Top-20 players who could contend at Birkdale
A capsule look at 20 top players who could contend in the British Open, to be played July 17-20 at Royal Birkdale:
TREVOR IMMELMAN
Age: 28.
Country: South Africa
World ranking: 15.
Majors: Masters (2007)
Best result at a British Open: T15 at St. Andrews in 2005.
2008 Majors: Masters-1, US Open-T65
Worldwide victories: 9.
British Open highlight: Has never missed the cut in five appearances.
British Open lowlight: Has never broken par in the final round.
Noteworthy: The last British Open champion at Royal Birkdale also won the Masters (Mark O'Meara) that year.
GEOFF OGILVY
Age: 31
Country: Australia.
World ranking: 4.
Majors: U.S. Open (2006).
Best result at a British Open: T5 at St. Andrews in 2005.
2008 Majors: Masters-T39, US Open-T9.
Worldwide victories: 6.
British Open highlight: Going 67-69 on the weekend at St. Andrews in 2005 to tie for fifth.
British Open lowlight: Making his debut in 1999 at Carnoustie with an 81.
Noteworthy: In the last 50 majors, he's the only winner from Australia.
SERGIO GARCIA
Age: 28.
Country: Spain
World ranking: 7.
Majors: None.
Best result at a British Open: Playoff loss at Carnoustie in 2007.
2008 Majors: Masters-MC, US Open-T18
Worldwide victories: 17.
British Open highlight: Getting into a playoff with Padraig Harrington at Carnoustie.
British Open lowlight: Losing the playoff and whining about never getting any breaks.
Noteworthy: He has finished in the top 5 at the last three British Opens.
ERNIE ELS
Age: 38.
Country: South Africa
World ranking: 6.
Majors: US Open (1994, 1997), British Open (2002).
Best result at a British Open: Won.
2008 Majors: Masters-MC, US Open-T14.
Worldwide victories: 60.
British Open highlight: Winning at Muirfield in the only sudden-death finish ever at a British Open playoff.
British Open lowlight: Going head-to-head with Todd Hamilton over the final 40 holes at Royal Troon before losing in a playoff.
Noteworthy: Has finished runner-up to Tiger Woods seven times, more than any other player.
JUSTIN ROSE
Age: 27.
Country: England
World ranking: 9.
Majors: None.
Best result at a British Open: T4 in 1998.
2008 Majors: Masters-T36, US Open-MC.
Worldwide victories: 6.
British Open highlight: Pitching in for birdie on the 18th hole at Royal Birkdale to tie for fourth as a 17-year-old amateur.
British Open lowlight: Turning pro the day after Birkdale and missing the cut in his next 21 tournaments.
Noteworthy: He has not had a top-10 finish at the British Open since turning pro.
PHIL MICKELSON
Age: 38.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 2.
Majors: Masters (2004, 2006), PGA Championship (2005).
Best result at a British Open: 3rd at Royal Troon.
2008 Majors: Masters-T5, US Open-T18.
Worldwide victories: 35.
British Open highlight: Finishing one shot out of a playoff at Royal Troon in 2004, his only top 10 in the British Open.
British Open lowlight: An 85 in the third round at Royal Birkdale in 1998, his highest score as a professional.
Noteworthy: In 15 appearances at the British Open, he has finished only three tournaments under par.
ADAM SCOTT
Age: 28.
Country: Australia.
World ranking: 3.
Majors: None.
Best result at a British Open: T8 at Royal Liverpool in 2006.
2008 Majors: Masters-T25, US Open-T26.
Worldwide victories: 15.
British Open highlight: Making his major championship debut at St. Andrews in 2000.
British Open lowlight: Failing to break par on the Old Course to miss the cut.
Noteworthy: Has not finished in the top 10 of a major since 2006, the only player in the world's top 10 with such a streak.
JIM FURYK
Age: 38.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 12.
Majors: U.S. Open (2003).
Best result at a British Open: Fourth, mostly recently at Royal Liverpool in 2006.
2008 Majors: Masters-T33, US Open-T36.
Worldwide victories: 16.
British Open highlight: Finished two shots out of the playoff at Royal Birkdale in 1998.
British Open lowlight: Went five straight years without making the cut.
Noteworthy: He has shot par or better in his last nine rounds at the British Open.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON
Age: 36.
Country: Ireland.
World ranking: 13.
Majors: British Open (2007).
Best result at a British Open: Won.
2008 Majors: Masters-T5, US Open-T36.
Worldwide victories: 19.
British Open highlight: Holing a 3-foot bogey putt to win a playoff at Carnoustie.
British Open lowlight: Twice hitting into Barry Burn on the 18th hole and making double bogey at Carnoustie to lose a one-shot lead.
Noteworthy: He has not won since the British Open.
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ
Age: 44.
Country: Spain.
World ranking: 21.
Majors: None.
Best result at a British Open: T3 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 2001.
2008 Majors: Masters-T8, US Open-T6.
Worldwide victories: 16.
British Open highlight: Starting the final round at Royal Lytham one shot out of the lead.
British Open lowlight: Making back-to-back bogeys in the final round at Lytham to fall off the pace.
