The 151st Open Championship is the final major of the 2023 season, and with The Open predictions high, the world’s best golfers are in Hoylake, England to test their skills at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. This year’s tournament marks the 13th time the Open Championship will be played at this venue and the first since 2014. Tournament play begins on Thursday, July 20th, and concludes on Sunday, July 23rd.
Cameron Smith, last year’s winner at St. Andrews, defends the Claret Jug with a thrilling back-nine surge on Sunday. Smith captured his first major victory firing a four-day score of 268 (20-under). The title was Smith’s third of the 2022 year and final PGA Tour triumph before joining LIV Golf.
The last time the tournament was hosted at Royal Liverpool and golf predictions high, Rory McIlroy picked up his first and only Open victory. Then 25-year-olds, Rory became the first European golfer to win three majors before the age of 25. McIlroy’s score of 271 (17-under) bested Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia by two shots.
Look for Low Scores Again Early
A general The Open predictions heading into Thursday’s action is that the scoring will be favorable early on in the week. There has been a lot of rain in the area leading up to the tournament, causing soft conditions.
The sun is expected on Thursday, with cloud cover on Friday and dry conditions on both days. Rain is expected over the weekend, but if the rain stays away, the course has the chance to dry out and change the scoring opportunities for players over the weekend.
If the predicted rain arrives on Friday night and Saturday, the amount and wind could impede the expected low scores. Like any Open venue, the weather has the ability to change quickly.
UK Contingent Expected to Make Noise
The final major on the 2023 golf schedule is important to all golfers as the season begins to wind down, but the Open Championship is especially meaningful for players hailing from the United Kingdom.
The pre-tournament Open odds have Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (+750) as one of the betting favorites. The top Englishmen in the field are Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton (+2500). Fleetwood’s hometown is not too far from Hoylake.
England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick and Ireland’s Shane Lowry are right behind Fleetwood and Hatton on The Open odds board. Both are +4000 and have each won majors in the past. Fitzpatrick took home the U.S. Open title in 2022, while Lowry the Claret Jug in 2019.
The Open Predictions
Weather uncertainty hampers Open predictions, yet historically, top ball-strikers triumph in this prestigious event. Past winners represent countries from all over the world, with 15 nationalities winning the event in the tournament’s history.
This year, we feel confident placing wagers on the international players. McIlory, Fleetwood, and Norway’s Viktor Hovland (+2000) stand out. One of three nears a major title, strolling the 18th fairway on a Sunday afternoon. For Fleetwood and Hovland, it would be their first.
Mcllroy, the favored choice, performed well recently, winning the Scottish Open and achieving top-10 finishes in two majors this year. Fleetwood will be a fan favorite, and the Englishman has finished T18 or better in six of his last eight events. Hovland won the Memorial Tournament earlier this year, adding a T7 at the Masters, T2 at the PGA Championship, and 19th at the U.S. Open in 2023.
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