2023 British Open Golf Pools: Strategy Ideas & Picks For Hoylake
It’s another major week in the world of golf, which means you’ve probably gotten another email from your favorite pool host. For all the casual sports fans out there who aren’t glued into the week-to-week golf odds grind, fear not, we’ve got you covered! The below strategy guide will walk you through some of the best options in each tier for your 2023 British Open pools.
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British Open POOLS STRATEGY
Similar to a Daily Fantasy tournament strategy, game theory is key in British Open pools. First, one must identify the popular players in each tier. Then, decide which ones you’re comfortable fading in favor of a contrarian option. Below, we’ll go through the consensus popular and pivot plays in each tier. The format in each golf pool will vary. But, the below tiers are structured in order of consensus betting odds, as is most common for golf pools.
View the full British Open odds board from online betting sites.
TIER 1: TOP 1-6 PLAYERS
The Popular Play: Rory McIlroy ()
Rory McIlroy was the winner of this event the last time it was played at Royal Liverpool in 2014, and was a winner at last week’s Scottish Open. That’s a perfect formula for a player to become most popular in pools, especially for a household name like McIlroy. There’s no question about his fit or form, but from a game theory standpoint, I’ll be looking to go with a more contrarian route to start my pool teams.
The Pivot Play: Brooks Koepka ()
I believe the 2023 PGA Champion has the best chance to win this week, and he’s the player who headlines my outright betting card. Royal Liverpool is a course that rewards a straight and piercing ball flight both off-the-tee and on approach, which is a combination that has made Brooks Koepka the most dominant major player in the sport currently. He has the wherewithal to handle the many testy tee shots Hoylake will throw at him, and is a player I fully expect to be in the mix come Sunday.
TIER 2: TOP 7-24 PLAYERS
The Popular Play: Rickie Fowler ()
Similar to Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler is one of the most recognizable names in golf, is coming off of a recent victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, is in great overall form, and played well in his last appearance at Hoylake with a T2 finish here in 2014. There’s no question Fowler will be a popular choice in pools this week, and with nine top-20s over his last 11 starts, you can feel pretty comfortable about his floor on this set up.
The Pivot Play: Collin Morikawa ()
The 2021 British Open champion has had more of an up and down season comparatively, and is surprisingly still chasing his first win since hoisting the Claret Jug that year. That may give some pool players pause to back him in this tier, but Morikawa has returned to the elite approach form he was in prior to his win at Royal St. George’s, and has displayed upside on the greens with three consecutive positive putting performances.
TIER 3: TOP 25-45 PLAYERS
The Popular Play: Robert MacIntyre ()
The strategy of backing this young Scot on the links has not failed yet. In three career starts at the British Open, he’s finished T6, T8, and T34. In fact, he’s missed just one cut over his first 12 career major starts, so there’s no question he’s capable of elevating his game on the biggest stage. Coming off of a dramatic runner up finish to McIlroy at the Scottish Open and back-to-back top-5s in Europe, McIntyre is sure to be a popular choice in golf pools.
The Pivot Play: Sungjae Im ()
Sungjae Im will not be as popular as Robert MacIntyre in British Open pools, which would have been a completely ridiculous thing to say just a couple months ago. Sungjae has taken a small step back in terms of form over the last month, but is still a top-20 talent in the field this week. The British Open results haven’t manifested yet for Im, but I believe he’s due for a breakout performance this week in a nice leverage spot here.
TIER 4: TOP 46-63 PLAYERS
The Popular Play: Sahith Theegala ()
The Netflix Full Swing star should see a small boost in popularity from casual golf fans in pools this week. His creative shot making ability makes him a natural fit for links golf, and he impressed with a top-40 finish in his British Open debut last year. Personally, I think softer conditions should force driver into his hands more often, which is not his strength, so I’ll be looking elsewhere in this range.
The Pivot Play: Harris English ()
English is not a flashy player, and therefore is never the most popular selection in these pools. He has shown a proven ability to step up in majors, though, coming off of a T8 at the 2023 U.S. Open. He needed some time to recover from hip surgery in 2022, but now looks the part of his former Ryder Cup form, with six top-15s this season.
TIER 5: TOP 64+ PLAYERS
The Popular Play: Taylor Moore ()
Yannik Paul and Andrew Putnam will also eat up an equitable share of ownership in pools from this range, but I suspect a PGA TOUR player with a win under his belt already this season will emerge as the most popular choice. Moore picked up his first career win at the Valspar Championship in March and has backed that up with additional top-10s at the RBC Heritage and Rocket Mortgage Classic. One of the most consistent drivers on TOUR, Moore’s ability to catch fire on the greens unlocks a higher ceiling than the others around him in this range, having gained 9+ strokes putting twice in his last eight starts.
The Pivot Play: Antoine Rozner ()
There’s no reason for any casual or semi-casual pool player to look into Rozner this week. He’s been relatively quiet on the DP World Tour and his outright odds are buried beyond 500-1. But, I still see some value in Frenchman who has shown a type of promise on links-style courses that a majority of the other options in this range have not. Rozner finished T4 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last season, demonstrating comfort on this style of windy and challenging golf course. He’ll enter on a streak of 10 straight made cuts on the DP World Tour, which includes a win at the top of this season, so the boom potential is there for this obscure longshot.
Best of luck with your British Open pools!
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