British Open Odds 2015: Favorites to Win the Claret Jug
It's the very nature of the British Open.
Anyone can win.
In fact, for every dominant Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods walkover through the years, there's been an unheralded contender who's hung in for the full 72 holes (or more)—resulting in breakthroughs by the one-week-wonder likes of Ben Curtis (2003), Paul Lawrie (1999) and Bill Rogers (1981).
The 2015 event at St. Andrews features a deep and talented pool of players that could produce a champion from almost anywhere. Not surprisingly, the pre-tournament odds reflect precisely that.
Powered by wins at the Masters and the U.S. Open—and the injury-prompted absence of defending champion Rory McIlroy—American phenom Jordan Spieth is the go-to bettors' choice, but he's by no means a sure thing. In fact, he's followed by a bunched-up field of world-class competitors that'll be collectively tested by weather, course layout and the other intangibles that creep in come major time.
Here's a look at the favorites in the eyes of Odds Shark.
Jordan Spieth (9-2)
1 of 8
The facts are that Dustin Johnson could have won the U.S. Open with a 12-foot eagle putt on the 72nd hole, and he could have forced an 18-hole playoff by making a four-footer for birdie.
But just because Johnson was unable to do either, it doesn't lessen what Spieth accomplished.
The 21-year-old lapped the field at the Masters in April and then reached Chambers Bay with a level of scrutiny unfelt by an American player since another 20-something named Woods broke through at Augusta a generation before. And just like Woods did so many subsequent times while wearing the bull's-eye, all Spieth did was put himself in a position to win—just like a champion is supposed to do.
He tuned himself up for St. Andrews by winning the John Deere Classic for the second time in three years.
"He's at the point in the proceedings where the competitive spirit takes over," CBS analyst Peter Kostis said Sunday. "He knows what he has to do, he just wants the opportunity to do it."
History awaits.
Dustin Johnson (12-1)
2 of 8
Few would believe Dustin Johnson lacks the game to win a major.
But after last month in Washington, the questions will surround his wherewithal to close a deal.
An 18th-green meltdown was the latest in the big hitter's saga of near-miss disappointment, which would seem to make improvement on his tie for 14th at St. Andrews in 2010 unlikely. That said, he was tied for second at the British Open in 2011 and tied for ninth a year later, so it's a track he seems suited to.
One thing seems sure, if he's putting for a win at the 18th on Sunday, he'll have earned a lot of fans.
Justin Rose (16-1)
3 of 8
Justin Rose reached the international stage with a surprising tie for fourth as a precocious 17-year-old at the 1998 British Open, but he's never managed to parlay that early momentum into a victory.
A tie for 12th in 2007 has been his best British finish in 12 subsequent tries, and he missed the cut in 2010 when the tournament was last played at St. Andrews.
He did join the ranks of major winners at the 2013 U.S. Open and was tied for second at this year's Masters, so his name will consistently be mentioned in the "he could win" chatter, whether deserved or not. A full four rounds of British contention this week, though, will be more exception than rule.
Adam Scott (18-1)
4 of 8
Aussie Adam Scott ascended the U.S. Open final-round leaderboard with a bogey-free 64 that earned him a tie for fourth at a tricky Chambers Bay, which could be read as a positive British precursor.
And though the four-bogey finish at Royal Lytham is what people will remember most, the truth is that Scott's late meltdown in 2012 is the lone blemish on a run that's since seen him tie for third in 2013 and tie for fifth last year.
When the tournament was last played at St. Andrews, he was tied for 27th, and given that he's won the Masters and been a constant factor at the British Open since then, he's as good a selection as any this week.
Henrik Stenson (20-1)
5 of 8
Three career top fives at the British Open, not to mention a tie for third at St. Andrews in the 2010 event, make Henrik Stenson one of those perpetual choices for a major championship breakthrough.
He was 27th at the U.S. Open last month after some shoddy putting, but the other elements of his game are as solid as ever, evidenced by a 73.26 percent rate of greens in regulation for the season, according to PGATour.com.
A final-round 65 got him to second at the BMW International Open in his final pre-British appearance, which will make a first major this week something less than a gigantic shock.
Louis Oosthuizen (20-1)
6 of 8
It wasn't that Louis Oosthuizen lacked street cred.
After all, he won the British Open the last time it was played at St. Andrews. But now that McIlroy has exited, thanks to a soccer-induced ankle injury, more people appear to be considering his resume.
According to William Hill US sportsbooks, the South African has received 12 percent of all unique wagers placed on the tournament since McIlroy's announcement that he wouldn't participate—placing him second in the field to only dual-major winner Jordan Spieth (via Robbie Kalland of CBSSports.com).
That said, Oosthuizen had missed the British cut in three appearances before winning in 2010 and has tied for 54th (2011), 19th (2012) and 36th (2014) since.
Tiger Woods (20-1)
7 of 8
At least Tiger Woods has some positive British Open visuals to work with.
The 2000 and 2005 champion at St. Andrews hasn't won a major since Spieth was a young teen, and his world ranking has plunged into the 200s, but if he's able to channel past success on the Old Course, he could still come up with big things this week.
“Every single hole he has a picture of good things happening,” ESPN's Andy North told Jim McCabe of Golf Week. “He has good shots in his mind to fall back on.”
Woods fired his first bogey-free round in almost two years last week at the Greenbrier Classic and has since pronounced himself ready to go in his latest chance at a return to glory.
"I did a lot of work," he told Bob Harig of ESPN.com. "I feel good. Sunday at Greenbrier is probably the best I hit it in two years. That was fun."
If he and Spieth are somehow dueling come Sunday afternoon, the Internet may break.
Rickie Fowler (22-1)
8 of 8
Call it the Phil Mickelson Strategy: win the Scottish Open and then win the British Open.
Lefty turned the competitive double play en route to his fifth career major win at Muirfield in 2013, and Rickie Fowler set himself up for a chance this time around when a birdie on the 72nd hole gave him a win in Aberdeen on Sunday.
He was a top-five finisher in each of the four majors in 2014 and then tied for 12th at the Masters this spring before an ugly first-round 81 led to a missed cut at the U.S. Open. Fowler tied for 14th the last time the British Open was played at St. Andrews, in 2010.
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