The 2022 Open Championship will be the 150th edition of this famous old tournament, as It takes place at arguably the only real option, the legendary Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland, which hosts the event for 30th time, as players look to write their name into golf’s upper echelons, by winning one of Golf’s four Major titles and one of the oldest competitions in the sporting world. Below we take you through the Open Championship, with a look at the history, the course and the world’s top professionals who are likely to feature in this years event, which was won in 2021 by Collin Morikawa..
Our 2022 British Open Betting Offers
Closer to the event, Bookmakers will produce various offers and price boosts on the 2021 Open Championship. Keep an eye on this section for all the top offers available as we build up to the final Golf major of the year, although our good friends at Boylesport usually offer at very least 11 Places on the Open Championship, so keep an eye out for more details soon.
British Open 2022 Tips
We have three selections to recommend, including an Outright, each-way and outsider pick:
Outright
Scottie Scheffler: The World Number One has been in great form throughout the year and not only won the US Masters in April, but finished second in the US Open too. His general play is up there with the best of them and with such an open course as St. Andrews, his shot-shaping and strategic play could come to the fore for the American.
Each-Way
Cameron Smith: The proclaimed most “bogun sportstar” in the world, takes his game and his fantastic mullet to St.Andrews as he looks to continue to rise up the rankings. Beneatht he stylised appearance is a golfing brain without equal and won The Players Championship earlier in the year and finished third at Augusta. At arounf 25/1, the popular Aussie offers a strong each-way selection for backers.
Outsider
Talor Gooch: At 125/1 not much is usually expected of a player, but Talor Gooch has enough in his locker to potentially cause a surprise. He won the RSM Classic last year and placed T7 in the Arnold Palmer earlier this year. He has six T20’s to his name and certainly warrants a small each-wager. Backers can claim further extra places at smaller odds, which look an even better option here.
British Open 2022 Form Report
Two of the three winners of the 2022 Golf Majors so far, have unsurprisingly been in great form overall this year, with World Number 1 and US Masters winner, Scottie Scheffler currently the hottest player in golf. Since winning the Masters at Augusta, the American has placed second on two occasions, including the U.S. Open, as he continues to prove what a big tournament player he is, with many expecting another strong run at St Andrews.
U.S.Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick will be leading the British contingent, alongside World Number 2, Rory McIlroy.
Fitzpatrick picked up three Top 10 finishes in the build up to that win and is arguably unmatched in terms of immediate form. He has taken a break since winning the event and it will be interesting to see how he deals with the added expectation. McIlroy won the RBC Canadian Open and has seven successive Top 20 finishes, including a second in the Masters. He too looks in the best form of his career and is another very much in the hunt for the title.
The final Major winner of this year is Justin Thomas, who won the PGA Championship. That win is included in five Top 10 finishes over the last ten events and that victory is likely to spur on another charge here, with confidence sky high. Thomas can be a little infuriating at times, when he isn’t quite on his game, but assuming he can keep his consistency going, he should feature amongst the leaders on Sunday.
Rounding up the unmentioned Top 5 World ranked player are Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa. The Spaniard has ten Top 20 finishes in the last thirteen events, winning the Mexico Open in that time and a further four Top 10 finishes too. The 2021 US Open winner, knows what it takes and with him leading the PGA Tour on both SG: Driving and Greens In Regulation, his accuracy is a major plus on the links at St Andrews.
Morikawa is the title holder and faces a tough challenge to regain his crown, the American has struggled a little in general, however in the US Open and Masters tournaments he has placed 5th, showing his aptitude for the big contests.St Andrews will be a suitable track to play on for this superstar, but can he build upon that recent performance and put a bold bid into regain the Claret Jug.
Other standout players worthy of note, include Aussie Cameron Smith, Americans: Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns, plus Norweigian, Viktor Hovland, who all can easily find that bit more to challenge.
British Open Trends and Betting Insights
It can be difficult picking through the 156 player field, but there are some general trends within The Open Championship that offer a little help in whittling down the list of potential players to back for the event at St Andrews
Experience counts for plenty in the Open Championship, with eight of the last eleven winners aged 32 or more, while experience in the event is also a crucial factor, with ten of the last eleven winners all finishing in the Top 10 of the Open Championship previously.
Form is obviously a major factor for winners, with nine of the last eleven winners, finishing in the Top 5 on two occasions this season, while eight won previously that season. A further eight of those last eleven victors were ranked 33rd or higher in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Coming in fresh is not necessarily a good thing either, with eight of those previous eleven winners, playing the week before, in either the John Deere Classic or the Scottish Open.
