2023 British Open PrizePicks Plays: Bryson DeChambeau, Tom Kim Among First Round Picks
Pictured: Bryson DeChambeau. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
With last week's Genesis Scottish Open in the rear-view mirror, we now look forward to this season's fourth and final major. Royal Liverpool Golf Club will host the British Open for the 13th time in tournament history.
Royal Liverpool is a par-71, 7,313-yard track that has undergone some drastic changes since Rory McIlroy hoisted the Claret Jug in 2014.
In typical British Open fashion, Royal Liverpool is a traditional European links course with swirling winds.
Below, I give out my four Round 1 PrizePicks plays for the 2023 British Open.
British Open Round 1 PrizePicks Plays
Bryson DeChambeau: Round 1 Less Than 70.5 Strokes
I think the LIV golfers are going to have a strong showing in this major because they have played more European links-style courses over the past two years than those who remained with the PGA TOUR. The first guy to target is Bryson DeChambeau, who is striking the ball among the world's elite right now.
This is not the same DeChambeau we saw venture off to LIV Golf. He has completely re-tooled his game is a much stronger all-around player.
The changes in his game have, predictably, paid dividends. Entering this week in great form, DeChambeau has finished inside the top 10 in three of his past four tournaments.
If that doesn't sell you, he also has contended in three of his past four major championships as he posted a T4 finish at the PGA Championship, a T20 at the U.S. Open and a T8 at last year's British Open.
DeChambeau has shot a 70 or lower in five of his past eight major championship rounds.
Tom Kim: Round 1 Less Than 71 Strokes
Tom Kim is another guy to target in the opening round. Kim is coming off a strong sixth-place finish at last week's Genesis Scottish Open and shot a 67 or lower in each of his first three rounds.
Over the past two seasons, Kim has emerged as one of golf's next great stars. He boasts two professional wins and it is only a matter of time until he breaks through and adds a major championship to his already impressive resume.
The 21-year-old finished T8 at the U.S. Open and T16 at the Masters and shot a 70 or lower in five of those eight rounds.
Sahith Theegala: Round 1 Less Than 71.5 Strokes
Sahith Theegala is another tremendous young up-and-comer. Ranked 31st in the FedEx Cup Standings, Theegala has made 22 of 24 cuts this season and boasts seven top-10 finishes, including a runner-up performance at the RSM Classic.
He also finished ninth at the Masters and made the cut at both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, while shooting a 71 or lower in seven of those 12 rounds.
In a tournament where creative iron and green-side play will likely reign supreme, I expect Theegala to get off to a strong start.
Taylor Moore: More Than 36.5 Holes Played
This final entry is the same as saying Taylor Moore will make the cut.
Yes, Moore has missed four of his past five cuts. However, we should zoom out and look at Moore's complete performance this season as that shows a stronger golfer than his recent trends indicate. After securing his first TOUR victory this season at the Valspar Championship, Moore finished T11 at the RBC Heritage, T4 at the Zurich Classic and T4 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
He is a solid all-around golfer who truly excels on the greens. The conditions could be difficult this week, so it'll be crucial to gain strokes on the greens and that could benefit Moore.
Moore has made the cut in 16 of his 25 tournaments this season, including at both the Masters and PGA Championship.
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