The main summertime draw in golf will be the 2022 Open Championship.
The July showcase at St. Andrews features a fine collection of talent, including multiple past winners.
Scotland’s historic and breath-taking course is the backdrop for the major anniversary event.
–Celebrating A Milestone
The 150th Open Championship will be a spectacle and cause for celebration in Scotland. As a part of the history and tradition of golf, this will be the 30th time St. Andrews has hosted The Open Championship. However, it hasn’t hosted the tournament since 2015.
The field this year consists of 156 players, who qualified through different rounds. Attendance is based on past performances and previous efforts at the championship. Zach Johnson won last year, claiming a four-hole playoff to win his second major title.
What they aren’t likely to see, however, is Tiger Woods picking up another Claret Jug. He won the event for the first time in 2000, but is having difficulty on fairways now because of his recent car accident. Woods already announced his intention to play, calling St. Andrews one of his favorite courses.
There’s little doubt that Woods has the ability and talent, but his stamina and physical health are questions. BetMGM is not expecting a strong performance based on his +4000 to win. Other sportsbooks, such as WynnBET, also went with long odds for Woods at +4100.
–Fitzpatrick Climbs Up the Ranks
Matt Fitzpatrick enters on the heels of a US Open victory, having entered with odds of 29-1. He opened at +4000 on BetMGM before the line improved to +2000. BetRivers is offering slightly longer odds, listing him at +2500.
Fitzpatrick overcame Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Will Zalatoris to win the US Open. They battled to the last putt on the 18th before Fitzpatrick was able to secure the victory.
Heading into the last major of the year, the victory didn’t impact how the books viewed Scheffler and Zalatoris, who are among the favorites to win. Zalatoris opened at +5000 on BetMGM before moving to +2200. Scheffler improved from +4000 to +1200.
McIlroy continues to come close and finished in the top 10 three times this season, but hasn’t been able to seal the deal in the final round. His closest call was a second-place finish at Augusta National.
Heading to St. Andrews, McIlroy is still the odds-on favorite to win.
He’s done it before, taking the victory with a 17-under in 2014. On BetMGM, he opened at +1400 and then improved to +900. FanDuel and Caesars also currently list him at +900.
–Dustin Johnson among values to consider
Dustin Johnson, a 28-1 longshot, finished eighth at last year’s Open, one of his four top-10 finishes at the tournament. Johnson is still ranked among the top golfers in the LIV Golf Series.
Because of his recent performances, there’s a lot of value in Johnson. However, the sportsbooks aren’t confident of his chances. BetMGM opened him at +1400 before dropping him to +2800. Similar results are found at FanDuel (+2700) and Caesars (+2800).
Another potential great value is Jon Rahm.
His performance at past Open tournaments is not impressive – five events and nothing better than 44th place. However, he has been more consistent as the season has advanced.
Rahm dropped from his initial line of +900 to +1200 on BetMGM. FanDuel and Caesars put him in the same range. Still, with his recent performances, the drop only increases his value for bettors.
-Field Level Media