Top 10 things to watch at The Open

ByJASON SOBEL
July 14, 2015, 7:31 AM

— -- ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Put on your waterproofs, spellcheck your favourite colour and getcha haggis ready.

It's once again time for golf's oldest tournament.

The Open gets underway this week, but before it does here are the top 10 things to watch -- including an opening three-pack that is gunning toward history.

1. Jordan Spieth
2. Jordan Spieth
3. Jordan Spieth
He's chasing the third leg of the grand slam, trying to equal Ben Hogan's 51-year-old mark of becoming the only player to claim the Masters, U.S. Open and The Open in the same year at the ripe old age of 21.

So yeah, Spieth is worthy of owning all top three spots in a top 10 list.

Throw in the fact that he's fresh off his fourth win of the year at the John Deere Classic, and it all adds up to a full-blown Spiethtacular here at St. Andrews.

If you're looking for a reason Spieth might not win this week, try this: He's only played this course once before, just before the 2011 Walker Cup. But he did practice on his home simulator and has shown a knack for figuring out courses without much experience. He won in his second try at Augusta National and had only played one previous competitive round at Chambers Bay.

And if you think we're in Spiethtacular mode now, just give it a few days. If he wins here, he'll be going after one of sport's most previously unattainable achievements at Whistling Straits.

4. The soft Open?
Here's a fun little contrasting narrative you'll be sick of hearing about come this weekend: The U.S. Open was played on a firm, brown golf course and The Open is going to be played on a soft, green golf course.

That's right -- the Old Course is going to look unlike its previous editions, with more grass and less bounciness.

What does it mean? Two things: First off, the all-time major championship single-round scoring record of 63 -- matched 26 times -- could finally topple this week after so many close calls. And secondly, the vagaries and randomness of links golf -- lucky breaks and bad bounces -- will be kept to a minimum, possibly meaning only the best players will rise to the top of the leaderboard.

5. Old Tom bids farewell
For the 38th and final time, Tom Watson will tee it up at The Open this week.

Most goodbye tours -- Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, to name a few -- end with a Friday afternoon stroll across the Swilcan Bridge, bowing out on the grand stage before the final leaderboard really starts taking shape.

But it would be perfectly Watson-esque if his farewell extended beyond Friday and right into Sunday.

That doesn't mean the 65-year-old will contend like he did at Turnberry as a spry 59-year-old, but there's no reason to think he can't put together a few magical turn-back-the-clock type of rounds that find him on the right side of the cut line.

6. Will the real Tiger Woods please stand up?
For the first six months of this year, Woods was considered varying shades of "DONE!" by the masses. Meanwhile, the man himself merely preached patience amongst the buzzwords, telling anyone who would listen that it would take time for his "patterns" and "feels" to return.

In his final start before The Open, Woods' swing looked much improved at the Greenbrier Classic. And while that should hardly translate into major championship success, those same masses declared him varying shades of "BACK!" afterward.

Once again, though, Woods preached patience.

He might be in the minority by taking a wait-and-see approach to his future, but there are signs he's starting to regain the stuff that once made him something better than the 241st-ranked player in the world.

7. Major drama
When Louis Oosthuizen won by seven strokes here at St. Andrews a half-decade ago, he started a disturbing trend at the majors.

After all, we want our biggest tournaments fraught with leaderboard peril, where one false step could mean instant failure for a contender. We want to sit on the edge of our couch cushions, ready to leap toward the TV screen without notice. We want drama. We want pressure. We want entertainment.

What we've gotten are snoozers -- well, 40 percent of the time.

Including Oosthuizen's win here, eight of the last 20 majors -- two apiece at the Masters and U.S. Open; three at The Open; and one at the PGA Championship -- have been won by a differential of at least three strokes.

8. Bouncebacks
Dustin Johnson and Jason Day will be attempting a pair of very different returns from very different U.S. Open setbacks last month.

It was Johnson who famously three-putted the final hole at Chambers Bay to once again lose a major title in heartbreaking fashion. Many are already claiming that St. Andrews suits his game perfectly, but of course, when you mash the ball long and straight off the tee, every course suits your game.

Day is also making his first start since suffering from vertigo during the U.S. Open. He insists the condition has been properly diagnosed and treated, which means the path could be clear for his first major championship title. Just one month after scarily stumbling at Chambers -- literally -- it could be the feel-good comeback story of the year.

9. Is Rickie ready?
Last year, Rickie Fowler finished in the top 5 at all four major championships -- a feat never before performed by a player who failed to win any of 'em. This year, he won the so-called fifth major, the Players Championship, two months ago and is entering this week on another heater, having just claimed the Scottish Open trophy on Sunday.

He can't come much closer to winning a major without almost accidentally grabbing a piece of history.

Fowler is a links golf aficionado -- one of very few American players who might own a better chance at The Open than any of the other three majors. Back in 2010, he opened with a 79 here, then posted three under-par rounds to still finish in a share of 14th place.

It's hard to imagine he won't be among the serious contenders come Sunday afternoon.

10. Missing Rory
When Woods followed his historic 2008 U.S. Open victory by having knee surgery and missing the remainder of the season, some observers thought Padraig Harrington's two major titles should be anchored down by asterisks.

That's a ridiculous notion, of course -- and any mention of an asterisk attached to this week's winner without defending champion Rory McIlroy able to compete will likewise miss the mark.

That shouldn't keep us from wondering "what if ..." throughout the week, though.

McIlroy loves this golf course. He opened with a 63 here in 2010, posted 80 in high winds on Friday, then bounced back to finish in a share of third place. He also loves soft golf courses. There might never be a better blend of perfect layout and conditions than the Old Course draped in green hues and with ball marks cratering the putting surfaces. The truth is, if we were to build a perfect venue for a McIlroy major bid, it would be this track, this week.

He'll know that and understand that as he watches on TV this week, kicking himself the entire time.

On second thought, maybe he'll just shake his head and mutter a bit. After all, kicking is what kept him from playing here in the first place.