2026 British Open Betting Preview: Picks, Predictions, Odds for Royal Birkdale

It's time for the final men's major of the 2026 golf season. Rory McIlroy, Aaron Rai, and Wyndham Clark captured the first three majors of the year, and now the best golfers in the world will tee it up at Royal Birkdale for the 2026 British Open.

Let's dive into the odds and then I'll give you my best bets to win.

2026 British Open odds

Top 15 odds to win via FanDuel Sportsbook

Scottie Scheffler +700
Rory McIlroy +850
Matt Fitzpatrick +1500
Tommy Fleetwood +1800
Jon Rahm +2200
Xander Schauffele +2500
Collin Morikawa +3000
Wyndham Clark +3000
Chris Gotterup +3000
Justin Rose +3000
Cameron Young +3000
Ludvig Aberg +3300
Robert MacIntyre +3300
Tyrrell Hatton +3500
Viktor Hovland +4000

How to Watch the British Open

Thursday: 4 a.m.–3 p.m. ET (USA Network/Peacock)
Friday: 4 a.m.–3 p.m. ET (USA Network/Peacock)
Saturday: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sunday: 7 a.m.-2 p.m. ET (NBC)

British Open Purse

Date: Thursday, July 16–Sunday, July 19
Purse: $17 million ($3.1million to winner)
2025 champion: Scottie Scheffler

British Open Notable Golfers

Scottie Scheffler: The No. 1-ranked golfer in the world missed the cut at last week's Scottish Open, the first missed cut of his since 2022. Now he returns to the British Open as the defending champion. Was last week's missed cut a blip on the radar, or is there reason to be concerned about his chances this week?

Rory McIlroy: Rory McIlroy is the back-to-back Masters champion, but he'd love to capture his first Claret Jug since 2014. He has flirted with victory here many times since then, including finishing in the top five four times since then. Can he contend on Sunday?

Tom Kim: Only one golfer has won the Scottish Open and British Open in the same year. Phil Mickelson achieved the feat in 2013, and now Tom Kim has a chance to pull it off after capturing last week's Scottish Open. Can he keep his momentum going?

British Open Best Bets to Win

Matt Fitzpatrick +2050 (DraftKings)

Matt Fitzpatrick is poised to win his second career major, and this week's British Open at Royal Birkdale makes plenty of sense. He has three wins this season and has posted a top-five finish in three of his last four starts, including a T3 finish at last week's Scottish Open, where he led the field in strokes gained approach, averaging +1.99 per round. An uncharacteristically bad performance around the greens kept him from winning, but if he can sharpen up in that area this week, there's no reason why he can't win.

Fitzpatrick's accuracy is going to give him a leg up on the competition this week. Avoiding the pot bunkers is crucial at this course, so anyone who is wayward either off the tee or with their irons is going to become familiar with Royal Birkdale's 123 bunkers.

Robert MacIntyre +3900 (DraftKings)

I've been waiting for when Robert MacIntyre was going to start peaking this season, and now seems like the right time. He has finished inside the top 15 in three of his last four starts, including a T3 finish at last week's Scottish Open, gaining +2.49 strokes on the field with his approach play. He already has some strong finishes at the British Open, including a T6 finish in 2019, a T8 finish in 2021, and a T7 finish last year. This could be the week he wins his first career major.

Wyndham Clark +4300 (DraftKings)

Wyndham Clark is getting little respect and consideration this week despite winning last month's U.S. Open and ranking third in the field this week in total strokes gained behind only Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Not only has he finished T11 or better, along with two wins, across his last six starts, but he's the hottest putter in the field, which is always going to play at a British Open. If you think his game isn't built for links golf, consider the fact that he finished T4 at last year's edition of this tournament.

I have no choice but to bet on him at 43-1 to win a second-straight major.

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