British Open 2023: Top Storylines to Track, Latest Odds and Predictions
The most consistent player in men's golf and the sentimental favorite to win the 2023 British Open will dominate the conversation before the first tee shot at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are listed as the co-favorites to go home with the Claret Jug.
Scheffler has not won a major title since his triumph at the 2022 Masters, but he has been a constant fixture in the top 10 in majors and on the PGA Tour.
McIlroy is in search of his first major crown since the 2014 PGA Championship. He won at Royal Liverpool a month before that.
McIlroy's win last week at the Scottish Open combined with his history at Royal Liverpool will make him the clear favorite in the eyes of many experts and fans.
Of course, there are more golfers in the field than just McIlroy and Scheffler, but any player in search of the Claret Jug will likely have to beat at least one, if not both, of them on Sunday.
Latest Odds
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Scottie Scheffler (+700; bet $100 to win $700)
Rory McIlroy (+700)
Jon Rahm (+1200)
Cameron Smith (+1800)
Brooks Koepka (+1800)
Viktor Hovland (+2200)
Xander Schuaffele (+2200)
Tyrrell Hatton (+2500)
Rickie Fowler (+2500)
Patrick Cantlay (+2500)
Tommy Fleetwood (+2800)
Jordan Spieth (+3000)
Dustin Johnson (+3000)
McIlroy, Scheffler in Great Form As Tournament Co-Favorites
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There is a strong chance that you will have a rooting interest in one of Sunday's final groups if you bet on McIlroy or Scheffler this week.
McIlroy has had everything line up perfectly for him to finally end his major title drought.
McIlroy is the last British Open winner at Royal Liverpool and produced a win at the Scottish Open, the premier lead-in tournament to the season's final major.
The four-time major champion came close to ending the dry run ay St. Andrews last year, but he fell short against Cameron Smith.
McIlroy has had a ton of almost victories at majors since the 2014 PGA Championship. He has a trio of top-three finishes in the last seven majors on top of countless other top-five and top-10 marks from the last nine years.
Scheffler comes into Royal Liverpool with three top-10 major finishes in 2023. He has seven straight top-five placings on the PGA Tour, including a tie for third at the Scottish Open.
Scheffler is almost guaranteed to be in the mix for the win on Sunday, and it would be spectacular viewing if he and McIlroy were dueling it out for the Claret Jug.
Cameron Smith's Title Defense
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The reigning British Open champion took a different path than McIlroy and Scheffler to get to Royal Liverpool.
Smith joined LIV Golf last August following the end of the PGA Tour season, so he has only played against the likes of McIlroy, Scheffler, Jon Rahm and others at the majors in 2023.
The Australian thrived in those events, though, as he took a tie for ninth at the PGA Championship and landed in fourth at the U.S. Open.
Like McIlroy, Smith enters The Open Championship off a victory. He won the LIV event in London on July 9.
Smith may be in the best form of any LIV golfer, and it has been proven throughout the year that LIV competitors faced zero drop off when returning to face PGA Tour players at majors. Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship and Dustin Johnson joined Smith in the top 10 at the U.S. Open.
The 29-year-old shot 20-under to win at St. Andrews' last year, and he has the potential to go low again at Royal Liverpool, where McIlroy won at 17-under in 2014.
Smith is tied with Koepka for the fourth-lowest odds to win the Claret Jug. He would be the first British Open repeat champion since Padraig Harrington in 2007 and 2008 if he tops the leaderboard on Sunday.
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Prediction
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It is hard to not pick one of McIlroy, Scheffler or Smith to win at Royal Liverpool.
At least one of the three stars should have a phenomenal week, and any of them are hard to beat at their best.
All three of those players could feature in the top 10, as could the least talked about golfer with low odds this week.
Jon Rahm sits third on the odds board at +1300, but he will not have the same fanfare as others because he has not been as consistent at majors.
Rahm won the Masters, but then finished in a tie for 50th at the PGA Championship. He has been outside the top 10 at the British Open in two of his last three appearances.
The dream scenario would have Rahm, Scheffler, McIlroy, Smith and maybe someone like Koepka or Jordan Spieth all battling it out for the win on Sunday, but rarely do things work out like that.
The most fascinating scenario of them all is McIlroy ending his major drought at the place he won The Open Championship in 2014.
Given McIlroy's current form, it is hard to pick against him even with a ton of in-form top players and previous major winners in the field.
Prediction: McIlroy wins British Open
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