2022 Open Championship Odds

Woods won two of his three Open titles (2000, 2005) at the Old Course, but winning No. 3 on the legendary track seems like a tall order for the ailing 46-year-old. Woods hasn't played in the event since 2019 and had to withdraw from this year's PGA Championship, and placed 47th at the Masters -- his worst finish at Augusta for any full tournament he completed. For those looking for a nostalgia bet, Woods is a nice option, but keep reality in mind.

When it comes to value picks, Fleetwood seems like a nice play. Sure, the 31-year-old Merseysider is still searching for his first major championship victory, but he's fared relatively well at the Open in recent years. He tied for 12th in 2018 and was second in 2019 at Royal Portrush one year later. Fleetwood tied for 33rd at last year's tournament, but he's still at his competitive best on a links-style course. So, getting Fleetwood at this spot is quite enticing.

Burns has already won twice in 2022, at the Valspar Championship in March and the Charles Schwab Challenge in late May. As of July 3, Burns also ranks among the top 10 golfers worldwide and has made more than $6.6 million on the PGA Tour this season. So, has a lot going for him at the moment. Now, Burns just needs to show he can seriously compete in a major environment. In nine career major starts, Burns' best finish is a tie for 20th at this year's PGA Championship.

Sportsbooks continue to love the Englishman, a top-30 player in the world, but one who hasn't finished in the top 10 at a major since his T6 at the 2019 Open Championship. That was the second time he placed inside the top 10 at the Open, but Hatton missed the cut at the 2020 event. It also didn't help that Hatton missed the cut at the recent Irish Open. Still, he remains a stout international competitor who should not be dismissed on the Old Course.

Defectors to LIV Golf who are exempt from competing at this year's Open Championship will be allowed to play, The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews stated last month. That means Koepka, part of the LIV Golf family, is good to go. Now, whether he'll be competitive remains to be seen. Koepka has dealt with various ailments of late, and the four-time major champ missed the cut at the 2022 Masters, tied for 55th at the PGA Championship, and finished 55th at last month's U.S. Open. Then again, Koepka has placed inside the top 10 in four of his last five Open Championship starts.

Matsuyama tied for sixth in his Open Championship debut in 2013 at Muirfield. Since then, however, the 2021 Masters champ has never finished better than a tie for 14th at the tournament. That includes missed cuts in his last two starts there (2018, '19). While that history might not make Matsuyama a strong play on the Old Course, he did just finish fourth at the U.S. Open last month and is usually someone to watch when it comes to major events.

Maybe there's too much pressure piled on Hovland too quickly -- when it comes to winning major championships. That's just an opinion. Hovland, who will turn 25 in September, already has six professional victories under his belt, but the rush to call him a major champion seems to be speeding up. It's bound to happen, but when compared to some of his same-age peers, Hovland is on the clock. He finished T12 at his first Open Championship last year, so that's a solid building block. Then again, his best 2022 major finish is a T27 at the Masters.

Credit to bookmakers for not overrating Cantlay's Open Championship value. The reigning PGA Tour Player of the Year and FedEx champion has accomplished much for a 30-year-old. Now, the focus has shifted to Cantlay finally achieving the ultimate success at a major. He's usually a sexy pick while among the betting favorites come major time, but he's only placed inside the top 10 twice in 22 such events -- and both came in 2019. His best Open Championship finish was a tie for 12th in 2018.

Another great value pick for the Open Championship. Zalatoris continues to be a popular option when it comes to major tournament favorites. Sure, he has yet to win an event on the PGA Tour, but Zalatoris has six top-10 finishes in nine major starts. That includes this season, when he finished in a tie for sixth at the Masters and posted a pair of seconds at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, respectively. He might still be kicking himself for how things ended at Brookline last month. Regarding the Open Championship, Zalatoris withdrew from his only start in 2021.

Another defector to the LIV Golf lifestyle, Johnson, is eligible to compete on the Old Course, but is he in a position to seriously challenge for a third major victory? Though, we do like these odds. While DJ tied for eighth at the Open Championship in 2021 and led after 54 holes on the Old Course in 2015, we're not sure if the consistency is there. While we don't think Johnson will completely tank at St Andrews, his T12 at the Masters, PGA Championship missed cut, and T24 U.S. Open suggests he could have a presence here, but not much more.

