2021 British Open Championship Betting Guide
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The 2021 British Open Championship is set to take place from July 15-18, and it’s the final major tournament of an unprecedented six majors in the 2020-21 season. For the first time since 2011, the Open Championship will take place at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, Kent, England. Royal St. George’s has classic par 70 links and will present golfers with an interesting set of challenges. Shane Lowry will be looking to defend his 2019 Open Championship victory, the first of his career. The winner of this tournament will be awarded over $2 million in prize money, the largest in British Open history.
How to Watch the British Open Championship on TV
The Open Championship will be broadcasted on NBC and Golf Channel as it’s the fourth event in a series of a 12-year media rights deal. The first two rounds of the Championship are on the Golf Channel, while the Saturday and Sunday action will be on NBC. Peacock will manage some of the streaming of the event, as well as TheOpen.com.
How to Bet on the British Open Championship
As with many PGA major tournaments, the British Open Championship is often won by dark horse players. When Shane Lowry won in 2019, he was about a 66/1 underdog. The favorite in this tournament has not won since 2007, and the second-favorite has only won once all-time. The average odds for the British Open winner since 2011 is around +6000. With that in mind, the best strategy is to mix up your payroll on some longshot guys who you believe in rather than sinking in a large sum on one of the favorites.
What about course conditions? Understanding how golfers’ games translate to the specific course can be critical to finding betting value. Royal St. George’s is a par 70, measuring 7,204 yards, making it the shortest course in a major tournament this season. Approach play is crucial with complicated greens and deep sideline bunkers; a misfire on approach can be catastrophic. Controlling ball flight and trajectory will also be critical, especially with the expectation for wind conditions. Low ball hitters who get more rollout are favored in this course, as moderate hitters have less variation.
Favorites Worth Betting
Jon Rahm +800: Rahm is on top of the world right now after winning the US Open. The 26-year-old Spanish golfer is currently ranked #1 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and has made the cut in three of his last four appearances at the British Open. His top finish was just a T-11 finish in 2019, but if you’re looking to stay in the flames with the hottest golfer in the world, I can’t say I blame you.
Brooks Koepka +1850: Consistently one of the best golfers globally, Brooks Koepka has endured a bit of a disappointing 2020-21 season as he’s down to #8 in the OWGR. He has, however, finished inside the top ten in three of his last five appearances at the British Open. He’s a great pivot from Rahm if you’re looking to bet on one of the favorites as one of the most consistent golfers in the world.
Louis Oosthuizen +2800: A former British Open winner and runner-up, Oosthuizen has a proven track record in this event. He is in the midst of some of the best golf of his career, with two runner-up finishes in four starts in May and June. Oosthuizen is balanced and even-keeled, and he has the type of persona that should fare well in this unpredictable, frustration-fueled course.
Matthew Fitzpatrick +3000: There may not be a more improved golfer over the 2020-2021 season than Matthew Fitzpatrick has. He’s elevated himself into the top 25 in OWGR. He has a very strong stats profile as of late with great short hitting, highly accurate driving, and consistent putting, all of which bode well for this course. Not to mention, the 26-year-old Englishman has the added motivation of playing on home turf.
Colin Morikawa +3500: Morikawa is making his British Open debut this week, but I have every bit of confidence in the 24-year-old American to perform well. He’s been dominant with seven top-ten finishes in 18 events this season, including a victory in the 2020 PGA Championship. He’s the best irons player globally and the best approach play golfer in the tournament, both of which are critical for this course.
Dark Horses
Sergio Garcia +5000: With ten top-10 finishes in 22 starts at Royal St. George’s, Garcia is highly proven on this course. That track record includes two runner-up appearances. Garcia fares very well in links golf and can still finish with his short game at 41 years old. The Spanish golfer isn’t representing his country quite to the level of Jon Rahm right now, but he could become the second Spaniard to win a major tournament this year.
Lee Westwood +5650: Perhaps the best player in the world without a major title, the Englishman will be highly motivated to win his first major on home soil. The last British Open at St. George’s was won by Darren Clarke at age 42, the first major of Clarke’s career. He’d be the third-oldest player ever to win a major behind Julius Boros and Phil Mickelson, but this may be the best chance of Westwood’s career to finally break through with a major championship.
Justin Rose +6000: Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Justin Rose has dropped from #8 to #33 in the OWGR over the course of the 2020-21 season, but he does have three top-ten finishes on the calendar year, including a runner-up performance in the Singapore Open. Rose debuted in the British Open in 1998 and was the runner-up at Carnoustie 2018, but he’s never won the tournament. Rose has a great chance to bounce back here as an experienced British Open golfer.
Harris English +7000: The 31-year-old golfer is in the midst of a phenomenal 2021 run of form as he recently won the Travelers Championship and the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He also finished 3rd in the US Open and has 7 top-ten finishes. He’s now #12 in the OWGR but has the biggest discrepancy between odds and OWGR. That discrepancy is enough for me to ride with English in this contest.
Branden Grace +8000: If you’re looking to roll with a golfer who’s on fire this year, Grace could be your guy. He earned his second career victory earlier this year in the Puerto Rico Open. He has 3 top-10 finishes this season, including finishing 4th in the Memorial Tournament and finishing T7 in the U.S. Open. Grace shot the only round of 62 in men’s major championship history and has always played at his best in the sea breeze.
Withdrawals from the British Open
| Golfer | Reason for Withdrawal | OWGR | Major Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hideki Matsuyama | Tested positive for COVID-19 | 20 | 1 |
| Sungjae Im | Focusing on Olympics | 27 | 0 |
| Kevin Na | Travel restrictions | 36 | 0 |
| Matthew Wolf | No explanation given | 37 | 0 |
| Si Woo Kim | Focusing on Olympics | 52 | 0 |
| Bubba Watson | COVID-19 exposure | 54 | 2 |
| K.H. Lee | Focusing on Olympics | 72 | 0 |
| Zach Johnson | Tested positive for COVID-19 | 123 | 2 |
| Ryan Moore | Injury | 162 | 0 |
| Danny Lee | Injury | 212 | 0 |
| Louis de Jager | Tested positive for COVID-19 | 389 | 0 |
| David Duval | No explanation given | 1,901 | 1 |
British Open FAQ
Sportsbook State FAQ
Who qualifies for the British Open Championship?
The British Open Championship is made up of a 156-player field. 65% of the field comes from exemptions based on 28 categories such as former champions and OWGR status. Another 46 spots come from the Open Qualifying Series, and the final spots are awarded to those who advance from Final Qualifying in the United Kingdom.
Where is the British Open this year?
For the first time since 2011, the British Open Championship will take place at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent, England. Royal St. George’s is a classic par 70 links course that hosted the British Open on 14 previous occasions.
Where can I watch the British Open on TV?
You can watch the 2021 British Open on NBC and the Golf Channel on any cable TV provider. The first two rounds are on the Golf Channel, while the weekend will be on NBC. Online streaming is available on Peacock and TheOpen.com.
What is the prize money?
The total purse for the 2021 British Open Championship is $10,750,000. For the first time ever, the first-place prize is expected to exceed $2 million. Gary Woodland won $2.25 million with his victory at Pebble Beach, and the first-place prize in the Open could exceed that number.
Who is the current British Open champion?
In 2019, Shane Lowry won the 148th British Open at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland with a score of 269. Lowry will take the course this year to defend his title and is currently listed at around +4550 to win.
