The 2026 Open Championship is set to begin on Thursday at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. As the final major of the season approaches, bettors will be looking closely at potential contenders, including favorites, sleepers, and underdogs. A notable success from last week was Tom Kim, who won the Genesis Scottish Open, providing a significant return at 84-1.
For those interested in where to place their bets this tournament, DraftKings has released updated odds on the top players competing:
– Scottie Scheffler +610
– Rory McIlroy +810
– Jon Rahm +1650
– Matt Fitzpatrick +1900
– Tommy Fleetwood +1900
– Xander Schauffele +2500
– Chris Gotterup +3000
– Cameron Young +3100
– Ludvig Aberg +3400
– Collin Morikawa +3400
– Tyrrell Hatton +3500
– Viktor Hovland +3600
– Robert MacIntyre +3900
– Justin Rose +4200
– Wyndham Clark +4300
– Sam Burns +4600
– Bryson DeChambeau +4800
– Si Woo Kim +4800
– Russell Henley +5300
– Joaquin Niemann +5400
– Brooks Koepka +5800
– Min Woo Lee +5800
– Justin Thomas +5900
– Patrick Cantlay +6100
– Patrick Reed +6300
– Shane Lowry +6400
– Tom Kim +6500
– Jordan Spieth +7200
– Aaron Rai +7400
– Alex Fitzpatrick +7600
– J.J. Spaun +8600
– Hideki Matsuyama +8600
– Ben Griffin +9400
– Kurt Kitayama +9600
– Nicolai Hojgaard +9600
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is among the favorites.
Looking at top choices, Matt Fitzpatrick is highlighted as a solid bet at +1900. Having claimed three victories this season, he recently shared the lead at the Scottish Open with Robert MacIntyre and Min Woo Lee. Although he did not win, Fitzpatrick’s form is strong as he heads into the Open Championship, especially following a T-4 finish at Royal Portrush last year.
In terms of statistics, Fitzpatrick ranks highly:
– SG: Approach to Green (1st: 0.846)
– SG: Around the Green (1st: 0.533)
– SG: Tee to Green (2nd: 1.635)
– SG: Total (3rd: 1.642)
– Driving Accuracy Percentage (9th: 68.24%)
Fitzpatrick has demonstrated his ability to perform in major tournaments, notably winning the US Open in 2022.
As for potential sleepers, Tyrrell Hatton at +3500 seems to be in fine form too, having recently secured a win at the LIV Golf Andalucia event and a T-7 finish at the US Open. He has also performed well on links courses, winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship three times. A win would make him the first Englishman to claim the Claret Jug since Nick Faldo in 1992.
Matthew Southgate stands out as a long shot at +25000. With a previous best finish of T-6 at the British Open in 2017, he recently won his first HotelPlanner Tour event at the Swiss Challenge. While winning might be a stretch, Southgate is offered at +6100 to finish in the top 10, which could be more feasible given his experience.
For prop bets, Robert MacIntyre is a compelling choice for a top-10 finish at +290. MacIntyre was competitive at the Scottish Open and is well-versed in playing in windy, rainy conditions typical of links courses. He claimed a victory at the PGA Tour's Scottish Open last year and previously won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The excitement builds as the Open Championship approaches, presenting numerous betting opportunities across a range of players.
