British Open 2023: Latest Odds and Betting Tips for Golf's Top Contenders

The field for the 2023 Open Championship at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Merseyside, England is shaping up to be a fantastic one.

Defending champion Cameron Smith is among the early betting favorites, but he's not the only competitor looking to become a repeat winner. Other past champions include Collin Morikawa, Phil Mickelson, Shane Lowry, Francesco Molinari, Jordan Spieth, Louis Oosthuizen, Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy, by the way, is still searching for his first major in nearly nine years. Fresh off a win at the Genesis Scottish Open, the 34-year-old figures to be a contender this weekend.

Of course, past champions like Smith and McIlroy will face plenty of stiff competition. Consistent contenders like Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka are also in the field and should be in the mix throughout the four-day event.

With so many of the world's best golfers set to play, finding enticing betting options can be tricky. You can find a few of our top picks for the 2023 Open Championship below.

Early Favorites for the 2023 Open Championship

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Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler 7-1

Rory McIlroy 8-1

Jon Rahm 13-1

Brooks Koepka 18-1

Patrick Cantlay 20-1

Cameron Smith 20-1

Xander Schauffele 22-1

Viktor Hovland 22-1

Tyrrell Hatton 25-1

Rickie Fowler 25-1

Tommy Fleetwood 28-1

Jordan Spieth 30-1

Dustin Johnson 30-1

Shane Lowry 35-1

Collin Morikawa 35-1

*Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Back Mcilroy for a Top-5 Finish

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Rory McIlroy

If you're looking for a relatively "safe" bet, picking McIlroy to finish in the top five feels like a good place to start.

While McIlroy hasn't had the ultimate success at major championships in recent years, he's traditionally performed well at this event. In his past seven appearances, McIlroy has four top-five finishes to go with his 2014 win.

The Northern Ireland star finished in third place last year and has been playing strong golf following a rough start to 2023. Since missing the cut at The Masters, he has six top-10 finishes in seven events, highlighted by last week's win in Scotland.

MyIlroy's +190 odds(bet $100 to win $190) for a top-five finish aren't exactly spicy, However, they feel like a nice hedge against a bet on McIlroy to win the whole tournament.

And yes, McIlroy can win this one. He's playing as well as he has all year, he has momentum and he'll be playing in front of what should be a friendly crowd.

Don't Sleep on Fleetwood

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Tommy Fleetwood

Tommy Fleetwood hasn't won yet this year and has been a bit on the inconsistent side. He's missed the cut in two of his last five outings but also earned a top-five finish in each of the other three—he finished second to Nick Taylor in the RBC Canadian Open via a playoff.

Fleetwood tends to play well a links courses like Royal Liverpool, and he's also turned in some strong performances at the Open Championship. He tied for fourth last year and finished second in 2019.

At last weekend's Scottish Open, Fleetwood was in contention until a poor final round dropped him into a sixth-place tie. Fans should expect him to again be in the mix during the final round.

That's reason enough to feel comfortable with Fleetwood at +260 odds for a top-10 finish or +550 for a top-five finish. Picking him to win feels a little riskier, but at 25-1, he's still worth a pre-tournament play.

Get in on Collin Morikawa's Early Odds

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Collin Morikawa

Like Fleetwood, Morikawa hasn't won yet this year and has been a bit up-and-down in recent events. However, his early odds of 35-1 to win are too good to bypass.

Morikawa is coming off a playoff loss to Rickie Fowler at the Rocket Mortgage Classic that left him in a tie for second place. While he certainly would have preferred to win, he should gain a little confidence from his third top-three finish of 2023.

"It just comes down to believing in yourself, really," Morikwa told reporters of his approach to majors. "That's how you get to the top of the level, that's how you get to where you want to be."

Where Morikawa wants to be is where he was two years ago, when he won the Open Championship at Royal St. George's. While he missed the cut at last year's Open Championship, he has finished inside the top 30 at all three of this year's majors.

Morikawa knows how to win an event like this one, and he's an enticing pre-tournament pick at the current odds.

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