Noteworthy: One of five players to have top 10s in both majors this year.
LEE WESTWOOD
Age: 35.
Country: England.
World ranking: 18.
Majors: None.
Best result at a British Open: 4th at Royal Troon in 2004.
2008 Majors: Masters-T11, US Open-3.
Worldwide victories: 28.
British Open highlight: British bookmakers installed him as a co-favorite with Tiger Woods at Royal Birkdale in 1998.
British Open lowlight: Shot 78-78 on the weekend at Royal Birkdale to tie for 64th.
Noteworthy: His only top 10s at the British Open have come at Royal Troon.
HUNTER MAHAN
Age: 26
Country: United States.
World ranking: 34.
Majors: None.
Best result at a British Open: T6 at Carnoustie in 2007.
2008 Majors: Masters-MC, US Open-T18.
Worldwide victories: 1.
British Open highlight: A 69-65 weekend at Carnoustie for his first top 10 in a major.
British Open lowlight: Failing to qualify for St. Andrews, the only British Open he has missed since his rookie season in 2004.
Noteworthy: British Open is the only major where he has never missed the cut.
BRANDT SNEDEKER
Age: 27.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 38.
Majors: None.
Best result at a British Open: First appearance.
2008 Majors: Masters-T3, US Open-T9.
Worldwide victories: 1.
British Open highlight: Arranging for a practice round at Royal Birkdale with idol Tom Watson.
British Open lowlight: Making bogey on the final hole of British Open qualifying last year to miss by one shot.
Noteworthy: Only other links experience was failing to qualify for match play in the 2001 British Amateur at Prestwick.
COLIN MONTGOMERIE
Age: 45.
Country: Scotland.
World ranking: 80.
Majors: None.
Best result at a British Open: 2nd at St. Andrews in 2005.
2008 Majors: Masters-DNP, US Open-MC.
Worldwide victories: 37.
British Open highlight: Within one shot of Tiger Woods with nine holes to play in 2005 at St. Andrews and finished alone in second.
British Open lowlight: Tripped on his way to breakfast and injured his hand in 2003, then withdrew seven holes into the first round.
Noteworthy: Has missed the cut in his last two British Opens.
BOO WEEKLEY
Age: 34.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 28.
Majors: None.
Best result at a British Open: T35 at Carnoustie in 2007.
2008 Majors: Masters-T20, US Open-T26.
Worldwide victories: 2.
British Open highlight: Going into the weekend four shots out of the lead at his first British Open.
British Open lowlight: Asking former British Open champion Paul Lawrie if he had to qualify to play at Carnoustie last year.
Noteworthy: The British Open is his favorite major because ``you ain't got to hit just one club.''
ANTHONY KIM
Age: 23.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 14.
Majors: None.
Best result at a British Open: First appearance.
2008 Majors: Masters-DNP, US Open-T26.
Worldwide victories: 2.
British Open highlight: Moving into the top 50 after first victory to qualify for the first time.
British Open lowlight: Watching on TV last year.
Noteworthy: Two victories this year have come at Quail Hollow and Congressional.
DAVIS LOVE III
Age: Age: 44.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 149.
Majors: PGA Championship (1997).
Best result at a British Open: T3 at Royal St. George's in 2003.
2008 Majors: Masters-DNP, US Open-T53.
Worldwide victories: 20.
British Open highlight: Hitting a 3-inch wide out-of-bounds stake in the third round at Royal St. George's in 2003 to escape trouble and go into the final round one shot out of the lead.
British Open lowlight: Missing the cut three years in a row.
Noteworthy: His fourth-round scoring average is 69.8.
STEWART CINK
Age: 35.
Country: United States.
Majors: None.
World ranking: 5.
Best result at a British Open: T6 at Carnoustie in 2007.
2008 Majors: Masters-T3, US Open-T14.
Worldwide victories: 7.
British Open highlight: Playing with Padraig Harrington in the final round of Carnoustie in the third-to-last group in 2007.
British Open lowlight: Failing to break 80 in two rounds at Carnoustie in 1999.
Noteworthy: Won for the first time in four years at the Travelers Championship.
VIJAY SINGH
Age: 45.
Country: Fiji.
World ranking: 10.
Majors: Masters (2000), PGA Championship (1998, 2004).
Best result at a British Open: T2 at Royal St. George's in 2003.
2008 Majors: Masters-T14, US Open-T65.
Worldwide victories: 53.
British Open highlight: Finishing one shot behind Ben Curtis at Royal St. George's in 2003.
British Open lowlight: Shot 84 in the second round at Carnoustie in 1999, his highest score in a major.
Noteworthy: Has gone his longest stretch without winning on the PGA Tour in seven years.
ANDRES ROMERO
Age: 27.
Country: Argentina.
World ranking: 25.
Majors: None.
Best result at a British Open: 3rd at Carnoustie in 2007.
2008 Majors: Masters-T8, US Open-T36.
Worldwide victories: 5.
British Open highlight: Made 10 birdies in 16 holes during the final round at Carnoustie.
British Open lowlight: Made two double bogeys on the back nine in the final round at Carnoustie.
Noteworthy: Has finished in the top 10 in both British Open appearances.
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