Anybody can do it. That’s the sentiment West Virginia online gamblers will take into the next PGA major, The Open Championship, which unfolds Thursday-Sunday at St. Andrews in Scotland.
The world’s biggest names have had their share of success going into the 150th edition of one of the tour’s most fabled tournaments. Whose turn is it this week?
The Open Championship odds at WV sportsbooks
Here are the DraftKings WV Sportsbook opening odds for The Open Championship:
- Rory McIlroy +900 to win, +225 for top five, +110 for top 10
- Xander Schauffele +1200, +330, +150
- Scottie Scheffler +1400, +350, +160
- Justin Thomas +1600, +400, +180
- Jordan Spieth +1600, +400, +180
- Jon Rahm +1600, +400, +180
- Matthew Fitzpatrick +1800, +400, +200
- Patrick Cantlay +2000, +400, +240
- Shane Lowry +2200, +450, +240
- Cam Smith +2800, +500, +300
Recent Open winners include Collin Morikawa, who captured the tournament in 2021. Last year, Spieth was second, Rahm finished third, and Scheffler, now the world’s top-ranked player, finished in a tie for eighth.
There was no tournament in 2020 because of COVID-19.
Lowry captured The Open in 2018, while Zach Johnson prevailed in 2015, the last time the tournament was held at this course. McIlroy triumphed in 2014.
Betting on the 2022 Open Championship
Here comes the return of Tiger Woods, and nostalgia. Woods withdrew following the third round of the PGA Championship and also skipped the US Open. It’s unlikely that he can put together four solid rounds walking, so the WV sportsbooks put up a big number, around +6000.
Woods to make the cut will be an interesting prop once it goes up. Tiger has won The Open three times, including twice at St. Andrews. Can he turn back the clock?
Morikawa is looking to become the first repeat winner since Padraig Harrington in 2007-08. Furthermore, there are excellent odds on him, at +3000.
Scheffler will try to match Woods’ feat of winning the Masters and The Open at St. Andrews in the same year. Woods did that in 2005.
J.T. Poston will be seeking a step up. He captured the John Deere Classic when many of the big names were not present. He’ll try to carry the momentum from that victory into a major.
Louis Oosthuizen hasn’t been playing well, but he finished tied for third in the 2021 Open and tied for first on this course in the 2015 Open. The South African is +4000 to win, +700 for the top five, and +350 for the top 10. He comes alive for this Open.
Analyzing the Old Course at St. Andrews
Unfortunately, swirling, high-blowing wind gusts could bring high scores. But players will prosper under calm conditions. The winning total at St. Andrews was -15 in 2015.
If it’s windy, players must also gauge landing areas off the tee and how much to adjust approach shots into the green. It’s like allowing for wind conditions to guide the path of a field goal.
A heavy assortment of pot bunkers also adds intrigue. Pot bunkers are deep and have a stiff lip. In some cases, it will be hard to just get out of them, let alone get big yardage.
These bunkers are a major hazard to the players, who don’t see them most weeks.
St. Andrews has an ample balance of give and take. The best chances to score may be early. For next-hole bettors, the first and third holes rate as excellent birdie opportunities. They look short and are likely to yield birdies if wind conditions are calm enough.
Hole No. 4 has a series of pot bunkers, and fewer than half the approach shots reach the green in regulation. This is a bogey threat.
Hole No. 5 looms as another birdie chance. It is a 570-yard par 5, reachable in two by most players.
Holes 7-12 are an interesting loop of short par 4s and par 3s. Players could score well on them.
The final six holes are long and difficult, none more than the fabled 17th. In fact, this 495-yard par 4 is always considered one of the hardest holes in the world.
Players must hit their tee shot over the Old Course Hotel (on the old site of the original St. Andrews rail station). The five-star facility was built in 1968 and has 175 rooms.
Thick rough marks the left side of the fairway. Thus, players will try to keep the ball right and perhaps steal par. Additionally, this hole has a big bogey chance.
How to watch the 2022 Open Championship
Accounting for a major time difference, viewers and bettors will need to adjust to watching at unconventional times.
Thursday
- 1:30-4 a.m., Peacock (streaming)
- 4 a.m.-3 p.m., USA Network
- 3-4 p.m., Peacock (streaming)
Friday
- 1:30-4 a.m., Peacock (streaming)
- 4 a.m.-3 p.m., USA Network
- 3-4 p.m., Peacock (streaming)
Saturday
- 5-7 a.m., USA Network
- 7 a.m.-3 p.m., NBC (streaming on Peacock)
Sunday
- 4-7 a.m., USA Network
- 7 a.m.-2 p.m., NBC (streaming on Peacock)
