Five Players That Could Blow the Doors off the British Open

by , 9 July 2024

The Open Championship, often called the British Open, is regularly described as one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious championships. 2024’s tournament will be the tenth Open Championship played at Troon’s Old Course. One hundred fifty-six of the world’s top players will descend on Scotland’s Ayrshire Coast to contest the competition that begins on July 18th.

Viktor Hovland celebrates on the first green during the Friday morning foursomes matches of the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Third in the US Open, Viktor Hovland looks a good fit for Royal Troon. ©GettyImages

The Open Championship wraps up golf’s majors for 2024, and it might be a case of leaving the best for last as the elite head for a piece of the finest golfing landscape in the British Isles. Masters‘ winner Scottie Scheffler tops the betting on 9/2 odds. 2014 Open Championship hero Rory McIlroy trades as 8/1 second favourite.

UK golf betting sites typically take plenty of bets on the home players, but it was an American, Brian Harman, who ran away with the Claret Jug in 2023. One year earlier, Aussie Cam Smith got over the line ahead at St. Andrews. Can a British player win the Open Championship this year at Royal Troon? The last English winner was Nick Faldo in 1992.

Bets to Get Your Teeth Stuck Into

The Troon course – renowned for its deep bunkers and often windy conditions – has grown some more teeth since Phil Mickelson took on Henrik Stenson (and lost) in one of golf’s epic battles in 2016. It was the last time the Open Championship was played at the Scottish Links course.

This piece will look at some players from Great Britain, Ireland, and further afield that might challenge from off the radar in 2024’s version of the British Open. We have used the prices from the best Open Championship betting sites to pinpoint value-priced players to include in your golf bets.

Viktor Hovland (20/1)

Viktor Hovland continues his resurgence, adding top-20 finishes at the Memorial and the Travelers Championship to his third-place finish in the US Open. Viktor looks a good fit for Royal Troon, where accuracy from tee to green and control of ball flight will win out.

Hovland has yet to win a major, but he has three top-four finishes in major championships and is available at UK bookies on tempting each-way 20/1 odds. One of those top-four finishes came at the Open Championship in 2022 when he shared the 54-hole lead with Rory McIlroy, four shots ahead of the third-placed players.

The Norwegian’s last three Open Championships have resulted in tied 12th, tied fourth, and tied 13th placed finishes. Links golf is clearly a type of golf that suits the Norwegian. Two wins at the Mayakoba Classic and the Hero World Challenge in Albany suggest the 26-year-old knows how to control his ball in the wind.

Viktor’s long game is back in full flow now – as he ranks seventh in strokes gained off the tee and tenth in proximity to the hole. So, it would be no surprise to see the 26-year-old sitting among the front markers on the final day of British Open play.

Shane Lowry (33/1)

Former Open champion Shane Lowry is always one to watch at a British Open. With a top-six finish posted at the US PGA Championship, a tied 19th at the US Open, followed by a top-ten at the Travelers Championship, Lowry is coming into form. Perhaps “Shano” is finally finding his feet after the split with long-time caddy Bo Martin.

The Irishman was in with a chance for his second major championship at the US PGA after tying the record low in a major by shooting 62 in the third round. He had an opportunity to take the record outright with a 12-foot putt on the final hole. Lowry has already been to Royal Troon to practice and post videos on his Twitter account.

The man from County Offaly in Ireland looks in good spirits as he tries to add a second Claret Jug to his trophy cabinet. If the wind blows in Troon on British Open week, his 33/1 odds will quickly evapourate.

Cameron Young (50/1)

Cameron Young has a strong Open Championship record and is just looping into form. The American appears comfortable playing both outside the US and on the specific test that Links Golf provides. He has already had a second and a tied 8th finish in the Open Championship.

Only Cameron Smith stopped Young from winning on his Open Championship debut at St. Andrews in 2022. The New Yorker has posted five top-10 finishes in major championships during his fledgling career, and two were top-threes.

Young is finding form now with back-to-back top-ten finishes at the Travelers Championship and the Rocket Mortgage Classic. The “nearly man” is available on 50/1 odds in the UK bookmakers outright betting lists. He appears a sound top-10 play, and there are numerous golf prop bets featuring him that appeal.

Robert MacIntyre (50/1)

Robert MacIntyre will be Scotland’s best chance of a home winner, and you cannot put it past him following a huge North American victory at the RBC Canadian Open. That win came off the back of a top-ten finish at the US PGA Championship, where “Bob” said he felt he was returning to top form.

You can grab a piece of Robert MacIntyre each-way at all of the UK’s golf betting sites on 50/1 odds. MacIntyre grew up on the links in Scotland and displayed some of his wind prowess when winning at a blustery Aphrodite Hills in 2020. He narrowly missed out to Rory McIlroy in last year’s Genesis Scottish Open – a competition played in a gale.

Corey Conners (80/1)

The 80/1 available with UK bookmakers on the in-form Canadian Corey Conners massively underrates his chances of success at Royal Troon. Corey has finished among the top 30 in his last six events, which include two majors: The PGA Championship and a top-ten finish at the US Open.

Conners does have a modest Open Championship record with tied 15, tied 28, and tied 52 in his last three British Open attempts. However, the Canadian is renowned as one of the best wind players and ball strikers in the game – he has demonstrated this skill at places like Bay Hill in windy conditions.

His two PGA Tour wins came at the Valero Texas Open – no coincidence, given he is regularly high up the tee-to-green stats. In 2024, the 32-year-old ranks eighth in strokes gained tee-to-green and fourth in approach shots. The Canadian is sixteenth in ‘total driving’ and ranks sixth in greens in regulation percentage.

How to Watch and Bet on Golf’s Last Chance Major Saloon

The Open Championship is the last of four golf majors in 2024. A full field of 156 players is expected to take part. They will be looking to emulate Scottie Scheffler’s win at the Masters, Xander Schauffele’s PGA Championship masterclass and Bryson DeChambeau’s smash-and-grab at the US Open by lifting a much-coveted major championship trophy in 2024.

The last chance saloon beckons. You can find out who will win the Open Championship on Sky Sports Golf from July 18th until the final holes are played on July 21st. Check in with the best UK bookmakers and top golf betting sites who will offer a string of promotions and bonuses for what will be one of the best in-play live betting events of the year.

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