This year’s British Open will take place at Royal Liverpool Golf Course from July 20 to July 23. British Open odds for the 2023 golf major are already available to bet on now. Rory McIlroy checks in as the favorite at +800 while Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas have Open Championship odds ranging from +1200 to +1600.
Cameron Smith will be looking to defend his Open Championship title. Smith won this year’s British Open with +2000 pre-tournament odds.
British Open odds
Live British Open odds for the 2023 tournament are now available to wager on at top US sportsbooks.
How British Open odds changed last year
Here is a look at the opening British Open odds for the 2022 tournament as well as how the prices changed in the days during the tournament.
| Golfer | Opening British Open odds | British Open Odds July 1 | British Open Odds July 8 | British Open Odds July 11 | British Open Odds July 12 | British Open Odds July 14 | British Open Odds July 15 | British Open Odds July 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jon Rahm | +1000 | +1000 | +1100 | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 | +9000 | +11000 |
| Dustin Johnson | +1400 | +2500 | +2500 | +3500 | +3500 | +3500 | +1600 | +900 |
| Rory McIlroy | +1400 | +800 | +900 | +900 | +900 | +900 | +360 | +450 |
| Brooks Koepka | +1400 | +2800 | +2800 | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 | +30000 | OTB |
| Jordan Spieth | +1400 | +2000 | +1800 | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 | +2800 | +10000 |
| Collin Morikawa | +1800 | +1600 | +1800 | +3000 | +3000 | +3000 | +9000 | OTB |
| Bryson DeChambeau | +1800 | +5000 | +5000 | +13000 | +11000 | +9000 | +4500 | +200000 |
| Justin Thomas | +1800 | +1400 | +1400 | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 | +6000 | +40000 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | +2000 | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 | +9000 | OTB |
| Xander Schauffele | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 | +1400 | +7000 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +2500 | +2800 | +2800 | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 | +3000 | +2800 |
| Viktor Hovland | +2500 | +2800 | +2800 | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 | +2200 | +850 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | +2500 | +3500 | +3500 | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 | +5500 | +2200 |
| Patrick Reed | +2800 | +6500 | +6500 | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 | +25000 | +40000 |
| Matthew Fitzpatrick | +3500 | +2000 | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 | +7000 | +4000 |
| Paul Casey | +3500 | +5500 | +6500 | +18000 | +18000 | +18000 | +11000 | +500000 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +3500 | +4000 | +4000 | +3500 | +3500 | +3500 | +11000 | +40000 |
| Shane Lowry | +3500 | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 | +7000 | +15000 |
| Daniel Berger | +4000 | +5000 | OTB | OTB | OTB | OTB | OTB | OTB |
And here are British Open odds for top golfers in the field from June 20, a day after the conclusion of the US Open victory by Matt Fitzpatrick.
- Rory McIlroy +900
- Jon Rahm +1000
- Scottie Scheffler +1400
- Justin Thomas +1400
- Collin Morikawa +1600
- Jordan Spieth +1800
- Cameron Smith +1800
- Xander Schauffele +2200
- Viktor Hovland +2200
- Shane Lowry +2200
- Brooks Koepka +2500
- Will Zalatoris +2500
- Matthew Fitzpatrick +2500
- Patrick Cantlay +2500
- Dustin Johnson +2500
- Hideki Matsuyama +2800
Below is a futures report with British Open odds for each golfer listed. Some of the top contenders and longshots to win at St Andrews will be highlighted below.
Rory McIlroy (+900): It’s safe to say Rory is playing some of the best golf of his career currently and has really been knocking on the door of another major. His ball striking continues to be absolute top of the line. The putter has also been getting hot at times, making him a clear favorite at St. Andrews. Though he missed the 2015 Open here due to injury, he flew out of the gates as a 21-year-old in 2010 with an opening-round 63 and eventually finished 3rd.
Xander Schauffele (+1200): Schauffele backed up his Travelers Championship win with a nice little pair of rounds at the Pro-Am event in Ireland with a strong field. You don’t want to put too much stock into it, but it’s clear he’s playing some incredibly strong golf recently. That’s been true dating back to after the Masters as he’s striking the ball as well as anyone currently. Finished 2nd in 2018 at Carnoustie to show he can contend at The Open.
Scottie Scheffler (+1400): Scheffler played his first Open Championship last year and quickly showed he had no issue taking his game to links golf with an 8th place finish. His play in major championships, in general, has been incredibly impressive since turning pro, and he followed that disappointing missed cut at the PGA with a runner-up at the US Open. Feels like a nice course fit and he should probably be the betting favorite.
