2022 British Open Betting Preview

Betting analysis for the British Open at St. Andrews. Rory McIlroy is the betting favorite at SI Sportsbook.

In the long history of the British Open, St. Andrews has been the home of 29 events before this season.

Zach Johnson won in 2015 with a score of -15 while holding off Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen in a playoff. The rotation of this tournament and potential swings in weather can lead to a wide range of results in relationship to par.

Over the past five events (canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19), only two top-tier players (Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth) took home titles.

To get a feel for the top 10 players over this span, here’s a look at the results:

Top 10 finishers at the last five British Opens

Here's a look at the previous five winners by their betting odds:

· 2021 – Collin Morikawa (30-1)
· 2019 – Shawn Lowry (80-1)
· 2018 – Francesco Molinari (25-1)
· 2017 – Jordan Spieth (12-1)
· 2016 – Henrik Stenson (25-1)

SI Sportsbook has a complete list of odds for the 2022 Open Championship.

Seth Wenig/AP

Top Contenders: Scottie Scheffler Provides Strong Value

Rory McIlroy (+1000)

McIlroy enters as the early favorite but his play in the Open Championship has been disappointing in his last two tournaments (missed cut and 46th).

His first appearance at the event came in 2010, which happened to be at St. Andrews. McIlroy finished third (-8) but well behind Louis Oosthuizen (-16).

He won his first Open title in 2014, but an ankle injury cost him a chance to defend his title at St. Andrews. McIlroy played at a high level over the following three Open Championships (fifth, fourth and second).

Over his last seven PGA Tour events, starting with the Masters, he has a win (RBC Canadian Open) with five other top 10s. McIlroy shot less than 70 in nine of his past 12 rounds.

I’m sure there has been a circle around this event for years for McIlroy. His lifelong dream would be fulfilled with an Open Championship, something he won’t have another chance at until 2026 if he fails to do so. I’m not too fond of his odds, but McIlroy looks poised to bring him the winning armor in 2022.

Jon Rahm (+1600)

Despite a win at the Mexico Championship in late April and no missed cuts in 2022, Rahm hasn’t been in elite form. He is seven over par over his last 15 rounds, leading to a 48th, 10th, 12th and 53rd (after three days at the Genesis Scottish Open).

Heading into the 2021 Open Championship (third place), Rahm took a month off after winning the US Open. He followed his success with a third, a ninth and a second in the Tour Championship. In his only appearance in this event, Rahm finished 11th in 2019.

Morning Read: Open Championship Bettors’ Roundtable

Jordan Spieth (+16000)

Spieth should be an attractive option based on his success over the previous four years (first, ninth, 20th and second) at the Open Championship.

He just finished tied for 10th with a score of -2 at the Genesis Scottish Open. Spieth earned a win at the RBC Heritage in mid-April after bowing out after two rounds at the Masters. He has a second and a seventh over his previous six completed events.

Spieth finished fourth at St. Andrews in 2015.

Scottie Scheffler (+1800)

After a great start to the year (four wins) over his first eight events, Scheffler has two missed cuts over his previous seven starts while picking up a pair of runner-up finishes (Charles Schwab Challenge and US Open). He posted an eighth-place showing in his first trip to Open Championship last year.

Scheffler has played in nine majors, leading to a win (2022 Masters) and five other top-eight finishes. His only missed cut came this season at the PGA Championship.

Based on his overall game and 2022 resume, Scheffler should be the favorite.

Peter Morrison/AP

Collin Morikawa (+2500)

The defending champion comes in as 10th choice in the early betting at SI Sportsbook due to a dull path since the Masters (fifth).

Over his last seven tournaments, Morikawa has a pair of early exits and underwhelming results in three events (26th, 55th and 40th). He has three disaster rounds (77, 77 and 74) over his last eight tee times, putting him more in the fade category this week.

Will Zalatoris (+2500)

Zalatoris had to withdraw from the 2021 Open Championship following one round (69) after incurring a leg injury on a shot. Over his short career, his play has been impressive in his other six majors (sixth, second, eighth, sixth, second and second).

Since mid-March, he has had three missed cuts (including the Genesis Scottish Open) over eight tournaments. When playing on the weekend, Zalatoris knocked on the door at five events (fifth, sixth, second, fifth and second).

He is a budding star who is on a path to win many PGA tournaments in his career.

Brooks Koepka (+4500)

Over the past four seasons, Koepka has an excellent resume at the Open Championship (sixth, 39th, fourth and sixth).

He has four major wins in his career with nine other top 10s. Unfortunately, his form has been off over his three events (missed cut, 55th and 55th) at the Masters, PGA Championship and US Open. Koepka tapered back his schedule before jumping to the LIV Tour. Based on his current form, he is more of a gamble than an investment.

Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports

Long Shots: Robert MacIntyre Offers Potential

Tony Finau (+5000)

Finau’s has been on the rise over the past two-plus months (second, fourth and second) over seven events.

In his last event June 23, he finished 13th with four rounds under 70. His resume has been on the rise over the previous five British Opens (18th, 27th, ninth, third and 15th).

Robert MacIntyre (+7000)

In his two trips to the Open Championship, MacIntyre finished sixth and eighth.

I expected him to play well at the Genesis Scottish Open (missed cut) after a solid finish in the Irish Open (13th) the previous week. Unfortunately, this year on the PGA Tour he has been unable to push his way to the upper echelon of players over five tournaments (15th, 35th, 35th, 23rd and 77th).

His home-field advantage (from Scotland) helps his chances at St. Andrews.

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