General / Editor / 21 June 2007 /

It has been 32 events and eight long years since the suffering British public last had a winner to cheer home at a Major, when Scot Paul Lawrie stunned the golfing world by winning at The Open Championship at Carnoustie.

While the Europeans have made the Ryder Cup something of their own during the last six years, sadly, the same cannot be said in the main individual events on the golfing calendar.

As the likes of Colin Montgomerie, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Justin Rose have all faltered at critical moments, unknown players including Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton have emerged to register their names in the game's record books.

Put simply, a British winner in a Major is long overdue, but what chance is there of the barren run being ended when The Open returns to Carnoustie next month?

The early signs are not encouraging. At last year's Open, not a single player from the UK and Ireland managed to squeeze into the top ten with relative unknown Anthony Wall the top placed Briton in joint 11th place, ten shots behind winner Tiger Woods, as the big names struggled.

Indeed, of the 2006 European Ryder Cup winners, Lee Westwood came in joint 31st, Donald was four places behind him, Paul Casey finished last out of all the players that made the cut while Montgomerie, Harrington, Ian Poulter and David Howell did not even manage to qualify for the weekend.

For some reason - whether it be them placing too much pressure on themselves or expectations having been raised by the media - Britain's leading hopes struggle to produce their best in the world's oldest tournament.

Montgomerie went closest to winning two years ago when he produced his finest display in an Open Championship at St Andrews - only to find Tiger Woods in unbeatable form, as the Scot was forced to settle for second place in a Major for the fifth time in his career.

The eight-time Order of Merit winner is available to back at 85 in the early Betfair market to finally break his duck, but he has been out of sorts for much most of the season and appears best watched in play.

Poulter, trading at 90 to win and 14.5 to come in the first five, is also yet to find his best form this year and his form in the preceding weeks are likely to be an indication of how he fares at Carnoustie. Meanhile Howell, available at odds of 130 to triumph, has not finished a competitive event for the last two months because of injury.

But it is not all doom and gloom with the Brits and there is enough evidence to suggest that we could yet be toasting a 'home' winner on Sunday July 22.

Despite having missed the cut three out of the five times he has featured in The Open, Casey remains one of the most talented golfers in the world and is capable of destroying the very best on his day, as he demonstrated when winning the HSBC World Match Play title last year.

The Englishman showed just how good he can be at last week's US Open by shooting a magnificent four-under-par 66 - the lowest round of the week - at a fiendishly difficult Oakmont on his way to finishing joint-tenth.

If he can avoid outside distractions and getting too wound up, Casey may be the player to end Britain's wretched run and can presently be backed at odds of 35 to win, 8 to come in the first five and 3.4 to finish in the top ten.

Harrington and Donald have also illustrated during the last 12 months that they have what it takes to win a Major, the former going close to victory at the US Masters in April while the latter led for much of last year's USPGA Championship before having to settle for joint-third behind Woods.

Harrington has not excelled at recent Opens, but he has twice finished fifth in the event in the past and grew up playing links courses.

The European number one recently shot 70 during a practice round at Carnoustie and is the top priced of the British challenge at 27 to win in Scotland next month.

Donald is also yet to produce his best at The Open, only making the cut twice in seven appearances, but he has the game to challenge and can be backed at 40 to triumph and 4.3 to finish in the top ten.

Lee Westwood has performed with great credit so far this season and would be a popular winner if he were to prevail next month at current odds of 75, but it could well be that Britain's best hope of victory lies with Rose.

A bad back has somewhat curtailed his schedule so far in 2007, but that has not stopped him finishing in the top of both the US Masters and US Open.

Four straight top ten finishes have seen the Englishman rise to 18 in the world rankings and Rose, who is trading at 32 to win and 6.8 to come in the first five, should arrive in Scotland full of confidence and at the top of his game.

The same could also be said of Nick Dougherty after his impressive first half of the season. Only Dougherty will know how he has failed to win a tournament so far in 2007 but his joint-seventh place at the US Open will have done him the world of good and, encouragingly for British golf, three out of the four players aged 30 or less to finish in the top ten at Oakmont were English.

Of the other British players, Paul Broadhurst and Bradley Dredge have enjoyed good seasons to date and could go well while Graeme McDowell, trading at 100 to win, may also be worth following after leading at the first round stage last year.

And what of Lawrie? The Scot has not tasted success for five years since winning the 2002 Celtic Manor Wales Open and is currently available at 370 to complete a remarkable double at Carnoustie and 12.5 to place in the top ten.

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