2024 British Open Golf Pools: Strategy, Ideas, Expert Picks & Predictions For Royal Troon

It’s the final major week on the calendar, and British Open betting is here. That means you’ve probably gotten another email from your favorite pool host. For all the casual sports fans out there who aren’t glued to the week-to-week golf odds grind, fear not; we’ve got you covered! The below strategy guide for British Open golf pools will walk you through some of the best options in each tier.

You can also click on the odds below to bet now at sportsbooks in your area. To find British Open longshots, browse prices for the entire field on our Open Championship odds page.

British Open golf pools STRATEGY

Similar to a golf DFS 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 British Open golf pools will vary. But, the below tiers are structured in order of consensus betting odds, as is most common for golf pools.

Before locking in your favorite picks on betting sites, make sure you know the course. Read John’s complete British Open Betting Guide for 2024 at Royal Troon.

Editor’s Note

TIER 1: TOP 1-6 PLAYERS

The Popular Play: Scottie Scheffler

Has the shine worn off on Scottie Scheffler’s dominance after disappointing everyone at the U.S. Open last month? Perhaps. But that’s great news for Pool players who can now take advantage of decreased ownership of what was once a set-and-forget choice. It’s not as if Scheffler is slumping either, as he looked his usual dominant self the last time we saw him, making quick work of Tom Kim in a playoff victory at The Travelers Championship. Scheffler’s game translates to any course in the world, and as the No. 1 Total Driver and Approach player in golf, there’s still no player better suited to score at Royal Troon than Scheffler.

The Pivot Play: Collin Morikawa

Morikawa has defied course fit to this point in his career, contending on gargantuan courses like Augusta National and Valhalla despite his lack of distance. He’ll now carry a loaded Major resume, which already includes two wins, into a course perfectly suited to his skillsets of driving accuracy and elite approach play. Morikawa has sustained a remarkable baseline of consistency in 2024, with six top-10s and no finishes outside the top-25 over his last 10 starts. He may be the hottest player in the world outside of Scheffler right now, a credit to his massive, sustained improvements on and around the green.

TIER 2: TOP 7-24 PLAYERS

The Popular Play: Tommy Fleetwood

We’re overseas in the United Kingdom, which can only mean that the masses – both watching or betting from afar and on the ground at Royal Troon – will all be pulling for Fairway Jesus, Tommy Fleetwood. Tommy’s game has long suited Links golf, as he’s shown a mastery of flighted tee shots and approaches to help him navigate the most extreme conditions. He is affectionately known as a loveable loser in the golf world, still looking for his first PGA TOUR or Major victory, but Royal Troon is yet another ideal course fit catering to the strengths of his game.

The Pivot Play: Tom Kim

Tom Kim is my on-record pick to win the 2024 Open Championship, and you’ll find him buried deep in a loaded Tier 2 class for standard pool formats. That makes him a very optimal contrarian choice to differentiate your lineups and allows for a more “chalk” build for the rest of your selections. Kim has been lights out when it comes to Links golf, with four top-15 finishes over his first five career starts between the Scottish and British Open. He enters in great form as well, with two top-15 finishes over his last three starts.

TIER 3: TOP 25-45 PLAYERS

The Popular Play: Justin Thomas

Just for the name association alone, Justin Thomas will be a popular choice in this tier, as his questionable recent form has relegated him back to a tier we’re less familiar with finding him available in for Major championship pools. Thomas was on pace to be one of the most popular selections of the week after surging to the first-round lead at the Scottish Open last week, but quickly fell back down to Earth for a T62 finish. Even still, he has an imaginative game and deft touch around the greens that should translate well for Royal Troon, and he has shown flashes of form with top-10 finishes at the Travelers Championship and U.S. Open over the past month.

The Pivot Play: Corey Conners

A less name-brand choice than other options around him, like Max Homa, Wyndham Clark, Jordan Spieth, and Matt Fitzpatrick, Conners is the least likely of any other player in this tier to burn your lineups. He carries a streak of 26 consecutive made cuts into this week, doing so with remarkably consistent ball striking, a premium skillset for Royal Troon. If you’ve ever watched Conners hit a golf ball, you would wonder how he’s ever missed a fairway with no wasted movement. While putting has always been a concern for the Canadian, it’s always translated well in Links conditions, as he’s gained strokes putting in each of his last six appearances between the Scottish and British Open.

TIER 4: TOP 46-63 PLAYERS

The Popular Play: Rickie Fowler

Fowler is, without a doubt, the most recognizable name in this Tier and is a player with enough fanfare behind him to drive up ownership, even if not necessarily backed by his current form. A sort of poor man’s Tommy Fleetwood, Fowler can galvanize a crowd if contending in Majors and has made a career out of raising his baseline in Links conditions. Since 2010, he’s posted six career top-25 finishes at The Open Championship.

The Pivot Play: Adam Hadwin

There is an interesting connection between desert golf and Links golf, which continues to draw me back to Adam Hadwin as a sleeper fit this week. Hadwin has delivered his best results on TOUR in desert conditions between The AmEx and Shriners Children’s Open, a credit to his skillsets of driving accuracy, approach play, and streaky putting. Vying for a spot on the Presidents Cup team, he’s put together a great 2024 season so far, which includes six top-15 finishes, most recently placing 3rd at the Memorial Tournament.

TIER 5: TOP 64+ PLAYERS

The Popular Play: Ben Griffin

Not exactly a threat to win the British Open, but that’s not what pool players should be looking for in the bottom tier. I love Griffin’s prospects of making it through the cut this week, as you’ll struggle to find another player in this range in better form. Griffin has posted five top-15 finishes over his last 10 starts and has a game that suits Royal Troon well with his skillsets of driving accuracy, mid-iron approach play, and spike putting upside on slower greens.

The Pivot Play: Maverick McNealy

I expect ownership to be pretty level in this bottom tier, but Maverick McNealy carries the greatest upside to me in terms of his recent form and course fit. As far as comp courses go, Pebble Beach comes the closest to approximating what Royal Troon will have in store this week, with its emphasis on position off-the-tee, flighted approaches around coastal winds into small greens, and putting skill on slow greens. McNealy grew up playing on Pebble Beach as his home course and has delivered his best career finishes at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Best of luck with your British Open golf pools!

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