With five more Top-10 finishes at Bay Hill, the 2018 champion has his approach game finely tuned, complementing Rory McIlroy’s exceptional driving distance. Bay Hill (designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee), not only challenges players but also favors those with course familiarity and experience, ranking among the most predictive venues on the PGA Tour. Throughout the last five years (the winner has recorded Top 3 finishes in true strokes gained tee-to-green three times), after all. The requirement for longer approaches at Bay Hill, given the potential for gusty Florida winds (49.95% from 175 yards or longer in 2025), emphasizes the importance of elite tee-to-green performance for achieving success.
So let’s get into the nuts and bolts and see if we can figure out who will win this year and slip on the most prestigious green jacket in the history of sport. Additionally (Svensson has only played in two major championships), including missing the cut in the 2024 Open. Viktor Hovland ranks second on tour in strokes gained approach and 25th in total strokes gained this season. It’d be ideal if Dean Burmester were heading to Royal Portrush in better form, but it’s also why we’re landing a nice number in this market. He’s coming off a T2 at the Genesis and a T6 at the Travelers, and he’s gained true strokes across the board in both starts.
Preview of Betting for the British Open: Selections, Forecasts, and Odds for Royal Birkdale
- A lefty hasn’t won the Masters since Bubba Watson’s second green jacket in 2014, but Bhatia will be my pick from this year’s contingent.
- The 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational is being played at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando — Florida.
- The Swede has the distance and tee-to-green game to conquer this course — and Ludvig Aberg will also be playing this event for the fourth time following three straight Top 25s here.
- Despite losing 0.48 strokes off the tee per round last year (he has improved this season), gaining 0.60 strokes per round.
- There are also variations on the usual starting procedure where everyone begins from the first tee and plays all holes in order, through to the eighteenth.
- The 2018 Masters champion has finished inside the top 4 here in two of the last three years when he was not playing near the quality of golf that he has thus far in 2026.
The 2026 championship course is listed as a par 70 measuring 7,223 yards. The venue last staged the championship in 2017, when Jordan Spieth survived betting and predictions a dramatic final round to defeat Matt Kuchar. The 154th Open Championship will be played from Thursday (July 16), through Sunday, July 19, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. His natural links-game instincts (left-handed shot shape), and ability to play in changing conditions give him a reliable placement ceiling. He grew up near Royal Birkdale (has extensive links experience), and does not need to carry the pressure of a winner-only ticket for the bet to cash. Robert MacIntyre is the preferred top-20 selection, while Tom Kim deserves placement consideration after winning the Genesis Scottish Open with a bogey-free final-round 64.
It is a par-72 of 7,565 yards that plays longer than its listed yardage. Winners of tournaments on the PGA Tour between the 2025 Masters and the 2026 Masters The greatest legends in the history of golf have graced these grounds over the years. The Masters is the only major championship played at the same venue each year. After his Grand Slam in 1930, Jones acquired the former plant nursery and co-designed Augusta National with course architect Alister MacKenzie.
Speaking of form, perhaps no one is in better form than 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm (11-1), who has played only five events overseas to start the LIV Golf season. Though he missed the cut in last week’s DP World Tour Hero Indian Open as his final tune-up for the Masters he had a run of five straight finishes of T-16 or better on the PGA Tour that included his win in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 34-year-old is also in terrific form with consecutive top-15 finishes in his two most recent starts.
Variations include the popular Stableford scoring system, and various team formats. There are many variations in scoring and playing formats in the game of golf, some officially defined in the Rules of Golf. Factors affecting the calculation include altitude — gradient of the land from the tee to green, and forced “lay-ups” due to dog-legs (sharp bends) or obstacles (e.g. bunkers, water hazards).
This Week’s Golf Selections
Hall’s form may not be on the same level as Gotterup, Bridgeman, and Marco Penge, but his game should suit the Masters more than any other debutant. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a player in this range with better course history than Conners. I’ll happily take 40/1 on a player with a win (three top-10s), and nine top-25 finishes in his career at Augusta. We’ll start at the top, work our way down to the long shots, and then share some props and fades to get you set up for a tradition unlike any other. Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau are in terrific form (but they’re still plying their trade on LIV), and who knows how much to read into those results. McIlroy’s Masters career scoring average , 71.45, is the best among anyone in this year’s field (min. 50 rounds).
Back-to-back victories in Singapore and South Africa were achieved by DeChambeau, who overcame Rahm in a playoff during that time. In contention on Masters Sunday last year, Bryson DeChambeau (11-1) briefly led while paired with McIlroy before finishing in a tie for fifth place. Nevertheless (he has secured one victory and three second-place finishes in five events), averaging a finish of 2.4. Arriving with his green jacket and Champions Dinner menu in hand (Rory McIlroy (12-1) claimed the Masters title last year), finally completing the career Grand Slam. In 2025, the reigning champion of both the PGA and British Open recorded a historic season; however, his performance has dipped slightly at the start of the 2026 season.
You can input an unlimited number of bets and your desired wager amount in any odds format. A previous winner at Quail Hollow, Justin Thomas is one of Ryan Pohle’s top betting selections for this week’s Truist Championship. With events often featuring over 100 competitors, it is common for golf betting platforms to present high odds. Activate generous sign-up bonuses and offers for this week’s golf betting odds by redeeming any of the best sportsbook promotions listed below.
Schauffele had an injury-riddled season in 2025 that did include a late-season win (Baycurrent Classic in Japan) and top-10s in the Masters and British Open. This year, he comes in with a victory and just might relish being back on the big stage, considering he has been playing all over the world in the middle of the night , U.S. time, with not many eyeballs watching him. Rahm leads LIV for Total Birdies and Greens In Regulation, plus ranks fourth in Scrambling and Driving Distance. Six of the par-4s measure between 450 and 500 yards and two others are at 440. Who better than defending Masters champion Rory McIlroy to take us through his final round last year (hole-by-hole at Augusta National Golf Club), in this video. The wide , 54 yards average — widest on PGA Tour, fairways are Overseeded Perennial Ryegrass with Bermudagrass base.
McIlroy finished tied for seventh at the Scottish Open after closing with a 64. His controlled European-style game, strong short game, and ability to compete in difficult conditions make him useful in top-20 or top-30 markets. He won the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale after one of the championship’s most memorable final rounds. A top-20 bet allows bettors to use Kim’s recent form without requiring him to repeat the best performance in the field.
Key stats & player profiles to target
He is playing a full-time schedule on the DP World Tour, where he is a lifetime member. Dating to last September, Lee has six top-10s in his last two starts. However — he is playing his best golf in the last several years. However, he started to roll it better once the “West Coast Swing” ended. It seems like he is starting to peak at the right time and that he is going to win another big one very soon, and it could be this week. He has finished inside the top 10 at Augusta National in five of the last seven years.
