Betting on The Open Championship: Everything You Need to Know

Held annually at different courses in the United Kingdom, The Open Championship has taken place every year since 1860. Betting on The Open Championship has become a favorite of even the most novice golf bettor.

It’s one of the four coveted major championships on the PGA Tour. This year’s Open Championship will feature the top players from both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. This year’s Open may be the last to feature players from the rival golf leagues, depending on what happens with the proposed merger.

The Open Championship in 2023 takes place at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, Merseyside, from July 20-23. It’s the first time The Open has been held there since 2014, when Rory McIlroy won his fourth and most recent major championship.

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The Open Championship History

The first-ever Open Championship, then known as the British Open, was held at Prestwick Golf Club in 1860. The annual tournament was held there every year until 1873, when it moved to St. Andrews for the first time.

It has since been held at a range of iconic clubs in Scotland and England, including Royal Birkdale, Royal Troon, and Muirfield. Royal Portrush was the first course in Northern Ireland to host the tournament in 2019.

Harry Vardon is the all-time leader with six Open Championships from 1896 to 1914. James Braid, John Henry Taylor, Peter Thompson, and Tom Watson are tied for second with five titles each.

The Open is perhaps the hardest major to win in the modern era. Outside of Watson, only four players since the 1960s – Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods – have won The Open three times.

Betting on the Open Championship in 2023 – Basic Information

• The Event: The Open Championship
• Date: July 20-23
• Course: Royal Liverpool Golf Club
• Field: 156 players

2023 Golf Odds: Betting the Open Championship Outright Winner

(odds subject to change)

Tips & Strategies When Betting The Open Championship

Track Recent Performance

This is true for every individual sport but especially golf. Betting on the Open Championship is different in this respect though.

Players are prone to hot and cold streaks. In fact, golf is such a frustrating game sometimes that players can be in contention seemingly every week and then struggle to make a cut at a tournament.

Take Justin Thomas, one of the best golfers in the world. He shot a second-round 81 at the U.S. Open last month to miss the cut despite being a former champion. Of course, true to the nature of the game, Thomas was back in contention the following week at the Travelers Championship.

If you look at the outright odds for this year’s Open, the players with the shortest odds have been performing at the highest level.

McIlroy, although without a victory in recent months, has consistently been in contention as of late and looks as though he’s poised to make a run for another major championship. Especially at the same course where he won his last major in 2014. Scottie Scheffler hasn’t finished outside the top-12 in a span of 18 consecutive starts, so he’s certain to be in contention.

Know How to Pick Your Spots

Recent performance, however, doesn’t mean everything.

There are some players who play better on different courses than others, and the links courses in the UK, in particular, cater to players who can hit the ball long and battle the elements, i.e. wind and rain.

Just like recent experience at The Open is important, this is equally as important when betting on the Open Championship.

McIlroy certainly fits that description. Which is part of the reason why he has the shortest odds. It’s also generally not worth going too far down the odds list to make your wager. For the most part, only top-ranked golfers contend in majors, especially at The Open. Need more evidence? Recent winners include Cameron Smith (2022), Collin Morikawa (2021), Shane Lowry (2019), and Jordan Spieth (2017).

Course Fit and History – Betting the Open Championship

Royal Liverpool, founded in 1869, has hosted The Open 12 times. 2006 set Open Championship attendance records with 230,000 spectators. Know your golfers attitudes when looking who to chose when betting on the Open Championship.

Some players, like McIlroy, prefer to play in front of large and somewhat rowdy crowds, while others shine when there’s less pressure and spectators.

The links course also favors some players over others. And, believe it or not, you can actually track player performance on the course relative to other golfers. However, because Royal Liverpool hasn’t hosted a PGA Tour event since 2014, data is relatively sparse. It’s worth noting, however, that in addition to McIlroy winning, other players of note who finished in the top-10 include Rickie Fowler (T2), Adam Scott (T5), and Shane Lowry (T9).

Lowry and Scott are particularly effective on links courses, but Fowler’s T2 finish is somewhat surprising. Perhaps something he can draw on as he’s playing the best golf he’s played in nearly a decade. The recent Rocket Mortgage Classic winner could offer some value at his current odds. We’ve seen him anywhere from +3000 to +6600.

You don’t have to only make outright bets when betting on golf. Most books have plenty of options, including each-way outright bets or prop bets on finishes inside the top 5, 10, or 20. This is where you can expect to find golfers like Lowry and Fowler, given their recent form and past performance at Royal Liverpool.

Keep an Eye on the Weather

If you’ve watched all four rounds in a PGA Tour event, you know how weather – wind, rain, temperature, etc. – can impact player performance. Betting on the Open Championship isn’t for the faint of heart.

Warm and dry conditions can make the greens more firm and give players less control as to where the ball goes. It’s easier for players to stick the ball tight to the pin in cold, damp, and wet conditions. But the ball also may not travel as far.

Add in winds over 20 km per hour, and players will struggle even more to place the ball in the intended area. 

Golfers may even face different conditions throughout the day based on their start times. If you notice poor conditions in the morning during the opening round followed by improving conditions in the afternoon, perhaps it’s worth placing an outright bet on a player with a later tee time.

Betting on the Open Championship FAQs