Justin Thomas (+1600): Despite some of his excellent results in high winds, Thomas has actually tended to struggle in tougher conditions and links golf. It’s hard to say why – and maybe it’s just coincidental – but this price is tough to swallow for someone who has finished better than 40th once in 5 tries at The Open. Still, he showed life in Scotland last year and can clearly get it done in windy conditions at a major like he did at the PGA.
Jon Rahm (+1600): Rahm has started to find his groove at Open Championships after really struggling in his first three tries at the event. His 3rd place finish last year followed the US Open win, and it’s clear the Spaniard has started to gain some form in general as of late with improved ball striking and putting. This number seems more like a reputation boost and could drift a little higher since others are playing better golf.
Jordan Spieth (+1600): Spieth has a sneaky strong record at The Open with four Top 10s, including a win in 2017 and his runner-up last year to Morikawa. That’s no surprise when you consider he’s at his best when playing creatively and letting his feel take over instead of the technical thoughts that get him into slumps. Fourth here in 2015, Spieth has been off as of late with his ball striking, but the putter has at least warmed up a bit.
Matt Fitzpatrick (+1800): His 20th in 2019 at Portrush was surprisingly the best result for Fitzpatrick at an Open Championship so far. It’s surprising to see those struggles when you consider how much the Englishman loves windy and difficult conditions, but I wouldn’t put too much worry in it since we know he can go nicely at links courses.
Patrick Cantlay (+2000): After debuting at The Open with a promising 12th, he’s finished 41st, MC since with a disappointing start at St. George’s. It’s been a strange season for him in 2022 with some highs and bad lows. I struggle to predict when he’s going to find it, but we know he can pop at any time with elite iron play and a scorching hot putter. Still not a great price considering other options in this range.
Shane Lowry (+2200): The 2019 Open Champion at Portrush is perhaps playing the best golf of his career this season, highlighted by a 3rd at the Masters. He did disappointingly miss the cut at the U.S. Open, but perhaps that was the end of a tiring stretch of golf that saw him contending nearly every week. We know Lowry is as good as anyone in the world in high winds, and he absolutely loves a proper links test. Missed the cut here in 2015, but the experience still helps.
Cameron Smith (+2800): Smith has lost some form of late with a couple of poor events at the Canadian Open and U.S. Open. Much like Lowry, it’s possible that the Aussie experienced a bit of a crash after so many tiring weeks in contention since the start of the year. He’s another player who is complete class in high winds and tricky conditions, and I’d really expect St Andrews to be the exact type of test that compliments his game if the driver can stay in play.
Collin Morikawa (+3000): What an odd US Open it was for Morikawa, who – despite saying he had no clue what he was doing with his club face on irons – finished 5th. It was his 77 on Saturday that showed he’s still not quite right, and he’s taken plenty of time off since that tournament. We’ll see how the defending Open champion is feeling this week, but I don’t love this price for someone who has been vocal about not being completely right with his game.
Will Zalatoris (+3000): He’s finished 6th, 2nd and 2nd through three majors this season, and you could argue that an Open Championship might be the one best suited for his game. That’s where the slower greens and emphasis on ball striking should really set him apart. Had to withdraw from this tournament in his debut last year due to injury, but it will be intriguing to see how he handles the Scottish Open again and takes a liking to links golf.
Tommy Fleetwood (+3500): Fleetwood has been another player who has lost his best stuff over the last couple of years and is fighting to bring it back as of late. He’s certainly shown life with a 5th at the PGA a nice stretch between the Arnold Palmer and RBC Heritage. Like Hatton, Tommy has always been expected to go along best at an Open … his 2nd behind Lowry at the 2019 version was impressive, and he’s gained on the field in four consecutive versions.
Dustin Johnson (+3500): Perhaps the most relevant and able LIV golfer currently, Johnson has had a very unspectacular 2022 with just one Top 10 – coming at the PLAYERS. He did show a bit of life at the U.S. Open and has looked fine in his LIV events. He should be excited for St. Andrews, a place he finished 14th in 2010 and held the 18-and-36-hole leads in 2015 at before falling apart on the weekend. You can’t ignore him at a place like this, but we’ll still have to see how in-form some of these LIV golfers are.
Tyrrell Hatton (+4000): Hatton has really lost the plot a bit since finishing runner-up at Bay Hill. He did hang around at the PGA Championship for a 13th, but we haven’t seen him have the steady ball striking we were used to when he was a Top 10 ranked player in the world. The Open was always where we expected him to break through at a major as a great links player … and finishes of 5th and 6th here have shown that to be true.
