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Now in high definition! Take a moment to see the sights at the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Ernie Els is one of the favorites heading into the 137th Open Championship. (Franklin/Getty Images)

Field Study: The Open Championship

Need to study up on every player in the field this week at the Open Championship? Don't worry, PGATOUR.COM's Helen Ross has you covered.

Sure, everyone is missing Tiger Woods. But what about the field that is here? In fact, what about every player in the field? Helen Ross evaluates every player (in order of their Official World Golf Ranking) who will tee off in Thursday's first round.

Rank	Name	Starts	Best Finish
2	Phil Mickelson	15	3rd (2004)
His major championship form this year is nothing to inspire and he's only had one top-10 at the Open
3	Geoff Ogilvy	5	T5 (2005)
He has the patience to play tough courses well and confidence to boot after six top-10s in 2008, including three straight
4	Adam Scott	8	T8 (2006)
His playoff win in Dallas was Scott's sixth on the PGA TOUR but a balky wrist makes the Aussie a question mark
5	Ernie Els	17	Win (2002)
It's been feast or famine for Els this year but the big South African makes it look effortless when he's on and Opens are his forte
6	Stewart Cink	10	T6 (2007)
Cink is rested after a three-week break and five top-three finishes, including a win in Hartford in his last start, should do wonders for his confidence
7	Sergio Garcia	11	2nd (2007)
Few have more imagination and creativity than THE PLAYERS champion which is just what an Open demands so look for him on Sunday
8	Steve Stricker	8	T8 (2007)
He showed signs of regaining his form at Congressional two weeks ago but Royal Birkdale presents a whole different set of challenges
9	Justin Rose	6	T4 (1998)
The young Englishman was 17 when he made his Open debut here at Birkdale and it would be a fitting spot for his first major championship
10	Vijay Singh	19	T2 (2003)
He's been close this year with five top-fives, including two seconds, and his chances to lock up a career Grand Slam are getting limited
11	K.j. Choi	8	T8 (2007)
That win in Hawaii back in January seems a long time ago as Choi hasn't finished higher than 41st in his last six starts
12	Jim Furyk	12	4th (1997, 1998 and 2006)
The straight-shooter Furyk has regained a comfort zone with links golf after five missed cuts and he could contend
13	Anthony Kim	0	N/A
No one is hotter than this two-time winner and that confidence should offset any lack of Open Championship experience
14	Padraig Harrington	11	Win (2007)
He injured his neck two weeks ago and his wrist on Saturday, so the affable Irishman is a question mark for his title defense
15	Trevor Immelman	5	T15 (2005)
The reigning Masters champ nearly made it two wins in 2008 when he lost a playoff in Memphis but he's struggled since
17	Henrik Stenson	4	T34 (2005)
The elegant Swede started fast with top-10s in his first five European Tour starts, including third in Tucson, but has cooled off since
18	Rory Sabbatini	6	T26 (2006)
The brash South African hasn't had a top-10 since he tied for third at the Buick Invitational
19	Lee Westwood	13	4th (2004)
Westwood, who has three top-sixes already this year, came within a shot of the U.S. Open playoff. This would be a popular win
20	Miguel Angel Jimenez	15	T3 (2001)
The ageless Spaniard has two wins this year - can he follow Rafael Nadal and the Spanish national soccer team as champions?
22	Aaron Baddeley	4	MC
He's never broken 70 at an Open Championship venue and he hasn't cracked the top-20 on TOUR in his last five starts
23	Robert Karlsson	12	T5 (1992)
He's had seven top-10s in his last eight European Tour starts but has nine missed cuts at the Open. You do the math.
24	Andres Romero	2	3rd (2007)
The young Argentine, who won in New Orleans earlier this year, is fearless and creative which has produced two top-10s at the Open
25	Stephen Ames	9	T5 (1997)
This Canadian transplant has had a solid, if not spectacular, season with four top-10s but rare success across the pond
26	Angel Cabrera	9	T4 (1999)
Joint fifth at the Accenture Match Play Championship is his best on either side of the pond so the other Argentine may be a better bet
27	Justin Leonard	13	Win (1997)
A straight driver and a good wind player, Leonard, who won in Memphis last month, should contend
28	Boo Weekley	1	T35 (2007)
This Southerner entertained the UK writers last year in his debut and the shotmaker in him seems suited for an Open Championship
29	Graeme McDowell	4	T11 (2005)
The man from Portrush all but locked down a Ryder Cup spot last week with a win in Scotland. Can he take the next step?
