Open Championship
The Open Championship Betting Guide: Tips, Strategies and Insights
In this article we will take a comprehensive look at this year’s Open Championship, including the working of the tournament, key players to watch out for, their odds, and a guide to betting on the Open Championship 2023.
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Introduction to The Open Championship
The Open Championship, often referred to simply as The Open, is one of golf’s four major championships and since 2019 has been the final of the four chronologically.
The Open Championship is the oldest golf tournament in the world and is considered to be one of the most prestigious. It is called The Open because it is technically open to all professionals and amateurs, but the modern version of this tournament is largely professional with a selection of amateurs either qualifying or being invited. The success of the open format has led to many similar styles of tournament being created around the world.
Understanding the Open Championship format
The Open Championship consists of 156 competitors. They play a basic format of 72-holes of Strokeplay, meaning that the score is simply calculated by the number of strokes the player has made over the 72 holes.
The 72 holes are split into 4 rounds of 18 holes each. After the first two rounds, only the top 70 players and ties progress to play the final two rounds.
As it is an 18-hole course, some players will start their rounds on the 10th hole, playing the final nine holes first and then playing holes one to nine next, in order to make sure there is time for every player to play each day. Should weather impact the tournament it may be shorted to 54 holes, or three rounds.
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Key contenders and players to watch
The 2023 Open Championship promises a star-studded field, with all of the world’s top 10 ranked players set to play, which includes last year’s champion, as well as the current Masters and US Open champions, with the PGA Championship winner also in action.
| Player name | Nationality | 2022 Score | Times Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | USA | -9 | 0 |
| Jon Rahm | Spain | -7 | 0 |
| Rory McIlroy | Northern Ireland | -18 | 1 |
| Patrick Cantlay | USA | -12 | 0 |
| Viktor Hovland | Norway | -14 | 0 |
| Xander Schauffele | USA | -10 | 0 |
| Cameron Smith | Australia | -20 | 1 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | England | -9 | 0 |
| Max Homa | USA | +1 (Cut) | 0 |
| Jordan Spieth | USA | -12 | 1 |
| Wyndham Clark | USA | 1 | 0 |
| Brooks Koepka | USA | +4 (Cut) | 0 |
Scottie Scheffler is the current world number one ranked golfer. He is an outstanding all-round player, but his putting has been an issue as of late. His form heading into the Open could be much better, finishing in the top four in all of his last five starts. He has never won the Open but finished as high as tied for eighth in 2021.
Jon Rahm has had the most successful year of anyone on the tour, winning three PGA tournaments as well as The Masters in 2023. His form has slowed in the past couple of months but he has finished as high as third at the open before when he was tied in the top three in 2021.
Rory McIlroy has been at the pinnacle of golf for over 10 years but the world number three hasn’t won a major since he won the Open back in 2014. He has strong major form heading into this having finished second in the US Open last month.
Cameron Smith has not played on the PGA Tour since August of 2022, just a month after he won the 2022 Open Championship, due joining the LIV Golf tour. He has finished a respectable ninth and fourth in the last two majors.
Brooks Koepka is another LIV Tour golfer, but he has had a standout year at the major tournament, finishing second at The Masters and winning the PGA Championship. He missed the cut at the Open last year and his best ever performance saw him tied for fourth in 2019.
Course Analysis and Strategy
The 2023 Open Championship will be played at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Merseyside, England. It will be the 13th time the Open has been played at the club. It is a par 72 course with a total length of 7,218 yards.
In preparation for the 2023 Open Championship the course underwent a few changes, most notably a new par-3 that will play as the 17th hole during The Open.
Royal Liverpool is a links golf course, the oldest style of golf course. Links courses are generally more natural, open courses built on parkland and sandy terrain, often in coastal regions, with firmer playing surfaces than parkland and heathland courses.
The course is largely flat, but the holes nearest the coast run through sandhills. The wind is also a factor. With Royal Liverpool being right on the west coast of England there are often noticeable seaside winds which can affect how players tackle the course.
The First hole is important in every major, often being the most nerve-wracking. The first hole at Royal Liverpool is a challenging one with bunkers flanking both sides of the fairway at around the distance where most players tend to drive the ball. The green is no easier with it’s very uneven, and everything about this hole could be made harder with the potential for the players to be hitting into the wind.
The Second hole is traditionally the 18th hole for the members, but in both 2006 and 2014 has been played as the second at the Open. As a near 460 yard par four, it is certainly not an easy hole, with three bunkers protecting the front of the green, and a scattering of fairway bunkers once again sitting around the players’ usual driving distance.
