Under-the-radar candidates who could steal the Open Championship

The best golfers in the world will descend upon Carnoustie this week for the Open Championship, with extremely firm and fast conditions expected at the legendary Scottish layout.

While the biggest names - including Tiger Woods, who's making his first start at The Open since 2015 - will garner most of the attention, there are also some "sleepers" to watch who could be in contention down the stretch.

Here are four players listed at 70-1 odds or more with a chance to make some noise:

Thomas Pieters (75-1)

While Belgium's Thomas Pieters is certainly known by golf fans in the United States, his most memorable moment at The Open came in 2016 when he snapped his club in half following a shot.

(Video courtesy: Golf Channel)

Pieters would go on to post a 30th-place showing that year - his best finish in two starts at the historic championship. The 26-year-old now comes to Carnoustie in decent form after a slow start to the season, with a sixth-place finish at last week's Scottish Open in the bag.

As one of the longer hitters on Tour, Pieters has the potential to overpower the baked-out Carnoustie setup, but patience will be key as trouble will surely pop up at some point.

Danny Willett (150-1)

Don't look now, but Danny Willett is slowly returning to the form that saw him capture the Masters in 2016. The Englishman has three top-20 finishes in his last five starts, including a sixth-place showing two weeks ago at the Irish Open.

Willett's record at the Open Championship includes two top-15 finishes in his last five starts, and given his background, he should be more than comfortable on the fast track at Carnoustie this week.

Dylan Frittelli (200-1)

Dylan Frittelli may not have lit the world on fire in his starts on the PGA Tour this season, but the South African has thrived on the other side of the Atlantic.

With three straight top-25 showings entering The Open this week, Frittelli looks to be in very strong form and his proficiency with irons should make him a contender this week. The 28-year-old ranks 21st on the European Tour in greens in regulation, and should be able to avoid the numerous traps Carnoustie can pose as players aim at flags this week.

Peter Uihlein (250-1)

Peter Uihlein may be American, but he should be extremely comfortable in Scotland after spending years on the European Tour before jumping across the pond.

The 28-year-old is also entering this week after playing some fine golf over the past couple months, with three top-15 showings in his last seven starts worldwide. Uihlein is a talented all-around player who won't be flustered by any sort of difficult weather conditions that may arise on the Scottish coast.

That makes him a very attractive sleeper at 250-1.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
(Odds courtesy: Bodog)