The fourth and final major of 2023 is upon us, as the (British) Open Championship, also known as the 151st Open, gets underway this week at Royal Liverlpool.
The iconic golf course, which sits on the northern west coast of England, will host The Open for the 12th time, with the first edition played in 1897.
A field comprised of the game’s biggest names, including world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, who won on this course in 2014, and defending champion Cam Smith, will be teeing it up at what is considered “the St Andrews of England.”
McIlroy and world No. 7 Smith will be joined by a bevy of top-ranked stars including all three of the season’s major winners: Jon Rahm (Masters), Brooks Koepka (PGA), and Wyndham Clark (US Open).
Other marquee names, who are considered serious threats to host the Claret Jug, include world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, and Jordan Spieth, among others.
The Skinny
Tournament: The Open Championship
Dates:Â July 20-23, 2023
Where: Hoylake, England
Course:Â Royal Liverpool GC
Distance: Par 71, 7383 yards
Format: 72-hole stroke play (36 cut)
Purse: $14,000,000
Winning Share: $2,500,000
FedExCup/OWGR Points: 600/100
Defending Champion:Â Cam Smith
How to Follow The Open Championship
Television: Thu: 1:30-4 a.m. (Peacock), 4 a.m.-3 p.m. (USA); Sat: 5-7 a.m. (USA), 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (NBC); Sun: 4-7 a.m. (USA), 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (NBC)
The Open Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube
PGA Tour Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube
European Tour Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube
Open Championship History
The oldest of the four majors, The Open Championship has humble roots that date all the way back to 1860. The inaugural tournament featured a small handful of professionals playing three 12-hole rounds in one day at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland.
That first Open was won by Willie Park Sr., who finished the event in 174 strokes (this was back even before pars were a thing).
The early winners were awarded a red belt, known as the Challenge Belt, but the event had to come up with something new after the legendary Young Tom Morris was able to invoke a myopic condition where a player with three consecutive Open victories gets to keep the belt.
The belt became a medal, and as the tournament increased in prestige and participation, the ultimate prize became the Claret Jug, one of the greatest symbols of achievement in the world of elite-level sports.
The Open Championship’s illustrious list of winners includes both of the Tom Morrises (Old and Young), Harry Vardon, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, among others.
Vardon is the tournament’s all-time leader in wins with six, followed by James Braid, John Henry Taylor, Peter Thomson and Watson with five a piece. In all, 27 players have won multiple Open Championships.
Royal Liverpool is the host venue of The Open for the 12th time – the first since 2014 when Rory McIlroy claimed his third of four career major titles.
History: Recent Winners
2022: Cam Smith (-20)
2021: Collin Morikawa (-15)
2020: COVID (-19)
2019: Shane Lowry (-15)
2018: Francesco Molinari (-8)
2017: Jordan Spieth (-12)
2016: Henrik Stenson (-20)
2015: Zach Johnson (-15)
2014: Rory McIlroy (-17)
2013: Phil Mickelson (-3)
2012: Ernie Els (-7)
2011: Darren Clarke (-5)
History: Records
72-HOLE SCORING
264 – Henrik Stenson (2016)
54-HOLE SCORING
197 – Shane Lowry (2019)
36 HOLE SCORING
130 – Nick Faldo (1992)
130 – Brandt Snedeker (2012)
LOWEST ROUND
62 – Branden Grace (2017)
TO-PAR SCORING
-20 – Henrik Stenson (2016), Cam Smith (2022)
AGE
Youngest – Young Tom Morris (17.5, 1868)
Oldest – Old Tom Morris (46.3, 1867)
WINS
6 – Harry Vardon (1896, 1898-99, 1903, 1911, 1914)
5 – James Braid (1901, 1905-06, 1908, 1910)
5 – John Henry Taylor (1894-95, 1900, 1909, 1913)
5 – Peter Thomson (1954-56, 1958, 1965)
5 – Tom Watson (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982-83)
CONSECUTIVE WINS
4 – Young Tom Morris (1868-70, 72)*
3 – Peter Thomson (1954-56)
3 – Bob Ferguson (1880-82)
3 – Jamie Anderson (1877-79)
* No tournament in 1871
WIRE TO WIRE WINNERS
1912 Ted Ray (+11)
1927 Bobby Jones (-3)
1932 Gene Sarazen (-5)
1934 Henry Cotton (+3)
1973 Tom Weiskopf (-12)
2005 Tiger Woods (-14)
2014 Rory McIlroy (-17)
Open Championship Power Rankings
The power rankings for the final major includes two players not even ranked inside the world top 100: Talor Gooch (101) and Bryson DeChambeau (105).
