British Open Picks, Predictions, Odds

The last major of the year will be one for the ages. The 2022 Open Championship is the 150^th edition of the oldest golf tournament in the world, and it will be held at the greatest course in the history of the sport. The world’s best have come to the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland to vie for the Claret Jug, and even old legends like Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, and Gary Player will be taking part in the festivities this weekend.

This is the 30^th time that The Open Championship has taken place at the Old Course at St Andrews. The last time this major took place at St. Andrews was in 2015, and Zach Johnson bested Marc Leishman and former champion Louis Oosthuizen in a three-way playoff. Johnson is considered a longshot to win this major by the golf betting odds, but Oosthuizen is seen as someone to watch due to his prior success here.

Three of the last four winners of The Open Championship when it was hosted at St. Andrews cruised to victory. Tiger Woods won this major on this course by eight strokes in 2000 and five strokes in 2005. Oosthuizen had a seven-stroke victory in 2010, so the most recent Open Championship at St. Andrews was the only close one in the last 25 years.

St. Andrews is a links course with a whopping 112 bunkers. The sand and the weather are the course’s primary defenses, and wind and rain could be a factor over the weekend. 

Updated on 11/25/2024

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BRITISH OPEN BETTING RESOURCES

• Date: July 14 - July 17, 2022
• Venue: Old Course at St. Andrews
• Location: St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland
• Course Length: 7,305 yards
• Course Par: 72
• Defending Champion: Collin Morikawa
• More Golf Futures

CONTENDER PICKS

• Rory McIlroy 10/1
• Xander Schauffele 14/1
• Jon Rahm 16/1

Just as he was at the US Open, Rory McIlroy is the betting favorite ahead of The Open Championship. McIlroy won The Open Championship in 2014, and he finished T5 in 2016, 2017, and 2018. He scored a T3 at St. Andrews in 2010, but he has not played well in his last two appearances at this major. Still, McIlroy has been excellent at the other three majors this year with a T2 at the Masters, T5 at the US Open, and a T8 at the PGA Championship.

Xander Schauffele is another one of the favorites after his win at the Scottish Open last weekend. Schauffele finished T2 at The Open Championship in 2018, but his next best finish at this tournament was a T20. There has already been a decent amount of action on Schauffele as he won the Travelers Championship two weeks ago as well, bringing his odds down.

Another one of the favorites to keep an eye on is Jon Rahm. This hasn’t been the best season for Rahm after his brilliant 2021 campaign where he won the US Open and finished T8 in the other three majors. Rahm hasn’t finished better than T12 in any major this year, and he limped to a T55 finish at the Scottish Open. He is a solid links player though and could bounce back this weekend.

MID-RANGE PICKS

• Will Zalatoris 27/1
• Collin Morikawa 28/1
• Louis Oosthuizen 40/1

Defending Open champion Collin Morikawa has been at his best in majors this year. He finished T5 at the Masters and the US Open, so anyone that has trepidation about backing him after he failed to make the cut at the Scottish Open last week should take note. Morikawa was red hot in the fall and winter, and he could be one to contend with if the climate stays temperate.

Will Zalatoris is still searching for his first PGA Tour victory, and he has come incredibly close to breaking through in a big way. Zalatoris has finished T6 in six of the last nine tournaments he has entered, including this year’s three majors. It might be worth looking at some T5 and T10 betting options with Zalatoris as he has been boom or bust lately, missing the cut in the three events he didn’t place in the top six.

The best value on the board lies with Louis Oosthuizen at 40-1 to win The Open Championship. Oosthuizen was superb at St. Andrews in 2010 and 2015, besting Lee Westwood by seven strokes to win the Claret Jug in 2010, and he lost in a playoff to Zach Johnson in 2015. He finished T3 at three majors last year, but his odds are high after really struggling at majors this season. 

LONG SHOTS PICKS

• Tiger Woods 65/1
• Adam Scott 95/1
• Marc Leishman 100/1

Tiger Woods might be someone to reckon with on the first day or two of this major. Woods is a three-time winner of The Open Championship and claimed titles at St. Andrews in 2000 and 2005. He briefly flashed at the Masters before long-term injuries got the better of him over the weekend, but he has taken the last couple months off to rest and rehab ahead of this major. That gives Woods a small chance to make history.

The better longshot play is Adam Scott at 95-1 to win The Open Championship. Scott hasn’t taken part in a tournament since a T14 finish at the US Open, but he earned a T10 finish here in 2015. He also has three other T5 finishes at this major in the last decade.

Marc Leishman made the cut at all three majors this year and finished T14 at the US Open last month. Leishman has three T6 finishes at The Open Championship since 2014, so he is worth a lottery ticket at 100-1. 

TOP FORMER OPEN WINNER

Louis Oosthuizen at +950

There are only six former Open Championship winners in the field. Oosthuizen has good value at nearly 10-1 considering the struggles of some of the other former winners like Morikawa and Woods. Rory McIlroy is the favorite in this category, yet he has come up short at majors this season. 

TOP PLACEMENT BET

Will Zalatoris Top 10 Finish +300

As I said up top, Zalatoris has been a boom or bust player over the last few months. He has finished either T6 or missed the cut in each of his last nine tournaments, but he has been at his best in majors. Zalatoris has struggled at The Open Championship, yet he has two other T8 finishes at every other major over the last three years.