Golf best bets: 2 long shots to target at the British Open

It's officially British Open week, which means we get to celebrate the first anniversary of nailing Brian Harman at 150-1 to win this tournament last year. What a sweet day that was, but the sports betting game is all about, "What have you done for me lately?"

Hopefully, we're hitting another juicy long shot at the fourth and final major championship of the year.

Akshay Bhatia (+11000 FanDuel )

We targeted Harman last year because he was entering the British Open in outstanding form. Well, that's exactly what we have with Bhatia this week. In his last four starts, Bhatia has finished T2, T5, T16 and T22. He nearly won the Rocket Mortgage Classic in his most recent start, which would've been his second victory on the PGA Tour this season.

Bhatia has gained strokes from off the tee in six straight starts, and he's been deadly accurate with his driver over that span. Driving accuracy is going to be crucial at Royal Troon Golf Club due to its thick rough and penalizing pot bunkers, and the 22-year-old is hitting his with a ton of confidence right now. The only reason Bhatia is 110-1 is his inexperience on links-style courses, but we're content betting on the upside of his talent.

Top-10 finish: +700; Top-20 finish: +300

Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+17000 FD )

When you think about the hottest players coming into the British Open, Bezuidenhout probably doesn't come to mind right away. That's all fair, but the South African has been playing some remarkably consistent golf over the last few months. Dating back to the Players Championship in March, Bezuidenhout has eight top-25 finishes and just one missed cut in 11 starts. His MC at the PGA Championship was his only finish worse than T32 in that span.

Bezuidenhout's consistency comes from his brilliant short game, as he ranks third on Tour in one-putt percentage, 18th in scrambling and 23rd in sand-save percentage. His biggest weakness is the driver, which is a concern at this golf course, but Bez has gained strokes from off the tee in four straight starts while gaining with his accuracy in five straight.

Bezuidenhout is so deep on the odds board because he withdrew from last week's Genesis Scottish Open after jamming his wrist on a bunker shot, but we're hoping that was precautionary to be ready for this week. These finishing position prices are worth the risk.

Top-20 finish: +400; Top-40 finish: +125