John Garrity
Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated
Pick: Phil Mickelson
There's no reason why Phil Mickelson can't win at Carnoustie. Well, actually, there may be several reasons, the most obvious being the wrist injury that has hampered him for weeks. But Lefty's near victory in the Scottish Open should remind us that he can do some hurtin' if he isn't hurtin'. Butch Harmon's swing tweaks have given Phil plenty of confidence, and a confident Mickelson is a scary-good Mickelson.
Dark horse: Ben Curtis
My dark horse pick is Ben Curtis, the 2003 British Open champ, who continues to be dismissed as a fluke despite his two PGA Tour wins of 2006. Curtis hasn't done much lately, but he could be a latter-day Andy North, a very good player who got minimal respect for winning the U.S. Open twice.