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The Open Championship: The favourites and the strongest Aussie competitors

The Open Championship will round out the quartet of major golfing competitions this July as the most prestigious tournament on the planet promises to be as competitive as ever.
There are several clear frontrunners ahead of the proceedings and some Australian stars that could surprise with an impressive finish. Whether fans are watching as neutrals or getting fully behind the Aussie golfers, the Open looks set to offer a fascinating four-day show this year.
Here we take a look at the players most likely to come away with outright success and the key Aussies that spectators down under should keep track of. 

The favourites to win the Open

All three of the majors for the year so far have been won by American golfers so it is no surprise that the Open favourite this year is from the United States. Scottie Scheffler is offered at 4.00 in The Open betting and his closest competitor according to the golf odds will be Rory McIlroy at 7.50. 

Scheffler won the opening event of the year in the form of the US Masters, and if he wins the Open as expected, he could become a rare holder of two Grand Slams within a calendar year. It would also represent an opportunity for the world number one ranked player to win his second separate major - his previous two titles both came at the Masters. 

The Open favourite will enter the competition in strong form having won the Memorial Tournament and the Travelers Championship in June. He performed poorly in the US Open and tied for 41st place although his successes on either side of the event could suggest his worst finish in six months was a one-off.

The other key favourite McIlroy will be desperate for Scheffler to have another poor major tournament in The Open. He is bidding to win his first major title in 10 years and will fancy his chances if his biggest rival underwhelms at Royal Troon.
The Northern Irishman finished second in the recent US Open and lost out to Bryson DeChambeau by a single stroke. He would likely need only a marginal improvement in the United Kingdom to finally put an end to his Grand Slam drought.
It would be a major shock if the competition is won by anybody outside of this duo, although DeChambeau and Schauffele have already won majors this year and should be firmly in the running again in July. 

The leading Aussie stars at The Open

Cameron Smith will without doubt lead the Aussie hopes at the final major championship of the year. The 2022 winner of the event will enter as a 33/1 outsider this time around, although his prior experience could help him to secure an admirable finish in the standings. 

Min Woo Lee is an up-and-coming Aussie star to watch out for this year. He is not expected to truly threaten the leading candidates for outright success, but adding another top-25 finish to his career record would represent a strong tournament for him. 

It is clear which players have genuine winning chances heading into The Open this year. The big names will be expected to do the business, although it does not always pan out that way. Either way, there will be some of the biggest talents on the planet on show in Scotland and the leading Aussie duo are included in that.