British Open Predictions: Day Two Three-Ball Predictions & Picks
Full transparency, my Opening Round three-ball picks didn’t go quite as planned, but I’m ready to bounce back.
We started off great, picking Spieth to best Bryson DeChambeau and Branden Grace as he finished his round as the leader in the clubhouse. But, it stopped there.
Alex Noren played about as poorly as anyone on the golf course on Thursday, finishing four-over par and losing to a golfer that sits outside the top-200 in the world and another that is outside the top 350. Nightmare.
Cam Smith outplayed both Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed while Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm both fell well behind Louis Oosthuizen.
But, we’re back at it again for Round 2, looking for some good value with more three-ball picks at the British Open.
British Open Day 2 Three-Ball Predictions
Alex Noren to beat JC Ritchie, Richard Mansell @ +110
Yes, you’re reading this right. I’m on the Alex Noren three-ball train again in this grouping. I refuse to believe that one of the top-100 players in the world can’t play better than two guys like JC Ritchie and Richard Mansell.
Here’s the good thing for us, Alex Noren can’t possibly play any worse than he did in Thursday’s opening round. The 39-year old is solid around the green and with the flat stick we just need him to put it all together. We’re not asking him to win, or even play really well. Just beat these two guys that have no business playing with him.
Tyrell Hatton to beat Kevin Kisner, Phil Mickelson @ +100
Kisner won this three-ball grouping pretty easily on Thursday, shooting even par while Hatton went two-over and Mickelson basically played the same round I would have, finishing 10-over par. I’m ready to consider Phil dead in the water here and I’m viewing Kisner as the only thing standing in Hatton’s way.
Hatton knows how to pay links golf. He has two top-six finishes in his last four British Open appearances. We just need him to shoot even or better on Friday as I think we’re going to see Kisner take a step back.
Corey Conners to beat Collin Morikawa, Sebastian Munoz @ +200
It pains me to go against Collin Morikawa as I’m a hug fan of his game and his ball striking ability. But the price on Conners here is too good to pass up here.
At +200, you’re getting a golfer who came out and finished two-under par on Thursday. Sebastian Munoz is fresh off an opening-round +3, we’re just really worried about Morikawa here. Conners drove the ball well and had a beautiful approach game, hitting 77.78% of greens in regulation, but his 1.61 putts per green was extremely average. A better putting performance and he should be able to top Morikawa.
Rickie Fowler to beat Xander Schauffele, Robert MacIntyre @ +210
I am very much on board with backing Rickie Fowler on Friday, especially with how he’s played lately. Fowler has had a fall from grace the past few years. But, he’s played good golf of late. He finished T8 at the PGA Championship, T11 at the Memorial and was competing at the Rocket Mortgage classic before a Round 4 71 stopped him in his tracks.
Admittedly, this is a play I’m making more with my heart than my head as I’m a big fowler fan, but how can you not love how he played Thursday? He hit 71% of fairways off the tee when field average was 56.04%. He just needs to have a better day with is irons, which I know is asking a lot of him, but if he can do that we may even see him in contention to win the thing come Saturday-Sunday.