Here are 10 names who could make a serious run at The Open Championship

But while today's fields are deeper than ever, that doesn't mean that this year's Open is impossible to predict. In fact, it's been more than five years since a player outside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking won a major, meaning that all recent victors have been at least somewhat well-known heading into their big week.

Below is a breakdown of the ten players most likely to find the winner's circle at the British Open. They were chosen based on a combination of recent results, sustained success and experience on links courses.

Jordan Spieth

World ranking: No. 3

Best British Open finish: T4, 2015

Recent results: Travelers Championship - Win / U.S. Open - T35 / Memorial Tournament - T13

Key stat: Leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approach-the-green

Why he can win: Fresh off of his milestone 10th PGA Tour win, Spieth looks like a great fit for Royal Birkdale. His well-rounded game will allow him to attack the course in a variety of ways, and we know he can create electrifying moments around the green. After finishing just one stroke out of a playoff at the 2015 Open, he enters this week with unfinished business.

Dustin Johnson

World ranking: No. 1

Best British Open finish: T2, 2011

Recent results: U.S. Open - MC / Memorial Tournament - MC / AT&T Byron Nelson - T13

Key stat: 72.2 GIR percentage, 1st on the PGA Tour

Why he can win: A midsummer slump hasn't severely damaged Johnson's overall outlook for this week. By notching three consecutive victories in the spring, the world No. 1 proved that his best stuff is on another level. Royal Birkdale demands power as much as it does precision, and Johnson has both in spades.

Jon Rahm

World ranking: No. 7

Best British Open finish: T59, 2016

Recent results: Irish Open - Win / French Open - T10 / U.S. Open - MC

Key stat: 3rd on the PGA Tour in both strokes gained: off-the-tee and strokes gained: approach-the-green

Why he can win: This Spaniard skipped several rungs on golf's ladder to success, going from a hotshot amateur to a truly elite player in just over a year. Rahm's impressive ball striking skills will come in handy this week, as will the fact that most in the field are as unfamiliar with Royal Birkdale as he is.

Rickie Fowler

World ranking: No. 10

Best British Open finish: T2, 2014

Recent results: Scottish Open - T9 / Quicken Loans National - T3 / U.S. Open - T5

Key stat: 71.3 sand save percentage, 1st on the PGA Tour

Why he can win: He's accumulating a lot of scar tissue, but Sergio Garcia proved that even the most damaged golfers on the circuit can have a major moment. Fowler has come close to the Claret Jug in the past, and he's been one of the most consistent players on the planet this year.

Justin Rose

World ranking: No. 12

Best British Open finish: T4, 1998

Recent results: Irish Open - T4 / U.S. Open - MC / BMW PGA Championship - T12

Key stat: 9th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: around-the-green

Why he can win: Relatively quiet since his runner-up finish at the Masters, Rose put himself back on the radar with a strong showing at the Irish Open. The tie for fourth he notched as a 17-year-old amateur remains his best-ever finish at the Open, but his strong tee-to-green game could help him top it.

Sergio Garcia

World ranking: No. 5

Best British Open finish: 2nd/T2, 2007, 2014

Recent results: BMW Int'l Open - T2 / U.S. Open - T21 / Colonial - T12

Key stat: Leads the PGA Tour in total driving

Why he can win: It's been more than a decade since Tiger Woods became the last man to win a green jacket and a Claret Jug in the same year, but Garcia looks like a prime candidate to end that drought. The Spaniard nearly picked up his third trophy of the year last month at the BMW International Open and is on a streak of three consecutive top 10s at the British Open.

Hideki Matsuyama

World ranking: No. 2

Best British Open finish: T6, 2013

Recent results: Irish Open - T14 / U.S. Open - T2 / Memorial Tournament - T45

Key stat: 6th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: off-the-tee

Why he can win: A perennial threat to bring a first-ever major title home to Japan, Matsuyama has been in electrifying form for nearly a year now. His five wintertime wins may have been spread across the world, but they're still proof of just how dominant he can be. Last month's tie for second at the U.S. Open should leave him hungry for more.

Henrik Stenson

World ranking: No. 8

Best British Open finish: Win, 2016

Recent results: Scottish Open - T26 / BMW Int'l Open - T10 / U.S. Open - MC

Key stat: 76.1 driving accuracy percentage

Why he can win: One year after treating fans to one of the most epic duels in the history of golf, Stenson will defend his lone major title. The Swede hasn't been quite as productive this season, but his combination of deadly accuracy and mental toughness could carry him to the winner's circle.

Tommy Fleetwood

World ranking: No. 14

Best British Open finish: MC, 2014, 2015, 2016

Recent results: Irish Open - T10 / French Open - Win / BMW Int'l Open - T6

Key stat: Eight worldwide top 10s

Why he can win: This Englishman has done nothing but miss the cut in his British Open career, but that's likely to change this week. Fleetwood grew up just a few miles away from Royal Birkdale, and he and his dad would often sneak onto the course to play a few holes when the members weren't looking. It doesn't hurt that he's played some top-notch golf this year, hoisting trophies on two different continents.

Rory McIlroy

World ranking: No. 4

Best British Open finish: Win, 2014

Recent results: Scottish Open - MC / Irish Open - MC / Travelers Championship - T17

Key stat: 10 tournaments played in 2017

Why he can win: With three missed cuts in his last four starts, McIlroy hasn't exactly established himself as a slam dunk frontrunner for the British Open. But if the Northern Irish golfer is to be believed, his various injuries have thrown him off his game all year long. Royal Birkdale will be his fifth start in six weeks, so maybe he's finally finding a rhythm — either way, you'd be unwise to count him out.

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