British Open Odds & Favorites 2026: Scheffler, McIlroy Among Favorites at Royal Birkdale
The golf world tried - and failed - to come up with the proper compliments for Scottie Scheffler after he claimed the Claret Jug for his fourth career major championship and second of this golf season. The best praise may have come from oddsmakers with Scheffler being the betting favorite by the 2026 British Open odds at +700.
The 2026 Open Championship will be played at Royal Birkdale in England from July 16-19.
π Live British Open odds
The British Open odds below update in real time based on the odds from our best sports betting sites to help with your golf picks.
π British Open favorite
Scottie Scheffler to win outright (+700)
After winning his first Open Championship with pre-tournament odds no higher than +550 (15.38% implied probability) last year, we're now getting him at +700 following Scheffler's missed cut at the Genesis Scottish Open last week.
In 2025, Scheffler won golf's oldest major by four strokes to cap a wholly uncompetitive Sunday in Northern Ireland. That led many to compare Scheffler's feats to Tiger Woods, as he's already just a U.S. Open win away from the grand slam.
That said, we told you to wait on these odds following his win (he opened at +300 at the Open Championship), and your patience paid dividends if you listened. While nobody could predict he would miss the cut last week, he's still undoubtedly the best golfer on this planet, and at +700, you won't find better value on the board.
π British Open best bets
Rory McIlroy to win outright (+850)
McIlroy enters Royal Birkdale in prime position to capture his seventh career major title. He's historically thrived on this layout, securing a T4 finish at Birkdale in 2017 to go along with six other career Top-10 finishes at The Open. Coming off a strong T7 finish at the Scottish Open last week, and winning this tournament in 2014, his links-style form is sharp enough to finally get him back in the winner's circle.
Matt Fitzpatrick - Top 10 Finish (+170)
Fitzpatrick is putting together a career-defining season in 2026, backed by three victories and an elite statistical profile. He ranks first in this stellar field in true strokes gained: tee-to-green and strokes gained: approach, which will be vital for navigating Birkdale's tricky layout. His exceptional bogey avoidance and third-place ranking in adjusted scoring average make him an incredibly safe bet to find the first page of the leaderboard. We'll take him at +170 betting odds - a play I'd price closer to even-money.
🤑 More British Open predictions
Looking for more plays? Dive into LJ Blut's British Open picks and predictions, as well as his British Open long shots.
ποΈ British Open ticket information
Here's how the betting action is coming in on the British Open's outright winner at BetMGM:
| Most Tickets | Most Handle | Biggest Liabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler (9.7%) | Scottie Scheffler (15.4%) | Matt Fitzpatrick |
| Matt Fitzpatrick (7.9%) | Rory McIlroy (13.0%) | Scottie Scheffler |
| Rory McIlroy (7.4%) | Matt Fitzpatrick (11.1%) | Chris Gotterup |
β³ British Open tournament info
- When: Thursday, July 16 - Sunday, July 19
- Where: Royal Birkdale (Southport, England)
- How to watch: NBC, Peacock
- Defending champion: Scottie Scheffler
- Favorite: Scottie Scheffler (+700 via FanDuel)
π Opening British Open odds 2026
Here are the opening odds for the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale via DraftKings:
- Scottie Scheffler (+300)
- Rory McIlroy (+650)
- Jon Rahm (+1100)
- Xander Schauffele (+1600)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2500)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+2500)
- Collin Morikawa (+2800)
- Viktor Hovland (+2800)
- Tyrrell Hatton (+3000)
- Jordan Spieth (+4000)
- Robert MacIntyre (+4000)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (+4500)
- Justin Thomas (+4500)
- Joaquin Niemann (+4500)
- Brooks Koepka (+5000)
- Shane Lowry (+5000)
- Sepp Straka (+5000)
- Patrick Cantlay (+5000)
- Chris Gotterup (+6500)
- Hideki Matsuyama (+7000)
- Corey Conners (+7000)
- Sam Burns (+7000)
- Harris English (+8000)
- Russell Henley (+8000)
- Justin Rose (+9000)
- Keegan Bradley (+10000)
π British Open betting history
Here are the recent winners of the British Open and their early futures odds to win:
| Year | Name | Odds | Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Scottie Scheffler | +550 | Royal Portrush |
| 2024 | Xander Schauffele | +2500 | Royal Troon |
| 2023 | Brian Harman | +12500 | Royal Liverpool |
| 2022 | Cameron Smith | +5000 | St Andrews |
| 2021 | Collin Morikawa | +4000 | Royal St George's |
| 2020 | Canceled | NA | |
| 2019 | Shane Lowry | +6000 | Royal Portrush |
| 2018 | Francesco Molinari | +6000 | Carnoustie |
| 2017 | Jordan Spieth | +1200 | Royal Birkdale |
| 2016 | Henrik Stenson | +3000 | Royal Troon |
| 2015 | Zach Johnson | +8000 | St Andrews |
βBritish Open FAQ
Who is the British Open favorite?
Scottie Scheffler is the consensus betting favorite to win The Open with odds of +700 via FanDuel.
Who won The Open Championship last year?
Scottie Scheffler won last year's British Open by four strokes over Harris English at -17.
When is the 2026 British Open?
The 2026 British Open will be played from July 16-19.
Where is the 2026 British Open?
The 2026 Open Championship will be played at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.
What is the British Open trophy called?
The Claret Jug is award to the winner of the British Open, also referred to as the Champion Golfer of the Year.
How can you watch the Open Championship?
NBC has the U.S. broadcasting right for The Open Championship. Parts of the tournament will be streamed on Peacock.
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