30	Robert Allenby	15	T10 (1997)
Four top-10s in his last six starts - including a tie for third at Congressional - should send Allenby to the first tee with confidence
31	Zach Johnson	4	T20 (2007)
This straight driver would seem to have a game suited to an Open but last year's tie for 20th broke a string of three missed cuts
32	Martin Kaymer	0	N/A
Kaymer comes to Birkdale for his debut with a heavy heart after the death of his mother but he's playing well with two European Tour wins
33	Woody Austin	1	MC (1996)
Austin hasn't played in an Open in 12 years but a strong performance could certainly impress U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Paul Azinger
34	Hunter Mahan	3	T6 (2007)
Mahan took a while to get untracked, but he's had top-20s in his last three starts, including a tie for second in his title defense at Hartford
35	Mike Weir	9	T8 (2007)
The diminutive Canadian has been quietly playing well this season with top-20s in each of the first two majors and a tie for second at Memorial
36	Tim Clark	4	T23 (2005)
The young South African usually plays the tough courses well but he's only contended once this year at the Crowne Plaza Invitational
37	Retief Goosen	13	T7 (2004)
The two-time U.S. Open champion has shown signs of life this year and six top-10s in the Open make him a possible contender
38	Brandt Snedeker	0	N/A
He learned about major championship pressure playing in the final group on Sunday at the Masters; now he needs to learn links golf
39	Stuart Appleby	11	T2 (2002)
He's cooled off after a hot start that included five straight top-fives and the playoff loss at Muirfield was Appleby's lone Open glory
40	Soren Hansen	4	T8 (2002)
The Dane finished fifth at the European Open two weeks ago but he hasn't had much Open success since Muirfield
41	Sean O'Hair	3	T14 (2006)
Top-20s in his first two Open starts show O'Hair has the game but he needs to regain the form that lifted him to the PODS Championship title
42	Ian Poulter	7	T11 (2005)
His clothes may make more of a splash this year than the talented Englishman, who only has one top-10 on either side of the Atlantic
43	Scott Verplank	11	T7 (2005)
The Oklahoma State product will keep it in the fairway, which is a key at Royal Birkdale
44	Rod Pampling	5	T27 (2007, 2004)
Aussie has five top-10s this year, including two in his last six starts, but keeping it in the short grass could be problematic
45	Oliver Wilson	1	MC (2007)
You may not know the name, but watch out for this 27-year-old Brit who is beginning to make a name for himself with four seconds in 2008
46	Niclas Fasth	5	2nd (2001)
Missed cuts in his last two starts, as well as at the U.S. Open and THE PLAYERS, don't bode well for the 36-year-old Swede
47	Richard Green	8	T4 (2007)
The left-handed Aussie tied for third in Scotland but missed the cut at the Masters in his only other major start this year
48	Paul Casey	6	T20 (2004)
Young Englishman hasn't played particularly well this year but two-top 10s in his last three starts show his game may be rounding into form
49	Fredrik Jacobsen	7	T6 (1996)
The 33-year-old earned his spot with a tie for third at the AT&T National in his last start. Can he take advantage?
50	Rocco Mediate	8	T18 (1996)
Will the summer of Rocco continue?
52	Camilo Villegas	0	N/A
He's got length and imagination to go with top-10s in two of his last four starts, including a tie for ninth at Torrey Pines
53	Jeff Quinney	1	MC (2001)
Quinney is playing in his first Open as a pro but he showed he could handle major pressure in finishing third at THE PLAYERS
54	Pat Perez	2	T20 (2007)
This Arizona State product has the tools but he's often too hard on himself
55	Ross Fisher	1	MC (2007)
The 27-year-old Englishman made a big leap up with world rankings with his win at the European Open two weeks ago
56	Ryuji Imada	0	N/A (2005)
He's played well this year with his first TOUR win and three other top-fives but he's a novice at links golf
57	J.B. Holmes	1	MC (2006)
That second win at the FBR Open earlier this year has been the only real highlight for the big-hitting man from Kentucky
58	Anders Hansen	5	T57 (2007)
Open record isn't stellar and he needs to get back on track - the Dane hasn't broken 70 since that playoff loss in Munich
59	Nick O'Hern	5	T15 (2005)
He's steady but the 36-year-old Aussie's major record isn't anything stellar and he's yet to win on either side of the pond
60	Jerry Kelly	8	T26 (2006)
Kelly, who has two runner-up finishes this year, got in when David Toms withdrew, now can he take advantage?
