This is the 150th iteration of The Open Championship. That is especially impressive given that there is a lot of talk about how the end of golf as we know it is approaching. Like many things, that might be an exaggeration.
Things had been a little quiet on the LIV Golf front the last couple of weeks but big events always grab more oxygen and I guess people can’t help but talk about it. Tiger Woods waded into it this week, proving that he still moves the needle even if his chances on the course are not great. Having the richest player in the sport say players shouldn’t take the money is a little much, though.
This looks like a strong field and we should get a good event this week. The Open has not been at St. Andrews since 2015, when Zach Johnson won in a playoff against Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman. None of those players are among the favorites this week.
Rory McIlroy is at the top of the odds table, and he has won this event before but not on this course. He got his Open win in 2014 at Royal Liverpool. Going back to 2103 and Phil Mickelson, all of the winners were doing so at The Open for the first time.
Event Info
Dates: July 14-17
Course: The Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland
Purse: $14,000,000
Top Odds
- Rory McIlroy 9-1
- Xander Schauffele 14-1
- Jon Rahm 14-1
- Scottie Scheffler 16-1
- Jordan Spieth 16-1
- Matthew Fitzpatrick 18-1
- Justin Thomas 18-1
- Shane Lowry 22-1
- Collin Morikawa 25-1
- Will Zalatoris 25-1
- Cameron Smith 25-1
- Patrick Cantlay 25-1
- Dustin Johnson 35-1
- Tyrrell Hatton 35-1
- Brooks Koepka 35-1
- Tommy Fleetwood 35-1
- Louis Oosthuizen 40-1
- Viktor Hovland 40-1
- Hideki Matsuyama 40-1
- Sam Burns 40-1
Bets to Consider
Cam Smith 25-1
I feel like every week Cam Smith is a solid bet. His play has cooled a little of late, but that just means there will be more of a payoff when he finally comes through. He was 10th last week at the Scottish Open and is still looking for that first major victory. This seems like a very good spot.
Dustin Johnson 35-1
DJ is one of several golfers who has taken heat for jumping to LIV Golf. It might have been off your radar but he has played well in those events and obviously has won majors before. Just not the Open. If you always thought he would get one of those you are probably not going to get a better value than right now.
Sam Burns 40-1
Burns has four wins over 2021 and 2022 combined but his best performance in a major is just 20th, at this year’s U.S. Open. His skill with the putter should keep him in the hunt, and maybe he can finish strong on Sunday.
Kurt Kitayama 150-1
If you are looking for a longshot play why not go with Kitayama, who earned his spot with a second-place finish at the Scottish Open last week. He has another second and a third in 2022, so occasionally he is in contention. This one is all about price and value.
Justin Thomas 18-1
I took a look back at the top of the odds table and think Thomas is a nice bet at this price. He won his second major earlier this season but has not won the Open Championship before. Apparently, he and Tiger hit the course last week. That might not be enough to get Woods healthy enough to compete but might give Thomas more comfort.
