The Open — golf’s oldest tournament — returns this week after last year’s edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’ll be the 149th version of the British Open as it’s known here in the States. Don’t go into the comments complaining about whether its called the British Open or The Open. Both are acceptable.
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Also, the winner of The Open is crowned Champion Golfer of the Year.Shane Lowry is still the Champion Golfer of the Year after winning the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush.
Due to strict COVID-19 protocols, several golfers have withdrawn from the tournament including Zach Johnson who tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. Among those not participating include Hideki Matsuyama, Matthew Wolff, Bubba Watson and Sungjae Im.
Royal St. George’s first hosted an Open championship in 1894 when John Henry Taylor won with a score of 326. Royal St. George’s is a par 70 course that pays 7,204 from the championship tees. Each side of the course only features one par 5 hole. The Open website has a great course guide to learn more about the course and how it will play for the players this year. Early pictures from the venue indicate it’ll be a green British Open as it was a wet spring in Sandwich, England and we won’t see burnt out fairways.
The Open history at Royal St. George’s
| Year | Golfer | Score |
|---|---|---|
2011 | Darren Clarke | -5 |
2003 | Ben Curtis | -1 |
1993 | Greg Norman | -13 |
1985 | Sandy Lyle | 2 |
1981 | Bill Rogers | -4 |
1949 | Bobby Locke | -5 |
1938 | Reg Whitcombe | 7 |
1934 | Henry Cotton | 283 |
1928 | Walter Hagen | 292 |
1922 | Water Hagen | 300 |
1911 | Harry Vardon | 303 PO |
1904 | Jack White | 296 |
1899 | Harry Vardon | 310 |
1894 | John Henry Taylor | 326 |
TV Schedule
Thursday, July 15
1:30-4 a.m., Peaco*ck (streaming)
4 a.m.-3 p.m., Golf Channel
3-4 p.m., Peaco*ck
Friday, July 16
1:30-4 a.m., Peaco*ck (streaming)
4 a.m.-3 p.m., Golf Channel
3-4 p.m., Peaco*ck
Saturday, July 17
5-7 a.m., Golf Channel (streaming on Peaco*ck)
7 a.m.-3 p.m., NBC
Sunday, July 18
4-7 a.m., Golf Channel (streaming on Peaco*ck)
7 a.m.-2 p.m., NBC
Way too early expert selections
Weather, tee times and wind play more of a factor in links golf than any of the other majors throughout the year. That’s why it’s a little silly to be making picks two weeks before the British Open tees off. But here’s some early futures picks if you’re looking to get better odds.
Until we have a firm forecast on the weather for the week, the pick has to be Jordan Spieth. His entire game has been building and building and building toward a major tournament breakthrough and he unmistakably has that Tom Watson vibe of great-American-who-will-always-contend-at-the-British. He’s never missed the cut in seven trips to the Open and his last five finishes are T4, T30, 1st, T9, T20. His 2021 resurgence should rightly be capped with a major tournament victory and cementing himself as a prize horse for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. – Brendan Quinn
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After a T26 at the Masters, Louis Oosthuizen finished runner-up at both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. It would be a fitting end to the major championship season if the South African can get it done at 25-1, which a good price. – John Hayes
With Jon Rahm winning the U.S. Open, Xander Schauffele now probably holds the title of best current golfer to not have a major victory on his resume. In three previous The Open appearances, Schauffele has finished in the top 20 twice, including a tie for second in 2018. Schauffele carries a high golf IQ and should be able to navigate Royal St. George’s difficult holes with excellent ball striking. After hitting his tee shot into the pond on No. 16 at the Masters, Schauffele gets redemption across the pond. – Andrew DeWitt
BetMGM odds
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| Golfer | Current Odds |
|---|---|
Jon Rahm | 9-1 |
Dustin Johnson | 12-1 |
Rory Mcilroy | 12-1 |
Brooks Koepka | 14-1 |
Jordan Spieth | 18-1 |
Xander Schauffele | 20-1 |
Bryson DeChambeau | 22-1 |
Justin Thomas | 22-1 |
Louis Oosthuizen | 25-1 |
Viktor Hovland | 25-1 |
Colin Morikawa | 28-1 |
Tyyrell Hatton | 28-1 |
Patrick Cantlay | 33-1 |
Patrick Reed | 33-1 |
Hideki Matsuyama | 40-1 |
Justin Rose | 40-1 |
Paul Casey | 40-1 |
Shane Lowry | 40-1 |
Tommy Fleetwood | 40-1 |
Tony Finau | 40-1 |
Matt Fitzpatrick | 40-1 |
Cameron Smith | 50-1 |
Daniel Berger | 50-1 |
Lee Westwood | 50-1 |
Marc Leishman | 50-1 |
Rickie Fowler | 50-1 |
Scott Scheffler | 50-1 |
Sergio Garcia | 50-1 |
Webb Simpson | 50-1 |
Will Zalatoris | 50-1 |
Adam Scott | 66-1 |
Francesco Molinari | 66-1 |
Jason Day | 66-1 |
Phil Mickelson | 66-1 |
Robert Macintyre | 66-1 |
Garrick Higgo | 66-1 |
Brenden Grace | 66-1 |
Harris English | 66-1 |
Joaquin Niemann | 66-1 |
Abraham Ancer | 80-1 |
Alex Noren | 80-1 |
Christiaan Bezuidenhout | 80-1 |
Matthew Wolff | WD |
Sam Burns | 80-1 |
Guido Migliozzi | 80-1 |
Corey Conners | 100-1 |
Danny Willett | 100-1 |
Gary Woodland | 100-1 |
Ian Poulter | 100-1 |
Jason Kokrak | 100-1 |
Matt Kuchar | 100-1 |
Matthew Wallace | 100-1 |
Max Homa | 100-1 |
Lucas Herbert | 100-1 |
Bernd Wiesberger | 125-1 |
Brian Harman | 125-1 |
Stewart Cink | 125-1 |
Victor Perez | 125-1 |
Erik Van Rooyen | 150-1 |
Henrik Stenson | 150-1 |
Kevin Kisner | 150-1 |
Matt Jones | 150-1 |
Zach Johnson | 150-1 |
Keegan Bradley | 150-1 |
Billy Horschel | 150-1 |
Padrig Harrington | 150-1 |
Rafa Cabrera-Bello | 150-1 |
Brandt Snedeker | 200-1 |
Kevin Na | 200-1 |
Lucas Glover | 200-1 |
Mattias Schwab | 200-1 |
Ryan Fox | 200-1 |
Ryan Palmer | 200-1 |
Kevin Streelman | 200-1 |
Carlos Ortiz | 200-1 |
Charley Hoffman | 200-1 |
Brendan Todd | 200-1 |
MacKenzie Hughes | 200-1 |
Talor Gooch | 200-1 |
Cameron Tringale | 200-1 |
Click here for full odds from BetMGM.
(Photo of Claret Jug at Royal St. George’s: David Cannon / Getty Images; The Athletic may receive an affiliate commission if you open an account with BetMGM through links contained in the above article.)
Andrew DeWitt is The Athletic's senior editor for sports betting. Andrew previously worked for the Tampa Bay Lightning, CBSSports.com and the St. Joseph News-Press. He graduated from the University of Missouri and is from Kansas City.