61	Richard Sterne	2	MC (2006, 2007)
He hasn't made a cut since he tied for 66th at THE PLAYERS Championship
62	Bart Bryant	2	T23 (2005)
The veteran from Texas should be able to handle the wind and he puts the ball in the fairway
63	Toru Taniguchi	6	T37 (2001)
The 40-year-old vet has won his last two starts on the Japan Tour but missed the cut in the first two majors of the year
64	Nick Dougherty	2	T42 (2007)
Born in nearby Liverpool, the 26-year-old protege of Nick Faldo has missed the cut in three of his last four starts
69	James Kingston	2	T57 (2004)
The 42-year-old vet from South Africa took second in Scotland on Sunday, shooting 67-66 on the weekend
70	Brendan Jones	1	MC (2004)
The 33-year-old Aussie has spent most of the year on the Japan Tour where he has three top-10s
71	Prayad Marksaeng	1	MC (2007)
The 42-year-old from Thailand has two wins on the Japan Tour this year and four top-10s in Asia
72	Paul Goydos	0	N/A
Contend like he did at THE PLAYERS, where Goydos lost the playoff to Sergio Garcia, and this could be another major feel-good story
73	Charles Howell III	4	T42 (2004)
Augusta's own missed the cut at the Masters, PLAYERS and U.S. Open but has shown signs of regaining form in his last two starts
76	Hennie Otto	2	T10 (2003)
He picked up his maiden European Tour win in Italy just weeks after squandering a five-stroke 54-hole lead in Portugal
78	Mark Calcavecchia	21	Win (1989)
The ailing Calc may have the experience but he hasn't made a cut since the Masters
81	Colin Montgomerie	18	2nd (2005)
The much-maligned Scot deserves an Open but this won't be the year. The Ryder Cup is in jeopardy, too.
82	Soren Kjeldsen	3	T41 (2006)
Steady Dane has only missed one cut in 18 starts on the European Tour but he hasn't really contended, either
86	Ben Curtis	5	Win (2003)
He made his first Open cut last year since that win at Royal St. George's
88	Steve Webster	3	T41 (2005)
His tie for 10th at the BMW PGA Championship was his third top-10 of the year but he hasn't finished higher than 38th in four starts since
99	Scott Strange	0	N/A
The 31-year-old from Perth picked up his first European Tour victory at the Celtic Manor Wales Open
105	Hideto Tanihara	3	T5 (2006)
He picked up his seventh win on the Japan Tour earlier this year
109	Simon Dyson	5	T34 (2005)
Five missed cuts in his last eight starts don't bode well for the 30-year-old Englishman
111	John Rollins	2	70th (2003)
The affable man from Virginia is rounding into form after struggling early to adapt his swing to a 30-pound weight loss in the offseason
117	Gregory Bourdy	1	T53 (2007)
His lone top-10 this season just happened to be the Frenchman's second European Tour win, in Portugal
126	Tom Lehman	14	Win (1996)
Less than a year away from his 50th birthday, the steady Lehman continues to impress with three top-10s on TOUR
131	David Smail	4	T67 (2006)
Smail, the 38-year-old from New Zealand, has five victories on the Japan Tour but none since 2005
133	Wen-Chong Liang	0	N/A
This will be the third straight major start for the man from China and just his second appearance on a links course
134	Lucas Glover	2	T27 (2007)
One of his two top-10s came in his last three starts - Glover shot 16 under at the Buick Open to finish seventh
136	Pablo Larrazabal	0	N/A)
The promising 25-year-old from Barcelona won his first European Tour event earlier this year in France
145	Richard Finch	0	N/A
The 31-year-old Englishman has won twice on the European Tour this year
150	Matt Kuchar	3	MC (1998, 2002, 2007)
Hard to believe, but Kuchar played at Birkdale in 1998 when he was a 20-year-old amateur, shooting 75-75
151	Gregory Havret	1	MC (2007)
The Frenchman's claim to fame is beating Phil Mickelson in a playoff at last year's Barclays Scottish Open
156	Davis Love III	21	T4 (2003)
The 1997 PGA champion wanted to play so badley he entered and advanced through international qualifying in Detroit
160	Johan Edfors	2	MC (2006, 2007)
His five top-10s this year came in his first eight starts of the European Tour season
161	Michael Letzig	0	N/A
