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The 151st Open Championship will take place from July 20-23 at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in England. Also known as Hoylake, the town where the course is located, Royal Liverpool has hosted 12 previous Open Championships.
Past champions at this venue include Walter Hagen (1924), Bobby Jones (1930), Tiger Woods (2006), and Rory McIlroy (2014). McIlroy’s victory was the last time Hoylake hosted The Open.
The layout has changed since 2014; the most noticeable difference is the par 3-17th. The hole will play in the opposite direction compared to McIlroy’s 2014 victory, and players tee shots into the infinity green overlooking the ocean will be vulnerable for their 140-yard flight.
According to the Open’s official website, “…it is absolutely essential to hit the green, as any miss will leave a devilishly difficult up and down.”
The odds are already posted for this championship ahead of the Major season beginning. We’ll recap the 2022 Open before previewing the favorites and long shots to win in 2023 and wrap up with some early best bets to lift the Claret Jug.
Australian Cameron Smith captured his first Major victory at the Old Course last year. He won by a stroke after carding a final round 64 to edge out rookie Cameron Young, who finished solo second, and Rory McElroy, who couldn’t get a putt to fall that Sunday.
The win was Smith’s first top ten at the event in five attempts, and he did it by leading the field in strokes gained putting with a modest performance from tee to green. The 2022 Open Championship will also be remembered as Tiger Woods’ competitive farewell to St. Andrews.
Crowds lined the fairway of the 18th hole as the three-time Champion Golfer of the Year traversed Swilcan Bridge and tipped his cap to a roaring gallery. 2022 marked the 30th time the Old Course had hosted this championship, the most among all venues in the tournament’s history.
2023 Betting Favorites
Three players seem to have established their claim to the top tier of golf performance in 2023, and that trio sits atop the odds sheet with about 90 days until the first tee shot is hit at Hoylake. Rory McIlroy is among the favorites coming off two victories in six worldwide starts during the 2022-23 season.
His solo third-place finish at The Open in 2022 was his fifth top-5 in his last seven starts at the championship. McIlroy has some positive history with Royal Liverpool, the site of the 2014 Open Championship, where he won by two shots over Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia.
Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler are both neck-and-neck with McIlroy. They are inarguably the two hottest players in the world this season. Rahm withdrew at TPC Sawgrass due to an illness but has three wins, and seven top tens across nine starts this season.
Scheffler reclaimed the #1 spot in the OWGR after his win at The Players. He also tied for 4th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and defended his title at the WM Phoenix Open. Rahm and Scheffler have one top-ten finish at The Open in their careers from the 2021 edition at Royal St. George’s.
Two-time PGA Champion Justin Thomas, 2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith, and three-time Major winner Jordan Spieth trail behind the top three by a reasonable margin. Thomas’ history at this event is less than stellar, and his best finish this season is a solo fourth place at the Phoenix Open.
Smith’s victory last year was his first top-ten at this championship. His previous best was a tie for 20th in 2019 at Royal Portrush. Spieth won the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale and finished inside the top ten in the last two Open Championships.
Other names that jump off the page near the top of the odds are 2021 Open champion, Collin Morikawa, defending US Open champ Matthew Fitzpatrick, 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry, and 2021 Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele.
2023 Long Shots
2022 runner-up Cameron Young is among a strong group of players further down the sheet. 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, Sam Burns, and Tom Kim are in that pack, though they have not played well in recent Open Championships.
Sungjae Im, who himself hasn’t fared well in two Open Championship appearances, is coming off five top-ten finishes in 13 starts this season. We’ll see if he can translate his game to a links-style course on the third attempt.
Two former Major winners are experiencing a career renaissance this season. Justin Rose won at Pebble Beach in February, his first victory in over three years. He finished tied for second at the 2018 Open Championship played at Carnoustie and has found some game after struggling for a few seasons.
Jason Day has risen back into the top 40 in the world rankings after five top tens in 12 starts since September. Aside from two missed cuts at the Fortinet Championship and the RSM Classic, Day has finished no worse than tied for 21st.
We’ll briefly mention Tiger Woods since his odds match Rose's currently. Woods missed the cut at St. Andrews last year and has only played the Genesis Invitational since. He’ll have at least played The Masters between now and The Open, but it’s unclear how much we’ll see him in 2023. Woods won his third Open Championships at Hoylake in 2006.
