There are just two weeks to go before the 150th Open Championship at the historic Old Course at St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland. The final major of the season is sure to provide action and excitement as the birthplace of golf hosts the Open for the 30th time.
The historic week will bring the best golfers around the world to Scotland as they compete for the coveted Claret Jug. Expectations are high for many players as the tournament nears, and we’ve got three golfers to consider betting on prior to the start of the tournament.
Below are our three top considerations for this year’s Open Championship.
Rory McIlroy (+800)
The current pre-tournament betting favorite, McIlroy, has shown he is right on the cusp of ending his major championship drought. The four-time major winner finished T3 here in 2010, his first Open Championship at St. Andrews. McIlroy was unable to defend his Open title here in 2015 after missing the tournament due to an ankle injury.
This season the 33-year-old has finishes of second, eighth, and T5 in the three major tournaments, in addition to a pair of victories at the RBC Canadian Open and CJ Cup. The product of Northern Ireland, McIlroy will be a fan favorite amongst the locals who will be rooting for the former no. 1 golfer in the world to capture his fifth major.
Justin Thomas (+1400)
Thomas secured his second major victory this year at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 29-year-old finished T8 at the Masters and T37 at the U.S. Open. This will be JT’s first test at St. Andrews as he tries to crack the top 10 at an Open Championship for the first time in five attempts.
Thomas has been one of the most consistent golfers on Tour this season, cashing in on 15 of 16 events, with 11 of those ending in top 25 finishes. His strokes gained numbers are what you want to see heading into a major tournament, ranking sixth in SG: Approach The Green and third in both SG: Tee-to-Green and SG: Total. One of the best iron players in the game, Thomas should find plenty of success at St. Andrews.
Matthew Fitzpatrick (+2000)
Fitzpatrick put it all together at the U.S. Open to claim his first PGA Tour and major victory. The new length Fitzpatrick has added off the tee combined with excellence around the greens has propelled the English golfer to new heights. With nine wins under his belt across Asia and Europe, winning is nothing new to the 27-year-old.
Outside of missed cuts at The PLAYERS, RBC Heritage, and the Memorial, Fitzpatrick has finished inside the top 25 in every event in 2022. The run has vaulted him into the top 10 in the world and 11 in the FedEx Cup standings.
His play at the Open Championship has gotten better in recent years, with a T26 and T20 in his last two starts after missing the cut in two of his first three tries at the Claret Jug.