Gooch and DeChambeau both play on the LIV Golf tour which doesn’t receive world ranking points. The 31-year-old Gooch has won three times on the upstart tour including a victory earlier this month in Spain.
DeChambeau, the 2020 U.S. Open champ, is playing much better after a couple of down seasons. The 29-year-old enters off three straight top-11s on the LIV tour (T11, 2nd, T9), and has posted three top-20s in his four most recent major starts including a T8 last year at St Andrews and T4 at this year’s PGA.
Other LIV Golf stars in our rankings include Brooks Koepka (1), Cam Smith (4), Dustin Johnson (10), and Patrick Reed (20).
Koepka is the reigning PGA champion and his generation’s best big-game player, while Smith, the defending Open champion, enters off a win in London. DJ and Reed, 4 Aces teammates, are both playing very solid golf.
Two-time major winner, and world No. 20 (and falling), Justin Thomas didn’t make our list for the first time since 2016. This should not be a huge shocker, though, given that JT enters in shockingly poor form.
One ranking that should come as no surprise is Scottie Scheffler at the two spot. The world No. 1 enters off an incredible seven consecutive top-5 finishes, including five top-3s. McIlroy, meanwhile, arrives at Liverpool off his first win of 2023. We have the Northern Irishman ranked third.
Power Rankings: Top 20
Power Rank-Player (World Rank)
20. Patrick Reed (51)
19. Jordan Spieth (11)
18. Talor Gooch (101)
17. Wyndham Clark (10)
16. Tony Finau (16)
15. Shane Lowry (29)
14. Bryson DeChambeau (105)
13. Matt Fitzpatrick (9)
12. Collin Morikawa (19)
11. Viktor Hovland (5)
10. Dustin Johnson (79)
9. Xander Schauffele (6)
8. Patrick Cantlay (4)
7. Tyrrell Hatton (13)
6. Tommy Fleetwood (21)
5. Jon Rahm (3)
4. Cam Smith (7)
3. Rory McIlroy (2)
2. Scottie Scheffler (1)
1. Brooks Koepka (12)
Open Championship Odds
The favorite this week on the west coast of England is world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, who is being iffered at 6-1. McIlroy enters in strong form including a win at last week’s Scottish Open and a runner-up at the 2023 U.S. Open. Rory won the 2014 edition at Royal Liverpool, which further solidifies his position as the bookmaker’s favorite.
At 7-1, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is basically a co-favorite. The tall Texan enters in red-hot form, off seven straight top-5 finishes, including five top-3s.
Rounding out the top-5 favorites are three of the four most recent major winners: Jon Rahm (14-1, 2023 Masters), Cam Smith (16-1, 2022 Open), and Brooks Koepka (20-1, 2023 PGA).
Top-10 Betting Favorites
1. Rory McIlroy (6-1)
2. Scottie Scheffler (7-1)
3. Jon Rahm (14-1)
4. Cam Smith (16-1)
5. Brooks Koepka (20-1)
6. Rickie Fowler (22-1)
6. Viktor Hovland (22-1)
8. Tommy Fleetwood (25-1)
9. Patrick Cantlay (28-1)
9. Tyrrell Hatton (28-1)
Open Championship Full Field
Joel Cook contributed to this preview.
