THE final golf major of the season is upon us as the world's best head for Hoylake and the 2023 Open Championship.
Over a quarter of a million spectators are expected to line the fairways at Royal Liverpool this week to see if Cam Smith can defend his crown.
Rory McIlroy has reclaimed his place at the top of the Major championship market – a position that was an automatic ‘right’ until recently – following his scintillating victory at the Scottish Open.
Rory is a best-priced 7-1 to follow up in this week’s Open Championship at Hoylake.
If he reproduces the form that saw him play the final nine holes at The Renaissance Club in four under par, in a howling gale, he will take all the beating, especially at a course where he won so impressively in 2014.
But my unnatural dread of backing outright favourites steers me away from McIlroy – and for my money, the bonus of him heading the betting pushes out the odds on world No 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Scheffler continued his incredible run of form with a share of third in Scotland, where he went about his business with the same calm manner that has become his trademark.
The Texan seems to have forgotten what it is like to play badly, and his last seven results now read T5-T2-T3-3-3-T4-T3. And the stuff that went before that was almost as impressive!
At 9-1, Scheffler is finally at a price that makes him each way value. So he has to be the headline bet at Hoylake. But there are plenty more tempting options among the supporting cast, too.
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How to bet on the Open
Betting on golf is easier than you'd image and there are a host of interesting markets you can pick from.
Here are five easy steps for beginners.
1. Choose Your Favourite Sportsbook – there are plenty to choose from and most have their own app or mobile site.
2. Make a Deposit – each sportsbook will walk you through how to connect your bank account to their system including providing a list of all the safeguards they have set up to ensure the safety of your transactions.
3. Claim Your Bonuses – most sportsbooks offers bonuses to first time bettors in the form of free bets.
4. Place Your Bet – now it’s time to navigate through your sportsbook’s odds where they will offer a variety of options including outright winners, or top finishing positions, such as top 10 or 20, or even to make the cut. For the event this week each way odds are generally paid on the top eight players.
5. Collect Your Winnings – If you're successful you will be able to withdraw your winnings once the bet is complete. Some bookmakers offer cashout options on certain bets as well, which is worth keeping an eye on.
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Who is the favourite for the Open?
After his stunning win in Scotland, Rory McIlroy leads the betting as the outright favourite.
Scottie Scheffler's continued, sensational consistency means he's not far behind in the betting and he has a huge chance coming into this one.
Jon Rahm comes next and is followed by defending champion Cam Smith, who won his latest outing at the Liv Golf Invitational in London.
Voktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood come next, alongside PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka.
Where to find the best odds for the US Open?
Lots of bookmakers have different options for betting on the US Open this week, including competitive odds and different place markets.
We like the markets on bet365, including the price boosts on offer pre-tournament.
But it is worth shopping around to get the best value with each way odds and different places available throughout the market.
bet365 are currently offering 40/1 on Matt Fitzpatrick to win, 7/4 on McIlroy to finish inside the top 5 and and 19.62/1 on Scheffler, Rahm and Schauffele all to finish in the top 10.
The Open tips
Min Woo Lee has already been mentioned as a player who went on my Hoylake shortlist some time ago.
And even though he failed to reproduce the form last week that saw him win the Scottish Open two years ago, he still makes plenty of each way appeal at 50-1, and better.
Bryson DeChambeau is another player who looks over-priced at around 55-1. He has finished T4 and T20 in the last two Majors, and his from on the LIV circuit has been eye-catching too, especially a stunning 63 at Valderrama.
DeChambeau showed a liking for the links with a share of eight at St Andrews last year, so he looks more than capable of rewarding each way backers.
Wyndham Clark did us a huge favour at the US Open, but there is no chance of him teeing off at 66-1 again for a while – although, surprisingly, you can get 50-1 if you shop around.
Clark is a golfer going places. He has already won twice this year, is up to tenth in the world rankings, and a tie for 25th in Scotland was decent enough preparation for this week.
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All four of his rounds were par or better, and if the weather trunks nasty he looks the type to roll his sleeves up and meet it head on.
Going back to the LIV brigade, Brooks Koepka has to come into the reckoning, especially at 18-1, as he seems to be back to the form that means he is likely to contend in every Major.
But I prefer the 14-1 about defending champion Cameron Smith, especially after his LIV victory at the Centurion Club earlier this month. No-one putts better on links courses than the Aussie, and it is hard to see him failing to contend.
One more thought on the LIV players. Talor Gooch has proved the most successful golfer on the breakaway circuit, winning three times, most recently at Valderrama last month, when paired with Koepka and DeChambeau.
If you can see off that pair and win at Europe’s toughest course, you can win anywhere. So odds of up to 80-1 are worth looking at.
And if you are looking to get a run for your money from players at even bigger prices, the enigmatic Keegan Bradley could be worth an interest at 125-1.
Adrian Meronk and Alexander Bjork have been among Europe’s most consistent performers this year, and both are available at 200-1. They both have the added incentive of trying to push their Ryder Cup claims.
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