The Open Championship Prediction
The PGA’s mega season will continue this weekend as the top golfers around the world come together in competing in the seventh major in less than a year when the 2021 Open Championship is set to tee off Thursday morning at Royal St. George’s in England. Canceling the event last year due to COVID-19 and having several key players such as Hideki Matsuyama, Matthew Wolff, Sungjae Im, and Bubba Watson drop out this year makes it a little more challenging to place a successful wager. Nevertheless, the field is packed and ready for a brutal weekend in England.
The Open Championship may present the toughest obstacle of cashing big on the winning golfer. The event is wide open for any golfer on the top of their game to walk away as the champion.
The thing about playing a link-style course is that all elements of a golfer’s game need to be on point in order to post a decent score following the round. Historically, the weather has played a major factor and I don’t anticipate any of that to change this coming weekend.
While the field is set with the best golfers around the world, there is no way of telling who will stand out amongst the rest. The most predictable element heading into the weekend will be golfers who have been playing noticeably well and have been finishing at the top of the leaderboard in recent tournaments.
Let’s take a look at which golfers have the best odds of capturing a major championship in England this weekend. While it certainly may be a big name the golf world is familiar with, you never know who might just steal the show.
Players Odds
- Jon Rahm (+800)
- Brooks Koepka (+1600)
- Xander Schauffele (+1600)
- Jordan Spieth (+1800)
- Justin Thomas (+2000)
- Rory McIlroy (+2000)
- Dustin Johnson (+2200)
- Louis Oosthuizen (+2800)
- Patrick Cantlay (+3000)
- Viktor Hovland (+3000)
The Open Championship Prediction | Best Bets
Justin Thomas (+2000)
Believe it or not, Justin Thomas only has one major victory to add to his long list of many accomplishments. A win at this year’s 2021 Open Championship almost seems inevitable with his last major win coming back in 2017 at a tough Quail Hollow course.
Missing the cut in back-to-back appearances at The Open Championship in 2017 and 2018, JT looked to improve his link-style play and did just that, finishing tied for 11th the last time the event was held in 2019. Just last week, Thomas finished tied for 8th at the Scottish Open in efforts of preparing for this upcoming weekend.
All aspects of Thomas’ game were clicking this past weekend as he drove the ball well off the tee, gaining an average of 4.5 strokes off the tee. Leading the field in ups and downs last week while finding his putting stroke makes JT my personal favorite golfer to bet on for this upcoming major.
Marc Leishman (+6000)
I mentioned earlier that the Open Championship may present the opportunity for an unfamiliar face to walk out the champion. While Marc Leishman doesn’t exactly fit the description as an unfamiliar name in golf with six PGA TOUR wins, he certainly isn’t too often regarded as a top golfer in the world. This weekend, that may all change for Marc Leishman.
The 2021 Open Championship is a perfect fit for Leishman’s game and the season he’s been having. With success earlier this year and a recent finish of third place at the Travelers Championship, Leishman is in a prime position to capture his first major win.
Although the event wasn’t played in 2020, players who have had success in previous Open Championships tend to keep that trend going. Leishman has three top-six finishes in recent versions of the Open, including losing to Zach Johnson in a playoff over five years ago.
A link-style course can be as demanding as they come with narrow fairways, massive pot bunkers, and impossible pin placements. At 37 years old, Leishman has developed the necessary skills where none of those conditions have a negative impact on his game. In fact, it may only serve to help him as he ranks ninth in the field in sand saves.
Although a long shot and not necessarily a golfer on a lot of people’s radars, Leishman presents a lot of upside at (+6000) odds. If he finds himself in the mix late Sunday evening, don’t be surprised if the Australian pulls out the victory.
Good Luck!
