Paul Casey goes into The Open inspired by the major championship success of Padraig Harrington. Casey's Ryder Cup team-mate emerged from the pack to win The Opens at Carnoustie in 2007 and at Royal Birkdale last summer and then claimed the US PGA Championship.

The Englishman has not won a major but victories at the Abu Dhabi Championship, Shell Houston Open and BMW PGA Championship this year show he is in the right kind of form to break that duck.

Casey said: "There are some weeks when Padraig finishes ahead of me, and some weeks when I finish ahead of him. When you see someone you compete against week in, week out step up to win a major, it certainly strengthens my belief that I could do it.

"Everything I have achieved this year will help me at Turnberry. The wins have given me confidence, and the way I handled myself and performed under pressure will definitely stand me in good stead this week."

He comes to Turnberry as only the fifth Briton after Sir Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie to have achieved the ranking of third in the world.

With Phil Mickelson absent, Casey is the second highest-ranked player in the field behind Tiger Woods. Despite that, the 31-year-old does not feel any extra pressure going into tomorrow's opening round.

He said: "There are a whole bunch of guys who can win this week. Obviously Tiger is the favourite, though he's going to have to drive the ball extremely well if he wants to win. But there are other good drivers like Kenny Perry and Ian Poulter. Just getting the ball in play is the key. Somebody who does that well, and manages their game for 72 holes, is going to be the guy who has a chance come Sunday.

"That's what I've got to do. Being ranked No3 means absolutely nothing in that regard."

What does help, however, is Casey's fondness for Turnberry. He said: "It is probably my favourite links course. It's got some brilliant holes. But you must be careful not to be fooled by its beauty. It is probably one of the toughest links courses in the British Isles. This course will find your weakness."

Casey's weakness until now, at least when it comes to the majors, is completing the job once he has worked himself into a strong position.

At Royal Troon five years ago. He opened with a five-under-par 66 but followed it with a 77 and finished tied for 20th.

His best performance in a major came a few months earlier when he finished sixth at The Masters.

Although time is still on his side -Faldo did not win the first of his six majors until he was 30 - Casey knows he needs to make that one last Harrington-like push.

He said: "I've tied for the lead going into the back nine in the Masters at Augusta. I've been in the mix and I know what the pressure is like.

"I've just got to keep plugging away. I know it's not good enough being tied for the lead with nine to play. I want to be tied for the lead, or one shot back or one shot ahead, with only three or four holes to go. That's when it really counts, and that's when we'll see what I'm made of. I think I'd have a pretty good shot."

Meanwhile, 2001 Open champion David Duval is confident he can reproduce the form which brought him a shock runners-up finish at last month's US Open.

The 37-year-old had made the cut in just 32 of his previous 114 events and the second place at Bethpage was his best finish on Tour since he came fourth at the 2002 Memorial Tournament.

"I said before the US Open that I expected to play well," said the American. "I then went out and executed that, which gives me that much more confidence."