Fitness worry for Westwood as he targets first major win at Open
Published:Lee Westwood faces a race to be fit for the Open, and he is priced at 16/1 to clinch his first major title at St Andrews.
The world number three player has turned to NASA spacesuit technology in his bid to recover from a torn calf muscle in time for the championship, which begins next week.
Westwood is missing the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond as his injury heals, and there will be a whole host of stellar competitors standing between Westwood and his first major.
Woods is the 7/2 favourite to lift the claret jug for a fourth time, and for a third time on his favoured St Andrews course.
Phil Mickelson pipped Westwood to the Masters title in April, and the American is 14/1 to add the Open to his bulging trophy cabinet.
A surprise winner last year, Stewart Cink is again considered to be an outsider for the title at a price of 66/1.
There are plenty of British players in contention alongside Westwood, with Rory McIlroy (16/1 to win), Justin Rose (25/1) and Paul Casey (33/1) among the frontrunners.
It will be the world number three from Worksop, however, who will be seen as the great British hope.
Westwood has been in excellent form over the past year, and the European Tour Golfer of the Year for 2009 is ready to complete his transformation from nearly-man to major winner.
Who do you think will be victorious? Graeme McDowell is 25/1 to follow his US Open win by lifting the claret jug. See the full 2010 Open Championship market.
