The U.S. Open is in the books, and the golf calendar now points to the last major of the year. Wyndham Clark closed out a wire-to-wire win at Shinnecock Hills on Sunday, holding off the field to claim his second U.S. Open title. With that, attention turns to Royal Birkdale and the 2026 Open Championship odds, where Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy sit on top of the board.
Scheffler opens as the betting favorite at +400, with McIlroy the clear second choice at +700. If you are looking to get a futures ticket down early, this is the window where the prices are widest and the field is deepest. Below is a full look at the 2026 Open Championship odds, who moved after U.S. Open weekend, and how to approach betting golf’s oldest major.
2026 Open Championship Odds at Royal Birkdale
The 154th Open Championship runs July 16 to 19 at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. It is the 11th time the club has hosted the event. Here is a snapshot of the current outright winner odds for the top contenders. Numbers move daily and vary by sportsbook, so always confirm the live price before you bet.
Scottie Scheffler +400 Rory McIlroy +700 Jon Rahm +1400 Tommy Fleetwood +1600 Xander Schauffele +1600 Bryson DeChambeau +1800 Cameron Young +1800 Ludvig Aberg +2200 Matt Fitzpatrick +2500 Tyrrell Hatton +2500 Collin Morikawa +2800 Justin Rose +2800 Robert MacIntyre +2800 Viktor Hovland +2800That top of the board should look familiar. The same two names that led the U.S. Open market lead this one, and the gap between them and the field is wide. Once you get past McIlroy, the prices climb in a hurry.
Why Scottie Scheffler Is the Favorite
Scheffler comes into Royal Birkdale as the defending Open champion. He dominated at Royal Portrush in 2025, winning by four to capture the Claret Jug and add another leg to his major resume. He has been the most consistent player in the world for two-plus years, and links golf has not slowed him down.
His U.S. Open week was a quiet one by his standard. He finished in a tie for fourth at even par, never quite getting his putter going on the firm poa annua greens at Shinnecock. That kept him from completing the career Grand Slam, which remains the one box he has not checked. The U.S. Open is now the only major he has yet to win.
At +400, Scheffler is not a value play in the traditional sense. You are paying a premium for the best player in the game. The case for him is simple. He is a world-class ball-striker, he controls his flight, and he handles wind and firm turf as well as anyone. Those are the exact traits that travel to a links test.
May 4, 2025; McKinney, Texas, USA; Scottie Scheffler plays his shot from the sixth tee during the final round of the THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn ImagesRory McIlroy at +700
McIlroy is the popular second choice, and for good reason. He completed his own career Grand Slam at the Masters in 2025, and he has a long history of playing well in the United Kingdom. He finished tied for seventh at last year’s Open, and he was tied for fourth the last time the championship visited Royal Birkdale in 2017.
McIlroy thrives when a course lets him use his length off the tee while still demanding precise iron play. Royal Birkdale fits that mold. His ball speed is a weapon in calm conditions, and his low-flighted long irons hold up when the wind picks up off the Irish Sea. At +700, he offers a bit more price than Scheffler with a comparable ceiling.
The Chase Pack
After the top two, the value hunters go to work. Jon Rahm at +1400 is the next name on the board. His ball-striking is elite, and he has the temperament for a grind-it-out major. Tommy Fleetwood at +1600 is a home-soil favorite who plays links golf as well as anyone and is still chasing his first major win.
Xander Schauffele, also at +1600, is a former Open champion who won at Royal Troon in 2024. Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Young sit at +1800. Young is a big hitter who has knocked on the door at majors, and DeChambeau brings power and a growing comfort level on this side of the Atlantic.
Ludvig Aberg at +2200 is the boom-or-bust pick of the group. The talent is obvious, but the major record is still thin. Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton at +2500 are seasoned links players who know how to manage their misses. Further down, Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose, Robert MacIntyre, and Viktor Hovland round out the +2800 tier, and each has a believable path if the putter cooperates.
