2021 Open Championship: Latest Betting Odds, Favorites and Sleeper Picks for Royal St. George’s

World No. 1 Jon Rahm leads the way, but there is plenty of value to be found behind the U.S. Open champion.

When the playing field is subdued, we normally see a new winner on the PGA Tour, but we also tend to see past winners find their form.

Last week, it was former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover finding his way around TPC Deere Run better than anyone else. After a decade-long wait since his last win, Glover used a final-round 64, which included a five-hole birdie run from the 12th through the 17th hole to secure a two-shot victory at the John Deere Classic. 

As for the picks, we rode the momentum of Hank Lebioda to another top-10 result, but favorite Kevin Streelman and dark horse Satoshi Kodaira held us back with a couple of missed cuts.

In a similar theme to last week, we now head to another canceled event from last year. But this time it's in England and it's a major — the 149th Open Championship at Royal St. George's Golf Club where Shane Lowry returns as “Champion Golfer of the Year.” However, not all is back to normal as it may seem in the U.S. Current Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and former two-time jacket-winner Bubba Watson recently had to withdraw due to COVID-19 fears, while 2015 Open champion Zach Johnson received a positive COVID-19 test before boarding a charter flight from the John Deere Classic on Sunday night. Hopefully the week runs more smoothly than the run-up.

According to William Hill, world No. 1 and U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm is the big favorite at 7-1. Next up is recent “The Match” winner Bryson DeChambeau at 14-1. Dustin Johnson, who’s shown previous success at Royal St. George's, is 15-1. Other notables include 2014 champion Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and four-time major champion Brooks Koepka at 16-1.

For our favorite, we’re going just outside the top-tier with 2017 champion Jordan Spieth at 20-1. Spieth won at Royal Birkdale because of his elite approach game and work around the greens. Even through all the ups and downs of recent years, he has never missed a cut at the Open, owns three top-10 finishes and one win. Links-style layouts and weather conditions force players to be creative and think outside the box, which is something Spieth is known for. This week will highlight his strengths and should help him contend for another major.

For a high midrange pick, we’re going to follow our success from Torrey Pines with Paul Casey at 35-1. He’s been knocking on the major door a bunch recently and it would be no surprise if he cashes in at home in England. He’s finished 2-17-26-4-7 in his last five major starts. Casey also ranks well in crucial strokes gained metrics for the Open across his last 24 rounds, including approach, off-the-tee, ball-striking, around the green and windy conditions. The most recent champion at Royal St. George's was Darren Clarke, then 42, so the 43-year-old Casey should be full of confidence this week.

For a sleeper, Jason Kokrak at 90-1 looks solid. Kokrak owns two wins on Tour this year, including the recent Charles Schwab Challenge. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open, but righted the ship with a 12th-place finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Most impressively, Kokrak ranks fourth in strokes gained: putting on the entire year and is seventh in ball striking in his last 24 rounds. There is a ton of value on Kokrak to contend for his first major title.

2021 picks scoreboard:

Winners: 3
Top 10s: 15
Top 20s: 11
Misses: 47

Here are some notable odds, according to William Hill:

Jon Rahm 7-1

Bryson DeChambeau 14-1

Dustin Johnson 15-1

Rory McIlroy 16-1

Xander Schauffele 16-1

Brooks Koepka 16-1

Justin Thomas 20-1

Jordan Spieth 20-1

Louis Oosthuizen 30-1

Shane Lowry 33-1

Tommy Fleetwood 33-1

Patrick Cantlay 33-1

Matthew Fitzpatrick 33-1

Patrick Reed 33-1

Tyrrell Hatton 33-1

Paul Casey 35-1

Lee Westwood 35-1

Viktor Hovland 40-1

Scottie Scheffler 40-1

Webb Simpson 40-1

Collin Morikawa 40-1

Tony Finau 45-1

Justin Rose 45-1

Daniel Berger 50-1

Cameron Smith 55-1

Sergio Garcia 55-1

Marc Leishman 55-1

Branden Grace 55-1

Joaquin Niemann 60-1

Ian Poulter 60-1

Christiaan Bezuidenhout 66-1

Adam Scott 66-1

Abraham Ancer 66-1

Garrick Higgo 66-1

Will Zalatoris 66-1

Rickie Fowler 66-1

Robert MacIntyre 66-1

Lucas Herbert 70-1

Phil Mickelson 70-1

Harris English 70-1

Jason Day 70-1

Ryan Palmer 90-1

Jason Kokrak 90-1

Sam Burns 100-1

Alex Noren 100-1

Corey Conners 100-1

Thomas Detry 100-1

Matt Wallace 100-1

Francesco Molinari 100-1

Martin Kaymer 100-1

Brian Harman 125-1

Victor Perez 125-1

Guido Migliozzi 125-1

Danny Willett 125-1

Min Woo Lee 125-1

Stewart Cink 125-1

Max Homa 125-1

Gary Woodland 125-1

Bernd Wiesberger 125-1

Russell Henley 125-1

Padraig Harrington 125-1

Billy Horschel 150-1

Matt Kuchar 150-1

Charley Hoffman 150-1

Harold Varner 150-1

Keegan Bradley 150-1

Kevin Streelman 150-1

Kevin Kisner 150-1

Richard Bland 150-1

Andy Sullivan 175-1

Emiliano Grillo 200-1

Jason Scrivener 200-1

Brendon Todd 200-1

Carlos Ortiz 200-1

Rafa Cabrera Bello 200-1

Lucas Glover 200-1

Henrik Stenson 200-1

Cameron Tringale 200-1

Sebastian Munoz 200-1

Antoine Rozner 200-1

Erik Van Rooyen 200-1

Matt Jones 200-1

John Catlin 200-1

More Morning Read Coverage of 2021 British Open:

- Unfazed Bryson DeChambeau Turns Page on Caddie Saga
- Bettors' Roundtable: Favorites, Sleepers, Best Bets from Pool of Experts
- No Course Embraces Quirks Quite Like Royal St. George's'
- Shane Lowry Can Make Rare History This Week
- The Perfect Venue to Cap 2021 Major Season? It's Royal St. George's
- Americans Need to Man Up an Deal With British Open Travel Protocols
- Elements of Style: What Pros Will Wear This Week at British Open
- Gary Player Says St. George's is Easiest of Open Venues