British Open Defending Champions
Modern day defending champions in any tournament will find it difficult to regain their titles, with the Open Championship no exception to the rule. In fact we have had eleven different winners of the Open Championship, since Padraig Harrington and Tiger Woods achieved a double success between 2005-2008, with a further 22 years to Tom Watson’s double back in 1982/83
History will certainly be against defending champion Collin Morikawa, while the future stars of golf, will find it near impossible to get near, or beat Young Tom Morris’s four successive wins back in the late 1860’s.
What are the best British Open betting markets?
Outside of the Outright winner market, there are plenty of interesting betting options on the Open Championship, with the Each-way market a valuable option for bettors looking for bigger odds. A lot of bookmakers offer extended places for these events, with some offering as many as 10 places prior to the tournament, giving players more betting options from the 156 man field.
Over interesting markets are the Three-Ball Market usually attributed to the first and second rounds. These basically create a mini competition between the players of the various groupings throughout the opening few days, with players betting on who scores the lowest round of the group (usually 3 players). This gives bettors an extra dynamic to the betting on the tournament, with the focus away from the top players.
Other bets include a Top 20 Finish at the end of a tournament, a Make The Cut bet, for a player to qualify for the weekend’s play and The Top American, European or British player market, which narrows the field by nationality or region, through to Prop bets on everything from a Hole In One being scored to a player Parring every single hole in a round. In the week prior to the Open Championship, it is wise to keep an eye on your favourite bookmaker for specials and enhancements to further the value of your selections
The British Open History
The Open Championship began in 1860 at the Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland and was held there for some 12 years, before it began to be played a various Links courses around the country. The tournament is now rotated between course across the United Kingdom under the Royal & Ancient who preside over the event and is one of the four majors in Golf each year.
The term “Open” was used originally, a it was an event open to all, however in the modern age, this is very much a professional event, although some of the world’s top amateur players are invited to participate, though sadly they are not entitled to financial recompense, even if they were to win the event.
The most victories at the Open Championship is 6, a record held by Harry Varden between 1896 – 1914.
As mentioned earlier, Young Tom Morris’s 4 successive victories is a record that is unlikely to be beaten, while his father Old Tom Morris holds the record for the greatest margin of victory, when winning by 13 strokes in 1862.
Jack Nicklaus who won three Open Championships, also has the rather unfortunate record of having the most runner-up spots, finishing behind just one other player on seven occasions.
About the Old Course At St. Andrews
The Old Course at St Andrews, colloquially known as the “Old Lady” or “Grand Old Lady” is considered to be the oldest Golf course in the world.
It is on record that golf was played on the links, as early as the 15th century, before being banned in 1457 by James II of Scotland as it was interfering with Archery practice! The ban was eventually lifted by James IV in 1502, as he was a keen golfer himself.
The course has held the Open Championship some 29 times prior, with the last in 2015, when Zach Johnson became champion. The course is the quintessential ideal of what a Golf Links course should be, with deep bunkers, swirling winds and large, difficult greens and any player who wins here, will thoroughly deserve it.
British Open Betting Tips FAQ
- Who are the best bookies for the Open Championship tournament?
The majority of bookmakers tend to offer plenty of enhancements and extra places on the Open Championship, but in particular, the likes of Sky Bet, Paddy Power and bet365 tend to go that extra mile for bettors, offering the most extra places compared to other bookmakers, along with plenty of other markets and prop bets on the event. In the week leading up to the tournament, these bookmakers also offer enhanced specials on the biggest names involved in the event
- How can I watch the Open Championship in the UK?
The Open Championship is usually shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, along with The Golf Channel and NBC for American audiences, with the BBC showing highlights of the event in the UK too. Coverage is also available on radio across the BBC, while most bookmakers and news outlets will have rolling updates on their website, with the likes of bet365 potentially offering live streaming via their website.
- Who is the favourite to win the 2022 Open Championship
The favourite to win the event at the time of writing is Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman has been in great form over the last few months and with plenty of British support on the markets, it’s no surprise to see him favourite, although the likes of Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry and Justin Thomas all offer very viable options as alternatives to the favourite in question.
- Where is the Open Championship held?
The Open Championship will be held at the Old Course, St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. It will be hosting the event for the thirtieth time and the first since 2015, when Zach Johnson won the title.