2023 British Open odds, favorites: Rory McIlroy easily clear of Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm at Royal Liverpool

cbssports.com

17 July 2023

Plenty has changed in the nine years since Royal Liverpool has hosted The Open Championship; however, the players who are among the betting favorites entering the final major of 2023 have somehow remained the same. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy headlines the betting action this week after claiming his 24th career PGA Tour title at the Scottish Open over Robert MacIntyre on Sunday.

Listed at 9-1 the week following his runner-up finish at the U.S. Open, McIlroy's price has since been nearly cut in half as he sits at 21/4 for his return to Hoylake, the site of his 2014 Open Championship victory. The four-time major champion has created separation from himself and the rest of the field as world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler lurks at 15/2 with Jon Rahm not too far off at 12-1.

Another man who factored at Los Angeles Country Club last month and was a presence at Hoylake in 2014 is Rickie Fowler, the only other player with odds better than 15-1. The recent Rocket Mortgage Classic winner sits alongside Rahm at 12-1 and looks to become the second consecutive first-time major winner following Wyndham Clark's U.S. Open triumph.

Local lad Tommy Fleetwood, Norwegian superstar Viktor Hovland, reigning Champion Golfer of the Year Cameron Smith and five-time major champion Brooks Koepka round out those listed below 20-1.

The favorites

Rory McIlroy: 21/4
Scottie Scheffler: 15/2
Jon Rahm: 12-1
Rickie Fowler: 12-1
Tommy Fleetwood: 15-1
Viktor Hovland: 15-1
Cameron Smith: 15-1
Brooks Koepka: 18-1

Plenty will be made of McIlroy's return, but let's take a moment to appreciate Fowler's position. This is a man who failed to qualify for five of eight major championships between 2020-21, ranked outside the top 100 in the world at the beginning of the season and didn't even earn an invitation to The Masters. He was listed at 100-1 for the PGA Championship, 75-1 for the U.S. Open and 45-1 for this championship the Monday following the U.S. Open. He is now the fourth betting favorite. In 11 Open appearances, the 34-year-old has three top-six finishes including the runner up in 2014.

Contenders

Xander Schauffele: 25-1
Tyrrell Hatton: 25-1
Collin Morikawa: 28-1
Shane Lowry: 30-1
Dustin Johnson: 30-1
Jordan Spieth: 30-1
Patrick Cantlay: 30-1
Matt Fitzpatrick: 35-1
Tom Kim: 40-1
Justin Rose: 45-1
Cameron Young: 45-1

The biggest drop in price over the last month has been Spieth, who was as low as 15-1 at some stages of the season. Ever since tweaking his back at the Wells Fargo Championship and injuring his wrist later that week, he has been subpar. At comfortable spots like Colonial, Los Angeles Country Club and The Renaissance Club, the 2017 Open champion was an early exit. Since his Open debut in 2013, Spieth leads in score relative to par, top-10 finishes and made cuts.

Sleepers

Tony Finau: 50-1
Adam Scott: 50-1
Bryson DeChambeau: 50-1
Max Homa: 50-1
Wyndham Clark: 50-1
Justin Thomas: 55-1
Min Woo Lee: 55-1
Hideki Matsuyama: 65-1
Jason Day: 65-1

Of the nine players listed above, six can call themselves major champions. While Clark looks primed to factor once again, it is another U.S. Open champion in DeChambeau who sparks interest. In 2014, Royal Liverpool identified the best driver of the golf ball (McIlroy) as the best player. DeChambeau would certainly fit that bill and arrives with strong starts at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open under his belt. A runner-up finisher at LIV Golf Andalucia and a top-10 finisher last year at St. Andrews, the artist formerly known as "the big one" could be worth a nibble.