The fourth and final major championship of the year kicks off this week as the world's top golfers converge at Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, UK, for the 152nd Open Championship.

For fans around the globe, the Open Championship offers a unique viewing experience with its different time slots. In the United States, it means early morning golf paired with a cup of coffee. For South Africans, it's a chance to watch a major tournament during regular hours rather than late at night. This timing might make the Open Championship the most favourable for us to place bets, as we can catch all the action live.

In this preview of the championship, we aim to equip you with the knowledge to place educated bets on this week's event. We'll discuss key factors to watch for and share our top picks. By week's end, the next champion golfer of the year will be crowned, so it's the perfect time to get in on the action.

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Quick Breakdown of the Format

For those who might not be as familiar with golf, there are four major tournaments each year that garner the most attention: the Masters, the US Open, the PGA Championship, and the Open Championship. While other events are certainly important, these four majors are the ones that truly matter on a global scale.

So far this season, we've seen world number one Scottie Scheffler (5.90/1) win the Masters, Xander Schauffele (13.5/1) claim his first major at the PGA Championship, and Bryson DeChambeau (21/1) take the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

Each of these majors, including this week's Open Championship, is contested over 72 holes of stroke play, with the winner being the player with the lowest score after four rounds.

You might also see prop bets on players making the cut. After 36 holes, the field is cut from 156 players to the top 70 and ties, who then play the final 36 holes.

Additionally, only players making the cut are awarded prize money, making it a significant goal for everyone involved. Depending on the weather, which we’ll discuss shortly, making a "making the cut" parlay with players who catch the favourable conditions could be a great strategy to win big and add excitement to watching the championship on Friday.

Weather Outlook at Royal Troon

Thursday, July 18: Mostly cloudy with occasional rain showers. High of 18°C and low of 12°C. Winds SSW at 15-25 kph, shifting to SW at 8-15 kph in the evening. Chance of rain: 50% in the morning, potentially giving players in the afternoon an advantage. 

Friday, July 19: Mostly cloudy with occasional rain showers. High of 17°C and low of 12°C. Winds SSW at 15-25 Kph. Chance of rain: 60%.

Saturday, July 20: Mostly cloudy with occasional rain showers. High of 17°C and low of 11°C. Winds SSW at 15-25 kph. Chance of rain: 60%.

Sunday, July 21: Light rain early, then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High near 16°C and low of 12°C. Winds SW at 15-35 Kph, shifting to W in the evening. Chance of rain: 60%.

Past Performances at Troon and What Stats to Look For

With mostly favourable weather this week, we anticipate exceptional scoring, like what we saw at Royal Troon in 2016 when Henrik Stenson claimed the Open title at twenty under par.

A couple notable favourites heading into this year’s event who also performed well here in 2016 include Rory McIlroy (9.1/1) and Tyrell Hatton (32/1), both of whom finished tied for fifth. Sergio Garcia, who is not playing this year but won last week’s LIV event, also tied for fifth in 2016.

Troon is known for being one of the toughest tests in the Open Championship rotation. It features deep pot bunkers and thick gorse bushes that will challenge players to drive accurately if they want to contend this week.

Much like TPC Sawgrass and Harbour Town, success at Royal Troon often translates to success at these venues. Accurate driving will be essential, and with the expected windy conditions and small landing areas, players will frequently face 8-12 foot putts to save par. When looking for a winner, focus on someone who drives the ball straight and excels at putting within 12 feet.

Our Picks

We have divided our picks into two categories: favourites, who we believe are most likely to win, and best value picks, who have a reasonable chance to win and offer good value at their current odds.

Favourites

Collin Morikawa (23/1) heads into the week looking for his second Open Championship title and a cap to a season that has been arguably his most consistent on tour.  He has had strong performances in all the majors this year with a tie for third at the Masters, a tie for fourth at the PGA Championship, and a tie for fourteenth at the US Open. Morikawa also ranks second in driving accuracy this season on tour making him a good fit for Royal Troon.

Rory McIlroy (9.1/1) enters this week following what might be the lowest point of his career, having missed two putts within five feet in the final three holes of the US Open, ultimately losing by one stroke. Despite this, he is playing some of the best golf of his career, even though major victories have eluded him recently. Reflecting on the 2011 season, he won the US Open by eight strokes after a similar meltdown at that year's Masters. After taking a few weeks off, he returned to competition with a strong performance, tying for fourth at the Genesis Scottish Open last week.

Scottie Scheffler (5.9/1) is a player that as much as we wanted to leave off of this list, we simply couldn’t. He is by far the best player in the world right now and enters this week with six wins and ten top-10 finishes including a victory at the Masters. He is one of only four players to finish top 25 in the Open Championship over the last three seasons and currently ranks 20th in driving accuracy which is going to be very important this week. 

Value Plays

Aaron Rai (63/1) has been on an incredible run since his top-20 finish at the US Open. He has secured two top-five finishes and three top-ten finishes in his last three starts at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, John Deere Classic, and Genesis Scottish Open. This season, Rai leads the PGA Tour in driving accuracy and performs above average in putting from 5-10 feet. If he maintains this momentum driven by his precise driving, we can expect to see him near the top of the leaderboard on Sunday.

Cameron Young (63/1) is a talented young star who has yet to fully reach his potential. Currently ranked number 25 in the world, he has achieved top-ten finishes in his last two starts. Additionally, he is one of only three players to finish in the top ten in the last two Open Championships. Given his talent, he presents excellent value this week.

Nostalgia Picks

Ernie Els (1000/1) Our local golf legend, Ernie Els just won his first Major on the senior golf tour. A small bet of R100 here could see you walking away with R100 000 if Ernie Els is able to replicate his result from last week. While far from a favourite, his local status and current form has me putting a small bet on him for the weekend.