The first three major championships of the year delivered elite winners, with Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Bryson DeChambeau all winning as top 10 players in the world. Entering this week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland, those three are among the favorites to win yet again, according to sports betting odds.
Scheffler holds top billing on the oddsboard, listed as a +450 favorite on sports betting app lists Schauffele at +1100 and DeChambeau at +1800. The trio comes into the major in strong form, and they don’t lack confidence.
“I know how to get the job done,” DeChambeau told the media this week. “It’s just a matter of if I’m as consistent as I was at the U.S. Open last week and a few other venues as well. If I can play the golf that I have been, I think I’ll give myself a great chance.”
Crowded at the Top 2z5q
While DeChambeau is the most recent major champion, Rory McIlroy (+850 on FanDuel), Ludvig Aberg (+1600), and Collin Morikawa (+1600) hold shorter odds than DeChambeau this week. They’re the most popular bets this week at SuperBook Sports, according to SuperBook’s Vice President of Risk and Golf Oddsmaker Jeff Sherman.
“They’re just wildly popular week in and week out,” Sherman said.
The trio are ball-striking stars, with McIlroy finishing in the top five in five of his last seven starts. He finished second to DeChambeau in the U.S. Open. Aberg, who has never even played in an Open Championship, has burst onto the scene as a professional and finished second at the Masters.
Morikawa has been in exquisite form despite not winning yet this year. He’s finished in the top 15 of all three majors, with a pair of top-five finishes. He’s also a previous winner of The Open Championship.
“His form has been fantastic,” Sherman said. “I expected a big year from him, and he hasn’t quite won the big tournament, but he’s been right there in contention. When people are handicapping this and looking at the odds, the toughest thing about this is just trying to find the guys who can give you a shot on Sunday. He definitely looks like one of the golfers to do that.”
Jon Rahm (+2500), Tommy Fleetwood (+2500), and Tyrell Hatton (+2800) are also viewed as top contenders for this year’s major. Fleetwood has three top-10 finishes in the last four Open Championships, as the 33-year-old Englishman thrives playing links golf.
Last year’s champion, Brian Harman, holds +7500 odds on FanDuel.
It’s a crowded pack of contenders entering a major championship often defined by unpredictable weather and bounces. Looking at a player’s tee time and the projected weather forecast for his first and second rounds is particularly important during Open Championship weeks.
“If bettors have a stat engine that shows strokes gained on links courses or strokes gained in windy conditions, I would lean heavily on those this week,” RotoGrinders’ Derek Farnsworth said. “If not, leaning on golfers with a good track record at the Open Championship is never a bad idea.”
Farnsworth’s Favorites i5i6u
Farnsworth likes Schauffele, who has four career top-20 finishes in the Open Championship, to win this week. He also has bets on Hideki Matsuyama and Hatton on his card this week.
“Schauffele often gets unfairly labeled as a golfer who can’t get the job done on Sunday, but he quieted a lot of critics when he won the PGA Championship a couple of months ago,” Farnsworth said. “He has an excellent record at The Open and nearly won here in 2018 (T2) when he was first making a name for himself on Tour. His ability to gain strokes in all facets of his game should really come in handy this week.”
Deeper down the oddsboard, Farnsworth has his eye on Corey Conners. The Canadian golfer hasn’t missed a cut this season, and he’s known for world-class iron play.
“If bettors are looking for a bet to keep them entertained all week and has a great chance of hitting, I love Corey Conners to finish in the top 40 at -105 (bet365),” Farnsworth said. “I know links golf brings more variance into play, but I genuinely don’t understand these odds. Conners has finished T44 or better in 16 straight events and hasn’t missed a cut since last June. He’s top 10 in this field in total driving, strokes gained approach, and greens in regulation.”
Like any major championship, ball striking often determines the top of the leaderboard. More of the same is expected this week in Scotland, where even the possibility of rain and wind hasn’t stopped the world’s best ball strikers from sitting atop the oddsboard.
