British Open Odds 2015: Predictions for Top Favorites Heading into St Andrews

The British Open at St. Andrews was setting up as a classic duel between the No. 1 golfer in the world in Rory McIlroy and the No. 2 golfer in Jordan Spieth.

McIlroy was the defending champion, while Spieth had remarkably won the Masters and the U.S. Open, becoming the first golfer to accomplish that feat since Tiger Woods did it in 2002.

However, those plans went awry when McIlroy ruptured an ankle ligament playing recreational soccer with his friends earlier this month.

That means most of the focus at St. Andrews will be on Spieth. He is the clear-cut betting favorite at odds of 9-2, according to Odds Shark.

However, he will get several challenges from big names and lesser-known golfers throughout the 72-hole battle for the Claret Jug. In this piece we look at the top six betting favorites and offer predictions on how they will perform in the British Open.

Jordan Spieth (9-2)—In many ways, competing at the British Open might have been easier for Spieth if McIlroy had been present and on top of his game. McIlroy would have drawn at least as much attention from the press as Spieth and perhaps more. With McIlroy sidelined, the spotlight on Spieth may be unbearably bright.

Spieth has not been bothered by pressure to this point, but now he is trying to win a third consecutive major since the start of the calendar year. That would be an historically great achievement that would allow him to walk with the game's all-time greats. Does Spieth really belong with Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods? He will have to prove it.

Spieth has won more than $8.7 million on the tour this year while earning four victories, three second-place finishes and one third. He is averaging 68.826 strokes per round, and that's the best of any golfer on the PGA tour.

Spieth will be ready for this fight, but it's difficult to see him putting four championship-level rounds together. He will get off to a good start, but he will fade over the final 36 holes.

Prediction: Spieth will finish no better than 10th in the British Open.

Golfer	Odds
Jordan Spieth	9-2
Dustin Johnson	11-1
Rickie Fowler	16-1
Justin Rose	18-1
Adam Scott	20-1
Henrik Stenson	20-1
Louis Oosthuizen	22-1
Tiger Woods	25-1
Jason Day	28-1
Bubba Watson	33-1
Hideki Matsuyama	33-1
Phil Mickelson	33-1
Sergio Garcia	33-1
Paul Casey	33-1

Dustin Johnson (11-1)—Johnson would like nothing more than to play championship-caliber golf at the British Open after his heartbreaking finish in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.

Johnson certainly has the physical tools to compete with the best golfers in the world and use his overpowering distance to gain an edge on the field. Johnson is fourth on the FedEx Cup points list and fourth in the World Golf Rankings.

He is averaging 319.0 yards every time he drives the ball, and that's the best of any golfer on the tour. Johnson also ranks ninth in strokes gained tee to green.

Look for Johnson to come up with another eye-catching performance in the British Open.

Prediction: Johnson will find himself in the top five on the final day, but he won't do any better than third in the British Open.

Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

Rickie Fowler (16-1)—Fowler is having an excellent year; he has climbed to fifth in the World Golf Rankings and won the Players Championship earlier this year and the Scottish Open last week.

Fowler had a miserable performance at the U.S. Open when he missed the cut at Chambers Bay, but the victory at the Scottish Open should remove that bad taste from his mouth.

Fowler does not have a lot of standout stats based on his play this year. He ranks 46th in driving distance, 89th in driving accuracy and 162nd in reaching greens in regulation.

However, he has earned more than $2.8 million, and he also has momentum. Fowler will have three excellent rounds at the British Open, but he will make a series of mistakes in the fourth round and that will keep him from winning this major.

Prediction: Fowler finishes between eighth and 10th in the British Open.

Justin Rose (18-1)—Rose calls England his home, and it's clear the British Open is important to him. Scotland's St. Andrews is a special course for any of the top professionals with a sense of the game's history, and there's no overstating its importance to European golfers.

Rose has a substantial game and has earned more than $3 million already this season while accumulating one victory and two second-place finishes on the PGA Tour.

Rose is averaging 4.47 birdies per round this year, and that ranks third. He is also averaging 299.2 yards off the tee, a respectable mark that ranks 25th on the tour. 

Prediction: Rose will play quite well at St. Andrews, but he will end up with a second-place finish.

Peter Morrison/Associated Press

Adam Scott (20-1)—Try to find a player with a better swing than Adam Scott. That's a task that's just about impossible.

When Scott is on his game, he will hit it nearly as far (averaging 309. 2 yards off the tee) as Johnson, and he also has superb accuracy. Scott is a former Masters winner who knows what it takes to come up with the victory in a major. He is the 11th-ranked golfer in the world, but few can play with him when he is on his game.

We expect Scott to be at his best at St. Andrews. He is hitting 71.68 percent of his greens in regulation, and he may better that here. 

Scott may have a moment or two where he loses his game, but he is a strong player who has the mental game to overcome a few bogeys.

Prediction: Scott is solid for the first three rounds and in contention. He puts it altogether for a brilliant round on Sunday and wins the championship.

Henrik Stenson (20-1)—Stenson is usually a formidable player in the biggest tournaments, and his iron play often allows him to get near the leaders.

Stenson is the seventh-ranked player in the world golf rankings who averages an impressive 69.871 strokes per round. Stenson is hitting 73.26 percent of his greens in regulation, the best of all golfers on the tour.

Prediction: Stenson will rise to the occasion and play with the leaders. He finishes fourth in the tournament.