With the Major season underway in professional golf, fans, bettors, and players likely have the same question: How many will Scottie Scheffler win this year?
After running away with The Masters in early April, he'll turn his sights on the PGA in May, the U.S. Open in June, and the Open Championship in July during what could be a historic season for the man atop the golf world.
Should he arrive at Royal Troon with a chance to complete the Grand Slam, he'll do so at the venue where Henrik Stenson first set the Open scoring record at -20 in 2016 before Cameron Smith tied that mark at St. Andrews two years ago. This will be the tenth Open Championship hosted by the course, with a list of past champions that includes Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson.
We look ahead to the season's final Major and provide our best bets for the next player to lift the Claret Jug.
Recapping the 2023 British Open
Bettors dream about a result like Brian Harman's week at the 2023 Open Championship. The Georgia Bulldog arrived at Royal Liverpool last July for his eighth appearance in this storied event, a year after his T6 result at St. Andrews.
Harman was a two-time winner on Tour and had posted two top-ten finishes from 28 starts in Major championships during a career dating back to 2012. That all changed for him at Hoylake.
Harman was among three players who were a shot back after first-round 67s, trailing Tommy Fleetwood, Emiliano Grillo, and amateur Christo Lamprecht. The easy-swinging lefty then fired a 65 in Round 2, extending a five-shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood and the field.
He would not look back from there. Harman played the final 36 holes in three under par over the weekend to win by six shots, cashing tickets in the ballpark of +10000 for those who wagered on him pre-tournament.
For a guy who spends his off-course time bow-hunting and spearfishing, it was Harman's week to etch his name on one of the most prestigious lists in golf: those named Champion Golfer of the Year by the R&A.
2024 Betting Favorites
Scottie Scheffler's second green jacket, representing a fourth win in his last five events, has ratcheted his odds for the remaining Majors to atmospheric levels.
The number one player in the OWGR by a mile, Scheffler is +450 to win the Claret Jug this July, boasting a substantial lead over Rory McIlroy at +900 (lines courtesy of DraftKings). After McIlroy, Jon Rahm is +1000, and Viktor Hovland can be played at +1800, with all other players listed at +2000 or longer.
As the odds reflect, Scheffler is in an entirely different solar system right now. He has gained 3.45 shots on the field per round since January 1, over a shot better than the next closest player at 2.4, Xander Schauffele. Those numbers are courtesy of DataGolf. According to CBS's Kyle Porter, Scheffler is 659 under par with 11 wins, 33 top-fives, 40 top-tens, and over $63 million in earnings in his last 60 starts worldwide.
This is an all-time run that he's on, one that has vaulted his odds to win the Grand Slam to a staggering +4000 on DraftKings and FanDuel. That's the same number that bettors can have anyone from the group of Tyrell Hatton, Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jason Day, and Cameron Young to win the PGA Championship this May.
It's truly mind-bending dominance being exhibited by Scheffler, and regardless of which Tour anyone plays on these days, they're all chasing the same man at the Majors.
Players with Noteworthy Past Results Across the Pond
McIlroy has one of the better career records at the Open Championship among players looking to capture some of Scheffler's mojo this year. He has six top-five results in 14 tries, including his one victory at this championship in 2014. The Northern Irishman finished T6 at Hoylake last year and solo third the year before, seemingly possessing the game to win either of those events but not cobbling everything together over 72 holes.
Rahm has two top-three finishes in his last three Open Championship starts. He finished four shots back of champion Collin Morikawa at Royal St. George's in 2021 and was six off Harman's winning score in 2023. After a poor showing at The Masters this April, questions about the impact of the move to LIV on his game have begun.
Speaking of LIV, Brooks Koepka (+2200) has four top-ten results in nine appearances at the Open. His Achilles' heel has been a weekend round of 74 or worse in both 2019 and 2021, which played him out of those tournaments. The five-time Major champion has an MC and a T64 finish in the last two years.
Viktor Hovland has finished no worse than T13 in his three Open Championships, including a tie for fourth place in 2022 at The Old Course. He has struggled in 2024, managing just one top-20 in six tournaments and missing the cut at Augusta National. His odds have dropped across all Major championships due to this slow start, but oddsmakers are not discounting his ability to turn things around by July.
Cameron Young (+3500) is another young player who has only known success at this event. During his debut at the 2022 Open Championship, Young finished solo second by a single shot to Cam Smith after an impressive final-round 65 at St. Andrews. He backed that performance up with a T8 at Hoylake last summer despite losing 1.01 strokes per round on the greens.
Speaking of Smith (+2000), the 2022 Open Champion finished T6 at The Masters. This result was primarily due to his short game (+1.58 strokes gained ARG) and putting (+1.22 strokes gained), while he performed slightly better than an average player off the tee and approaching greens. He rode a hot putter to the Claret Jug two years ago and shouldn't be counted out despite his win at The Old Course representing his lone top-ten finish in six appearances.
The other recent Open Champion who played well at Augusta National was Morikawa (+2200), who finished solo ninth after a strong putting and short game week. His approach to greens, usually something he does at an elite level, was subpar and came back to bite him on Sunday as he watched his green jacket hopes disappear into the pond left of 11's green.
England's Tommy Fleetwood (+2200) has yet to win a PGA Tour-sanctioned event but has posted strong finishes at the Open. After missing the cut in his first three appearances, Fleetwood has finished no worse than T33 since 2017, with three top-tens and a runner-up from 2019 to his name. He finished in a three-way tie for third at The Masters and is expected to compete at Troon.
Finally, Harman is the latest player looking to be the first since Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington won back-to-back Opens in consecutive spans from 2005-08. He's listed at +6000 to accomplish that rare feat.
Best Bets to Win the 2024 British Open
Ready to plunk down a few dollars on your favorite golfer for The Open? We are too! The following 3 golfers are our early best bets! Jump in now to capture some nice closing line value! Good luck!
Ludvig Aberg +2000 (DraftKings)
Aberg has been a force since his PGA Tour debut in June 2023. The Swede has risen to sixth in the OWGR in less than a year of being a professional and ranks seventh in DataGolf's overall strokes gained tool during that time.
Aberg has won on both European and American soil in the last seven months and finished second at The Masters in his first Major start. Despite some mistakes in his final round at Augusta, there is little doubt the 24-year-old will be a threat in Majors for the rest of the season and a long time after.
Cameron Young +5000 (BetRivers)
Young has consistently proven that he can compete in Major championships during his pro career, finishing in the top ten during five of his 10 starts since 2021.
We covered his recent performances at this championship from the last two years and see no reason why he won't be a factor again in 2024.
Sahith Theegala +10000 (DraftKings)
Theegala missed the cut at the 2023 Open and finished T34 in his first appearance the year prior. According to DataGolf, Theegala lost over two shots per round to the field when hitting his approaches to greens last year, eliminating any chance of playing the weekend.
In 2024, Theegala has corrected this part of his game and is averaging better than a half stroke per round gained to the field in that category.
He ranks ninth in total strokes gained per round dating back to January 1 and will be competitive at Troon if he can manage his misses when targeting pins.
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 2023.
| Year |
Winner |
Score |
Location |
| 2023 |
Brian Harman |
-13 |
Royal Liverpool |
| 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 |
