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The Open Championship, sometimes called the British Open, is unlike any other major golf tournament on the calendar.
The fourth-and-final major is a war of attrition, especially for North American-born golfers who may not be accustomed to the unpredictable weather and links-style play.
The unpredictability makes betting the Open even trickier, but since there won’t be another major played in 2024 this is your last chance to bet on a marquee golf tournament until the FedExCup Playoffs.
Here’s how to bet the Open.
How to bet on the Open
Wagering on the Open Championship is as easy as wagering on any sporting event, especially with BetOnline.
Create a sportsbook account
Head to the BetOnline homepage and click JOIN in the top right corner. It’s in the same place whether you access the site on a desktop or mobile device. You will be asked to fill in some information before you can make a deposit and place a bet. The details they require to get started are your name and email address. You’ll need to verify your account to withdraw money from it but this can be done at a later date.
Enter personal information
One you’re logged in, click DEPOSIT at the top of the page and follow the steps to add funds to your account. BetOnline accepts traditional payment methods like credit and debit cards but the quickest and best way to avoid fees is to use crypto.
Find the sportsbook's golf markets
Use the main sportsbook navigation menu down the left to find the golf betting section. You’ll see all markets for current tournaments or those soon to start. Just tap on The Open market to see all betting options.
Place your bet
As the tournament is only a couple of days away there are 60 markets available as well as the classic outright winner market. Find your best bet and select him to add to your betslip and place your wager.
The Open Betting Favorites
Three different players have won major championships in 2024. Here’s a look at those favored to claim the Open Championship this weekend.
Scottie Scheffler (+500)
Scheffler is Exhibit A why betting on individual players to win can be unpredictable.
The No. 1 ranked player in the world is having an otherworldly season, with six wins and 13 top-10 finishes in 15 starts, including his win at the 2024 Masters.
He’s made himself one of the richest golfers ever, with a net worth of well over $50 million.
Scheffler will enter the Open on a burner of six top-5 finishes in his past eight starts.
But his lone finishes outside the top-5 have come at the two most recent major championships, including his baffling T41st finish after shooting a four-day 288 at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst last month.
Scheffler is still a great betting option, since these odds are the longest of any of his major starts this season, and he will still enter Royal Troon with a win at his most recent start at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
Rory McIlroy (+800)
McIlroy may have second-shortest odds, but even the staunchest Rory supporters can’t be certain he’s capable of winning this weekend.
McIlroy is famously searching for his first major championship in a decade, though he did win the Open Championship in 2014 too.
But his disappointing performance Sunday at the U.S. Open last month is sure to make the doubters louder as his home major draws near.
McIlroy hasn’t shown the mental fortitude over four days at a majorto win recently, though in a career that has given him a net worth in the region of $200 million, he’s certainly got the ability to win again.
Still, McIlroy’s putting has been a huge story all season and he ranks 27th in Total Putting and 36th in Putting Average on the tour this year.
Still, if McIlroy can get his putting right, he’ll almost certainly be in the mix to win at Troon.
Bryson DeChambeau (+1400)
DeChambeau has not been particularly impressive on the LIV Tour this year, with a pair of top-5 finishes in 10 starts.
But DeChambeau has played his best at the majors, with a top-10 finish at each of the previous three including victory at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst last month.
DeChambeau was also runner-up at the PGA Championship in May, shooting 264 over four days and falling just one shot behind first-time-winner Xander Schauffele.
Still, DeChambeau has only finished under par twice over four days at the Open in his career, the same number of times he’s missed the cut at that tournament.
Ludvig Aberg (+1400)
Aberg was the 54-hole leader at the Scottish Open over the weekend before he blew up with a final-round 73 that left him tied for fourth place with McIlroy.
The Swedish native has not won in 2024 but has fallen tantalizingly short in his 15 tournaments this year.
Aberg has seven top-10 finishes and a pair of runner-ups, including his distant second-place finish four shots behind winner Scottie Scheffler at the Masters this year.
Like McIlroy, Aberg has had a tricky time around the green, ranking tied for 48th in season-long putting average and 56th in putt-per-round.
But the 24-year-old’s driving and ability to get on the green in efficient fashion should keep him in contention, especially on the long and difficult back-nine at Troon.
At odds of +1400 Aberg could prove a great option for those looking to hedge a bet to take profit on a pre-tournament wager. who like hedge around the world.
Xander Schauffele (+1400)
Schauffele is ranked third in the world and has been one of the most consistent players on the tour this season.
