The final major of the golf season is upon us, as punters look to bet on The Open at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England.

The tournament will take place between Thursday, July 16, and Sunday, July 19, with the first tee time around 16:00 AEST on the first two days, before being an hour later on the Saturday and Sunday.

The prize pot has been around AU$24.5 million in recent years, with it yet to be confirmed for this year’s event.

Quick Picks

Our pick: Scheffler in the each-way to win

Value bet: McIlroy as an each-way to win

Long shot: Fitzpatrick as an each-way to win

Betting Preview

The world’s oldest golf tournament, The Open Championship, will be held for the 154th time this year, with the Royal Birkdale Golf Club likely to provide the world’s best golfers with numerous challenges.

It’ll be the first time it has been held at this course since 2017, when Jordan Spieth beat Matt Kuchar after that wild 13th hole on Sunday. The course is a classic coastal links, par 70 at roughly 7,200 yards, with flat but narrow fairways bordered by dunes up to around 50 feet high and hundreds of penal pot bunkers.

The greens are small, subtly contoured, and kept relatively slow to cope with persistent wind, putting a premium on precise iron play and a tidy short game rather than pure bomb-and-gouge.

Players with the following profiles are more likely to successfully navigate the conditions: accurate drivers, above-average approach play, strong wind control, and a comfortable links temperament.

Betting Markets to Watch

Scottie Scheffler will enter The Open Championship as the favourite, and is the defending champion. He won with a 17-under score at Royal Portrush Golf Club, beating Harris English by four shots (13-under).

Rory McIlroy is also among the favourites, with his recent Masters win and previous England-based Open victory, but his value may be a little shorter than it should be due to his limited recent starts. This could bring in questions about his true form.

The same could be said for Jon Rahm , who is always a favourite to perform on these types of courses. He is a two‑time major winner who showed life with a close call at the PGA but also missed the cut at the U.S. Open, which is why he could be worth better value in the each-way.

And if you are looking for a real fairytale story, Southport golfer Tommy Fleetwood is likely to have the biggest support from the crowd. Could that spur him on to success on home soil?

Our Prediction

Check the latest golf betting odds at Sportsbet.

Our pick is for Scottie Scheffler to be the likely winner, as he has all the tools and qualities needed to win The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

Our long shot is Matt Fitzpatrick ; he is a three-time PGA Tour winner this season and playing in his home country, but ranks a lowly 94th in strokes gained putting, which is the obvious red flag.