My British Open Pick

Hello. Well, this is a toughie. Tiger would've been my first pick because of his past success in the Open in general and on this course in particular (3rd in '98). Of course he's not playing.
Then I would've gone with the hot hand. But Kenny Perry is staying on his home continent.
Next would've been the defending champ. But Padraig Harrington is wounded, and floundering.
The experts are betting on Sergio Garcia. He could win. But I'm not counting on it.
Adam Scott is a favoured player. But again, he hasn't contended in a major, and his hand may still be bad.
I'm surprised no one's going more for Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson. They have 3 majors each. However, recent form doesn't seem to indicate they'll be factors.
So here's my pick - Stephen Ames. And I'm not doing it because he's a fellow Canadian. Ames hits the ball very consistently, which is a must at a British Open. He's also got the no-fear attitude needed to cope with the weather. And he's flying under the radar, something these favourites are not doing with no Tiger. Ames is not expected to win, which should relax him.
You heard it here first.

Regards,
Steve