Golf’s major season comes to an end with the British Open Championship this week. Before you even think about betting on the tourney, you’ll want to read this in full. We’re offering our three best bets on a potential Open Championship winner!
- What: 2023 Open Championship
- When: July 20 - July 23
- Where: Royal Liverpool in England
2023 Open Championship Preview
As you’d expect with the fourth major of the season, all the “big guns” are scheduled to compete. Perhaps it’s best to start our preview of the Open Championship with the playing field. Top betting sites for golf have odds to win for every single player competing, but the names below are favored most:
| Player |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rory McIlroy | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Scottie Scheffler | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Jon Rahm | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Cameron Smith | +1500 | +1500 | +1500 |
| Brooks Koepka | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Viktor Hovland | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Rickie Fowler | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
It should come as zero surprise that McIlroy is the odds-on favorite to win. Nevermind he’s ranked No. 2 in the world. Nevermind he’s consistently been in the hunt in majors the past three years. What McIlroy most has going for him this week is the course — the Royal Liverpool. You see, McIlroy won this very major the last time it was held here by two shots, way back in 2014. The Irish hasn’t won a major since that year but he’s been awfully close as of late.
As for the Royal Liverpool itself, the course is a par 71 and stretches 7,313 yards this week. This marks unlucky 13 times the storied venue has held The Open, which is on its 151st edition. Since the 2014 event, Royal Liverpool has undergone subtle changes. For one, the 10th hole is now a par 4 instead of a par 5. Moreover, the 17th hole has converted to a par 3, playing 136 yards.
Best Bets To Win 2023 Open Championship
You can never be too sure with any golf event, little less a major. By that, we mean only betting on one golfer. The playing field is simply too damn good to take that type of risk. You’d be better off spreading your money on three or so players. That’s what we’ve done, and here’s who we’re confidently putting money on to win the Open Championship:
Rory McIlroy
Honestly, we’ve had McIlroy in our major championship picks the whole past two years. It hasn’t hit quite yet, but it’s been dangerously close on almost every occasion. Amazingly, McIlroy has finished top-10 in six of the past seven majors — so at the very least, you’ll want to take him on that finish top-10 prop. But we’re going further with any outright winner bet. He’s fresh off winning the Scottish Open, and as we said, he has a checkered past at Royal Liverpool. McIlroy is our priority bet given all the positive factors going his way.
Viktor Hovland
Everyone is aware of McIlroy’s recent major success, but Hovland is right there with him. This year alone, Hovland finished tied for seventh (Masters), second (PGA Championship), and 19th (US Open). Let’s not forget, the man also placed top-5 a year ago at this event, in a similar links course at St. Andrews. Hovland is being overlooked here, and he’s a perfect complimentary bet to McIlroy if gambling based on recent success.
Jordan Spieth
Spieth, like Hovland, has been sneaky good most of this year. It may not feel like it, but Speith owns six top-10 finishes this year. The three-time major winner also has his fair share of success at links courses. He won this very event in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, then the US Open at Chambers Bay. Speith is more of a boom-or-bust play than the other two, but we’re banking on a boom this time around!
How To Watch 2023 Open Championship?
Across all four days, there’s more than 50 hours worth of live coverage to be had here. Thankfully for bettors, there are multiple options for watching the Open Championship. For those with traditional TV still, full coverage will be split between NBC and USA Network. Then NBC’s Peacock app will stream the four days in full. Here’s the viewing schedule:
- Thursday, July 20 — 4 am to 3 pm; USA Network
- Friday, July 21 — 4 am to 3 pm; USA Network
- Saturday, July 22 — 5 am to 7 am (USA Netosrk); 7 am to 3 pm (NBC)
- Sunday, July 23 — 4 am to 7 am (USA Netosrk); 7 am to 2 pm (NBC)
Yes, those are super early start times if you’re in the United States. But hey, the event is going down across the Atlantic Ocean, it’s to be expected with the massive time difference.
How To Bet On 2023 Open Championship?
If you’ve read this far, then you’re practically ready to lay bets on the 2023 Open Championship. We would recommend starting with one of the bookmakers listed below. Per our latest sportsbook reviews, the featured sites are the “cream of the crop.” That especially goes for major events that offer an abundance of bets.
If you need extra spending money to chase these British Open bets, then look into the lucrative sportsbook bonuses offered. Every site has multiple deals for bettors that pay hundreds to thousands of dollars in free play. That’s probably enough to bankroll your wagers this week for free. The underneath table lists our favorite promotions running right now.
