The season's final men's golf major possesses a challenge some players have not seen in two years.

The Open Championship returns to the schedule this week after it was cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For some players, the season's fourth major will serve as a reintroduction to a links golf course and the blustery conditions in England.

Other golfers will feel at home because they are used to the weather from playing on the European Tour, Links courses also suit the games of specific players better.

U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm is listed as the favorite to come home with the Claret Jug. He will try to become the fourth European winner of The Open in the past five tournaments.

Jordan Spieth was the last American to win The Open in 2017. Only three players from the United States have won the tournament in the past decade.

British Open Odds

Jon Rahm: +750 (bet $100 to win $750)

Xander Schauffele: +1600

Brooks Koepka: +1800

Rory McIlroy: +1800

Jordan Spieth: +2000

Viktor Hovland: +2200

Dustin Johnson: +2200

Louis Oosthuizen: +2500

Patrick Cantlay: +2800

Paul Casey: +2800

Matthew Fitzpatrick: +2800

Patrick Reed: +2800

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Jon Rahm

Rahm is in the best form of any golfer in The Open field.

The newly minted major champion finished in the top 10 in each of the season's first three majors, and he should not be intimidated by the shift in course style and conditions at Royal St. George's Golf Club.

Rahm finished in seventh place at the Scottish Open, which served as the tune-up event for The Open. His smooth transition to the European course reinforces his status as the pre-tournament favorite in England.

The 26-year-old turned in his best finish at The Open in 2019, tying for 11th. Since then, he has been a fixture in the top 10 at major tournaments.

Rahm placed inside the top 10 in four of his past six major starts, and his worst finish in that span was 23rd.

Even if you do not bet him to win outright, Rahm needs to be considered for daily fantasy golf tournaments and prop bets to finish inside the top 10 and top 20.

Rahm could have a bad week at Royal St. George's, but his form and recent major results suggest we will see his name on the first page of the leaderboard for most of the weekend.

Xander Schauffele

It should not come as a surprise to see Xander Schauffele listed as the second-favorite to win The Open.

With Rahm now a major champion, an argument can be made that Schauffele is the best player yet to win a major event.

Schauffele has nine top-10 finishes at major tournaments since he burst on to the scene in 2017. He secured a tie for second behind Francesco Molinari at The Open in 2018.

The 27-year-old should enter Royal St. George's with plenty of confidence after taking 10th place at the Scottish Open. He was one of four Americans to finish inside the top 10 of the event.

Schauffele has only missed the cut twice at major tournaments, and he finished outside the top 40 twice in 10 major starts over the past three years.

Grand Slam consistency combined with a previous strong result at The Open make Schauffele the best American hopeful to lift the Claret Jug.

If he achieves that feat, Schauffele would be the the fifth American to hoist the Claret Jug since Tiger Woods won consecutive titles in 2005 and 2006.