Louis Oosthuizen (): The 2010 Open champion at St. Andrews added a playoff loss to his resume at the Old Course in the 2015 tournament. That would be the strongest record in the field if Tiger didn’t exist. He also finished 3rd last year at St. George’s in his incredible stretch at 2021 majors. Unfortunately, the LIV Tour player has been pretty terrible throughout 2022 and lacks any type of form to fall back on if the course history isn’t enough.
Sam Burns (+4500): Burns was dead last among players who made the cut in his Open debut at St. George’s last year, but he has continued to improve his game in 2022 and should set up well at St. Andrews. I’m unsure how ready he is to make the step to contend in tougher, big championships. This two-week stretch in Scotland should be a nice judgement to see where he really is against the game’s best on some challenging and different setups.
Viktor Hovland (+5000): Impressed in his Open debut with a 12th at St. George’s, but his game has unfortunately taken a turn for the worse as of late. Much of that is due to his known terrible issues around the greens, a spot he ranks near last on Tour in. St. Andrews would theoretically be a good spot to mask that issue, but he’s also lost his elite ball striking dating back to the PLAYERS. He’ll need to find a flash to make him worthy of a number like this.
Hideki Matsuyama (+5000): The Open has been an up-and-down spot for Matsuyama with finishes of 6th, 14th and 18th along with three missed cuts. That isn’t surprising considering he’s a perfectionist as a ball striker who has always gone better in calm conditions. If that were to happen at St. Andrews, Hideki has been hitting it exceptionally well this year when he isn’t dealing with injuries. Check the forecast and highlight the Masters winner if things looks benign.
Brooks Koepka (+5000): Koepka has taken down two legs of the career grand slam, and he’s knocked on the door a bit at The Open for a third. With finishes of 6th, 4th, 6th and 10th in four of his last five Opens, it’s clear that the American can get it done on links courses. The issue for him is a complete lack of form this year along with the departure to the LIV tour to lack a real lead-up for the majors he tries to peak at. But if he’s in form, St. Andrews should be a nice track for him to try to overpower.
Tiger Woods (+6000): There’s not much to say about Tiger and this price. He’s completed just one event since the 2020 Masters, and it was a tough finish in that ’22 Masters as he limped to the finish line. His play at the Irish Pro-Am wasn’t inspiring, but we do know the legend can turn back time occasionally and would like to do it no more than at St. Andrews – the home of his Open wins in 2000 and 2005.
Robert MacIntyre (): Scotland’s own has gotten the job done in his two Open starts so far with finishes of 6th and 8th at Portrush and St. George’s. It seems to be the exact type of test he relishes, which is shown on the odds board. His form in ’22 certainly isn’t strong enough to warrant 65/1, but you can’t ignore what the lefty tends to do when he gets comfortable on a links course. His play in majors in general has been quite impressive.
Max Homa (): Homa finished 40th in his Open debut in 2021, which isn’t too bad of a result for someone getting their feet wet in majors. He made a big step in that regard with a 13th at the PGA, and it’s good to see him getting more experience in the U.K. with the Scottish Open as well. With his liking to high winds and nasty conditions, I think it’s fair to say The Open could be the best spot for Homa to grab a major. St. Andrews specifically should be a nice spot for him to get in contention.
Thomas Pieters (): Pieters has yet to really get in the mix at an Open Championship in four tries, but I’d have to think St. Andrews would be one of the better courses in the rotation for him to do so. His win on a links course in Abu Dhabi to start ’22 was a welcoming sign that the big Belgian was back, and he’s had a solid year since then. A 27th at the U.S. Open was another solid result at a course that wasn’t perfect for him, and we’ve seen him contend at majors in the past when he gets on a comfortable setup.
Russell Henley (): Henley was 20th at St. Andrews in 2015 for his best finish in The Open, and he does fit the mold of what we’ve seen Oosthuizen and Zach Johnson do to win at the Old Course the last two times. The issue with the UGA graduate is he’s barely played of late and has been bad when he has. Henley was one of the best ball strikers on Tour early in the year, but it’s possible some type of injury or issue has caused some poor play and him to play just two events since early May. I still love him at a massive number if we can receive word he’s healthy leading in.
Keith Mitchell (): Perhaps the most intriguing play to me at a large number, Mitchell has long been known as a great player in wind and tougher conditions. While that tends to happen at hard Florida courses, it shouldn’t mean that he’ll be uncomfortable teeing it up at St. Andrews for the first time. His form has been superb all season, and he’s the type of player that can really get aggressive off the tee and make some birdies at the Old Course.
