Sergio Garcia (Spain) (13-1): Garcia seems a trendy choice, and with his recent victory at the Players Championship, perhaps some of his post-tournament whining last year at Carnoustie has been semi-forgotten.  Can his putter hold up under Open Championship pressure?  We’ll soon see – but six top 10s in his last seven Open starts would appear to bode well.
 
Phil Mickelson (USA) (18-1): A dicey pick.  Sure, he’s the number two-ranked player in the world, which makes him a threat every week.  But the wildness of his game is a problem at the Open; witness only a single top 10 (3rd in 2004) and only two finishes better than 22nd in 15 appearances.  In a Tiger-less field, he’d seem an obvious choice…but the record says otherwise.
 
Lee Westwood (England) (19-1): Despite recording only two top 10s in 13 Open appearances, Westwood looks a good pick based simply on his 2008 form, which includes eight top 10s in 13 E Tour starts, and a 3rd at the U.S. Open in June.  But, of course, there have been no wins… 
 
Ernie Els (South Africa) (20-1): This is the Major where Big Ernie feels most at home, having recorded 10 top-10 finishes in 17 starts, including a memorable playoff victory in 2002.  His Butch Harmon-enhanced form has of late been trending upward – but enough to once again carry the jug?
 
Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) (20-1): The world’s third-ranked player has a bit of a light record in the Open, with only a single top 10 (T5 in 2005) against three MCs in five career starts.  Still, he has the requisite length and all around skills to prosper here – and, perhaps most importantly, the sort of unflappable demeanor necessary to handle the “curiosities” of links golf.
 
Adam Scott (Australia) (23-1): I keep waiting for the world’s fourth-ranked player to make a serious run at a Major – is this finally the time?  He hasn’t bettered 25th worldwide since the first week of May, so his form might be in question, and while he tied for 6th at Hoylake in 2006, he has never bettered 27th (and logged three MCs) in seven additional Open starts.

Padraig Harrington (Ireland) (25-1): The defending champion actually owns a so-so Open record, with only two more top 10s in 10 additional starts.  Further, he arrives in unspectacular form – though his last two starts (T36 at the U.S. Open and T17 at the European Open) easily bettered his last two pre-Open entries of 2007, an MC and a T51 at the same two events.  So…
 
Robert Karlsson (Sweden) (25-1): The tall, talented Karlsson is playing the best golf of his life; overlooking a T13 at the French Open, he has finished no worse than 6th (including a T4 at the U.S. Open) in any event worldwide since the Masters.  His career Open record is dismal (including a streak of eight straight MCs between 1993-2002) but this is a very different player now.  He has a chance.

Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) (26-1): This figures to be a nice test for this up-and-coming talent, who scored a fine strong-field victory at last week’s Scottish Open (his second E Tour title of 2008).  Tied for 11th in 2005 at St. Andrews but has a limited Major record overall.  Still, his star seems on the rise…

Justin Rose (England) (26-1): Another top-10 talent (he’s currently ranked 9th) who still has some proving to do at the Major level.  Finished 2nd at Memorial in May but has also missed the cut in three of his last five American starts, and finished T38 in his most recent event, the European Open.  Hasn’t logged an Open Championship top 10 since memorably finishing 4th as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998.

Stewart Cink (USA) (29-1): Another who’s playing the best golf of his life, including a victory in his last start, the Travelers Championship.  Though he tied for 6th last year at Carnoustie, he had only once bettered 30th in nine previous Open starts.

Jim Furyk (USA) (30-1): Perhaps the hardest player to predict in the upper reaches of the field, Furyk’s form has been up-and-down of late (with 3rd at the AT&T National representing a nice up) and his Open record is equally fluctuating: He’s logged four top 10s (including thrice among the top four) but also missed an imposing five cuts in a row from 2001-05.  One wonders how well his game translates…
 
Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) (30-1): At age 44, but still going strong, the Mechanic is still one of Europe’s elite players, as a win at the BMW PGA (plus a T6 at the U.S. Open) readily indicates.  Unfortunately, a tie for 3rd in 2001 is his only Open top 10 in 15 starts.  More of a place of show horse here, it seems…

Andres Romero (Argentina) (30-1): A really interesting darkhorse pick.  This lean 27-year-old from the Argentine is perhaps best known for blowing a chance to win last year’s Open at the 71st hole.  He soon rallied to win the E Tour’s Deutsche Bank Open, and has added a PGA Tour victory (at New Orleans) in 2008.  Operates a bit under the radar but has three career Major top 10s in only six starts, two of which have come in his two Open appearances.

Retief Goosen (South Africa) (33-1): Now ranked 37th in the world, this two-time U.S. Open winner continues trying to regain his top-five form of not too long ago.  Save for a 2nd at March’s WGC event at Doral, his form has been stagnant, but not altogether bad (witness a T6 at the E Tour’s prestigious BMW PGA).  With five career top 10s in 13 Open starts, his record here is reasonably sound.

Henrik Stenson (Sweden) (33-1): Quietly enjoying a solid (if winless) season, posting seven top 10s in 12 official E Tour starts.  Has the power and skill to contend, but not a great depth of Major success to draw on.  To wit: In 13 career starts, his high watermark is a T14 at the 2006 PGA – and he’s never bettered 34th in the Open.

Trevor Immelman (South Africa) (35-1): The reigning Masters champion has been seriously up-and-down since Augusta, missing several cuts but also losing in a playoff at Memphis.  Hasn’t enjoyed much Open success (zero top 10s in five starts) but his talent (and Masters-boosted confidence) can never be overlooked.

Anthony Kim (USA) (35-1): This 23-year-old is an up-and-comer in America, where he’s already won twice in 2008.  Doesn’t lack for talent or confidence, but this is his first Open Championship entry – and how many of today’s younger players have the all-around skills necessary to adapt that quickly (if at all)?

Vijay Singh (Fiji) (35-1): Not unlike Phil Mickelson, the Open Championship has never been three-time Major winner Singh’s best event – though two of his three career top 10s (in 19 starts) have come since 2003.  Is there still enough in the tank (and on the greens) for him to win this?

Martin Kaymer (Germany) (50-1): A longshot pick based upon his two 2008 E Tour victories – no small feat for a 23-year-old, and enough to mark him clearly as a star of the future.  Not much track record to go on here as this will be his first Open Championship start.