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Picking favorites is easy when it comes to majors. Oh, you think Dustin Johnson or Jordan Spieth is going to win the third major of the year? Congratulations, so does everybody else. But what about if you look beyond the world top 10 to some lesser names with longer odds?

I went outside the players with 50/1 odds or better to snap up some players who I think have a real chance at winning this week at Royal Birkdale. This is mostly a fool's errand for majors because we keep getting stars and superstars lifting trophies, but as the year goes by the more wide open the majors become. 

Or so I'm told.

Here are five longshots to lift the Claret Jug.

Matthew Fitzpatrick (80/1): Fitzpatrick replaces Brandt Snedeker (who withdrew with a rib injury) in this spot for me. He's top 30 on the European Tour in driving accuracy, and even though he hasn't played great of late, his pedigree is top-notch. He could become the first Brit to win the Open at this course.  

Zach Johnson (80/1): What am I missing here? He's one of just three players with top 10s in three or more of the last five Opens (Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia are the others). He won at St. Andrews. He's No. 11 on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy and is coming off of a great week at the John Deere Classic. Is Zach Johnson about to win his third major championship?!

Kevin Kisner (100/1): He's No. 10 on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy. Even though he hasn't finished better than 76th at an Open, he's one of those guys who isn't going to mail it in if the rain starts coming down sideways in Southport. He's a gamer, and I like him to have the best Open of his career this week.

J.B. Holmes (125/1): I realize Holmes can get sideways off the tee, but he finished a quiet third in last year's Henrik Stenson-Phil Mickelson coronation and is coming off a top 15 at the U.S. Open. I'm not saying Holmes is going to win the Open, but I am saying that his number should not be that high.

Peter Uihlein (125/1): This is Uihlein's first Open since getting cut in 2014 at Royal Liverpool. He is a middle class man's Tommy Fleetwood right now and has been performing at a really high level on the European Tour for the past few years. I'd rather have him at 150/1 or higher, but I like where his game is at. He finished T14 at the Irish Open and second at the French Open a few weeks ago.

Other sleepers I love: Soren Kjeldsen, Tyrrell Hatton and Matthew Fitzpatrick