LIV players Brooks Koepka, Joaquin Niemann, and Louis Oosthuizen will have played in multiple Majors this season by the time The Open rolls around in July. Given the difference in schedule, competition, and format between LIV and the PGA Tour, it's difficult to estimate how they'll perform.
However, for bettors that think the oddsmakers are underestimating how well LIV players will fare in the top tournaments this year, there could be some value to lock in before the first three Majors of the year are in the rearview mirror.
Best Bets to Win the 2023 British Open
When betting on a golf tournament that's several months away, we're looking to capture some equity by betting on numbers that we think won't be available once July rolls around. Here are two players that we've invested in so far.
Spieth’s propensity for saving par or better from seemingly impossible situations has helped him build an impressive resume at previous Opens. After consecutive top tens in the last two editions, we see him as a strong candidate to win his second Claret Jug. Nobody can chip like Spieth if he's dialed in!
Vik continues to be plagued by short-game woes but has been pounding the ball this season and needs a good week to be dangerous at Hoylake. He’s ninth in total strokes gained in the world this season, fifth in strokes gained off the tee and ninth in approach to the green.
Hovland tied for fourth in 2022 and finished T12 at the 2021 Open. He’s a threat to break through for his first Major at this championship.
Past Winners of the British Open
Want a quick history lesson about the British Open (AKA: The Open Championship)? Here are the winners of this prestigious tournament from 2008 to 2022.
Year
Winner
Score
Location
2022
Cameron Smith
-20
Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland
2021
Collin Morikawa
-15
Royal St. George's
2019
Shane Lowry
-15
Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland
2018
Francesco Molinari
-8
Carnoustie Golf Links, Scotland
2017
Jordan Spieth
-12
Royal Birkdale Golf Club, England
2016
Henrik Stenson
-20
Royal Troon Golf Club, Scotland
2015
Zach Johnson
-15
Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland
2014
Rory McIlroy
-17
Royal Liverpool Golf Club, England
2013
Phil Mickelson
-3
Muirfield Golf Links, Scotland
2012
Ernie Els
-7
Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, England
2011
Darren Clarke
-5
Royal St George's Golf Club, England
2010
Louis Oosthuizen
-16
Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland
2009
Stewart Cink
-2
Turnberry Resort, Scotland
2008
Padraig Harrington
-3
Royal Birkdale Golf Club, England
FAQ About The British Open
Have questions about this iconic golf tournament? We've got the info you're looking for! The following questions and answers will help deepen your knowledge of the British Open. It also may help you win a few bar bets.
What golfer has won the most British Open titles?
The golfer who has won the most British Open titles is Harry Vardon of the United Kingdom, who won the championship a total of six times between 1896 and 1914.
Who shot the lowest-ever score at The British Open?
The lowest-ever score at The British Open (also known as The Open Championship) is 264, which was achieved by Henrik Stenson of Sweden in 2016. He shot rounds of 68, 65, 68, and 63 to win the championship with a score of 20 under par.
Where is the British Open held?
The British Open (or The Open Championship) is held at a different course every year, rotating among several courses in the United Kingdom. Some of the courses that have hosted the championship in recent years include Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland, Royal Birkdale Golf Club in England, and Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland.
What is the toughest hole at The Old Course at St. Andrews?
The Old Course at St. Andrews has several challenging holes, but one that is often considered the toughest is the par-4 17th hole, known as the "Road Hole." This hole is 495 yards long and features a winding fairway that is bordered by a road and a wall on the right side and a large bunker on the left side. The green is also very tricky, sloping heavily from back to front, with a deep bunker guarding the front left. The combination of length, hazards, and difficult green make the Road Hole one of the toughest in all of golf.
When was the Claret Jug invented?
The Claret Jug, which is the trophy awarded to the winner of The Open Championship, was first introduced in 1872, making it one of the oldest trophies in golf. It was designed by Mackay Cunningham & Company of Edinburgh and made of sterling silver with a gilded interior. The idea of using a jug as the trophy for the championship was proposed by The Open's organizing committee, and the original Claret Jug was purchased for 30 guineas. The jug has since become one of the most iconic symbols of golf and is treasured by players who have won The Open.
Nicholas Berault is a proud Penn State alum whose past work has been featured on FantasyPros. He is an avid golfer and a collector of pin flags and sneakers. He covers NBA betting for EatWatchBet.
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21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, DC, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY). Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA).
