Expert picks and betting tips for The Open
The final golf major of the year is set to get underway as The Open returns to Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England, for the first time since 2014.
Where is the betting value? Will the favorites prevail? Our golf and betting experts break down everything thing you need to know to bet The Open 2023.
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Experts’ picks to win | Betting value picks to win | Notable golfers odds | Props and more
Expert picks
Matt Barrie, ESPN
Winner: Rickie Fowler. He’s found his game, belief and swagger that he again belongs among the world’s elite players. After being in contention at the U.S. Open, Rickie won the Rocket Mortgage a few weeks later. The golf gods want Rickie to win a major. So do I.
Tory Barron, ESPN.com
Winner: Brooks Koepka. I know what you’re thinking… Did you really make the same pick three majors in a row? Yeah, I did. It’s called playing the hits. The reigning PGA Championship winner will persevere against all odds (read: the slow pace of play of Patrick Cantlay) to secure the Claret Jug and our second win of the season.
Elizabeth Baugh, ESPN.com
Winner: Jordan Spieth. I’ll round out this year’s majors by picking Spieth once again. He vibes in the U.K. — his adaptable play and creative shot-making just works on links courses. (Yes, I watched the Scottish Open.) Since his Open debut in 2013, he’s 9-for-9 with four top 10 finishes.
Michael Collins, ESPN
Winner: Jon Rahm. Oh how quietly the third-ranked player in the world comes to the British Open. He’ll win because he’s fresher than everyone else. And even more importantly, now having that green jacket in his closet, the pressure to win a major this year is off his back.
Michael Eaves, ESPN
Winner: Scottie Scheffler. He hasn’t finished outside the top-5 since APRIL! No one is playing better and more consistently tee-to-green than him. He’s beyond due for another win, and this week is that week for major No. 2.
Peter Lawrence-Riddell, ESPN.com
Winner: Jon Rahm. Rahm hasn’t been in the best form since winning The Masters in April, including a missed the cut in his last event (Travelers). But he did finish T10 in the U.S. Open. A win would make him the first player to win two majors in a season since Brooks Koepka in 2018 and the first to win the Masters and The Open in the same season since Tiger Woods in 2005.
Andy North, ESPN
Winner: Scottie Scheffler. Scottie has been so close. He has had top-five finishes in his past seven starts.
Mark Schlabach, ESPN.com
Winner: Rory McIlroy. It certainly isn’t the first time I’ve picked McIlroy to end his nearly nine-year drought without a major championship. But could the timing be any better for him? He’s coming off a victory at the Scottish Open. He’s going back to Royal Liverpool Golf Club, where he won the 2014 Open Championship, the last one played there. He has run off six straight top-10s. If not now, then when?
Curtis Strange, ESPN
Winner: Rory McIlroy. Have to go with Rory. He won last week, is a former champion, an incredible talent and the people’s choice, which always helps.
Paolo Uggetti, ESPN.com
Winner: Scottie Scheffler. I find it preposterous to even begin to consider a world in which Scottie Scheffler has the year he’s had in 2023 and somehow does not win a major this year. Statistically, Scheffler is having the best ball-striking season since 2006 Tiger Woods, but his putter has held him back from winning at least one major and plenty other Tour events. The 2022 Masters winner feels like a guarantee for a top-10 regardless of what putter shows up this week, but I’m banking on it being good enough for him to win.
Scott Van Pelt, ESPN
Winner: Rickie Fowler. The trend is our friend. Close in LA. Won in Detroit. Played well on this course finishing T2 in ’14. Seems like he checks plenty of boxes.
Betting value picks to win
Our betting experts give you picks to win based on value. We look at the betting board and tell you who has the best chance to cash your ticket.
Hideki Matsuyama (+6000)
Joe Fortenbaugh: His driver has been a bit of an issue this season, but Matsuyama can leave that club in the bag for a good portion of his stay at Royal Liverpool. And if this guy gets that portion of his game under control, look out. Matsuyama is currently 18th on tour in Strokes Gained: approach-the-green and has finished in the top-8 in Strokes Gained: tee-to-green in all three major championships this season.
Min Woo Lee (+6000)
Tyler Fulghum: The young Australian golfer has five straight top-40 finishes, including two top-10s, and has won before in his career on a links course. On a course where the driver is often too much club, Lee can lean on a 2/3-iron that he can hit just as far as many tour players hit their drivers.
Odds of winning The Open 2023
Props and more
Our betting experts have more than just bets to win. Here are some props to target for the entire event, from top-10s to made cuts to tournament matchups. Tommy Fleetwood Top-20 (+115) 4-round matchup: Corey Conners (-120) over Ryan Fox
Fulghum: Fleetwood has struggled to close out tournaments this year, but he’s been playing some remarkably consistent golf. One of the best links players in the entire world, Fleetwood has finished 4th, 33rd, 2nd, 12th and 27th in his past five Open starts.
Fortenbaugh: Conners has posted top-30 finishes in each of his last two Open Championships, currently ranks 11th on Tour in Strokes Gained: approach-the-green and has notched five top-20s in his past seven overall starts. Fox’s Open Championship résumé looks a bit different, as his six starts have yielded two missed cuts and only one finish inside the top 35.
