The best in the world will make their way to the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Lancashire, England for the Open Championship this week. It is the third major of the year and it’s the oldest of the four that are staged. The Open Championship is also the only one of the four majors that are played outside of the United States and it is always played on a links golf course. All eyes will be on the Royal Birkdale Golf Club this week to see who comes out on top in the 146th edition of the Open Championship. All of the big names are coming out as Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Masters Champion Sergio Garcia are all in play.
Details
Event: The Open Championship
Category: PGA
Date: July 20-23
Location: Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Lancashire, England
Henrik Stenson will return to defend his title as the defending champion this week but he won’t be the sports betting favorite to win the tournament. Instead, Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth are listed as co-favorites to win the event with both golfers listed at +1600 odds to win the Open Championship outright.
Past Five Winners
2016: Henrik Stenson -20
2015: Zach Johnson -15 (Playoff)
2014: Rory McIlroy -17
2013: Phil Mickelson -3
2012: Ernie Els -7
What To Know About The Course
Royal Birkdale isn’t a transitional out-and-in links course and consecutive holes rarely run in the same direction. The high dunes provide a great vantage point for spectators in what is widely regarded as the most accurate test of links golf. There isn’t any one statistic that stands out that much above the others but Scrambling is extremely important this week. That isn’t always easy in the windy conditions, which can make it difficult to get up-and-down. Experience should play a major role in the outcome of this tournament as well as those that have played here before should have a better idea of what to expect at a very difficult venue.
The Field
D.J. and Spieth are listed as the co-favorites to win the Open Championship outright at +1600 odds. Rickie Fowler is next in line at +1700, followed by Jon Rahm at +1800 and Sergio Garcia at +2000 odds. The defending champion Stenson is available at between +2500 and +2800 odds depending on the sportsbook. Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama round out the list of sports betting favorites for this week’s major tournament.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Rickie Fowler over Jordan Spieth
Spieth remains among the sports betting favorites based on his reputation but he has struggled at times this season and it might be better to fade him at that price. Meanwhile, Fowler’s game is perfectly suited for this major tournament and it won’t be a surprise if he contends for the win this week. Fowler has already registered two top-five finishes at the Open Championship in his career and he is coming off a solid result last week in Scotland. As long as Fowler brings his best stuff to the table this week he should be able to edge out Spieth in England.
Top-Five Pick: Hideki Matsuyama
The fact that Matsuyama is listed at +2200 odds to win this event outright makes it feel like a steal to take him to finish in the top-five. Matsuyama is the current World No. 2 and the only player on the PGA Tour this season that has placed inside the top-two at five different events, including a pair of victories. The fact that Matsuyama has consistently fared well in strong fields makes him an even more appealing option to finish in the top-five in the Open Championship this week.
Odds To Win The 2017 Open Championship
Dustin Johnson +1250
Rickie Fowler +1550
Jordan Spieth +1550
Jon Rahm +1550
Sergio Garcia +1650
Justin Rose +1650
Rory McIlroy +1850
Hideki Matsuyama +1850
Tommy Fleetwood +2050
Henrik Stenson +2250
Adam Scott +2550
Jason Day +2850
Brooks Koepka +2850
Paul Casey +3250
Phil Mickelson +3550
Alex Noren +4050
Louis Oosthuizen +4050
Branden Casey +4550
Marc Leishman +4550
Matt Kuchar +4550
Thomas Pieters +4550
Justin Thomas +5050
Patrick Reed +5050
Rafa Cabrera Bello +5500
Padraig Harrington +5500
Charl Schwartzel +5500
Shane Lowry +5500
Matthew Fitzpatrick +7050
Daniel Berger +7050
Brandt Snedeker +7050
Ian Poulter +7050
Andy Sullivan +7050
Lee Westwood +7050
Zach Johnson +7050
Ross Fisher +7550
Martin Kaymer +7550
Francesco Molinari +7550
Tyrrell Hatton +7550
Steve Stricker +9050
Byeong Hun An +9050
Jason Dufner +9050
Charles Howell III +15000
Russell Henley +10000
Tony Finau +13000
Bill Haas +12000
Brian Harman +12000
Charley Hoffman +12000
Kevin Chappell +13000
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