With Rose and Westwood, English hopes high for Open

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Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

Justin Rose enters St. Andrews on the heels of an outstanding playing streak that saw him win twice in three starts.

United Kingdom at the British Open

Click the flag for analysis of each country's favorites, history in golf's oldest major:

ENGLAND Westwood, Rose, Poulter among favorites this year NORTHERN IRELAND Graeme, Rory bring lot of momentum SCOTLAND Monty's last shot at a major title? WALES 2010 Ryder Cup host winless all-time in Open

It was the country to be named later. The one that can't claim the home of golf. The one that finally held an Open Championship in 1894 -- 34 years after the event began in Scotland -- and now hosts the event four times every decade.

England

By the numbers

Population: 52 million '10 British Open entries: 22 Former winners: 14

Royal St. George's hosted that first Open on British soil and now it shares those four spots with Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham and St. Anne's and Royal Liverpool. There may not be quite the same reverence reserved for those courses as for Scotland's St. Andrews, Carnoustie or Turnberry, but the Brits have certainly created quite a show the last few times.

Who could forget Tiger Woods sobbing and collapsing into Steve Williams' arms at Liverpool in 2006? It was his first major championship since his father had passed away and the first time back to Liverpool in 39 years.

Even more riveting was the 2008 Open at Birkdale when the winds whipped up and Greg Norman -- at 53 and just off his honeymoon with former wife Chris Evert -- had everyone wondering if he could win a third Open. He led going into the final round, but faded with a closing 77 to share third as Padraig Harrington successfully defended his 2007 Open title. And a month later, the Irishman would win his third major -- the PGA Championship.

1. This year's favorite: Lee Westwood. Yes, Justin Rose has two wins this year. But Westwood is, well, among other things, the third-ranked player in the world. Take away that tie for 16th at Pebble Beach and he went T3, T3 and second in the previous three majors.

Westwood

He hasn't had the best record at the Open or at St. Andrews, but he's playing great. He finished one shot out of the playoff at Turnberry and led this year's Masters by one going into the final round and lost to an emotional Phil Mickelson. Pebble? He peaked a week early in winning the St. Jude Classic presented by Smith & Nephew.

2. Best to have won the Open: Harry Vardon and Nick Faldo. Definitely a split decision needed here. It's hard to argue with six Open Championships, which is the number Vardon won between 1896 and 1914 at sites like St. Andrews, Prestwick and Royal St. George's. Plus, he did it beating five-time winners J.H. Taylor (Englishman) and James Braid (Scot). The trio won 16 of 21 Opens from 1894-1914. But Faldo, playing in the modern era with deeper competition, won twice at Muirfield and once at St. Andrews, all in a six-year span -- and he has three Masters to go with them. Faldo remains te last player from England to win the Open (1992).

3. Best to never have won the Open: It's Westwood, again. He only has three top-10 finishes, but he's still the best English player -- in terms of his total game -- on the board. And he's a much better player than the last time he was ranked in the top five.

Wood

4. Best young player: Remember the name Chris Wood. At 6-foot-5, he casts a long shadow and has a powerful game. With his father on the bag at the 2008 Open, he went on to tie for fifth as an amateur. Last year, he shared third. He has been 15th or better -- including a string of three top-sixes -- in four of his last six European Tour events.

5. Wild card pick: We'll go with Justin Rose. Could easily have tapped Luke Donald, who tied for fifth last year. But everyone across the pond is looking at him after a second-first-third spurt last month. Rose comes with considerable momentum, too, after picking up his first two PGA TOUR wins in his last three starts. No one was thinking about him at Birkdale in 1998 when the then-17-year-old holed out from the fairway to tie for fourth. He could make things interesting.