Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - EUROPEAN TOUR - BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, Turnberry (Ailsa Course), Ayrshire, Scotland - The 138th British Open Championship heads to Turnberry and the season's third major has the same defending champion as last year.
Questions abound, as they always do at majors.
Can Ireland's Padraig Harrington break out of his funk to win his third straight claret jug? Will Tiger Woods win his fourth British Open? Can Lucas Glover or Angel Cabrera win a second major this year? Can the hottest player in the game earn his first major title? And, finally, will Turnberry produce another big-name major champion?
Harrington enters the week with a chance to do something no one has done in over 50 years. With a victory this week, the Irishman would be the first to win the Open Championship three straight years since Australia's Peter Thomson did so from 1954-56. Only three others have won this championship three straight years and all three of them did it in the 1800s.
In 2007, Harrington needed a playoff to knock off Ryder Cup teammate Sergio Garcia. Then, last year, his final-round 69 was good enough for a three-shot win over Ian Poulter.
Harrington is scuffling more than he was last season entering the British Open. Last year, he had five top-five finishes, including a share of fifth at the Masters, and two missed cuts on his season. This year, Harrington has missed the cut in eight of his last 14 starts, including five in a row.
At least two top-notch competitors will miss this year's Open. World No. 2 Phil Mickelson remains away from the tour as his wife, Amy, battles breast cancer. Also, Robert Karlsson, currently No. 15 in the world, remains on the sidelines with an eye infection.
Those two may be among the players missing the season's third major, but the game's best is back in action across the pond.
Woods returns to the British Open after missing the championship last year as he recovered from knee surgery. When Woods was unable to start last year, he snapped a streak of 46 consecutive majors played, dating to his runaway win at the 1997 Masters.
The world's No. 1 player, if he collects his fourth Open Championship crown this week. would join four others who have won at least that many. Woods enters this week unfamiliar with Turnberry as he has not competed on the course before.
Glover claimed his first major championship at the U.S. Open last month and has handled himself well since then. He finished tied for 11th and tied for fifth in his next two events.
Cabrera has tackled two tough courses for his two PGA Tour wins: Oakmont, where he won the 2007 U.S. Open; and Augusta National, where he won this year's Masters. He fended off Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry in a playoff to win the Masters, while he downed Woods and Jim Furyk for his U.S. Open victory.
If Glover or Cabrera can win this week, they would make it two straight years with a dual major champion.
Meanwhile, the hottest player in golf might be Germany's Martin Kaymer. After missing two straight cuts, Kaymer posted back-to-back wins on the European Tour, besting Lee Westwood to win the Open de France and claiming a win over Raphael Jacquelin and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano at the Scottish Open.
This week's host track, the Ailsa Course at Turnberry, has produced three top- flight major champions. When the course first hosted the Open Championship in 1977, it produced one of the best British Opens in history.
In 1977, Watson and Jack Nicklaus went toe-to-toe over the final two rounds. When the dust settled, Watson had closed 65-65 to best Nicklaus by one as the Golden Bear closed 65-66. Those two ran away from the field in the Open that is known as "The Duel in the Sun."
Greg Norman cruised to a five-stroke win over Gordon J. Brand in the 1986 Open Championship, closing with a one-under 69 to end at even-par 280. It was a star-studded leaderboard with Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros and Gary Koch finishing three behind Brand.
Price and Jesper Parnevik were in a battle down the stretch in 1994, but it was the steely Price that would walk away the champion. Parnevik needed just a par at worst on the 18th hole get into a playoff. Thinking he needed birdie, Parnevik gambled with his approach and missed the green, which led to a bogey. Price played a pair of iron shots to the green and calmly two-putted for the victory and his third major championship crown.
The championship will be well-covered by TNT and ABC this weekend, with daylong broadcasts scheduled for all four rounds.
Next week on the European Tour is the SAS Masters, which was won by Peter Hanson last year.
PGA TOUR
U.S. BANK CHAMPIONSHIP, Brown Deer Park Golf Course, Milwaukee, Wisconsin - During last year's U.S. Bank Championship, seven players held or shared the lead in the final round.
Among them was Richard S. Johnson, who closed with a six-under 64 to claim his first PGA Tour win. Johnson defeated Ken Duke by a stroke at 16-under 264, but will not be in the field to defend his title.
Instead, Johnson will be competing in the British Open, which is playing opposite the stop in Milwaukee.
While the U.S. Bank Championship lacks star power, there are three 2009 PGA Tour winners in the field -- Michael Bradley, Mark Wilson and Jerry Kelly -- and a host of other well-known players, including former major champion Corey Pavin, who owns multiple wins in Milwaukee.
Golf Channel will have coverage of all four rounds beginning at 4 p.m. (et) each day.
Next week on the PGA Tour is the RBC Canadian Open, where Chez Reavie won last season.
CANADIAN TOUR
CANADIAN TOUR PLAYERS CUP, Pine Ridge Golf Club, Winnipeg, Manitoba - This $200,000 tournament occupies a unique position in the schedule as the final chance for players to qualify for the PGA Tour's Canadian Open.
The winner, as well as the top five players on the Canadian Tour money list at the end of the week, will earn exemptions into the Canadian Open, which begins July 23.
Last year, Wes Heffernan closed with a five-under 66 on Sunday to hold off a hard-charging Dustin Risdon (62) and John Ellis (66) by a shot for his fourth Canadian Tour victory.
The Canadian Open counts as the next event on the schedule. It was won by Chez Reavie last year.
