After a year on hiatus, The British Open and its odds (or, excuse us, the Open Championship, as they ask for it be called in Great Britain) are back. The annual test of links golf closes out the 2021 men’s major season.
The final major of the year will tee off early on Thursday morning, with the best in the world looking to claim the Claret Jug.
Here’s a look at the odds for this week’s major for Michigan sports betting participants to consider.
Open Championship Rundown
The Open Championship is a unique challenge each year. Typically, this event features wide-open holes, pot bunkers and challenges from wind and other unpredictable weather.
- Dates: July 15-18, 2021
- Location: Sandwich, England
- Course: Royal St. George’s Golf Club
- Par: 70
- Length: 7,189 yards
- TV and streaming: NBC, Golf Channel and Peacock
- Prize pool: $11.5 million
- First place share: $2.07 million
- Defending champion: Shane Lowry (2019)
Jon Rahm widely favored in British Open odds
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the favorite coming into this weekend’s tournament is recent U.S. Open winner, Jon Rahm.
The majority of oddsmakers are listing Rahm at +750 to win, putting him as the clear favorite.
Rahm is coming off his first major championship at Torrey Pines last month. He defeated Louis Oosthuizen by one shot. He has now finished in the top 10 in all three majors this year. However, he has yet to crack the top 10 in the Open Championship over four attempts.
Rahm currently sits second in the world rankings. This year, he has nine top-10 finishes over 14 events.
Other top contenders by oddsmakers, with their longest British Open odds listed, are:
- Brooks Koepka +1800 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Xander Schauffele +1800 (PointsBet Sportsbook)
- Rory McIlroy +1800 (BetMGM Sportsbook)
- Jordan Spieth +2000 (WilliamHill Sportsbook)
- Justin Thomas +2000 (BetRivers Sportsbook)
- Dustin Johnson +2200 (DraftKings)
Xander Schauffele drawing the money
Xander Schauffele is among the favorites this week and has been competitive in the majors in 2021.
Heading into the British Open, he is drawing the most wagers in regards to the handle.
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, Schauffele is getting just 4% of the tickets for the tournament, but is accountable for 14.9 percent of the handle. Included in that total is a $2,400 wager on him to win $48,000.
The 27-year-old American is seeking his first major championship. He was runner-up in the 2018 Open Championship and has finished in the top 10 in two of the three majors in 2021.
Schauffele currently sits as the biggest liability for BetMGM, followed by Koepka (6.5% handle) and Thomas (5.5%).
Rahm is getting 6.2% of the tickets and 7.5% of the handle.
Rory McIlroy leads supporting European contingent
The Open Championship is a prideful event for the European contingent of players and fans.
A European has won the two most recent Open Championships and four of the past six.
The last time the event was held at this course in 2011, Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke won his lone major by three strokes.
Entering this year’s event, McIlroy finds himself as the lone European other than Rahm among the top favorites.
McIlroy is the 2014 Open Championship winner, and he finished in the top five from 2016-18. He is coming off a seventh-place finish in the U.S. Open.
Other top European contenders this week are:
- Tyrrell Hatton +3300 (DraftKings)
- Viktor Hovland +4000 (WilliamHill)
- Paul Casey +4000 (BetMGM)
- Tommy Fleetwood +4500 (DraftKings)
- Shane Lowry +4500 (DraftKings)
Prop action available among British Open odds
Like any major, there’s a lot of betting action to consider this weekend.
Props are aplenty, with BetMGM offering up some interesting futures options to consider if you don’t feel great about a particular golfer.
- An American Winner: -125
- Winner not to be in the final group on the final round: +175
- An English Winner: +650
- Wire-to-wire Winner: +1200
- A South African Winner: +1600
The South African winner category is interesting, as both Oosthuizen and Ernie Els have won this event since 2010. Oosthuizen (+2800) leads the South African crop that also includes Christian Bezuidenhout (+6600), Branden Grace (+6600), Garrick Higgo (+8000) and Els (+50000), who now plays most of his golf on the 50-and-over PGA Tour Champions.
