Open Championship 2026 Betting Preview & Odds

The fourth and final major of the PGA Tour season takes place this week in Southport, England at the 2026 Open Championship. A full field of 156 golfers will compete for the iconic Claret Jug and a prize purse upwards of $20 million. Scottie Scheffler opened as the golf betting favorite to repeat as The Open champion.

Scheffler had plenty of rest after uncharacteristically missing the cut at the Scottish Open, his first MC in four years. He’s followed closely on the outright odds board by Rory McIlroy. The last time The Open was held at Royal Birkdale was in 2017 when Jordan Spieth finished three swings better than Matt Kuchar.

What Is the Open Championship and Why Does It Matter?

Also known as the British Open, The Open Championship is the oldest and one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world. It also serves as the fourth and final major championship of the golf season. As the oldest golf tournament, The Open represents the historical foundation of the sport.

The History Behind Golf’s Oldest Major

• The history of The Open Championship can be traced to October 17, 1860 in Scotland.
• The tournament was created to fill a void at the top of the sport and crown a world champion.
• At the time Allan Robertson was considered the best golfer alive and after his passing there was no system in place to determine his successor.
• Prominent members of Prestwick Golf Club organized the tournament to find the next “Champion Golfer of the Year.”

How the Open Championship Differs From Other Majors

• The main difference between The Open and other majors is that the tournament is the only major played outside the United States.
• Additionally, The Open is hosted exclusively on classic coastal links courses in the United Kingdom.
• As the final major of the golf season The Open represents the final chance for golfers to capture a major championship title.

Why Bettors Pay Special Attention to Links Golf

• Links golf is the most unpredictable, weather-dependent form of tournament golf allowing bettors to exploit market inefficiencies.
• With golf odds based primarily on American-style metrics, some players are often mispriced when heading across the pond.
• Bettors should target players with a strong history on links courses.

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When and Where Is the 2026 Open Championship?

The 2026 Open Championship is scheduled to be played over four days from Thursday, July 16 to Sunday, July 19 at the historic Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. The Open is always played on a coastal links course and rotates annually between 10 active courses that are currently part of the rotation. Links golf has been described as the “purest” form of golf, maintaining its roots from when the game originated in Scotland.

2026 Open Championship Dates and Tournament Schedule

• With 10 courses active in the rotation it could be difficult at times to know where The Open Championship is being held.
• The 2026 edition returns to England and Royal Birkdale to be contested over four days starting on Thursday, July 16.
• The last of the 156-player field will be decided with last-chance qualifying rounds on July 13.
• July 14 and July 15 are designated player practice rounds with media availability before the tournament begins on July 16.

Royal Birkdale Course Breakdown for Bettors

• Royal Birkdale is a grueling 7,223-yard, par-70 layout that has relatively flat fairways that are surrounded by towering sand dunes and penal native rough.
• The course has changed entirely since the last Open Championship held here in 2017 making historical data misleading.
• Key betting stats to target include strokes gained: off the tee, scrambling and bogey avoidance. Those differ from marquee events held in the States.

Previous Open Championships Held at Royal Birkdale

• This will be the 11th Open Championship played at Royal Birkdale and the first since 2017 when Jordan Spieth cleared the field by three shots.
• In 2008 Padraig Harrington won at Royal Birkdale for his second straight Open Championship title finishing at 3-over par.
• In 1998 Mark O’Meara beat Brian Watts in a playoff after both finished 72 holes at even-par 280.

What Makes the Open Championship Unpredictable?

The biggest factor leading to the unpredictability of The Open is the weather. Coastal links courses are exposed to volatile winds and weather patterns that can change suddenly. While the elements are a great defense for the course, the undulating links, fairways, deep bunkers and penal rough also add to the chaos. Players are forced to adapt to the elements and get creative in their shot-making.

Weather Changes and Scoring Conditions

• Drastic weather changes on coastal links courses can change how the course plays from one tee time to the next.
• A soft course due to moisture invites low scores while a dry, windy course can lead to spiked numbers.
• Baked fairways become hard making it almost impossible to keep the ball on the fairway.
• Scoring averages typically fall when coastal rains hit the course.

