It’s finally here. The Open Championship takes place this weekend at the challenging Royal Liverpool Golf Club. It will be the 151st running of The Open and there are plenty of ways for fans to bet on the action.
The Open: Course preview
Royal Liverpool is a unique Beast. We last saw it host an Open Championship nine long years ago when a young man by the name of Rory McIlroy lifted the Claret Jug. Rickie Fowler was hot on his heels that weekend and both players have won a PGA Tour event in recent weeks, harking back to their glory years and highlighting that they still have plenty of gas in the tank.
As for the course itself, the bunkers and rough are especially tricky. Flat bunkers are a rarity, with Royal Liverpool really punishing any player who misses a fairway with craters filled with soft sand, and thick rough that snags the club head on the way down.
With such undulating greens and such devastating hazards and sand traps, it’s going to require golfers to show plenty of flair on approach, as well as pinpoint accuracy.
Betting trends
- Every single one of the past 10 winners has had a P2 or better at a major prior to the win, three of which did so at the Masters.
There’s also a trend of mid-tier players in terms of betting odds winning the event.
2022 Cam Smith (25-1)
2021 Collin Morikawa (30-1)
2019 Shawn Lowry (80-1)
2018 Francesco Molinari (25-1)
2017 Jordan Spieth (12-1)
2016 Henrik Stenson (25-1)
The Favorites
| Scottie Scheffler | +700 |
| Rory McIlroy | +800 |
| John Rahm | +1300 |
| Brooks Koepka | +1800 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +2000 |
| Cam Smith | +2000 |
| Xander Schauffele | +2200 |
| Viktor Hovland | +2200 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | +2500 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +2500 |
While he hasn’t been at the forefront of every event, Scottie Scheffler somehow always seems to find his way into the mix on Sunday. In fact, his ‘worst’ result of the entire year so far has been 12th place at the Genesis Invitational and he came 3rd at the Scottish Open. If that doesn’t tell you just how great this man is, I don’t know what will. The putter has let Scottie down this year, but he proved last weekend that he’s ready for the challenges of Links Golf.
Rory McIlroy is going to be a favorite among bettors this week. His win at the Scottish Open could not have come at a better time, with the veteran now looking to claim his first major since the 2014 PGA Championship. This is the first time Royal Liverpool has hosted The Open since a young Rory won it all those years ago, meaning he’ll be defending his crown.
Brooks Koepka could well be a name worth watching. He has four top-10 finishes in his last 6 appearances at The Open, per TheLines, and has had a thunderous year in Majors. He won the PGA Championship to kick things off and came 2nd at the Masters, before placing in the top-20 at the US Open. He does present some outright value, but a top-10 bet at +200 is also appealing.
A name I’d really like to hone in on is Viktor Hovland. He was very close to winning his first major championship just a few short months ago and has been absolutely brilliant in 2023. His ball-striking has always been a strength, but he’s really gaining ground off the tee and if he can continue to find fairways, he’ll be in contention just as Colin Morikawa, a similarly fantastic ball-striker, was a couple of years ago.
The Brits
If you want to play the hometown hero angle at The Open, then Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrell Hatton are the obvious plays here and both come in at the same price. Fleetwood has by far been the most consistent of the two and although he was unable to win the RBC Canadian Open, he’s still played extremely solidly this season and a T6 at the Scottish Open holds him in good stead for The Open.
Matt Fitzpatrick comes into this event at +4500, which is a big price for someone as talented as the 2022 US Open Champ. He has had a much quieter year in 2023 and missed the cut at the Scottish Open. Could he rebound on home soil?
The Field is filled with potential
It’s hard to look past names like Dustin Johnson. D.J (+3000) has been very solid in LIV events over the last few months, and has already proven his worth around courses like this. He’s absolutely worth a look here.
Justin Thomas (+8000) feels like a golfer primed to bounce back eventually. It’s been a very uncharacteristic season for JT but the bad times won’t last forever. It’s rare to see someone of his caliber priced in this range and I’ll continue to flirt with a resurgence while the prices continue to drop.
Henrik Stenson (+25000) previously won this event and will likely plan his way around the course to ensure he makes the cut and has a chance come Sunday.
A wildcard pick for The Open
It could be a good time to buy the dip on Robert Macintyre (+8000). He’s finished inside the top-10 in each THREE of performances at the Open Championship and came 2nd at the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open last week. He’s in good form, thrives on Links courses, and is somehow more expensive than he was last year.
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Best betting offers for The Open
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