First Look: Betting Favorites, Underdogs, and Darkhorses for the 2021 Open Championship

First Look: Betting Favorites, Underdogs, and Darkhorses for the 2021 Open Championship

Barry Devoe
3 years ago
3 min read
First Look: Betting Favorites, Underdogs, and Darkhorses for the 2021 Open Championship

The 149th playing of the Open Championship begins in less than a week at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England. This will be the 15th Open Championship at Royal St. George’s and the first since 2011.

Last season the Open Championship was canceled due to travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, so 2019 champion Shane Lowry looks to defend his title as the “Champion Golfer of the World.” Darren Clarke, a betting longshot in 2011, is the last Open champion at this golf course.

156-players will tee it up beginning on Thursday in hopes was walking off 18th green on Sunday as the winner of the Claret Jug. The victor also receives just north of $2 million with the win.

*All odds provided by PlayJack.com

Betting Favorites

Jon Rahm (+650)

The 26-year old Spaniard captured his first major victory last month at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Rahm’s best finish at an Open Championship came the last time this tournament was waved in 2019 when he finished T11. He ranks second on Tour in both Stroked Gained: Off-the-Tee and SG: Tee-to-Green.

Dustin Johnson (+1100)

One of the handful of players playing this year that also tee’d it up in 2011. Johnson finished T2 and three behind Clarke after a Sunday push that was upended on an outbounds second shot on the par-5 14th. Johnson was bumped from the #1 spot in the world after a few months of uninspiring play.

Rory McIlroy (+1100)

The 2014 Open champion gave fans a reason to be optimistic when the 32-year old won his 19th PGA Tour event earlier this year at the Wells Fargo Championship. McIlroy has been playing across the pond the last two weeks with a T59 at the Irish Open and a missed cut at the Scottish Open this week.

Brooks Koepka (+1400)

Koepka is a four-time major champion still searching for his first victory at an Open Championship. The 31-year old has three top-10 finishes in six appearances at the tournament. Koepka is rounding into form after an early spring surgery on his knee with a T2 at the PGA Championship and T4 at the U.S. Open.

Xander Schauffele (+1600)

Schauffele has four PGA Tour victories but no majors to his name yet. The 27-year old has played in three Open Championships, making all three cuts with a high finish of T2 in 2018. Schauffele posted a T11 at the Memorial, followed that up with a T7 at the U.S. Open. 

Betting Underdogs

Lee Westwood (+4000)

Westwood has tapped into the Fountain of Youth this season with a pair of back-to-back second-place finished on the PGA Tour back in March. The 48-year old added a 13th at the U.S. Open last month, currently T8 at the Scottish Open heading into the final round.

Matthew Fitzpatrick (+5000)

The 3rd ranked player in the world has five top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, with a solo fourth at the RBC Heritage has his best. Fitzpatrick is back playing on the European Tour this week and heads into Sunday with a share of the lead at the Scottish Open.

Betting Darkhorses 

Kevin Kisner (+8000)

Kisner has three top-ten finishes this season, with a pair of those happening in his last two starts. The 37-year old has had success in the Open Championship, capturing a T2 in 2018.

Jason Kokrak (+12500)

Kokrak is a two-time winner of the PGA Tour this season and playing in his third Open Championship in 2021. The 36-year old has five top-10s in total and has cashed in on 18 of 21 events.

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