“Between Bets” is an article series revealing our staff’s best wagers across the NFL, NASCAR and PGA Tour. This edition’s bets feature our favorite wagers for The Open Championship 2024.
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
The Open Championship 2024 Betting Picks
Xander Schauffele (+1100)
Xander Schauffele is playing excellent golf. His consistency may be the culprit for the lack of hype around him at Royal Troon Golf Club. He seems to be falling by the wayside this week as people are filling out their betting cards. It’s important to know that Schauffele is outpacing Rory McIlroy in most metrics and is second to only Scottie Scheffler in this field over the last 24 rounds. It makes sense; Scheffler is the best player in the world. Schauffele is tops in this field for bogey avoidance, which will be critical this week. He rates out second in approach, second in putting and fifth for overall tee-to-green.
The most enticing thing about Schauffele at The Open Championship is that he stays consistent within those rankings the tougher the course gets and the worse the conditions become. I like the insurance policy with having equal upside no matter what hand the weather ends up dealing us this week.
Tony Finau (+4500)
To be honest, I never get Tony Finau right. The stats are hard to deny, though. Finau is another player who is having an excellent season, though the finishes may not reflect just how good he is actually playing. With three T10s in his last three starts, he hasn’t lost a stroke in any category over that stretch. He finished third at the US Open, and Pinehurst No. 2 is a very strong course comparison for Royal Troon.
Finau rates out third in strokes gained approach, and his around-the-green game has been averaging 4.2 strokes gained over his last 12 rounds to complement that. As I looked at tougher conditions and adverse weather, Finau got better in the rankings. He is the type of well-balanced player that we are targeting this week. Like Schauffele, Finau is equipped to compete no matter what the course throws at him!
Brian Harman (+6500)
Defending Champion Golfer of the Year Brian Harman should not be overlooked at Royal Troon Golf Club. Harman rated out a more modest 15th overall in my standard model, but when adding the tough conditions, he skyrocketed to first overall. He’s having a rather uninspiring run over his last eight starts, with only one T10. He’s not playing bad golf by any stretch, just not doing anything spectacular.
That may change this week. Royal Troon could show its teeth a bit with the tentative forecast, and if that happens, Harman’s ability to keep the ball in play and avoid big numbers is second to none. If the conditions stay docile, he still has the potential to make a run. He rates out inside the top 10 for all of the approach metrics and driving accuracy that I looked at, and again, the bogey avoidance is top-notch, even in normal conditions. For a defending champion, he seems disrespected at +6500. I, for one, love the upside of the underdog going back-to-back at The Open Championship.
Rickie Fowler (+20000)
Call me crazy, but Royal Troon Gold Club screams Rickie Fowler to me. We need a bit of a hybrid between vintage Fowler and modern-day Fowler, but if we get it, he can absolutely shock the world and win The Open Championship. Fowler is a grinder; whether we get weather or it stays mild, this course will require players to grind it out. The course has plenty of spots that require excellent shot shaping and creativity, which Fowler has when he’s on. Scrambling and around-the-green will be critical here, and he has shown plenty of brilliance this year from time to time.
Fowler has not missed the cut in his last five starts at The Open Championship. Highs and lows aside, he has remained steadfast in Britain each year. It’s hard to justify the bet with stats; he has been all over the place performance-wise, but nonetheless, he is the type of golfer I want on my card. He provides high upside, regardless of how the conditions shake out. Odds of 200-1 are fair based on the risk. He is fully capable of missing the cut, but he’s also capable of putting together a vintage Fowler week and winning the fourth Major Championship.
Other Outright Bets That are on My Card for The Open Championship 2024:
- Rory McIlroy (+850)
- Collin Morikawa (+1600)
- Brooks Koepka (+3000)
- Cameron Smith (+4500)
- Sungjae Im (+6500)
- Davis Thompson (+10000)
Check out all of our content for The Open Championship 2024:
- PGA DFS: The Open Championship 2024
- Between Bets: The Open Championship 2024 Outrights
- PropKings: The Open Championship 2024
Thanks for reading my best bets for The Open Championship 2024, and be sure to catch us live every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. EST on the 19th Hole! Good luck this week!
*Photo Credit: Jim Cowsert – USA TODAY Sports*
