JUSTIN ROSE

To win –

To lead after round one –

Justin Rose fits our profile of an Open champion and is an excellent bet to make a fast start this week.

The Englishman ranks joint-ninth in round-one scoring average on the PGA Tour this year and arrives at Carnoustie with some momentum, after finishing T9 at last week’s Scottish Open.

Rose is second in total shots gained and stroke average in 2018, and also third in birdie average, so a super-low round is not beyond him in dry conditions that should suit his game.

The 37-year-old was inside the top 10 after the first round at last month’s US Open, and it’d be no surprise to see him at the top of the leaderboard this time around.

MARC LEISHMAN

To win –

To lead after round one –

Links specialist Leishman has finished inside the top six at the Open in three of his last four starts, including a T2 in 2015 when he lost a four-hole, three-man play-off.

The Aussie has made a habit of starting well this season, ranking inside the top 30 in first-round scoring on the PGA Tour.

Leishman was joint-10th after the first day of the Quicken Loans National in his last start, and that was just a few weeks after he held a three-shot lead after 18 holes at May’s AT&T Byron Nelson.

TYRRELL HATTON

To win –

To lead after round one –

Hatton was T7 after day one and T2 after day two at last week’s Scottish Open, only to fall away and finish T9.

That was the Englishman’s third successive top-20, and his history of excellent results in links events means he has a great chance of contending at Carnoustie and possibly even winning his first major.

Hatton finished third at January’s Dubai Desert Classic having placed fourth after round one, and the dry, open fairways in Scotland this week are not dissimilar to those in the Middle East.

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