The Open Championship: Prediction, Tips and Odds

The Open Championship is the final Major of the season and the world's greatest golfers have gathered in Scotland looking to win the famous Claret Jug.

Racing Post's Steve Palmer has picked out his five best bets for the showpiece occasion at Royal Troon.

Steve Palmer's Open Championship betting tips and predictions

Xander Schauffele - 12/1

Xander Schauffele started the year making swing changes with his new coach Chris Como - and it took time for the work to bear fruit - but from spring onwards the X-Man has been in sensational nick and he looks ready for Open Championship glory.

Schauffele nearly won the Players Championship in March, losing by a shot, then finished runner-up again in the Wells Fargo Championship.

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy were the players who denied Schauffele at Sawgrass and Quail Hollow respectively, but he got his revenge in the US PGA Championship to become a Major champion.

Schauffele has been ultra-consistent since, finishing seventh in the US Open and looking weakness-free, and the 2022 Scottish Open champion can showcase his love for links golf at Royal Troon this week.

Tommy Fleetwood - 20/1

Last Sunday, Tommy Fleetwood was cheering on the England football team and left disappointed by their defeat to Spain, but this Sunday could be a much more satisfying one for the Southport man.

Fleetwood relishes the Open assignment, finishing runner-up in the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush, and this links natural will be licking his lips at the challenge in front of him at Troon.

He came second in the 2018 US Open and has grown in self-belief since then, playing leading roles in successful Ryder Cup teams.

Fleetwood has also got his faithful caddie back alongside him - Ian Finnis returned from heart surgery in last week's Scottish Open.

Shane Lowry - 35/1

Shane Lowry produced the performance of his career to win the Open in 2019 and the Irishman has always been one of the best links golfers on the planet. He won the 2009 Irish Open at County Louth when he was still an amateur.

Lowry was practising at links venues in Ireland last week, honing his technique for Open combat, and he should prove a leading Claret Jug contender given the form he has shown this season.

He finished third in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and sixth in the US PGA, as well as winning the Zurich Classic pairs event alongside Rory McIlroy.

1st Round Leader - Alex Noren - 70/1

First-round-leader punters should consider Alex Noren, who has an ideal launchpad from which to make early inroads. The Swede tees off at the crack of dawn on Thursday morning when conditions should be soft and calm.

He closed with a 65 for 10th place in the Scottish Open on Sunday and is an excellent links golfer who may have peaked at just the right time for Royal Troon.

Top Japanese golfer - Hideki Matsuyama - 21/20

Punters looking for a solid favourite may want to consider Hideki Matsuyama to finish the Open as the top Japanese player.

Matsuyama closed with a 62 to win the Genesis Invitational by three shots in February and he has been magnificent at times this season.

The 32-year-old is vastly experienced, competing in his 10th Open this week, and he seems by far the most likely Japanese title contender.

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Open Championship odds

Scottie Scheffler - 5/1
Rory McIlroy - 15/2
Xander Schauffele - 12/1
Ludvig Aberg - 14/1

View the full market and more odds for The Open Championship on site

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.