Who will win the Open Championship? Odds, betting favorites and expert picks for British Open 2024 | Sporting News Canada

Scottie Scheffler has dominated golf in 2024 like nobody we have seen since Tiger Woods. Can the world No. 1 win the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland?

Scheffler will be looking for his seventh victory and second major championship of the year, having won the Masters as well as the PLAYERS, the Memorial, the Arnold Memorial, and most recently the Travelers. 

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Of course, Rory McIlroy will have more than a fighter’s chance across this pond this weekend. The Northern Ireland native finished T5 at Royal Troon in the 2016 Open Championship, and his last major championship was 10 years ago this week. 

Elsewhere, we can’t overlook the always-impressive Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, and Collin Morikawa. Nor can we overlook the strong recent form of Ludvig Aberg or the perennial major championship contention of Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm. And don’t forget about reigning Open champion Brian Harman, who dominated at Royal Liverpool in 2023.

Who will take home the Claret Jug and win the Open Championship in 2024? The Sporting News breaks down the odds and best bets to win golf’s fourth and final major.

Open Championship odds 2024

All odds are courtesy of Sports Interaction. 

Scottie Scheffler (+500) is favored to win the 2024 Open Championship, according to odds from Sports Interaction. This shouldn’t surprise anyone, as the World No. 1 golfer was favored entering both the Masters (which he won) and the PGA Championship (where he finished tied for eighth despite his mid-tourney arrest). He has six total wins on the season, and has finished outside the top 10 in just two of his 15 starts.

Rory McIlroy (+900) is expected to be Scheffler’s top challenger. McIlroy hasn’t missed a cut this season, and he has five top-five finishes over his past seven events. That includes a win at the Wells Fargo Championship and a devastating runner-up at the U.S. Open to a surging Bryson DeChambeau. 

Speaking of Bryson DeChambeau (+1400), who added his U.S. Open title to a solo second at the PGA Championship and a T6 at the Masters, he sits within the top four shortest odds to win the Open this weekend. PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele (+1100) sits right above DeChambeau on the odds board. Reigning Open champion Brian Harman (+8000) barely cracks the top 30. 

Reigning PGA Tour champion Viktor Hovland (+1600), weekly contender and two-time major champion Collin Morikawa (+1600), Swedish wunderkind Ludvig Aberg (+1600) and five-time major champ Brooks Koepka (+1800) round out the top eight Open contenders on the SIA board.

Below are the odds for the top golfers in this year’s Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland. Only competitors with odds of 100-1 or better to win the tournament are listed.

Open Championship course breakdown: Royal Troon

Royal Troon had been a difficult course before it gained 195 yards eight years ago. Now it’s arguably one of the most challenging par-71 courses in the world, and a fitting venue for the Open Championship in a strong year of golf. 

The first six holes of Royal Troon run mostly downwind, which means the behemoths of the course should get the scoring started early. Holes 7-12 get a little trickier, changing direction five times during the six-hole stretch. Hazards come into play during this stretch, including the daunting five-bunker eighth that can become trouble quickly for those struggling with their wedge game.

The final six holes run northwest, playing into the omnipresent high winds of the seaside Royal Troon property. Holes of note during this stretch include: 

• Two 200-plus yard par 3s
• The 500-yard par-4 15th
• The wild 572-yard par-5 16th

Keep an eye on the weather forecasts and tee times when playing out your betting cards. Wind and precipitation have played big roles in past Open Championships at Royal Troon — just ask Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson, who both won there after drawing early-morning tee times and avoiding tough wind gusts. Wind shouldn’t play as big a part this weekend, but rain is forecasted off and on for the entirety of the weekend. 

Still, Royal Troon is an impeccably-maintained course with reliable fairway and green surfaces. The best and most accurate drivers — those who avoid the thick rough and troublesome bunkers — and the ones who have the most dependable approach games should once again be the ones contending for the Claret Jug on Sunday. 

Open Championship expert picks

Open Championship best bets to win tournament

Scottie Scheffler (+500) could certainly win the Open, but it’s hard to blame anyone for wanting to avoid his short odds to win it all. That’s what makes Rory McIlroy (+900) the most appealing bet among the favorites to win it all.

McIlroy has the requisite length needed to take advantage of Royal Troon and shorten the course while also sporting an always-elite approach game and reliable putter. His solo second at the U.S. Open — not to mention his victories at the Zurich Classic and Wells Fargo, and his top-five finishes at the Scottish Open and Canadian Open — tell us he’s ready for another major.

Elsewhere, Xander Schauffele (+1100) has been playing some of the best golf on the PGA Tour right now, so backing him at the Open seems like a solid bet. He already won the PGA Championship this year, and his shot control, accuracy, and ability to gain strokes from tee to green make him a safe, appealing player to pick outright. 

Open Championship value picks for top-10 finish, DFS lineups

Scheffler and McIlroy have captured a lot of attention on the PGA Tour lately, but Jon Rahm (+2000) might be getting a bit overlooked. The 29-year-old Spaniard from the LIV Tour already has two major championships and a T4 at the PGA Championship, so he could easily add the Claret Jug to his collection this weekend. 

Patrick Cantlay (+6600) has racked up four top-5 finishes on the year, including a T3 at the U.S. Open and a T5 at the Travelers his past two starts. He also has experience playing in Scotland, finishing 12th at Carnoustie in 2018, T4 at the Scottish Open in 2022, and eighth at St. Andrews in 2022. Cantlay is a tremendous tee-to-green golfer, with an accurate driver and strong approach game, and he handles pressure quite well.

Open Championship sleeper picks

Our favorite low-end sleeper is Tony Finau (+4000), whose well-rounded game includes an explosive driver and an always-reliable approach game. Finau has never won a major, but his ability to consistently land deep on fairways suggests he’s a solid choice to change that this weekend. 

Akshay Bhatia (+8000) is another great sleeper option. He has been in great form as of late, driving the ball with force and playing well on and around the green. Oddsmakers never seem to catch on to Bhatia’s phenomenal skill set, but we’ll take him with a lotto-ticket wager at 800-to-1. 

Open Championship winners by year

Here is a look at every winner of The Open Championship since World War II. As we mentioned earlier, Brian Harman dominated the field with a -13 at Royal Liverpool last year (nobody else finished better than -7). Cameron Smith won in 2022, having shot -20 at Old Course at St. Andrews. Collin Morikawa won the major in 2021, shooting -15 at Royal St. George’s. The ’20 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.