The last major of the year is an extra special one this season as The Open Championship returns to St. Andrews for the 150th incarnation of the event. Everybody wants to capture this one at the Old Course which puts some extra pressure on the longer shot players.
Some pretty big names have hoisted the Claret Jug over the past decade including Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth, and a year ago Collin Morikawa while shooting a -15 at Royal St. George’s. Underdogs have their work cut out for them this weekend, but here are some players that have value on the Open Championship odds.
Will Zalatoris 20/1
Is it time for Zalatoris? He’s been painstakingly close to capturing his first major this year with a sixth place finish at the Masters and runner-ups at both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. He missed the cut last weekend at the Scottish Open which isn’t a great outing for a second straight links course, but maybe he was just dialing it in for St. Andrews.
Louis Oosthuizen 50/1
Oosthuizen captured the Claret Jug in 2010 at St. Andrews and finished runner up at the Old Course to Zach Johnson in 2015 so he’s definitely got a nice history at the birthplace of golf. He hasn’t been great at majors this season, withdrawing from the Masters, missing the cut at the U.S. Open, and getting 60th at the PGA Championship – but that course history is hard to overlook.
Brooks Koepka 50/1
Koepka has kind of been an afterthought this year after joining the LIV and finishing 55th at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship while missing the cut at the Masters. You have to take into consideration his 10th place finish at St. Andrews in 2015 however when he led the field by hitting 88.9% of his GIR. Combining that course history and these odds, Koepka has to be considered a play this weekend.
Tiger Woods 66/1
Jack Nicklaus won the 50th playing of the Masters and Woods won the 100th version of the U.S. Open. Could Woods continue that trend in the 150th playing of the Open Championship? Tiger is definitely familiar with St. Andrews, winning here in 2000 and 2005, and has taken some time off in past weeks to specifically be ready for this tournament.
Robert Macintryre 150/1
A Scotland native hasn’t won the Open Championship since 1999 when Paul Lawrie was victorious at Carnoustie. Can Macintrye change that this year? He disappointed the hometown crowds with a missed cut at last week’s Scottish Open, but has finished T6 and T8 in his two Open appearances.
It should be an interesting weekend at the Old Course with weather always playing a factor at St. Andrews. Conditions don’t look too bad for the opening 36 holes, but the weekend could be a different story. Every player has their work cut out for them here, but at least these underdogs offer better value.