AVONDALE, LOUISIANA – APRIL 24: Xander Schauffele reacts to his putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana on April 24, 2022 in Avondale, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)What Wins at Royal Birkdale
Royal Birkdale is one of the fairer tests on the Open rotation. The fairways tend to sit in valleys between the dunes, so well-struck drives are often funneled into play rather than kicked into trouble. That puts a premium on iron play and patience rather than pure luck off the tee.
Wind is always the swing factor on the Lancashire coast. Players who can flight the ball down and control their spin have a real edge when the gusts arrive. The greens are typically true, which rewards a confident putter. The bunkering is severe, so avoiding the deep pot bunkers off the tee and around the greens is a recurring theme.
When you build an Open futures card, lean toward complete ball-strikers with strong approach numbers and a track record in the wind. Raw distance helps, but control and course management win the week more often than not.
How U.S. Open Weekend Shifted the Market
Clark’s win at Shinnecock was the headline, but the futures market reads more into how the contenders looked than into who lifted the trophy. Scheffler held steady at the top despite a cooler putting week, because the books still see him as the most reliable bet in any field he enters.
McIlroy stayed in his familiar spot just behind. The bigger movement tends to come from the players who flashed form over the weekend and the longshots who showed they can handle a brutal setup. If you are shopping the board, the names in the +2500 and longer range are where the value lives, since a hot week from any of them returns a big number.
How to Bet the Open Championship
Futures betting on a 156-player field is a long-odds game by nature. Even the favorite at +400 is far from a lock. Because of that, sizing your bets correctly matters more here than in almost any other market.
Here are a few approaches to consider.
Outright winner. The biggest payout, but the hardest to hit. Keep these stakes small and spread across two or three names rather than loading up on one. Each-way bets. Many books offer an each-way option that pays a fraction of the odds if your golfer finishes inside the top five. This softens the all-or-nothing nature of an outright. Top-five and top-10 finishes. These markets give you a higher chance of cashing on a player you like at the cost of a smaller price. Matchups. Head-to-head bets between two golfers let you fade or back a player without needing him to win the whole thing.One more tip. Lines on the same golfer can differ by a meaningful amount from book to book. Scheffler might be +400 in one place and +450 in another. Comparing prices before you lock in a futures ticket is one of the easiest ways to add value over a full season.
Sep 26, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; The U.S. Open trophy is pictured during the 123rd U.S. Open Championship – First Look event at Los Angeles Country Club North Course. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY SportsFrequently Asked Questions
Who is the favorite to win the 2026 Open Championship?
Scottie Scheffler is the betting favorite at +400. He is also the defending Open champion after his win at Royal Portrush in 2025. Rory McIlroy is the second choice at +700.
Where and when is the 2026 Open Championship?
The 154th Open Championship is being played July 16 to 19, 2026, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. It is the 11th Open held at the club.
Did Scottie Scheffler win the 2026 U.S. Open?
No. Wyndham Clark won the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills with a wire-to-wire performance. Scheffler finished in a tie for fourth at even par, so he still has not completed the career Grand Slam.
What does each-way betting mean in golf?
An each-way bet is two bets in one. Half of your stake goes on the golfer to win, and the other half goes on him to place, which usually means finishing inside the top five. If he places but does not win, you collect a reduced payout based on a fraction of the listed odds.
Is it better to bet Open futures now or closer to the event?
Prices are generally widest weeks out, which is good if you want a bigger number on a name you believe in. The tradeoff is that injuries, missed cuts, and form changes can happen before July. Betting early gets you value, while waiting gives you more information.
Responsible Gambling
Futures bets can sit on your ticket for weeks before they settle, which makes a clear plan even more important. Decide ahead of time how much of your bankroll you are willing to put toward long-term wagers, and treat that money as already spent the moment you place the bet.
A simple rule that helps many bettors is to risk only a small percentage of your bankroll on any single play. That way one cold stretch will not wipe you out, and you can stay in the game long enough to ride the swings. Shopping for the best price and avoiding chasing losses are two habits that protect your bankroll over time.
Sports betting is meant to be entertainment, not a way to make money or solve a financial problem. Set deposit and time limits, take breaks, and never bet more than you can comfortably afford to lose. If wagering ever stops being fun or starts to feel like a need rather than a choice, it is time to step back and reach out for help.
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