The PGA TOUR rookie has ties for 10th and 12th in his last three starts as he makes his major championship debut
162	Alexander Noren	0	N/A
The Swede who played at Oklahoma State has four top-10s in his second season on the European Tour
166	Phillip Archer	0	N/A
The accomplished snooker player and avid Manchester United fan has missed the cut in 12 of 21 starts on the European Tour this year
170	Damian McGrane	0	N/A
He's missed the cut in six of his eight starts since winning his first European Tour event at the Volvo China Open
174	Alex Cejka	4	T13 (2001)
He's coming off a tie for ninth at Congressional, the second top-10 in his last three TOUR starts
177	Craig Parry	16	T4 (1999)
The man they call "Popeye" is playing most of his golf on the Japan Tour these days where he has one win and a tie for 10th this year
179	Hiroshi Iwata	0	N/A
The 27-year-old ranks 12th on the Japan Tour with five top-10s this year
183	Simon Khan	0	N/A
Watching Seve Ballesteros win at St. Andrews in 1984 inspired Khan to take up golf and now he's playing in his first Open
198	David Frost	20	6 (1987)
The 48-year-old South African earned his Open spot when he finished fourth at the European Open
202	Jay Williamson	0	N/A
A tie for second at the John Deere Classic sent the TOUR veteran to the Open Championship for the first time
217	Pelle Edberg	1	T12 (2007)
The Swede, whose family owns a resort with two golf courses, made a name at Carnoustie with his play and his headline
218	Kevin Stadler	1	T51 (2007)
Stadler placed fourth in the HSBC Champions at the start of 2008 but only has one top-10 on the PGA TOUR this year

227	Paul Lawrie	15	Win (1999)
The 39-year-old Scott hasn't won since 2002 but he is coming off a tie for ninth before the home crowd at Loch Lomond on Sunday
237	Anthony Wall	3	T11 (2006)
Another consistent season on the European Tour still has produced just one top-10
238	Shintaro Kai	0	N/A
The 27-year-old has two runner-up finishes on the Japan Tour in 2008 and will be playing in his first major championship
243	Azuma Yano	0	N/A
A tie for second at the Mizuno Open Yomuri Classic gave Yano the chance to play in his first major championship
249	Tim Petrovic	2	MC (2002, 2005)
The devout "Doors" fan has two top-10s this year on the PGA TOUR but has only made one cut in his last four starts
252	Simon Wakefield	3	T48 (2006)
The Brit's best finish of 2008, solo second at the BA-CA Golf Open, has been followed by three missed cuts and a tie for 33rd
261	Jeff Overton	0	N/A
The Indiana product contended at Congressional two weeks ago before tying for ninth
262	Rich Beem	6	T20 (2007)
Beem already has a major under his belt, the 2002 PGA, but his results in 2008 have been missed with just one top-20
263	David Howell	9	T42 (1998)
The talented Englishman is still fighting his way back after a spate of injuries over the last few years
323	Peter Baker	12	T14 (1998)
While he's missed the cut in his last three European Tour starts, the 40-year-old Englishman's best Open finish came at Birkdale
334	Jean-Baptiste Gonnet	0	N/A
Both his parents played professionally - his father, basketball and his mother, tennis
337	Ewan Porter	1	MC (2007)
The 26-year-old from Sydney won the Moonah Classic earlier this year on the Nationwide Tour
367	Angelo Que	0	N/A
The 29-year-old from the Phillipines won his second Asian Tour event earlier this year
370	Peter Fowler	11	T22 (2003)
The 49-year-old Fowler only has cached five checks this year but two have been for top-10 finishes
374	Ariel Canete	0	N/A
After failing to play the weekend in seven of his last 10 starts, don't look for this Argentine to contend
388	Adam Blyth	0	N/A
His father, Steve, caddied for Blyth when he qualified for the Open in Singapore
412	Michael Campbell	13	T3 (1995)
The 2005 U.S. Open champ has fallen on hard times this year, making just two cuts in 12 European Tour events
427	Doug Labelle II	0	N/A
Comes to Birkdale to play in his first Open Championship having missed six straight cuts on the PGA TOUR
495	Paul Waring	1	MC (2007)
Waring, a 23-year-old European Tour rookie, notched his first top-10 in his second start
