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Portrush - World No 9 Justin Thomas said on Tuesday that home darling Rory McIlroy is the favourite for this week's Open Championship at Royal Portrush, but is hoping to be among those to give the Northern Irishman "a run" for his money.
Thomas, who won the PGA Championship in 2017, is planning to play a practice round with McIlroy on Wednesday as he looks to improve on his previous best Open finish of tied-53rd.
"Obviously I'm sure he's the favourite," said the American who spent four weeks last year as world number one.
"I know there's a lot of people, myself included, that feel like they have a good chance and want to give him a run.
"Rory's going to be hard to beat because he's Rory McIlroy. It's not because we're playing Royal Portrush.
"He's one of the best players in the world. He's won a lot of times, won a lot of majors. He's really, really good at golf."
The 26-year-old Thomas has missed the cut at each of his last two British Opens and has endured a difficult 2019, pulling out of the PGA Championship in May with a wrist injury before failing to make the weekend at the US Open last month.
Thomas will start his first round at 13:53 SA time on Thursday alongside European Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Thorbjorn Olesen.
He says he has been watching highlights of past Opens on YouTube in an attempt to better understand the intricacies of links golf.
"I'm kind of a golf nerd in terms of watching old videos," he said.
"I think it's fun sometimes to watch - I mean, actually a couple of nights ago I watched I think '13 at Muirfield, Phil (Mickelson), when he won.
"I don't remember everything and all the details. But it's just kind of cool to watch how they did it and if you do pick up on anything."
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McIlroy will play the first two rounds with Paul Casey and newly-crowned US Open champion Gary Woodland, who held off world number one Brooks Koepka to triumph at Pebble Beach.
The big-hitting 35-year-old had never even finished in the top 10 at a major until last year's PGA Championship, and understandably has been keeping the trophy close.
"Yeah, (it's been on) the nightstand so I can see it," said Woodland.
"You want to wake up and make sure it's not a dream. You want to make sure it's real. So I was thinking about letting my parents have it this week, but I ended up keeping it. It's at home."