Odds to win the British Open: Course Preview
Here is a course preview for St Andrews with golf betting information.
The course runs as a Par 72 at around 7,300 yards but has a layout you basically never see with just two Par 3s and two Par 5s along with the 14 Par 4s. What we’ve seen of late is the potential for some of the game’s best players to overpower the course off the tee. It’s not overly long and has multiple Par 4s that can basically be reached off the tee from the longest hitters. Tiger Woods showcased that in 2000 and 2005. 21-year-old Rory McIlroy opened in 2010 with a 63 before falling apart with an 80 on Friday and eventually finished 3rd. Dustin Johnson opened with a 65 to lead on Thursday in 2015 but also fell apart for the rest of the week.
What that has shown us is while you can absolutely use your power to get after St. Andrews for low scores, the Old Course still has teeth and can bite back when you get in trouble. The fairways are large and the greens are massive, but the gorge and pot bunkers lurk in tricky areas right when you get too comfortable. The real defense is the wind. If it gets gusty, it can be as hard as any course in the U.K., but a calm St. Andrews tends to lend a ton of birdies.
A player might be breezing through the first 14 holes for the most part in calm conditions, but holes 15-17 are really where St Andrews can produce some huge numbers. These three Par 4s feature tons of trouble, including out of bounds down the right side on the 16th and 17th. The 17th hole – called the Road Hole – is one of the toughest in the world into the wrong wind. The tee shot has to carry by a hotel on the right side. The approach then lands into a narrow green with a massive pot bunker protecting the left side and a road with out of bounds behind it right down the right.
While distance and iron play can obviously get after St Andrews and will be what you want to highlight, it’s also clear that the short game can carry you to a win. Keep an eye on conditions leading into the tournament. If things appear to be breezy with some rains forecasted, you might want to lean on steady ball strikers who are crafty on and around the greens to save important pars on these infamous green complexes.
What is The Open Championship golf tournament?
The Open Championship boasts itself as the most international of the four Majors. There will be over 150 golfers competing for the Claret Jug in mid-July, headlined by reigning champion Collin Morikawa.
There are 28 categories to determine exemption from qualifying, while 46 spots will be awarded out of The Open Qualifying Series, which covers 16 events in 11 countries.
The 150-plus player field will be shrunk to the top 70 and ties following the conclusion of Round 2. If there’s a tie after 72 holes, there will be a four-hole aggregate playoff followed by sudden death, should the tie persist.
Betting strategy
The 2019 Open Championship winner was a major longshot. Irishman Shane Lowry (+8000) won in Northern Ireland by 6-shots, proving that fairy tales come true when he lifted the Claret Jug in front or a roaring grandstand at Royal Portrush.
Will another longshot emerge at Scotland’s finest course at St Andrews to capture the Claret Jug? If so, bettors who cash in will join the Open winner in celebration as the 2022 Open champion will also haul in more than $2 million.
The last time the Open was held at St Andrews was 2015. American Zach Johnson won the major championship at St Andrews in a four-hole playoff. Johnson is an extreme longshot to win this year, checking in with British Open odds of +25000. Wind won’t be as major a factor this year, as is often the case at The Open Championship. The early forecast shows high temperatures and little wind. Jordan Spieth even went so far as to say the tournament could become a “wedge contest.”
Since the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) started in 1996, there have been four Open Championship winners ranked outside the top-100. Two of them won at Royal St. George’s, as Ben Curtis pulled off the most improbable win of all. Curtis was ranked 396 in the world at greater than 300-1 odds when he won in 2003.
The average age of the Champion Golfer of the Year is 35.7 – higher than the US PGA Championship (27.7), US Open (27.8), and Masters (34.7), according to Today’s Golfer.
Top favorites have not delivered since 2007 and second favorites have only won the Open Championship once. The average odds of an Open winner since 2011 is near +6000. So put some longshots in your bag, and lean on experienced players who are patient with some proven performances.
Expect the unexpected as weird things happen in links golf. There are strange bounces, pot bunker problems, players bothered by the weather and whacked by the wind.
Seaside links at Royal St. George’s features quirky, undulating fairways and hard greens. The firm course favors low ball hitters who get more rollout. Controlling ball flight and trajectory is more significant in windy conditions. Direction and distance control are crucial skills, particularly with the scoring clubs.
