Based on his overall game and resume, Scheffler should be the favorite. World number one golfer Scottie. Hovland is listed at + while Smith is atScottie Scheffler is at and Young rounds out the top five on the British Open odds. British Open Winners ; Year. Winner. Country ; Favorites for british open 2022 Harman. United States ; Cameron Smith. Australia ; Collin Morikawa. USA ; Shane Lowry. There is the crowd favorite, Rory McIlroy, and the guys from LIV. There is the world No. 1 and those chasing their first major.
It would be fascinating to see how the sport reacts if the man holding the Claret Jug come Sunday is from that batch of players. There are plenty of contenders, such as Cameron Smith and Patrick Cantlay , who won't want to be known as among golf's nearly men. It's been 29 years since there was an Australian winner of The Open.
Still, you wouldn't know there's any pressure on Smith's shoulders, despite him setting an Open record at 13 under after two rounds beating the previous mark of 12 under by Nick Faldo , Norman and Louis Oosthuizen. He's far more eager to talk about bingeing through "Peaky Blinders" or trying to catch up with how his Maroons are doing in the rugby league's State of Origin.
But there's an expectation around him after his triumph at the Players Championship, and his entire game is perfectly tuned to dance around the bunkers on the Old Course. Smith says he's playing the best golf of his life this year. Cantlay is coming off the best year of his. In his own understated way, he says he's in a "good spot" ahead of the weekend and says he will continue "playing off trouble" over the next two days.
You can also add Viktor Hovland -- who'll play alongside McIlroy on Saturday -- to those looking to end their wait for a first major, with the Norwegian in the mix at 10 under after his second-round 66, which included a spectacular eagle on the 15th.
But lurking at 8 under is the world's best player and the reigning Masters champion. A triumph here for Scheffler would add his name to the elite club of those who have scooped two majors in a year. That would also make it five tournament wins and there is still time left on the golf calendar. For someone who reckons he's not "perceived" as the world No.
Britain's Matt Fitzpatrick is also chasing his second major this season, having taken the U. Open last month. He is 6 under after the first two rounds, having been level after the first, and is certainly improving as the week goes on. He was playing alongside Woods on Thursday and Friday.
Amid the frenzy around their grouping, Fitzpatrick flourished on Friday. It's not something I'm nervous about. I've got to show myself a bit more. Favorites for british open 2022 Yeah, it's just given me that extra confidence. His fellow countryman Tyrrell Hatton doesn't lack for confidence either. Though he's kept a lid on his rambunctiousness this week -- there have been no club-bending antics, though he did throw a ball into the burn Thursday -- he sits at 8 under and firmly in the mix.
It's been a year wait since they had one here at St. Andrews in The Open, harking back to Faldo's triumph in And many fancied McIlroy to be the man to end that wait. After his impressive, judicious 6-under 66 on Thursday, he posted 68 on Friday to sit neatly in third. It's been eight years since McIlroy won a major.
He came here playing some wonderful golf. How he'd love to end the wait here and exorcise those demons from seven years back when he missed coming to St. Andrews as the defending Open champion after having injured himself playing football in the buildup. So I've just got to go out and do the best I can and worry about myself.
Hopefully that's good enough. When it comes to long waits, Adam Scott is in the same boat here, having last won a major in , but he too is in the mix at 7 under. As ever, there are those who were at slightly longer odds heading into The Open. This competition has a fine record of surprise winners, so Cameron Young and Sahith Theegala both have a chance.
He has a second and a seventh over his previous six completed events. After a great start to the year four wins over his first eight events, Scheffler has two missed cuts over his previous seven starts while picking up a pair of runner-up finishes Charles Schwab Challenge and US Open. He posted an eighth-place showing in his first trip to Open Championship last year.
Scheffler has played in nine majors, leading to a win Masters and five other top-eight finishes. His only missed cut came this season at the PGA Championship. The defending champion comes in as 10th choice in the early betting at SI Sportsbook due to a dull path since the Masters fifth. Over his last seven tournaments, Morikawa has a pair of early exits and underwhelming results in three events 26th, 55th and 40th.
He has three disaster rounds 77, 77 and 74 over his last eight tee times, putting him more in the fade category this week. Zalatoris had to withdraw from the Open Championship following one round 69 after incurring a leg injury on a shot. Over his short career, his play has been impressive in his other six majors sixth, second, eighth, sixth, second and second.
Since mid-March, he has had three missed cuts including the Genesis Scottish Open over eight tournaments. When playing on the weekend, Zalatoris knocked on the door at five events fifth, sixth, second, fifth and second. Over the past four seasons, Koepka has an excellent resume at the Open Championship sixth, 39th, fourth and sixth.
He has four major wins in his career with nine other top 10s. Koepka tapered back his schedule before jumping to the LIV Tour. Based on his current form, he is more of a gamble than an investment. In his last event June 23, he finished 13th with four rounds under His resume has been on the rise over the previous five British Opens 18th, 27th, ninth, third and 15th. I expected him to play well at the Genesis Scottish Open missed cut after a solid finish in the Irish Open 13th the previous week.
Unfortunately, this year on the PGA Tour he has been unable to push his way to the upper echelon of players over five tournaments 15th, 35th, 35th, 23rd and 77th.