The Open Championship - New generation ready to let rip

Post by Sports Writer - Derek Clements

This year's Open Championship could be one of the best we have ever witnessed. Forget all about the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson - the Old Course is going to bear witness to a host of brilliant young golfers going toe to toe for the oldest prize in golf.

Jordan Spieth

Has already won The Masters and the US Open this season and definitely has the game to take the Old Course apart, but how will he cope with the pressure that comes with trying to win a third successive major? If anybody can do it, Spieth can, but it is a huge ask

Dustin Johnson

Losing one major can be considered unfortunate. Throwing away four is careless in the extreme. With any other player, you might start to think he would never win a major, but Johnson is not one of golf's great philosophers, to put it mildly. He will have already forgotten about Chambers Bay, and could reduce the Old Course to its knees

Louis Oosthuizen

I have a feeling that the 32-year-old South African is going to surprise a lot of people. He won here in 2010 and is a better player now than he was then. If his back isn't troubling him and he has confidence in his putting stroke, he will definitely be in the mix come the back nine on the final round

Rickie Fowler

Had a thoroughly miserable time of it at Chambers Bay, where he comfortably missed the cut. He finished in the top five in all four majors in 2014, has won on the PGA Tour in astonishing style this season (at the Players Championship) and is one of the best shot-makers in the field. If ever a player needs to win a major, it is Fowler. And it just might be at St Andrews

Danny Willett

Has now proved to himself that he belongs at this level. Previously, there were too many self-doubts, but the Englishman banished them when he won at Sun City last year, and he has kicked on from there. Has the potential to become a top-10 golfer if only he could force himself to believe it

James Morrison

The 30-year-old Englishman is my dark horse for 2015. He won't win The Open (not this year at any rate), but has won on the European Tour this season and been in contention several times. If he can get off to a decent start, he will not be afraid to push on. And he will not crumble under the pressure

Tommy Fleetwood

The man from Southport is a future Open champion - I am convinced about that. He grew up learning to master conditions on links courses and is not afraid of a bit of wind and rain. If it blows a hoolie, Fleetwood could shock an awful lot of people. He has no weaknesses, but must stop being so hard on himself when he doesn't hit an approach to three feet!

Victor Dubuisson

The Frenchman is another whom I believe will emulate the likes of Martin Kaymer and win a major for continental Europe. Dubuisson has every shot in the book but, more than that, his recovery powers are simply extraordinary. So if he veers from the straight and narrow during the week, look to him to produce the sort of shot that only great champions can play. And he is a great champion in the making

Brooks Koepka

There is a generation of brilliant young American golfers who are destined for great things. Spieth is obviously the cream of the crop, but Koepka is not far behind. He made his winning breakthrough on the PGA Tour earlier this season and seems to be getting better and better. He is not afraid to win and if he gets himself in the running he will still be there at the end