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The (British) Open Betting Guide for 2024

The Open Championship, known outside the UK as the British Open, is the oldest of golf’s four annual Major tournaments.

Golf is a sport that lends itself readily to a host of betting opportunities. Modern sportsbooks offer a broad range of tempting markets to ensure clients in Canada feel even more involved in the action.

In this guide we’ll tell you:

  • How betting on golf works
  • What fans of golf like to bet on
  • How to start live betting on golf

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An Introduction to The Open

The history of The Open dates back more than 150 years. It is one of the most prestigious and sought-after titles in golf.

  • Introduction to The Open - Fact 1

    Most players qualify by performing well in leading tours or championships

  • Introduction to The Open - Fact 2

    They are joined by qualifiers from special events around the world

  • Introduction to The Open - Fact 3

    A final 12 make it through Final Qualifying, held across the UK just before the championship

  • Introduction to The Open - Fact 4

    A field of 156 players tees off in the 72-hole strokeplay event, traditionally held on a links (coastal) course

  • Introduction to The Open - Fact 5

    After the first two rounds, the top 70 and ties play the final 36 holes

  • Introduction to The Open - Fact 6

    If there is a tie after 72 holes, a four-hole playoff is held

  • Introduction to The Open - Fact 7

    The winner is announced as 'The champion golfer of the year' and receives the famous Claret Jug

How Golf Odds Work

Betting on The Open in particular, and golf in general, is straightforward. But you may want an introduction to gambling.

Take the example of a tournament. The odds about one player winning may, expressed as decimals, read:

Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy
11.0
Dustin Johnson
Dustin Johnson
16.0

For every C$10 you stake on McIlroy, you win C$110. If you put C$10 on Johnson, you get back C$160.

Odds can be displayed in other formats, such as fractional and moneyline (also known as American) odds.

But most sportsbooks let you swap between systems to let you choose how you view their prices. Have a go on our Odds Calculator to see how they compare.

The Open Betting Options

Match Bets
  • Tournament winner

    Tournament winner

    A very simple question. Who do you think is going to win the tournament?

    Given that there are 156 players in The Open, and it is always incredibly hard to win, maybe that’s not as simple as it sounds…

    Eg:
    Corey Conners
    51.0
    Corey Conners
  • First round leader

    First round leader

    Some players are noted for making a fast start before fading. Rather than back them for the tournament, this could be the market for you.

    The other advantage is that you can assess your options based on tee times and the weather forecast for the first day only.

    Eg:
    Justin Rose
    15.0
    Justin Rose
  • Top 10 finish

    Top 10 finish

    This is the market for those players who consistently score well without winning tournaments.

    Shrewd bettors know who these players are and wager on them accordingly.

    Eg:
    Rickie Fowler
    9.0
    Rickie Fowler
  • Match bets

    Match bets

    This is a great way of adding extra spice to a round. Which player will score lowest in their group?

    You can even bet on a virtual match between two players who aren’t even playing together.

    Eg:
    Tiger
    Woods
    1.80
    Tiger Woods
    Phil
    Mickelson
    2.10
    Phil Mickelson
  • Hole-in-one

    Again, a simple yes-or-no question. Will there be an ace during the tournament?

    This is a market that requires serious study of the course and the trends there. Or you could just follow a hunch.

    Eg:
    Yes
    1.5
    No
    2.35
Future bets
  • To qualify for The Open

    To qualify for The Open

    As the golf season moves towards mid-July, there may be a player you think could qualify for the tournament. Some sportsbooks will be happy to let you wager on the outcome.

    Eg:
    Fred Smith
    21.0
    Fred Smith
  • To make the cut

    To make the cut

    If you think a player is going to do well, but not well enough to top the leaderboard, how about a bet on them to reach the weekend?

    Eg:
    Brooks Koepka
    2.5
    Brooks Koepka
  • To win next year’s Open

    To win next year’s Open

    You may see a player in this year’s event and conclude his game is perfectly suited to next year’s venue. There will be sportsbooks offering odds on the outcome 12 months in advance.

    Eg:
    Henrik Stenson
    21.0
    Henrik Stenson

What is The Open Live Betting?

  • Betting doesn’t stop these days once the action starts
  • Most sportsbooks continue to offer odds that move according to the ongoing action
  • You could play on match bets such as which player in a group will ‘win’ the next hole
  • You can continue to wager on the overall Open winner
  • Live betting is a great way to add extra excitement and interest while an event is taking place
British Open Live Betting

Brief Timeline of The Open

The first Open is won by Willie Park on home soil at Prestwick in Scotland

1860

Old Tom Morris becomes the oldest winner at 46

1867

The championship is not held because of a dispute over a new trophy

1871

England's John Ball becomes the first non-Scottish winner

1890

Harry Vardon of Jersey wins his sixth Open, a record that still stands

1914

Walter Hagen is the first American-born winner

1922

Arnold Palmer wins for the second year running, boosting American interest in the event

1962

Nick Faldo, with a final round of 18 pars, wins the first of his three Opens

1987

Paul Lawrie wins at Carnoustie after being 10 shots behind before the final round

1999

Tiger Woods completes the career Grand Slam as he wins The Open by eight shots

2000

Tom Watson, at the age of 59, bogeys the last hole to tie – and lose in a playoff

2009

Henrik Stenson, the first Swede to win, sets a record Open score of 20 under par

2016

Recent Open Champions

  • 2018
    Francesco Molinari
    Francesco
    Molinari
  • 2017
    Jordan Spieth
    Jordan
    Spieth
  • 2016
    Henrik Stenson
    Henrik
    Stenson
  • 2015
    Zach Johnson
    Zach
    Johnson
  • 2014
    Rory McIlroy
    Rory
    McIlroy
  • 2013
    Phil Mickelson
    Phil
    Mickelson
  • 2012
    Ernie Els
    Ernie
    Els
  • 2011
    Darren Clarke
    Darren
    Clarke
  • 2010
    Louis Oosthuizen
    Louis
    Oosthuizen
  • 2009
    Stewart Cink
    Stewart
    Cink

Conclusion

Betting on The Open is, for many people, as traditional as The Open itself. Given the widespread ownership of cellphones in Canada, allied to the innovative flair of sportsbooks, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

To find out everything you might ever need to know about betting on golf in Canada, check out our home page.

Conclusion

FAQs

Golf field Icon What is The Open?

A golf tournament held each summer on one of 10 links courses in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland. It is the oldest of the four annual Major championships.

Star Icon What is the most popular bet to place on The Open?

In a field of 156 of the world’s best players, betting on the tournament winner is enormously popular.

FAQ Site Icon What are the best golf betting sites?

Our online betting guide will show you all the subjects you need to know about when choosing a site – one of our recommended higher up on this page – to bet with.

These include important areas such as security, licensing, range of bets and bonuses.

Mobile Icon Can I bet on The Open on mobile?

Definitely. Virtually all sportsbooks now have their own consumer-friendly apps that allow you to bet on your device.

Live Icon What is golf live betting?

Once the tournament gets under way, sportsbooks will continue to offer you odds about the live action, as well as the overall result.

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