Bettors with most of the best online sportsbooks have loved him for this, especially those who take each-way wagers.
He has 11 top-10 finishes in 16 starts and topped DeChambeau at the PGA Championship in Valhalla in May for his first major win. His pinpoint accuracy, especially off the tee, fits the necessary style required to win the Open.
Whether Schauffele puts it all together and wins his second major will depend on execution.
He has four top-20 finishes in his six starts at the Open, including a runner-up at Carnoustie in 2018, so if you’re looking for a hedge, take him to finish in the top-5 or top-10.
Collin Morikawa (+1800)
Morikawa, much like Aberg, has been on the leaderboard week-in and week-out on the tour this year yet has not broken through for his first win in 2024.
He has seven top-10s in 17 starts and finished in the top-5 at both the Masters and PGA Championship while also placing second at the Memorial, one shot behind Scheffler.
But Morikawa has one of his two major wins at the Open, finishing atop the field at the 2021 Championship at Royal St. George’s.
Morikawa ranks second in driving accuracy, always important on links courses, to stay out of the fescue at Royal Troon.
Like a couple of other contenders, Morikawa’s putting lets him down. He ranks 66th in shots gained putting on the PGA Tour this season, but is seventh in putts per round, and he has missed the cut at consecutive Opens after winning in 2021.
If he can get that cleaned up around the green, Morikawa has a great opportunity this week.
Brian Harman (+7000)
Harman has just three wins on the Tour, but one of those was the Open Championship a year ago, where he came from off the board to claim the Claret Jug with a six-shot win at Royal Liverpool.
His odds of +7000 with the best golf betting sites seem unbelievable for a recent winner, but his form has been inconsistent since his win and this is one major championship where surprises take place.
Harman may not repeat, since he has as many cuts (2) as top-5 finishes this year, but a player like him would be an fascinating long-odds option.
Where is the 2024 Open Being Played?
The 152nd Open Championship will be at the famous Old Course at Royal Troon in Scotland.
Troon, as it is colloquially referred, is one of the oldest golf clubs on earth, forming in 1878 as a five-hole course that quickly grew to the regulation 18 holes in the course of a decade.
Troon is a regular in the Open Championship rotation, and this will be its 10th time hosting this major. Troon last hosted the event in 2016 when Henrik Stenson shot a four-day 264, including a final-round 63 to hold off Phil Mickelson by three shots to win.
Troon sits on the west coast of Scotland, scenically adjacent to the Firth of Clyde.
The Postage Stamp could end up playing shorter than 100 yards depending on the pin position, and is deemed the easiest hole on the course, despite its nightmarishly tiny green that is only about 2,600 square feet.
Betting Strategies for The Open
Every bettor’s overall betting strategy is different. Some love parlays and head-to-head betting, while others like to open positions early and hedge when the tournament is live.
Despite this difference, there are some key factors that all need to take into account before placing their wagers.
Recent Open Winners
2023: Brian Harman
Harman dominated from the second round on, shooting a bogey-free 65 on Friday to take the lead for good.
His lead dwindled to two during the third round, but he rallied to shoot 69 and take a five-shot advantage before shooting 70 and winning the championship by six shots.
2022: Cameron Smith
Playing at iconic St. Andrews, the Aussie-born golfer capped a weekend for the ages with a final-round 64 to win his first-and-only major championship.
Smith took the lead during the second round by shooting 64 on Friday before giving it back with a third-round 73.
He trailed McIlroy and Norwegian Viktor Hovland by four shots entering play Sunday but made eight birdies during his bogey-free final round to claim the Claret Jug.
2021: Collin Morikawa
The 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in the first post-pandemic edition, Morikawa became the first player since Ben Curtis in 2003 to win on his Open Championship debut.
Morikawa fired four sub-70 rounds and closed with a final-round 66 to top runner-up Jordan Spieth by two shots.
Morikawa fired four birdies during his bogey-free final round, capping an incredible tournament where he made just four bogeys over four days.
Conclusion
Aside from being a unique challenge, the Open Championship is one of the most scenic tournaments on the golfing calendar.
Betting on the Open can be a crapshoot due to its unpredictable conditions, but that can also be what makes it interesting, whether you bet on the PGA Tour regularly or not.
If you’re going to watch and try to assess how the tournament will unfold, it is a fun event to wager even though many Americans will need to bet from their beds due to the super-early tee times.
References
- https://www.theopen.com/previous-opens (The Open)
- https://www.pgatour.com/players (PGA Tour)
- https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/ (DP World Tour)
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