve had three really strong finishes in the majors without getting over the line. I think, for me, that’s why it feels more consequential. I’m going in knowing that I’m playing good golf, so it’s another really good chance for me to break this drought I’ve been on for quite a while.
“As well, I missed the last Open at St. Andrews because I was injured. I never got a chance to defend my title from the previous year. I never got a chance to go to the champions dinner. Never got a chance to do…
Source : cbssports
