The fourth and final major of the year tees off this Thursday night (AEDT) from the world’s oldest golf course: St Andrews.
Scotland’s famed links course will play host to the 150th Open Championship with 156 of the world’s top golfers all competing for the rights to the prized Claret Jug.
Of those 156, 45 were in attendance when St Andrews last hosted back in 2015, and it’s no surprise to find world No. 2 Rory McIlroy on top of the market, followed closely by defending champion Colin Morikawa on the second line of betting.
Aussies have had mixed results at this tournament since Greg Norman’s success way back in 1993, but there’s plenty to like about Cam Smith’s chances on the back of a Top 10 finish at the Scottish Open last week.
It’s easily one of the most exciting four days on the sporting calendar, and our best bets for the 150th Open Championship can be found here!
The Open Championship Best Bet
Jon Rahm at $17.00
You can basically throw recent form out the window when it comes to The Open, because this tournament, on a course like St Andrews, is all about who can handle the moment and the conditions.
Rahm’s been up and down over the last month finishing just outside the Top 10 at Brookline before a disappointing result last week at the Renaissance, but it’s hard to fault a guy that’s made the cut in each of his last 11 major appearances.
Better yet, Rahm ranks Top 5 in what I think is the most important metric this week: Greens in Regulation.
A total of 112 bunkers are located at St Andrews, and given the challenges of the greens themselves, finding them is the first step to winning.
With a chance to make 1984 champion and fellow countrymen Seve Ballesteros proud, Rahm ticks a lot of the boxes.
The Open Championship Best Value
Jordan Spieth at $18.00
Creativity goes a long way on a course like St Andrews, and so too does familiarity.
Spieth has both in abundance, as he’s not only one of the most effective short-game players in the world, but he’s also one of the few that can claim he’s not only played, but also finished top five at this venue.
Overall, his putting needs some work, but it’s always worth backing a horse for the course.
Tony Finau at $41.00
Always a frustrating player to follow, but one that does tend to perform well when the stakes are high.
To be fair, Finau missed the cut at this year’s US Open, but he did share in a tie for 15th at Royal St George’s last year where he finished strongly with a final round 67.
Statistically, the American is another one that ranks Top 20 in Greens in Regulation, while he’s also well-rested having last played at the Travelers.
The Open Championship Best Roughie
Seamus Power at $67.00
I’m always happy to get around Seamus Power, particularly when he’s over the odds like this.
The Irishman has been playing some strong golf of late, finishing in a share for ninth at the PGA Championship, and a share for 12th at the US Open.
His short game needs some work, but Top 10 in GIR and among the Top 30 in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Keegan Bradley at $101.00
The man no one is talking about, but maybe not for long.
At 36, Bradley is still searching for his first win of the year, but he’s come close on several occasions, most notably finishing runner-up at the Wells Fargo and T7 at the US Open last month.
If you can overlook his poor start last week and instead focus on the fact he also finished fifth at THE PLAYERS, a weekend that brought similar windy conditions, then suddenly Bradley looks a good bet at huge odds.
