British Open Live Odds: Tracking the Action at Royal Portrush

The season's final major championship is heading to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, with Scottie Scheffler atop the board as a short +450 favorite and Xander Schauffele (+2500) looking to defend last year's title.

Chris Gregory - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Chris Gregory • Betting Analyst
Jul 17, 2025 • 07:59 ET • 4 min read
Scottie Scheffler British Open 2025 PGA TOUR
Photo By - Imagn Images. Scottie Scheffler plays his shot during Round 1 of the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

The fourth and final major championship of the 2025 season takes the golf world to Royal Portrush for the 2025 Open Championship.

Xander Schauffele (+2500) claimed his second major trophy of the season this time last year, but he's looking up at a whole host of golf's biggest names, including +450 favorite Scottie Scheffler.

Let's take a look at the live British Open odds with action underway in Northern Ireland.

2025 British Open odds

2025 British Open favorite

Scottie Scheffler (+450 to +500)

It's fair to say The Open has been the toughest nut to crack of the four majors throughout Scottie Scheffler's career, but that's not to say he isn't a rightful favorite for the upcoming edition at Royal Portrush.

He has four Top 25s in four career tries, but nothing better than T7 over that span. Still, his game travels as well as anyone's, and he'll be tough to take down in this major championship finale. 

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British Open betting splits

"The Open Championship always provides a challenging test and this year’s weather at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland isn’t doing the players any favors," says Matt Wall, Senior Trader, BetMGM. "BetMGM customers have sided with the European players so far with Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Ludvig Aberg, and Tommy Fleetwood all gaining solid action. Bryson DeChambeau is the American who would be the best result for players, and, surprisingly, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is currently a positive result for us with his short odds - despite the public action."

Highest ticket percentage
•    Scottie Scheffler 11.2%
•    Rory McIlroy 8.8%
•    Jon Rahm 5.9%
 
Highest handle percentage
•    Scottie Scheffler 14.6%
•    Rory McIlroy 12.9%
•    Jon Rahm 8.0%
 
Biggest liabilities
•    Rory McIlroy
•    Bryson DeChambeau
•    Jon Rahm

Data courtesy of BetMGM.

British Open upcoming venues

Year Course Location
2025 Royal Portrush Antrim, Northern Ireland
2026 Royal Birkdale Southport, England
2027 Old Course at St. Andrews St Andrews, Scotland

British Open recent winners and odds history

Let's take a look at some recent British Open winners and their closing odds to win:

Year Golfer Closing odds
2024 Xander Schauffele +1400
2023 Brian Harman +12500
2022 Cameron Smith +2500
2021 Collin Morikawa +3000
2020 No event: COVID-19 related. N/A
2019 Shane Lowry +8000
2018 Francesco Molinari +2500
2017 Jordan Spieth +1200
2016 Henrik Stenson +2500
2015 Zach Johnson +8000
2014 Rory McIlroy +1200
2013 Phil Mickelson +1500
2012 Ernie Els +4000
2011 Darren Clarke +15000
2010 Louis Oosthuizen +20000

Odds courtesy of GolfOdds.

How to read Open Championship odds

Betting odds for the Open Championship, like other sporting events, can be presented in various formats, including American odds, fractional odds, and decimal odds. However, American odds are commonly used in the United States for sports betting. Here's how to read Open Championship betting odds in American format:

Positive odds: Positive odds indicate the potential profit on a $100 bet. They are typically associated with underdogs or less likely outcomes.

For example, if you see odds of +500 on a golfer winning the Open Championship, it means a $100 bet on that golfer would potentially yield a $500 profit if they win. Your total return would be $600 ($100 stake plus $500 profit).

Negative odds: Negative odds indicate how much you need to bet to profit $100. They are usually associated with favorites or more likely outcomes.

For instance, if you see odds of -150 on a golfer to win the Open Championship, it means you would need to bet $150 to potentially win $100 in profit. Your total return would be $250 ($150 stake plus $100 profit).

Whether positive or negative, the odds provide insight into the perceived likelihood of a golfer winning the tournament. Higher positive odds indicate that the golfer is less likely to win but could yield a higher return if successful. Lower negative odds suggest that the golfer is favored to win but may yield a smaller return due to the higher probability of success.

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Chris Gregory Covers.com
Betting Analyst

In his three years on the Covers editorial team, Chris Gregory has helped bolster the site’s PGA Tour and college football coverage, though his love for Rory McIlroy and the Buckeyes is often met with disappointment. He brings a journalism and marketing background to his work as a Publishing Editor and has appeared on Jason Logan’s Sharp 600 to talk about the Masters and golf’s other majors.

His best betting advice? Stay away from betting your favorite teams; it’ll only make the hurt worse.

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