British Open Championship 2024 Betting Guide
Last year, the British Open didn’t lack drama and excitement, reminding us once again why The British Open is never short on either, and that has been evident throughout its history since it was established in 1860. Since 2019, the golf major is held annually in mid-July and is the fourth and final major event of the year.
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For those of you keen to know more about the history of the event, you will be pleased to find out that the British Open is the oldest major golf competition and tradition is something that the event takes very seriously.
Today, we will cover the entire background of the event, talking about the venue, recent champions, and the players who have won the most titles. We will also help you catch up on the latest odds provided by sportsbooks and throw in a few predictions on who will most likely be the winner of the 2023 British Open.
The British Open: All You Need to Know About the Event
The next year’s British Open will kick off on July 20–23, 2023 in the United Kingdom, inviting golf aficionados to arrive and watch the game live at the Royal Liverpool, England.
Sponsored by the R&A, this event is the 151st edition of the world’s oldest golf competition, one of the longest-standing events in the history of the game. With at least ten very strong competitors vying for the top spot and just as many promising underdogs, you will definitely want to know what your betting options are. But first, a quick summary of all we have said so far.
Open Championship At A Glance
| Dates: | July 20–23, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location: | Royal Liverpool, England |
| Edition: | 151 |
| No. of Golfers: | 156 |
| Favorites: | Rory Mcllroy, Cameron Smith |
| Prize: | $14 million |
With these details established, it’s time to look at some of the most successful players the event has seen to date. Rory McIlroy will be the man to beat, as he looks to end his long wait for major glory.
A Brief History
On October 17, 1860, 74 years before the first Masters and six months before the beginning of the American Civil War, eight professional golfers got together at Prestwick to determine who would be the champion golfer. Willie Park Sr. won those three rounds of the 12-hole course that day and received a Challenge Belt made from red Moroccan leather.
The following year, the tournament started to accept amateurs from all across the world. In 1870 Tom Morris Jr. won the tournament for the third consecutive time, earning the right to permanently keep the Belt. In 1872, the organizers started awarding winners with the Golf Champion Trophy, nowadays known as Claret Jug.
In 1892, the tournament switched to a 72-hole format (four rounds of 18 holes), and in 1898 the cut was introduced for the first time in British Open history, reducing the field after two rounds of play.
The tournament was always dominated by professionals. Amateurs won only six times here, all before 1930.
In 1995, the British Open became a part of the official PGA schedule. John Daly, a US-native golfer, won the tournament that year, introducing a period of American supremacy which lasted for almost 15 years. In the last twenty years, many golfers captured their Majors maiden titles at the Open, including Paul Lawrie (1999), David Duval (2001), Ben Curtis (2003), Padraig Harrington (2007), and, of course, Shane Lowry in 2019.
Who’s Won the Most Open Championships?
An event such as the British Open gathers quite a bit of steam, but the big question remains — who has won the event the majority of times, and are they in the field today? It’s a good question. For starters, Shane Lowry was the first golfer to win the British Open on his home island and, before him, no other home player has won the event on his home soil since 1999 when Paul Laurie managed to land the title and excite the home crowd.
Tiger Woods is definitely one of the bigger names as well. Woods has landed three separate titles in recent times. The US also holds the record for the total number of wins, with 45 total victories going their way, 41 to Scottish players, and finally 22 ending up with British players. Woods hasn’t won since 2006, but he did win in consecutive years in 2005 and 2006.
Previous Winners: Know the Facts
It’s always a good idea to catch yourself up on all the facts. The British Open has had a diverse field of entrants these past 10 years and out of many champions who have come to conquer the summits of the game, no one was able to do it consecutively. A list of Open winners can be found below.
Previous Open Winners Since 2009
| Year | Winner | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cameron Smith | St Andrews |
| 2021 | Colin Morikawa | Royal St. George’s |
| 2020 | Not Held | Not Held |
| 2019 | Shane Lowry | Ireland |
| 2018 | Francesco Molinari | Italy |
| 2017 | Jordan Spieth | United States |
| 2016 | Henrik Stenson | Sweden |
| 2015 | Zack Johnson | United States |
| 2014 | Rory McIlroy | Northern Ireland |
| 2013 | Phil Mickelson | United States |
| 2012 | Ernie Els | South Africa |
| 2011 | Darren Clarke | North Ireland |
| 2010 | Louis Oosthuizen | South Africa |
| 2009 | Stewart Cink | United States |
What Do the Sportsbooks Say?
When looking for the future winner of the event, turning to the sportsbooks and checking up on what they think is always a great idea. After all, your profits depend on the fact of how gambling companies calculate the odds.
We pulled the odds for you so that you can have an estimate of who the most likely champions in 2023 are. Here is a sample of the betting odds from Vegas:
| Player | Vegas Odds |
|---|---|
| Rory McIlroy | +800 |
| Jon Rahm | +1200 |
| Scottie Scheffler | +1400 |
| Justin Thomas | +1600 |
| Cameron Smith | +1600 |
| Jordan Spieth | +1800 |
| Matthew Fitzpatrick | +2000 |
All these names should sound rather familiar, all things considered. Most of these players have had success in multiple events in 2022, which is why betting operators are still uncertain as to who should get the lead in the 2023 British Open betting.
Popular Betting Markets
All Majors have a great range of sports betting markets available, and the British Open is no exception. Below, you can find out more about the popular British Open betting markets available.
Outright Winner
This is the most straightforward bet you can make in any sport. Bookies have already put up the outright betting odds for the 2023 British Open, so you’ll have plenty of time to check for value. Bettors will look to find the winner of the major. If the player selected wins the Open, then the returns will be added to your account.
Place Betting
Apart from being able to bet on the winner of the British Open, you can also bet on a golfer to end up in a particular place in the final standings. Depending on bookmakers’ rules, you can bet on the player to finish in the top five or ten. This type of bet is similar to backing a player each way, except you won’t be losing a part of your stake if the player finishes second, third, fourth, and so on. It’s always good to inform yourself about individual bookmakers’ market rules regarding this type of bet and to find out where your players need to finish in order for your bet to win.
First Round Leader Betting
Bettors can also bet on who will be the clubhouse leader on a certain day of the British Open. The Open Championship lasts for four days, so this bet gives you the opportunity to win. It’s always good to look for players who typically start tournaments well, but they are not the top favorites. In fact, you can get a better price backing some less fancied player, and considering that the pressure isn’t as great as it would be on the first day, it’s quite possible that a B-level golfer is going to have a really good first round.
Winning Nationality Betting
The British Open is one of the four major events in the golf calendar year, and bookmakers provide a host of different markets. Nationality betting has become popular in recent years. Home fans would love to see one of their own take the trophy, but the Americans from the PGA tour have been dominating the tour for quite a while now. Australians and South Africans are also a force to be reckoned with. Anyhow, national betting offers plenty of options — Top English Player, Top GB player, Top US Player, and Top Rest of the World are only a few of them.
Three Ball Betting
The Three Ball Betting is one of the bigger markets at the British Open. It gives bettors a chance to place a bet on which player within a three-man group will score the lowest round on any given day. This market is usually announced a couple of days before the tournament begins when the British Open Groupings are drawn. The Three Ball market offers fantastic value, granted you know where to look and what to look for.
Winning Margin Betting
One of the betting markets available for the British Open is the winning margin, or betting on what the winning margin will be. Sportsbooks will release odds for one stroke, two strokes, three strokes, and so on, or whether the winner of the tournament is decided through a playoff.
