The Open Championship, also known as the British Open, is one of the biggest events on the golf calendar. It is not only the fourth and final major of the year but also the oldest golf tournament in the world.
The only major that occurs outside the U.S., The Open is played in the U.K. every July. The 152nd edition of The Open will take place at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland from July 18 to July 21.
With many of the world’s top golfers set to battle for a record $17 million purse, sports bettors will also have plenty of chances to make some money. There will be no shortage of betting markets available for the tournament, including extensive prop bets and live betting opportunities.
If you haven’t joined an online sportsbook yet, there’s still time to sign up and claim a welcome offer before The Open tees off.
Here’s everything you need to know about The Open, including odds for the tournament at our favorite golf betting sites.
The Open Odds
Here are the golfers with the best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook to win the 2024 Open. These odds are subject to change before the tournament starts and will fluctuate throughout the four-day event depending on which golfers are playing well.
All golfers start with plus odds for The Open. The numbers below show how much you’d win on a $100 bet. For example, if you wager $100 on Xander Schauffele to win The Open at +1200 odds, you stand to win $1,200.
- Scottie Scheffler: +500
- Rory McIlroy: +900
- Xander Schauffele: +1200
- Collin Morikawa: +1400
- Bryson DeChambeau: +2000
- Ludvig Aberg: +2000
- Tommy Fleetwood: +2500
- Jon Rahm: +2500
- Tyrell Hatton: +2800
- Viktor Hovland: +3000
- Brooks Koepka: +4000
- Patrick Cantlay: +4000
- Cameron Smith: +4500
- Hideki Matsuyama: +4500
- Tony Finau: +4500
- Shane Lowry: +5000
- Tom Kim: +5000
- Joaquin Niemann: +5000
What Are The Stakes Of The Tournament?
The Open Championship is the fourth and final major of the year, giving golfers one last chance to add a major win to their resume before the PGA Tour season ends. The last two champions (Cameron Smith and Brian Harman) had never won a major previously, so the field is wide open.
The winner of The Open stands to win a lot of money. The prestigious tournament has a $17 million purse, with $3.1 million going to the winner.
The champion receives a replica of the Claret Jug, a trophy that was first awarded in 1872, and is named “the Champion Golfer of the Year.” He also earns 750 FedExCup points along with several other bonuses and exemptions.
What Is The Course Like?
The Royal Troon Golf Club is located in Troon, South Ayrshire on the western coast of Scotland. It opened in 1878 and first hosted The Open in 1923. This marks the 10th time Royal Troon has hosted the event and the first time since 2016.
The Royal Troon is a links golf course. The Open is played on the Old Course, which is a par 71 measuring 7,175 yards.
Due to its coastal setting, the Old Course often features considerable winds, especially on the early holes before the course turns inland. Golfers must also contend with deep bunkers, thick vegetation and hilly dunes at various points.
The Old Course has several iconic holes. The eighth hole, known as “Postage Stamp,” is the shortest in Open Championship golf at just 123 yards. Conversely, the sixth hole (“Turnberry”) is one of the longest holes in Open history at 601 yards.
There’s also “The Railway,” which is considered one of the most challenging holes at any major. The 11th hole is a long par 4 with a blind tee shot and a small green, making it easy to end up out of bounds.
Who Are The Favorites?
As expected, Scottie Scheffler has the shortest tournament winner odds at +450. The world’s top-ranked golfer has finished top 10 in 13 of 15 events this year with six wins, including his most recent outing at the Travelers Championship. He’s already won two majors in his distinguished career but has yet to win The Open.
Irish golfer Rory McIlroy has the second-best odds at +750. McIlroy won The Open in 2014 and is the world’s second-ranked golfer behind Scheffler. He has four majors under his belt but none in the last 10 years, so he’s eager to get back on top. His most recent appearance was a T4 showing at the Scottish Open last week.
Xander Schauffele has the third-shortest odds at +1100. He’s No.3 in the world rankings behind Scheffler and McIlroy and won the PGA Championship in May. He’s been remarkably consistent this year, finishing T25 or better in 15 of 16 tournaments in 2024.
Past Open Championship Winners
- 2023: Brian Harman
- 2022: Cameron Smith
- 2021: Collin Morikawa
- 2019: Shane Lowry
- 2018: Francesco Molinari
- 2017: Jordan Spieth
- 2016: Henrik Stenson
- 2015: Zach Johnson
- 2014: Rory McIlroy
- 2013: Phil Mickelson
2023 Open Championship Recap
Golf’s final major of the 2023 season, the Open Championship, took center stage from July 20-23.
Taking place at Royal Liverpool for the first time since 2014, the course provided a different experience for those who partook in the last Open at this setup. Also referred to as Hoylake, Royal Liverpool has produced star-studded winners in the past, including Rory McIlroy (2014) and Tiger Woods (2006).
For those players who participated in the 2014 Open, 2023’s setup provided a different challenge. The course played as a Par-72 in 2014, but a new Par-3 edged out a Par-5, making it a Par-71 for the 2023 edition.
Here were the top 25 players with the best odds to win this event. Odds were courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.
- Rory McIlroy: +700
- Scottie Scheffler: +800
- Jon Rahm: +1200
- Cameron Smith: +1600
- Brooks Koepka: +2000
- Viktor Hovland: +2000
- Rickie Fowler: +2200
- Tommy Fleetwood: +2200
- Patrick Cantlay: +2500
- Tyrrell Hatton: +2500
- Xander Schauffele: +2500
- Collin Morikawa: +2800
- Shane Lowry: +2800
- Dustin Johnson: +3300
- Jordan Spieth: +3300
- Matt Fitzpatrick: +4000
- Tom Kim: +4500
- Bryson DeChambeau: +5000
- Cameron Young: +5000
- Justin Rose: +5000
- Max Homa: +5000
- Tony Finau: +5000
- Wyndham Clark: +5000
- Sam Burns: +5500
- Justin Thomas: +6600
Unlike major championships in the U.S., the Open’s formats traditionally offer a different challenge.
Approach play remains critical to avoid pot bunkers and fescue traps strategically placed around the course. Fortunately for players, off-the-tee play is strongly de-emphasized compared to the U.S. Open, the previous major.
Although the fairways at Royal Liverpool and other Open venues run firm and fast, they’re generally wider. As a function of the fairway speed, golf bettors will often see players use less than a driver off the tee to account for the runoff, assuming they find the short grass. For that reason, the course plays shorter than the listed scorecard length, which is just over 7,300 yards.
Regarding the actual setup, Par-4s make up the majority of the holes. Eleven of Royal Liverpool’s 18 holes feature this designation. The front nine remained unchanged from the Open Championships held here in 2006 and 2014. Of these holes, numbers four, five and eight offer the best scoring opportunities.
In 2014, winner Rory McIlroy played the front nine to -5 across all four rounds.
Comparatively, the back nine plays much easier. For reference, McIlroy finished -12 on those nine holes in 2014.
That year featured three Par-5s on the back nine, however. In 2023, there were only two Par-5s on the second nine, both of which measure over 600 yards. The 10th hole, which played as a Par-5 in 2014, converted to a Par-4.
In addition to the two Par-5s, number 11 offered the most obvious chance at birdie. At only 391 yards, it’s the shortest Par-4 on the golf course. Perhaps the most noticeable change to the design was the new Par-3. Number 17 on 2023’s scorecard, “Little Eye” measured around 140 yards and was the shortest hole on the course.
