Early Betting Odds for the 2021 Open Championship

For the first time since 1945, a British Open was not played during the calendar year. The good news is the R&A has promised us that a Champion Golfer of the Year will be crowned in 2021.

To start gauging who will be sipping out of the Claret Jug in July, take a quick peek at the early odds for the 2021 Open Championship.

Just like he currently is for all of the 2021 majors, world #1 Dustin Johnson heads the betting sheet. Rory and Rahm are close behind, but then some separation kicks in.

Then again, a lot can (and will) happen between now and July 15^th that’ll cause the British Open odds to start bouncing up and down.

This will be the fifth time since 1980 that the links course in the civil parish in the Dover District of Kent will host the Open Championship. Royal St. George’s has hosted 14 British Opens in all, but let’s zero in on the five that are the most recent.

Other than Greg Norman being the last man standing in ’93, the winners at this venue have been fairly obscure. In fact, Ben Curtis was the 393^rd-ranked golfer in the world and had never even played in a major when he showed up to Royal St. George’s in 2003.

A week later, after pulling off the upset of all upsets, Ben’s life was changed forever.

I’ve made predictions for the golf majors in 2021; now, I’ll shed light on where the early value lies.

It’s not a matter of if Patrick Cantlay is going to break the seal at a major. The only question is when and where it will happen.

Frankly, I like Cantlay’s chances at all of the majors in 2021. However, the 9^th-ranked player in the world’s 2021 Open Championship odds are the most appealing of the four.

Cantlay is ultra-creative around the greens and produces a heavy hit on his irons that bodes well in windy conditions. Throw in the fact that Patrick never seems to get rattled, and this is a golf tournament that should be right in his wheelhouse.

This is a situation of taking advantage of getting to the 2021 British Open odds early. Rickie Fowler is in a funk, and his +5000 price tag reflects that. Nonetheless, it’s far from a guarantee that Rickie’s slump is going to linger all the way into next summer.

My bet is Fowler kicks his game into gear by the time the Florida swing arrives. The problem for prospective bettors is his +5000 odds will be long gone by then.

We’re talking about one of the most imaginative players on tour with a fantastic track record on this side of the pond.

A resume that includes a trio of top-6 finishes at the Open Championship also includes a victory at the 2015 Scottish Open. Clearly, the guy has an affinity for links golf.

Forget about latching onto Viktor Hovland at +5000 as he’s priced at most of the top sports betting sites. Viktor is sitting at +6600 to capture the Claret Jug at XBet.

This is exactly why you must shop your lines and compare the odds when betting golf online.

If there is one area of the game that Hovland struggles with, it’s chipping the ball off tight lies with his most-lofted wedges. Fortunately, a premium on that specific skillset isn’t required when you step on the tee at an Open Championship.

It’s about being innovative and resourceful. It’s about playing bump and runs when you are out of position and keeping big numbers off the card. It’s about hitting your driver on a string and being able to control your trajectory.

In the case of the 23-year-old Norwegian standout, he checks all of those boxes.

The early odds for the 2021 Open Championship reflect a golf tournament being contested in July. This means it’s certainly not too soon to start locking in futures bets for the other majors in 2021.