The 2019 Open: Preview and Predictions
The new golfing calendar means that this week's Open Championship is the final major of the year.
A strong field tees off at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland on Thursday, which will provide a very different test to the other three majors in the United States, and it's not easy to pick a winner.
Links golf tends to reward accuracy over distance, and those that do well tend to have a range of shots in their armoury - think of Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, as well as last year's champion Francesco Molinari.
Our fantasy golf game is a lot of fun - quick and simple to play, and it will make every shot important! Here's how things work.
But you can't just pick the top four golfers in the world, where would the fun be if everyone had the same players? We have divided the field into four groups, which reflect their likelihood of winning the tournament - Band 1 contains the favourites, whilst Band 4 has players with an outside chance.
You will need to pick one player from each band, and for every stroke they score under par, you will receive 1 point. You'll also lose a point for every stroke over par...
For example, you pick Jordan Spieth and he shoots -8 on Day 1. That's 8 points for you, well played. But you have also picked Sergio Garcia who keeps finding the water and shoots a round of +3 (-3 points for you), Henrik Stenson who picks up a 2-stroke penalty and finishes on +2 (-2 points for you), and Ian Poulter who scores Even par (0 points). That would give you a total of 8 - 3 - 3 + 0 = 2 points.
However, it's important to take things day-by-day when playing Superbru so here are my Round One picks:
Rory McIlroy: I'm potentially setting myself up for disappointment, but Mcllroy knows Portrush well, holds the course record, and the romantic in me would love to see him storm ahead on Thursday. John Rahm is also worth considering here, having won the Irish Open recently.
Henrik Stenson: The 2016 Champion jumped out at me in Band 2, and has had 3 Top 10 finishes in his last 3 starts, and he could well be in contention come Sunday.
Rafa Cabrera Bello: Loves links golf and has a good record at similar courses, and arrives at Portrush in decent form.
Webb Simpson: Nobody is really standing out in Band 4, and it's often about avoiding the guy that shoots +8 on Day 1! Simpson loves a golf major and usually makes the cut, so I'm backing him over the US Open Champion Gary Woodland.
At the end of each day's golf, it's a good idea to head back to Superbru and see how you've got on in comparison to others in your pool! After all, how you're getting on against your mates will help to determine who you select for Day 2.
A strong field tees off at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland on Thursday, which will provide a very different test to the other three majors in the United States, and it's not easy to pick a winner.
Links golf tends to reward accuracy over distance, and those that do well tend to have a range of shots in their armoury - think of Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, as well as last year's champion Francesco Molinari.
Our fantasy golf game is a lot of fun - quick and simple to play, and it will make every shot important! Here's how things work.
Bands
Our golf game is designed to reflect how people watch golf - everyone has a few favourite players that they follow, and pay particular attention to during the coverage. We ask you to pick four golfers for each day, and their score will determine your score.But you can't just pick the top four golfers in the world, where would the fun be if everyone had the same players? We have divided the field into four groups, which reflect their likelihood of winning the tournament - Band 1 contains the favourites, whilst Band 4 has players with an outside chance.
You will need to pick one player from each band, and for every stroke they score under par, you will receive 1 point. You'll also lose a point for every stroke over par...
For example, you pick Jordan Spieth and he shoots -8 on Day 1. That's 8 points for you, well played. But you have also picked Sergio Garcia who keeps finding the water and shoots a round of +3 (-3 points for you), Henrik Stenson who picks up a 2-stroke penalty and finishes on +2 (-2 points for you), and Ian Poulter who scores Even par (0 points). That would give you a total of 8 - 3 - 3 + 0 = 2 points.
The 2019 US Open
I'd love to see Rory or G-Mac take home the Claret Jug this week, but I'm finding it very difficult to pick the overall winner from a strong field.However, it's important to take things day-by-day when playing Superbru so here are my Round One picks:
Rory McIlroy: I'm potentially setting myself up for disappointment, but Mcllroy knows Portrush well, holds the course record, and the romantic in me would love to see him storm ahead on Thursday. John Rahm is also worth considering here, having won the Irish Open recently.
Henrik Stenson: The 2016 Champion jumped out at me in Band 2, and has had 3 Top 10 finishes in his last 3 starts, and he could well be in contention come Sunday.
Rafa Cabrera Bello: Loves links golf and has a good record at similar courses, and arrives at Portrush in decent form.
Webb Simpson: Nobody is really standing out in Band 4, and it's often about avoiding the guy that shoots +8 on Day 1! Simpson loves a golf major and usually makes the cut, so I'm backing him over the US Open Champion Gary Woodland.
At the end of each day's golf, it's a good idea to head back to Superbru and see how you've got on in comparison to others in your pool! After all, how you're getting on against your mates will help to determine who you select for Day 2.
You can join our Open game now by clicking the + icon in the top right corner of our app's home page and selecting 'Join a tournament'.
Stoney