A half century has passed since Tom Watson captured the first of his five British Opens, defeating Jack Newton by one in an 18-hole playoff at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland.

The simplest one is to wager on the in-form golfers, a list led by Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy may get the nod over Scheffler in some circles this week because he's playing on home soil at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

And that's exactly what Bryson DeChambeau did on Tuesday at Royal Portrush. The two-time U.S. Open champ would love to add a British Open title to his major collection this week. But even if he isn't crowned the "Champion Golfer of the Year" on Sunday,

McIlroy, despite his uneven performances in the P.G.A. Championship and U.S. Open, will be among the favorites this week in his native country, as will Xander Schauffele, the defending champion, and Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked golfer in the world. Here are five other players to watch.

The R&A announced this week that the Spidercam be a "world-first for golf" that will bring TV viewers closer to the action that before.

A former PGA Tour player had his own calamity on the par-3 16th at Royal Portrush, calling it the most embarrassing shot of his career.