Jon Rahm clear favorite at sportsbooks to win British Open
Jon Rahm is the clear favorite to win the British Open this week at Royal St. Georges in England.
After winning his first career major at the U.S. Open in June, Rahm is the 9-1 favorite and money leader at the Westgate and William Hill sportsbooks to win the fourth and final golf major of the year.
“Look at the heater he’s on,” Westgate vice president of risk Jeff Sherman said. “He should’ve won the Memorial, which he was leading by six strokes, if he didn’t have to pull out because of COVID. Then he comes back after COVID and wins the U.S. Open. And he was in contention again (Sunday) at the Scottish Open.
“He’s showing his form, and now that he’s got a major under his belt, I wouldn’t think there’s any added pressure on him and he should be playing more freely, too.”
Rahm, the ticket leader at BetMGM, tied for fifth at the Masters and tied for eighth at the PGA Championship.
Four-time major winners Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlory are each 16-1 at the Westgate, followed by three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele at 18-1 apiece.
Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson is 20-1, and every other golfer is 30-1 or higher.
Oozy doozy liability
Louis Oosthuizen is the ticket leader at William Hill and third in money behind Rahm and Viktor Hovland.
Oosthuizen has finished runner-up in all four majors, including the U.S. Open and PGA Championship this year for the second time each. Oosthuizen and Hovland, 30-1 each at the Westgate, are two of William Hill’s biggest liabilities.
“We get killed with Hovland and Oosthuizen,” William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich said. “Both are playing really well, and we’ve got good liability on them. So those are the two we have to worry about.
“We opened Oozy at 40-1, and he’s down to 20-1. He’s had a bunch of great finishes at majors the past few years, and he’s in great form. Hovland’s got all sorts of game and is used to those courses in the European time zone.”
Long shots
Shane Lowry won the 2019 British Open and is the defending champion because the tournament was canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. He’s 40-1 at the Westgate, where he’s fifth in money wagered behind Rahm, Koepka, McIlroy and Spieth.
“I opened him up at 80-1, and we got money at 80-1 and 50-1,” Sherman said. “I always fade repeat champions, so I was probably a little higher than the market.”
The British Open has seen several long shots cash over the years, including back-to-back 500-1 shots Ben Curtis in 2003 and Todd Hamilton in 2004.
“This field is just so deep, so many contenders,” Bogdanovich said. “Of all the tournaments, this one has the most luck involved. Just because of weather, bounces and a different type of course than most of these golfers usually see, it evens things up a little. There’s more of an ‘anything can happen’ type of feel in The Open compared to the other three majors.
“I’d only look for long shots in this one.”
Trending AL, under
The National League is a -112 favorite over the American League (+102) at the Westgate in Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver. The total is 10½, and the over is a -120 favorite, with the under at even money.
The AL has won seven straight Midsummer Classics and 19 of the last 23. The under also has been on a roll, cashing in 11 of the last 14 All-Star Games with an 11-2-1 record. Last year’s game was canceled because of COVID-19. The AL won 4-3 in 2019.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.