500	Martin Wiegele	0	N/A
He won the European Tour qualifying last year and has one top-10 in his rookie campaign
507	Danny Chia	1	MC (2005)
The 35-year-old from Malaysia came to Southport a week ago to start his preparation
524	Jose-Filipe Lima	1	MC (2007)
French by birth, he used to play as Phillipe but now he has changed his name to reflect his parents' Portuguese nationality
537	Andrew Tampion	0	N/A
Tampion came from the same Australian golf program that produced Geoff Ogilvy, Stuart Appleby and Aaron Baddeley, among others
602	Tom Gillis	1	WD (1999)
The well-traveled Gillis who has played golf on every continent opened the Nationwide Tour season with three finishes inside the top 13
605	Craig Barlow	0	N/A
The former UNLV golfer has struggled this year with seven missed cuts in 14 starts
615	Michio Matsumura	0	N/A
The 24-year-old Japan Tour rookie is playing in his first major championship
643	John Daly	14	Win (1995)
With tendonitis in his left elbow and a cyst in his right hand don't expect Daly to contend
646	Greg Norman	25	Win (1986, 1993)
Recently married to tennis legend Chris Evert, the 53-year-old Norman knows links golf better than almost anyone
652	Scott McCarron	3	T18 (2002)
The 43-year-old UCLA product is still seeking his first top-10 of the season
709	Darren Fichardt	3	MC (2000, 2002 and 2004)
The South African's European Tour record this year includes just one paycheck
710	Thomas Aiken	1	MC (2006)
Two top-10s on the South African Tour in 2008 have not paved the way for European Tour success
714	Yoshinobu Tsukada	1	MC (2004)
A tie for third at the Mizuno Open Yomuiri Classic earned the 38-year-old his second Open spot
721	Sandy Lyle	32	Win (1985)
Now playing the Champions Tour, Lyle still made the cut at the Masters earlier this year and finished 45th
751	Mark O'Meara	23	Win (1998)
The 51-year-old, who has two top-10s on the Champions Tour this year, won the last time the Open was played at Birkdale
838	Douglas McGuigan	2	MC (2005, 2007)
The 37-year-old from Durban, South Africa hasn't finished higher than 43rd in seven European Tour starts
N/A	Peter Appleyard	0	N/A
This club pro from the Wildernesse Golf Club in Kent is a former winner of the Birkdale Goblet
N/A	Jon Bevan	3	T63 (2007)
The Weymouth club pro tied for first at the final local qualifying event for the Open
N/A	Gary Boyd	0	N/A
The up-and-coming 21-year-old already has two runner-up finishes on the European Challenge Tour
N/A	Joshua Cunliffe	0	N/A
The 24-year-old from Johannesburg won the International Final Qualifier to make his Open debut
N/A	Jamie Elson	0	N/A
The Augusta State product qualified for the Open at Hillside Golf Club next door to Birkdale
N/A	David Horsley	0	N/A
The 2007 Walker Cupper has gone on to limited success in his rookie season on the European Tour with one top-10
N/A	Barry Hume	1	MC (2004)
The Scot, who lost his Asian Tour card in 2007, is currently playing the EuroPro Tour and hoping to pay back friends who have backed him
N/A	Chih Bing Lam	1	MC (2007)
The 31-year-old from Singapore arrived in England on Friday and played Royal Liverpool before heading over to Birkdale
N/A	Brad Lamb	0	N/A
Lamb has found the Nationwide Tour difficult, tying for 37th in his first start and then missing his next nine cuts
N/A	Jonathan Lomas	3	T11 (1994)
The son of a chicken farmer, he overcame sciatic pain in both legs to win once on the European Tour and three times on Challenge Tour
N/A	Jean Van de Velde	8	T2 (1999)
The Frenchman's name will forever be linked to the Open with his triple-bogey collapse on the 72nd hole in Carnoustie
N/A	Philip Walton	12	T36 (1998)
Walton, who secured the 1995 European Ryder Cup victory with a singles win over Jay Haas, is playing in his first Open in 10 years
N/A	Tom Watson	30	Win (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983)
Watson was the most dominant links player of the modern era
N/A	David Duval	11	Win (2001)
This would be a comeback story to top them all -- Duval has only shot one round in the 60s all year