The 2022 British Open gets underway on Thursday from the Old Course at St. Andrews. Here are the top five groups.
5) Zach Johnson/Billy Horschel/Corey Conners
There is a lot to like about this group. Zach Johnson of Iowa City, Iowa is a two-time major champion as he previously won the 2007 Masters and 2015 British Open. Billy Horschel has not won a major, but has won the 2021 World Matchplay Championship, and Masters contender Corey Conners of Canada, who has finished in the top 10 at Augusta the last three years.
4) Francisco Molinari/Tommy Fleetwood/Justin Rose
This group has two major champions in Francesco Molinari of Italy (the 2018 British Open champion), and Justin Rose of England (the 2013 United States Open champion). They are grouped with Tommy Fleetwood of England, the five-time European Tour winner who has finished in the top five in four majors, including the 2022 PGA Championship.
3) Will Zalatoris/Tony Finau/Hideki Matsuyama
This group has American Will Zalatoris, who has been in the top eight in six majors over the last three years, but is still looking for his first major title. He is joined by Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, the 2021 Masters champion, and Tony Finau of the United States, who has had 10 top-10 finishes at majors since 2015.
2) Shane Lowry/Justin Thomas/Viktor Hovland
There are two major champions here as Shane Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, is teamed up with Justin Thomas, the 2017 PGA Championship winner, and the 2022 PGA Championship winner. The third golfer in the group is Norway’s Viktor Hovland, the ninth ranked player in the world.
1) Collin Morikawa/Xander Schauffele/Rory McIlroy
This group has combined for six major titles and an Olympic gold medal. McIlroy won the 2011 United States Open, the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship and 2014 British Open. Morikawa won the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 British Open. Schauffele won the gold medal for the United States at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
