We correctly selected the winner of the US Open last month and are looking to repeat that success as we pick our The Open predictions for the final major of the year.
After last year’s event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, The Open Championship returns and is being played at Royal St George’s in Kent.
It is a traditional par-70 links course and Shane Lowry starts the week as the defending champion after his victory at Portrush in 2019.
Here are our four selections and their The Open odds, while he have also analysed some of the best bets available in the other markets here:
BROOKS KOEPKA @ 14/1
Jon Rahm is the clear favourite and gave us a 9/1 winner at the US Open but looks too short at 15/2, especially having never finished in the top 10 at The Open. Instead we prefer Koepka, who is second in the outright betting but nearly twice the price of Rahm.
Koepka has made no secret of the fact he finds it much easier to focus in major championships than in regular PGA Tour events, a fact borne out by his four victories and 11 other top-10 finishes since the start of 2014. Three of those top 10s have come in The Open – in 2015, 2017 and 2019 – and he shared the lead after the first round at Birkdale four years ago.
After missing the cut in this year’s Masters, Koepka finished second to Phil Mickelson in the US PGA and fourth in the US Open so should give us a good run for our money.
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN @ 28/1
A runaway winner at St Andrews in 2010, Oosthuizen came close to another victory over the Old Course five years later, losing out in a play-off with eventual champion Zach Johnson and Marc Leishman.
Since then his Open record is nothing special but the South African has finished runner-up in both the US PGA and US Open this year and his play-off loss to Bubba Watson in the 2012 Masters means he has completed the unwanted “runners-up slam” in the majors.
Older players have a good record at The Open and at the age of 38, Oosthuizen’s experience could prove vital.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD @ 40/1
Fleetwood has grown up playing links golf and it almost paid dividends when he was runner-up behind Lowry two years ago.
Having missed the cut at his first three Open Championships, the Lancastrian was tied 27th at Birkdale in 2017 and tied 12th at Carnoustie the following year so has shown he is well suited to this kind of challenge as he matures.
Having been confirmed in Team GB’s Olympic squad, this could be an exciting few weeks for Fleetwood and he looks worth adding to The Open betting tips at 40/1.
LUCAS HERBERT @ 100/1
It’s worth including a long shot in The Open predictions given the history of this tournament and Herbert certainly catches the eye at three figures given his recent form.
The 25-year-old Australian must be full of confidence after victory at the Irish Open earlier this month secured qualification for The Open. That was followed by a tie for fourth at the Scottish Open on Sunday, when he was just one shot away from being involved in the play-off.
He also finished in the top 20 in his two previous events so Herbert is in fine form and although he has only played at The Open once before (T51 in 2018), his links form over the last fortnight suggests he is worth an each-way bet.
Join bwin today and receive up to £20 money back as a FreeBet if your first wager (3+ selections at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater) is a loser! Terms and conditions apply.