The 12th hole is considered by many to be the best hole to watch, and it is certainly one of the most testing. Only the bravest, most skilled players will dare to take an aggressive tee shot on this dog-leg par four, with three bunkers lying in wait for any miss hits on the right-hand side. The green is also noticeably raised in comparison to the fairway, and with severe run off to the back left some may find themselves coming up short in the name of safety.
The 15th hole is a particularly daunting one in terms of length. Having been significantly lengthened since the last Open here in 2014, this year’s 15th will stretch over 600 yards, and with the potential for the wind to be blowing in to the players, we could see a few struggle to break par on this one.
The 18th hole is never easy at a major championship, especially not for those who are in contention on the final day. The tee has been moved back around 50 yards for the 2023 tournament, meaning the players will face a daunting first shot on this lengthy par five, with a narrow fairway which requires a 240 yard carry to reach, and bunkers flanking the left hand side. The hole then curves round to the right, bringing an out of bounds shot in to play if the players are brave enough to try to make an eagle. Multiple bunkers surround the green for the approach shot, yet another tough test in the final hole. It is an incredibly testing and exciting final hole, which could make or break a player’s Open campaign.
The Royal Liverpool this year is a relatively long one so picking players who are good off the tee could be crucial. With fairways guarded by bunkers all over the course, as well as some seriously long holes, driving distance and driving accuracy could be key in 2023.
It will also be important to take note of a player’s ability to approach the green from short distances, and their ability to putt. Players will need to make the most of the opportunities they get in close range and a strong putting game could be key to gaining an advantage or making up for lost shots from tee to green.
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Betting Markets and Odds
William Hill offer a variety of golf markets to bet in including Tournament Winner, First Round Leader, as well as a player to finish in the top five, top 10 or top 20.
Betting odds represent the probability of an event happening and you can work out what you will win from your stake using your odds. For example, if a selection is at odds of 5/1, and you were to stake £1, you would win £5 as well as your stake of £1 being returned, leaving you with £6 overall.
Outright Winner Bets
An outright winner bet is betting on one player to win the entire tournament. This means that you are betting on a player to finish with the lowest score after every player has finished their final round of the tournament.
Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm are the three at the top of the market for the 2023 Open Championship.
McIlroy is the favourite having won the 2014 Open Championship which was also played at Royal Liverpool, so the course certainly suits him. Scottie Scheffler had an underwhelming performance at last year’s Open Championship but he is the current world number one and has been for over 40 weeks now, so he cannot be ignored. Jon Rahm has been the most in-form player on the tour this year and he already has one major under his belt, and he could well challenge for another at the Open.
Top Finisher and Each-Way Bets
Top finish betting involves betting on players to finish in either the top five, top 10 or top 20. This also includes players that finish tied for a top 20 position, for example if five players were to be tied for 20th spot, they would all count as winning selection in a top 20 finish bet.
Each way bets consist of two stakes, one is a bet on the player to win the tournament outright, and the other is for the player to finish within a certain number of places e.g. 8 places. If you place an each-way bet with 8 places on offer, if your player doesn’t win but finishes in the top eight your selection will win at a fraction of the odds e.g. 1/5 of the odds, and half of your stake will be returned.
- Strategies for utilizing each-way bets to increase chances of a payout
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Weather Conditions and Their Impact
With Royal Liverpool being a links course by the coast, it is often subject to harsh winds and the potential for rain. The winds are very unpredictable and it will likely differ from day to day, and with many long, difficult holes, the factor of whether the wind is blowing with or against the ball could seriously affect performance.
As previously mentioned, a lot of the coastal holes can be seriously affected by wind, both working with and against the players. For example, a complete absence of wind at Royal Liverpool during the 2006 Open meant that Tiger Woods only used his driver once during the whole tournament.
High winds could work against those that rely on distance as their main weapon, with winds working against the ball flight reducing everyone’s distance, and crosswinds making long flighted drives more susceptible to veering away from their target. This could benefit the short game specialist whose putting and short chipping games will be less affected by strong winds.
Rainfall would benefit those who rely on distance rather than accuracy, with long carrying drives being more effective on softer fairways with less rollout available to the players. It also helps those less accurate players as balls will sit better on the greens and missing your target on the green is less likely to results in the ball bouncing wildly or rolling off of the green due to the softer surface.
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The Open Championship Tournament – Conclusions
The key things to consider at this year’s Open Championships are the form of the players heading into the tournament, and previous history at the Open as well as at Royal Liverpool.
McIlroy looks a worthy favourite with strong finishes in this year’s majors, and also winning the Open in 2014 at Royal Liverpool, he looks to be the strongest choice for an Outright Tournament Winner bet.
It is important to remember to enjoy the Open Championships outside of betting, it is one of the most hotly anticipated majors and promises to be an exciting tournament at one of the country’s most historic venues. When placing a bet make sure it is researched and always gamble responsibly.