Another golfer with some enticing odds. Like Zalatoris, Smith is a popular pick for winning that first major championship. And, rightfully so, with wins at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and The PLAYERS in 2022. Smith has also fared relatively well on the '22 major schedule, tying for third at the Masters and finishing T13 at the PGA Championship before he missed the cut at the U.S. Open. Whether the latter is more symbolic of what to expect at St. Andrews remains to be seen. Still, we're eager to see how Smith handles things on the Old Course.

For the sake of being redundant, consider Lowry in the group with likable Open Championship odds. The Irishman and 2019 Open Championship winner should be considered a serious contender to raise the Claret Jug for a second time. Another golfer who thrives on a links-style track, Lowry also tied for 12th at last year's Open Championship. That all makes for a confident golfer who understands how to win in this type of environment and should be prepared for anything.

We've been saying this quite a bit recently, but is this finally the moment that Schauffele calls himself a major champion? He's already won twice in 2022 -- teaming with the aforementioned Patrick Cantlay at the Zurich Classic and last month at the Travelers. -- and has made almost $5 million on the PGA Tour this season. He's also regrouped nicely from a missed cut at the Masters by finishing tied for 13th at the PGA Championship and 14th at the U.S. Open. Meanwhile, it was four years ago that Schauffele tied for second at the Open Championship at Carnoustie. So, we know what he can accomplish on these types of courses.

The reigning U.S. Open winner, Fitzpatrick has now taken his game to a new level after taming Brookline last month. The Englishman, who will turn 28 in September, should honestly be taken seriously at St Andrew's. In addition to finally winning a major, Fitzpatrick tied for fifth at the PGA Championship in May, so he would appear to be in the proper frame of mind when it comes to playing at a high level. That said, Fitzpatrick did not finish in the top 10 in any of his previous six Open Championship starts.

We've talked about value picks for the Open Championship, but what about those getting a little too much love from oddsmakers this month? Spieth might fall into the latter category. Yes, he's playing well enough to make his presence felt on the major scene, won the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, tied for fourth when the 2015 installment was held at the Old Course, and placed second last year. But, Spieth missed the cut at the Masters in April, then tied for 34th at the PGA Championship and 37th at the U.S. Open. Considered us somewhat conflicted about his chances.

Let's go back to 2007 and '08, the last time a golfer repeated as Open champion. The honor back then went to Ireland's Padraig Harrington. Morikawa will try to repeat that feat, which obviously won't be easy. However, Morikawa has shown that he's cool and confident beyond his 25 years. Among the top-5 ranked golfers in the world (as of July 3), Morikawa hasn't won since his Open triumph at Royal St George's. But, he placed fifth at this year's Masters and tied for fifth at the U.S. Open. Morikawa has finished inside the top 8 in five of his last six majors.

Thomas won the PGA Championship for the second time earlier this season. That came after he tied for eighth at the Masters in April. Thomas has moments of self-absorbance, but his focus and will to win shouldn't be knocked. Because of that, he's a golfer that we expect to be in consistent major contention. Now, Thomas' best Open Championship finish is a tie for 11th in 2019, but among the favorites on the Old Course, this might be the guy with the best approach to get the job done.

The world's current No. 1, who sits atop the PGA Tour's Official Money List with more than $13 million in earnings, Scheffler is certainly golfs "It" guy. When it comes to the Open Championship, Scheffler is expected to be in the hunt after winning the Masters in April and tying for second at last month's U.S. Open. In fact, he's finished among the top 8 in six of his last eight major starts, including a T8 in his Open Championship debut in 2021. There might not be a more confident golfer on the planet at the moment.

These are solid odds for Rahm, who, like Justin Thomas, we expect to see in contention at some point on the weekend at the Old Course. Like the bookmakers, we still believe Rahm will be in that position even though his best finish at 2022's previous three majors was a tie for 12th at the U.S. Open. Need more proof to back up our point? Rahm's last two Open Championships look like this: T11 in 2019 and that notable tie for third last year at Royal St George's.

It's not surprising that Rory currently sits as the betting favorite for this historic Open Championship. He's the No. 2-ranked golfer in the world and won the Open Championship in 2014 at Royal Liverpool. Aside from the fact that McIlroy has plenty of big-tournament experience and might have the ideal attitude to handle the pressure of those major moments, the four-time major champion also finished second at this year's Masters, eighth at the PGA Championship, and tied for fifth at last month's U.S. Open. On the downside, Rory missed the cut at the Open Championship in 2019 and tied for 46th last year.