Golf / The Open: Three outsiders worth keeping a close eye on

TOM LEHMAN

Age: 35.

Home: Scottsdale, Arizona.

There are many more Americans in the field who are fancied to win the Open but Long Tom appears to represent good each-way value. In the early 1980s, he won peanuts on the US Tour but in recent years has discovered that there are far worse ways of making a living. Lehman was tied for third in the Masters at Augusta last year and went one better in April, finishing runner-up to Jose-Maria Olazabal. He proved it was no fluke by winning the Memorial Tournament at Jack Nicklaus's Muirfield Village.

DAVID FEHERTY

Age: 35.

Home: Dallas, Texas, out of Crawfordsburn, Northern Ireland.

It's about time a qualifier won the Open, although should Feherty do so the celebrations in Ireland would overshadow anything that Jack Charlton inspired. Gained his card at the US Tour qualifying school and has been having a hard time of it but nobody's spirits in the field of 156 are higher. Feherty shot 73, 63 in the final qualifying and with this man anything's possible. Has more one-liners than the Bob Hope Classic.

STEPHEN ROBERTSON

Age: 28.

Home: Swindon.

Another pre-qualifier who has about as much chance of winning the Open as Bob Hope. However, he gets our romantic vote on the basis that nobody outside of Wiltshire has ever heard of him. Robertson is the assistant professional at Swindon Golf Club and is playing in his first Open Championship. His father, Ralph, who is 60 years of age, will carry his son's bag, at least for two rounds. Robertson Snr taught his son everything he knows and was runner-up in the English Seniors Championships last year.