British Open Odds 2013: Sleepers with Best Chances at Muirfield

In the last 18 majors, 17 different golfers have taken the top spot. There really is no argument to be had for picking the favorite at the British Open.

This isn't to say that favorite Tiger Woods can't win The Open, just that his 8-1 odds are not worth the betting public's time. There is too much money to be had on a golfer flying under the radar in an age when nearly every player in the field could make a run at the title.

So, here are the three sleepers I see with the chance to make a run and yield a tidy payoff.

All odds according to Bovada on July 14.

 

Brandt Snedeker, 40-1

Brandt Snedeker's collapses at the Masters have been so impressive that his fall from the lead at last year's Open is hard to even remember.

Snedeker earned the 36-hole lead at last year's Open at 10-under with a total of 130 that matched the lowest 36-hole score in British Open history. However, that was only good enough to give him a one-stroke lead over Adam Scott. 

Snedeker wound up tied for third with Tiger Woods at three-under and four shots back of eventual winner Ernie Els.

So, all of this to say that Snedeker has the game to succeed in the British Open, which was unclear heading into last year—he had missed the previous three cuts.

Snedeker was the hottest golfer on the planet to start the year—until he was sidelined with a rib injury. 

He has been a bit inconsistent since his return and his highest finish is a sixth. However, he does have three top-10s in his past seven starts, and his sixth-place finish came at the Masters. 

In his last two starts, Snedeker was 17th at the U.S. Open and eighth at the AT&T National. 

It is only a matter of time until Snedeker wins his first major, and there's a solid chance it will be this year's Open. 

Matt Kuchar, 40-1

Heading into the U.S. Open, Matt Kuchar was a popular pick, and for good reason. He won the Memorial and was second at the Crowne Plaza in his two starts prior to the year's second major. 

He finished 28th at the U.S. Open, hasn't played on the PGA since and now his buzz heading into this event is greatly diminished.

However, he remains an excellent selection. Kuchar had not had a lot of success at the British until last year when he finished tied for ninth, and he's advanced to a point in his career where he can manage his game to succeed at any venue. 

Like Snedeker, it is only a matter of time before Kuchar wins a major. He has become far too consistent a contender in them not to. 

He was eighth at the Masters earlier in the year and his two wins this season have come against top fields. He won the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in February. 

Kuchar did make a European stop at the Alstom Open de France. He finished 49th at seven-over. While that is surely not the form he would have liked, I have confidence this consistent veteran will have his game ready for this major. 

At 40-1, Kuchar is a great play. 

Matteo Manassero, 66-1

I'm not convinced Matteo Manassero is ready to win a major, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me. After all, Manassero specializes in them. He's just 20, but he's won in each of his first four years on the European Tour.

This year his victory came against the deep field at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May.

While no one as young as him has won the Open since Young Tom Morris in 1870, Manassero and his masterful short game can make a run at it. He certainly is not afraid of the spotlight.

In 2009 at Turnberry, he finished as the low amateur and just four shots out of a playoff.

However, he has missed the cut in the first two majors of the year. That certainly leads me to hesitate on picking him here, but Manassero's talent, the fact this tournament is in Europe and his long odds keep drawing me back in.