British Open Picks, Odds & Betting Preview (Jul 16-19)

• When: Thursday, July 16, 2026 – Sunday, July 19, 2026
• Where:  Royal Birkdale, England
• How to Watch: Golf Channel, NBC, USA

The waiting is over, as the fourth and final major of the golf season is set for this weekend. For the first time since 2017, Royal Birkdale will host the British Open, as the world’s best aim to win their share of the $17 million purse. Scottie Scheffler will be a red-hot favorite to successfully defend his title. But, you can find the odds and our British Open picks for the 2026 edition here.

British Open Odds

British Open Recent Winners

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Event Preview

All eyes will be on Royal Birkdale this weekend, as the final major of the season gets underway on Thursday. Jordan Spieth won The Open Championship back in 2017 when it was previously held at the Merseyside venue. A total distance of 7,156 yards will be covered by the world’s best players this weekend at the par-70 course, with a purse of $17 million up for grabs.

Scottie Scheffler will be a well-supported favorite to become the first player since Padraig Harrington to successfully defend his Open Championship. However, the American will need to return to form after failing to make the cut at last weekend’s Scottish Open. However, the world number one’s form remains electric this season, finishing in the top ten in nine of his 15 appearances.

Rory McIlroy endured a frustrating last weekend at the Scottish Open, but positives could have been drawn from his eventual T7 finish. McIlroy previously won The Open back in 2014, while he was T4 on the previous occasion when it was held at Royal Birkdale. A victory this weekend would see him move within a U.S. Open win of completing a second Career Grand Slam.

Viktor Hovland could be one of the most interesting outsiders this weekend, having finished a solo third after winning the Travelers Championship. He appears to be hitting his peak at the perfect time. U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark is largely overlooked this weekend, but his winning run makes him interesting. Chris Gotterup won the John Deere Classic this season, and was a career-best third at The Open last year.

Matt Fitzpatrick and Collin Morikawa should also be respected this weekend. The former is a three-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, and was T4 at last year’s Open. In the form of his life, and confidence would have been gained from his T3 at the Scottish Open last weekend.

British Open Picks

This could be the weekend when Tommy Fleetwood finally breaks his major hoodoo. The Englishman is winless in 44 attempts, but his form this season has been very consistent. The FedEx Cup champion was T13 at last week’s Scottish Open, and he has now achieved top-15 finishes in six of his last seven starts.

Free Pick:

• Tommy Fleetwood (+1600)