British Open betting, odds: Rory McIlroy enters as the favorite ahead of Scottie Scheffler

Nick Bromberg
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 18: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Scottie Scheffler of the United States line up putts on the sixth green during the final round of the 123rd U.S. Open Championship at The Los Angeles Country Club on June 18, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy (R) and Scottie Scheffler are the two favorites to win the British Open. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) (Sean M. Haffey via Getty Images)

Can Rory McIlroy win the British Open at Royal Liverpool again?

McIlroy enters the 151st Open Championship as the favorite at +700 at BetMGM after winning the Scottish Open. McIlroy birdied the final two holes of the tournament to get a one-shot win over Robert MacIntyre after MacIntyre improbably birdied the 72nd hole minutes before McIlroy.

McIlroy’s only British Open title came in 2014 at Royal Liverpool when he beat Dustin Johnson by eight shots. McIlroy went on to win the PGA Championship a month later at Valhalla — a win that is McIlroy’s most recent major victory.

There isn’t much to take from that 2014 win ahead of the 2023 British Open. Golf technology is vastly different, the course will play differently and McIlroy is a different golfer as well. But that win is a big factor why McIlroy is a slight favorite ahead of Scottie Scheffler at +750.

Scheffler has been consistently excellent in 2023 even though he hasn’t won since the Players in March. Scheffler hasn’t putted all that well this season but has still posted a strokes gained average of 2 or better in every tournament since the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January.

Those advanced statistics bear out in Scheffler’s finishes as well. He hasn’t finished outside the top 12 since he finished in a tie for 45th at the CJ Cup in October. Since winning the Players, Scheffler has just one finish outside the top 10 (a tie for 11th at the RBC Heritage) and enters the Open on a run of seven consecutive top-five finishes.

Masters champion Jon Rahm is the No. 3 favorite for the British Open at +1200, while defending Open winner Cam Smith is the No. 4 favorite at +1600. Smith used a fantastic Sunday to surge past McIlroy and capture his first major title at St. Andrews in 2022.

PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka enters the tournament at +2000 along with Memorial winner Viktor Hovland. U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark is at +5000 to win along with players like Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, Max Homa and Tony Finau.

British Open favorites

  • Rory McIlroy (+700)

  • Scottie Scheffler (+750)

  • Jon Rahm (+1200)

  • Cam Smith (+1600)

  • Brooks Koepka (+2000)

  • Viktor Hovland (+2000)

  • Patrick Cantlay (+2200)

  • Rickie Fowler (+2200)

  • Tommy Fleetwood (+2200)

  • Tyrrell Hatton (+2500)

  • Xander Schauffele (+2500)

  • Collin Morikawa (+2800)

  • Shane Lowry (+2800)

  • Dustin Johnson (+3300)

  • Jordan Spieth (+3300)

  • Matt Fitzpatrick (+4000)

  • Tom Kim (+4500)

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