This year Henrik Stenson can take a major step forward in his career by winning this week’s Open Championship at St. Andrews. Familiar with the course and with his game in shape, no McIlroy and a favourite whose experience of St. Andrews is limited, Stenson has no excuses. Providing he brings his best game to the tee on Thursday morning he’ll go extremely close to winning Sweden’s first major championship. He has a great opportunity to shed that unwanted tag of “best player without a major title”.

This will be Stenson’s 10th Open Championship and he’s already hit the frame three times, most recently when beaten only by an inspired Mickelson at Muirfield two years ago.

Here at St. Andrews he was tied third in 2010, comfortably his best performance in an otherwise miserable year, while he was also out of sorts when finishing on the heels of the top-30 in 2005.

Now aged 39, Stenson is at the peak of his powers. He’s won five titles in three years including in the very best of company both in Europe and America, and during this time he’s made the cut in all 10 major starts.

It’s a sequence which includes four top-five finishes, so whether viewing just his Open record or his performances in all the top events in recent years, the numbers suggest that he’s fully deserving of the odds quoted.

From a statistical perspective, Stenson leads both the European and PGA Tour in greens hit; there’s nobody who has struck the ball better this season and that includes McIlroy, Spieth and the rest of the world’s top-10.

All of this combined with strong par-four scoring stats - there are 14 of them at St. Andrews, unusual for a par-72 - helps create a near flawless profile for a player who tuned up for this week with second place in the BMW International Open having played well enough at a course he plainly didn’t like in the preceding US Open.

Ultimately if Stenson can putt well this week he has a great chance of landing his first major, something he richly deserves.

As an each way option Zach Johnson at 100/1 represents good value, given that his form has been improving over the last few weeks.

Kids Summer Golf Camps McCool Golf Academy are now taking bookings for this years series of kids golf camps at Enniskillen Golf Club; Camp 2 : 22nd, 23rd & 24th July 9.30am-11am Camp 3 : 19th, 20th & 21st August 9.30am-11am Additional dates for Blacklion Golf Club Camps can be found on our Facebook page: The Golf Cabin For more details and bookings call Enniskillen Pro Shop on 028 66325250 or email liam@thegolfcabin.co.uk