The Open 2026 Outright Winner Odds: Who Tops the Leaderboard at Royal Birkdale?

Golf's oldest major returns to Royal Birkdale for the first time since Jordan Spieth's dramatic 2017 win, and the betting market has a clear favourite. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler leads the outright odds heading into the 154th Open Championship, but this is a deep field, and outright golf markets rarely go entirely to script.

Here's the full outright winner odds, what makes Royal Birkdale such a distinctive test, and where the value might be hiding beyond the obvious favourites.

Odds correct as of 8 July 2026 and will move in the days before the first tee shot — always check current pricing before you bet.

The Open 2026: Key Details


Tournament	The 154th Open Championship
Dates	Thursday 16 July – Sunday 19 July 2026
Venue	Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
Defending champion	Scottie Scheffler (won 2025 at Royal Portrush by 4 strokes)
Last Birkdale winner	Jordan Spieth (2017)

Outright Winner Odds

Player	Odds
Scottie Scheffler	+430 to +550
Rory McIlroy	+850 to +900
Tommy Fleetwood	+1400
Jon Rahm	+1900
Xander Schauffele	+2000
Matt Fitzpatrick	+2000
Ludvig Aberg	+2200

Odds vary slightly by sportsbook and will keep moving through tournament week, especially after the Genesis Scottish Open, the final tune-up event before Royal Birkdale. Check the golf outrights page at Sportsbet.io for the latest pricing.

Royal Birkdale: What Makes This Course Different

Royal Birkdale is hosting The Open for the 11th time, and it has a reputation as one of the fairer, more visually striking links courses on the rota. It plays as a Par 70 at around 7,156 to 7,200 yards, with flatter fairways than many links’ courses, but the rough either side is genuinely penal, and hundreds of bunkers, including deep pot bunkers, punish anything even slightly off-line.

The greens are smaller than average with subtle undulation and kept slower than usual to account for the wind that's always a factor at this tournament. In practice, that combination rewards elite, accurate ball-strikers who can flight the ball low in the wind and manufacture creative recovery shots around the greens, as much a premium on course management as raw power.

Contenders to Watch

Player	The case for them	The case against
Scottie Scheffler	The world No. 1 and defending champion, with the all-round game to contend anywhere. Four top-23 finishes in five previous Opens.	Just one win on the PGA Tour so far in 2026, and short odds leave little margin for a poor week.
Rory McIlroy	Back-to-back Masters champion this year, a past Open winner (2014), and finished T4 the last time this event was at Birkdale.	Faded at the U.S. Open and plays infrequently since defending his Masters title, making current form hard to read.
Tommy Fleetwood	A pair of top-5 finishes at The Open and a genuine links specialist by pedigree.	Missed the cut in 2024, finished outside the top 10 last year, and has no finish better than T11 in a major this season.
Ludvig Aberg	One of the best drivers on tour for both distance and accuracy, with a T4 at the PGA Championship and a top-25 finish in this event last year.	Yet to win a major, and this is only his third Open Championship appearance.
Jon Rahm	A former major champion with the ball-striking profile to suit a demanding links test.	Results have been inconsistent this season, and his most recent major starts haven't matched his best form.

Value Picks Beyond the Favourites

Outright favourites win at a low rate in golf compared to most other sports, many past Open champions have come from well outside the top of the market. A few names worth watching further down the board:

Shane Lowry: The 2019 Open champion at Royal Portrush and one of the best wind players in the game, exactly the profile Royal Birkdale tends to reward.
Brooks Koepka: A five-time major champion with a T6 finish the last time The Open was held at Birkdale in 2017.
Hideki Matsuyama: Tied 14th at Birkdale in 2017 and has two top-14 finishes in his last four PGA Tour starts.

How to Bet on The Open

Outright winner: The headline market, back a golfer to lift the Claret Jug. Check the golf outrights page at Sportsbet.io.
Each-way: A common way to soften the volatility of a deep outright market, you're paid out if your golfer finishes inside a set number of places, not just if they win outright.
Top 5 / Top 10 / Top 20 finish: Alternatives to the outright market that can better reflect current form and course fit without needing your pick to win the whole tournament.
In-play betting: Once the tournament starts, follow the leaderboard and bet live on the golf in-play page.

Golf outright markets carry real volatility; even elite players win at a low rate in any single event. Use favourites as a starting point, then weigh price against course fit and current form, and always check live pricing before you bet.

FAQs: The Open Championship 2026

When is The Open Championship 2026?

The Open runs from Thursday 16 July to Sunday 19 July 2026 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England.

Who is the favourite to win The Open 2026?

Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, is the clear market favourite at around +430 to +550 depending on the sportsbook.

Who won the last time The Open was at Royal Birkdale?

Jordan Spieth won in 2017, in a dramatic final round that included a memorable battle with Matt Kuchar down the closing holes.

What is Royal Birkdale's course like?

A links course playing to a Par 70 around 7,156 to 7,200 yards, with flatter fairways than most links venues but heavily penal rough, hundreds of bunkers, and small, undulating greens, all made tougher by the wind that's a constant factor at this tournament.

Are outright favourites a safe bet in golf?

Not necessarily. Golf's outright markets are deep, and even the best players in the world win at a low rate in any single tournament. Many past Open champions have come from outside the shortest few prices, favourites are a starting point, not a guarantee.

Where can I bet on The Open Championship?

You can check live odds and betting markets on the golf outrights page and golf tournaments page at Sportsbet.io.

Get Ready for Royal Birkdale

Golf's final major of the year is on the horizon, and the market's already taking shape. Check the latest odds on the golf outrights page, browse the golf tournaments page, and see the current promotions available at Sportsbet.io before tee-off on 16 July.

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9 Jul 2026