British Open Betting Preview

Golf bettors in the United States will need to get their wagers in earlier than usual this week as the PGA Tour heads across the Atlantic for the 151st British Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

At the Bovada Sportsbook the favorite this week is Rory McIlroy at +700. McIlroy looks like a solid wager for several reasons. First, he’s coming off a win in the Scottish Open last week, when he birdied his final two holes to shoot 17-under-par and beat Robert MacIntyre by a single stroke.

Second, with last week’s win McIlroy has finished at least ninth in six straight tournaments. This season McIlroy has finished in the Top 3 five times which includes a pair of wins.

And third, the last time the British Open was held at Royal Liverpool in 2014 McIlroy won it. He shot 17-under-par to finish two strokes ahead of Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia. If McIlroy repeats as champion at Royal Liverpool he would become the second golfer to win the Scottish Open and the British Open in the same year, joining Phil Mickelson.

Scheffler, Rahm follow McIlory on British Open odds

Following McIlory on the British Open odds are Scottie Scheffler at +750 and Jon Rahm at +1400.

Scheffler tied for third in Scotland last week and has now finished in the Top 5 in seven straight tournaments. Scheffler has been a model of consistency, however none of those top-five finishes were a win. Scheffler has only played in the British Open twice before with his best finish coming in 2021 when he tied for eighth place.

Rahm, this year’s Masters champion, has been uncharacteristically off his game lately. In his last tournament, the Travelers Championship, he missed the cut, and in the three tournaments prior he only posted one Top-10 finish. In last year’s British Open at St. Andrews Rahm finished tied for 34th place and his best career finish came in 2021 when he tied for third place.

Smith back of the favorites as he looks for a repeat

The winner at St. Andrews last year was Cameron Smith. He recorded his first Major win after shooting 20-under-par to beat Cameron Young by one stroke. Smith, who currently plays on the LIV Golf tour, is back at +1600 to repeat as champ this week.

Other former British Open winners in the field this week include 2021 winner Collin Morikawa (+3500), 2019 winner Shane Lowry (+3500), 2018 winner Francesco Molinari (+40000), 2016 winner Jordan Spieth (+3500), and 2013 winner Mickelson (+20000).

The odds on a few other notables this week include Brooks Koepka at +1800, Fowler at +2200, and Wyndham Clark at +6000.