Moving Day and Weekend Pressure

• The pressure mounts unlike any other tournament when The Open hits moving day and the weekend.
• Tournament organizers adjust pin placements over the weekend making putts that were made in early rounds more difficult.
• With the leaderboard typically tight entering the weekend, the pressure of maintaining or chasing the lead can cause a late-round collapse.

Why the Leaderboard Can Change Quickly

• Links layouts are prone to producing big numbers where a missed hit can lead to a double-bogey or worse completely flipping the leaderboard.
• Wildly shifting weather patterns are another reason why the leaderboard can shift in a matter of a few holes.
• At links courses like Royal Birkdale, the penalties are instant and absolute.

Open Championship Odds and Betting Outlook

Backing favorite Scottie Scheffler isn’t a bad move. He is the No. 1 ranked player in the world and showed with his win last year that he can successfully navigate a links course. The Open Championship odds have tightened, though, with Rory McIlroy close behind. McIlroy excels in windy conditions and boasts a history of success on links courses.

There are several other players who have a strong history on links courses. The best golfer without a major championship, Tommy Fleetwood possesses an elite short game and the ability to hit low “stingers” that sail under the wind. He’s also in good form with five straight top 15 finishes.

Early Favorites Entering the Championship

• Scottie Scheffler +700
• Rory McIlroy +850
• Tommy Fleetwood+1600
• Matt Fitzpatrick+1600
• Jon Rahm+2200

Contenders, Dark Horses, and Potential Value

• Outside the usual suspects, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm fall into the contenders category due to their clinical short games.
• Fresh off his win at the Scottish Open Tom Kim is riding a wave of momentum. Ludvig Aberg is also a dark horse candidate with advanced metrics placing him among the top 5.
• With inflated value after missing the Scottish Open cut, Xander Schauffele is a strong mid-tier betting option.

Factors That Could Influence the Market

• With links courses exposed to the elements a sudden shift in weather can instantly destroy a favorite’s chances or give a longshot a huge advantage.
• Fan-favorites get a higher betting volume regardless of how they’re playing, forcing sportsbooks to shorten their odds while also creating better value for lesser-known golfers.

Popular Open Championship Betting Markets

• Predicting the outright winner is the most popular Open Championship wager. Golf’s showcase events, though, offer a big selection of alternative betting options due to the size of the field and scope of the tournament.
• Picking one winner from a full field is tough, which is why finish markets have become increasingly popular. The odds of winning increase, however the payout is smaller when backing a player in the top 5, top 10 or top 20.
• Matchups, groupings and nationality markets are also popular betting options with a diverse field of players.
• Prop markets explode for major championships with an expanded menu that includes the popular hole-in-one wager.

Open Championship Venues Through the Years

Open Championship venues have changed over the years with a current rotation that includes 10 iconic links-style courses in the UK. The tournament has always been held on a coastal links course in Scotland, England or Northern Ireland. A total of 14 courses have hosted The Open with four having since been retired.

Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland is the original venue and hosted 24 Open Championships, including the first 12. The course was retired following the 1925 tournament replaced by Carnoustie Golf Links as the third Scottish Course. Referred to as the “home of golf” the Old Course at St. Andrews has hosted a record 30 Open Championships.

The Courses in the Open Rotation

• Five courses in Scotland are currently part of the rotation, though Turnberry has been blackballed. Tournament organizers have refused to put the course in the rotation due to animosity over owner Donald Trump.
• St. Andrews, Muirfield, Royal Troon and Carnoustie are the other Scotland-based venues.
• Royal St. George’s, Royal Liverpool, Royal Lytham & St. Annes and Royal Birkdale are part of the English rotation.
• Royal Portrush was added back to the rotation in 2019 after troubles in Northern Ireland diminished.

What Makes Certain Venues More Challenging for Bettors

• Certain Open Championship venues pose more of a design challenge for bettors than others due to the unique layout of the property.
• Courses in the rotation alternate between straightforward tests and highly erratic local designs that shift statistics and betting models.

How Royal Birkdale Compares to Other Open Championship Venues

• Royal Birkdale stands out from other Open Championship venues because it’s widely considered the fairest, least “quirky” layout in the current rotation.
• Birkdale offers a completely visible, predictable challenge unlike St. Andrews and Royal Troon that are defined by blind spots.
• The greens at Birkdale are flatter than most other venues and less unpredictable.