And before you think that bombers like Bryson DeChambeau have a major advantage, look at the moderate hitters who have won the Open more recently: Shane Lowry (2019), Francesco Molinari (2018), Jordan Spieth (2017), Henrik Stenson (2016) and Zach Johnson (2015).
How to watch the British Open on TV
The 2022 Open Championship will be the fifth year of a 12-year deal for NBC and Golf Channel to broadcast the event. The first two rounds will air on Golf Channel, with the weekend moving over to the more widely-accessible NBC.
How to bet the British Open in the US
Futures odds have been available for the 2022 Open Championship for well over a year. The British Open golf odds have been regularly updated based on golfer performance, health, and public favor. Several different players have held the honor as outright favorite over the last year, with Scottie Scheffler now No. 1.
The outright odds will fluctuate more over the run-up to the tournament, as more public betting money pours in. Closer to the date of the event, the books will release more Open Championship odds, including leaders after each round, and Top 5, Top 10 and Top 20 probabilities.
Golfers will also be placed in pools, usually in the week of the tournament, based on world ranking, general popularity, country of origin, or first- and second-round tee times, where bettors can back a single golfer out of head-to-head or group matchups. Prop bets will be set for things such as hole-in-ones or low score for the tournament.
Best British Open golf betting sites
The Open Championship Fun Facts
- Most wins: Harold Vardon won his record six Open titles from 1896-1914. Four players have won the event five times, including Tom Watson, who just missed out on his sixth championship in 2009 at the age of 59.
- Oldest winner: “Old” Tom Morris won The Open in 1867 at the age of 46 years, 99 days.
- Youngest winner: The following year, Morris’ son, “Young” Tom Morris, took the crown at the age of 17 years and 156 days. He also won the following three Open Championships for a record four in a row.
- Highest score on one hole: Herman Tissies, a German amateur, owns the dishonor of carding the highest score on a single hole in the history of The Open Championship. He fired a 15 on the 8th hole at Royal Troon in 1950. The hole played as a 120-yard par-3.
- Best comeback: Paul Lawrie completed a 10-stroke comeback in the final round to win the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie. The feat is much better known as Jean Van de Velde’s collapse, which included a triple-bogey on his 72nd hole.
Five of the biggest long shots in British Open history
Ben Curtis (2003)
Curtis entered the 2003 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s ranked No. 393 in the world. His win came by one stroke over runner-ups Vijay Singh and Thomas Bjorn, as the only player to finish under par. He went on to win three other PGA events and picked up three more top 10s in Majors.
Paul Lawrie (1999)
Lawrie was ranked 158th in the world when he was handed his Major title from Van de Velde. The Scotsman won a total of eight times on the European Tour but never again on the PGA circuit.
Darren Clarke (2011)
Clarke arrived at Royal St. George’s – a common venue for longshot winners – ranked 111th in 2011, after ranking as high as eighth in 2001. He finally captured his lone Major at the age of 41.
Todd Hamilton (2004)
Hamilton followed up Curtis’ surprise victory with another the following year at Royal Troon. He was ranked 56th in the world the previous week and vaulted to No. 16 after beating world No. 2 Ernie Els in a playoff.
Tom Kidd (1873)
Kidd’s lone career victory came in his debut at The Open Championship in 1873. He ended Tom Morris Jr.’s record streak of four straight Claret Jugs.
The Open Championship FAQ
Who qualifies for The Open Championship?
Roughly 65 percent of the 156-player Open field is composed of exemptions based on 28 categories, such as former champions of select tournaments and those meeting certain cutoffs in the OWGR by certain dates. Another 46 spots come from The Open Qualifying Series – a selection of tournaments leading up to the event. The final spots are awarded to those who advance from Final Qualifying in the UK.
Where is The Open this year?
The Open returns to The Old Course at St. Andrew’s in 2022. It is the first Open Championship at St. Andrew’s since 2015 when Zach Johnson raised the Claret Jug.
What is the best score ever at the British Open?
Henrik Stenson fired a 20-under score of 264 to claim his lone Major championship at Royal Troon in 2016.
What is the prize money for the 2022 Open Championship?
The purse for the 2022 Open Championship is $14 million. Collin Morikawa took home $2,070,000 last year and this year’s British Open winner will bank $2.5 million.
Has anyone ever won back-to-back Open Championships?
Padraig Harrington (2007-2008) is the most recent golfer to go back-to-back at The Open Championship. Tiger Woods accomplished the feat the two previous years, and nine others did so before him. Three players have won three in a row, and “Young” Tom Morris holds the all-time record of four straight titles.