The British Open Kicks Off Thursday With Tiger Woods the Favorite for the Weekend

The third major of the year gets underway this week with the start of the British Open or the "Open Championship" as the Europeans like to call it.  Like most tournaments, Tiger Woods is the favorite, but with his recent performances in majors the field seems to be pretty wide open.

One of the other favorites going into the Open Championship is Phil Mickelson.  He had this to say about the course Murifield after his practice round, "I was just kind of taking it in today; it was a tiring day.  I hit three times as many balls as I would hit in a normal round. I'm trying to see where I want to go and what clubs I'll be comfortable with off the tee, where the ball wants to go and where the bunkers are.  Tee to green, it's a great challenge."

One factor that always plays a big part in this tournament is good ol' mother nature.  The British Open has become famous for making it's participants play through some of the worst weather conditions.  Whether it's rain or wind, the weather defiantly be a factor this weekend.   Coverage begins Thursday at 4:30 am on ESPN and will continue through the weekend.