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2024 Open Championship odds, picks: Why you should root for these nine golfers to win at Royal Troon
By Patrick McDonald,
20 hours ago
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The first three major championships of the season have crowned arguably the three best players in the world of golf. Will that hold with a fourth coming at the 2024 Open Championship?
Scottie Scheffler claimed his second green jacket at the Masters, Xander Schauffele collected a long-awaited major trophy at the PGA Championship, and Bryson DeChambeau was the last man standing at a dramatic U.S. Open. All three players will have a great chance to turn a memorable year into an all-time season this week at Royal Troon.
Glory's last shot, The Open represents the final opportunity for others to add to their major tallies with Rory McIlroy's name coming to the front of mind. The four-time major champion is now 10 years removed since his final major title in 2014 when he won The Open, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship in a three-tournament stretch. Arriving at this edition of The Open off a disappointing end to his U.S. Open, McIlroy seeks to immediately make amends much like he has done in the past.
While McIlroy seeks his first major in a decade, others are chasing their first ever. Fan favorites like Viktor Hovland and Sahith Theegala have come close in the past but still chase major No. 1. Meanwhile, stalwarts like Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth aim to play themselves into the major conversation for the first time this season and add to their collections.
Below is an all-inclusive rooting guide for the 2024 Open. Here's a look at the nine golfers who stand out the most, along their odds to win.
1
How can you not root for Rory at this point? The disappointment of the U.S. Open is still fresh on the minds of many, but The Open represents another chance for McIlroy to get off the major schneid. He followed up the 2011 Masters with a record-setting victory at the 2011 U.S. Open, and he followed up a disappointing 2022 Open with a FedEx Cup later that summer. In his last eight Open starts, the four-time major champion has six top-six finishes, including his win in 2014. Odds: 8-1
2
First, he figured out the puzzle that is Augusta National. Next, DeChambeau bludgeoned Valhalla into submission. Then it all came together for him at Pinehurst No. 2 for major victory No. 2. How DeChambeau will attack Royal Troon is one of the most intriguing storylines heading into The Open, but make no mistake, he will have a plan. With another top-10 finish, DeChambeau would join Rickie Fowler (2014), Spieth (2015), Koepka (2019), Jon Rahm (2021) and McIlroy (2022) as players to finish top 10 in all four majors in the same season over the last decade. Odds: 14-1
3
Here is the list of players to win the Masters and The Open in the same season: Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Mark O'Meara and Tiger Woods. Scheffler seeks to join illustrious company, and there's little reason to suggest he won't give it a serious run. He comes into The Open with six wins on the season as the clear-cut best player in the world. Odds: 5-1
4
It's been a pretty disappointing year for the five-time major champion. He has struck the ball well in the first three majors, but problems with the putter proved too much for Koepka to overcome -- namely at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. Always comfortable across the pond given the start of his professional career, Koepka will look to add his name to the grand slam conversation with a win at The Open. It would also represent major No. 6 and pull him alongside Faldo, Phil Mickelson and Lee Trevino. Odds: 35-1
5
Similar to Koepka, Spieth's 2024 has been one to forget. Battling a wrist injury and without his best stuff, Spieth is without a top-10 finish since the week before the Masters. A missed cut at the Scottish Open does not exude confidence, but rememberm this is Spieth on a links golf course. He has made all 10 cuts to start his Open career and has six top 25s to his name, including the win in 2017. It's going to be a bumpy ride, so buckle up. Odds: 80-1
6
Theegala is turning into a diet version of Spieth with his shot-making abilities and creativity around the green. He's gotten the most out of his good starts this season with top fives in Phoenix, Hilton Head and last week in North Berwick. Theegala's Open résumé features only a couple starts with his best being T34 in 2022, but he contended recently at the PGA Championship and is trending towards another major run. Odds: 50-1
7
With Schauffele's victory at the PGA Championship, Hovland may hold the unfortunate designation of being the best player without a major. Outside his podium finish at Valhalla, Hovland has been decidedly off this year compared to his sizzling summer of 2023. The return to links golf could be exactly what he needs as he has started his Open career with three straight top 15s, including a close call at St. Andrews where he was featured in the final pairing on Sunday. Odds: 30-1
8
There may not be a more popular first-time winner if Finau finds pay dirt on Sunday. He arrives at Royal Troon firmly in a groove with five straight top 20s and three straight top 10s, including runs at the U.S. Open and the Travelers Championship. His ball-striking acumen has been matched by a massive improvement in the short-game department over the last couple months. Odds: 50-1
9
A left hander won The Open last year. A left hander won on the PGA Tour last week. So, maybe a left hander can claim the Claret Jug this week with Bhatia posing as a popular potential winner. In contention at the Travelers Championship and Rocket Mortgage Classic, Bhatia's game is shining. With a win, he'd join Hogan, Watson, Tony Lema, Ben Curtis and Collin Morikawa as winners in their Open debuts. Odds: 120-1
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