How will Bryson DeChambeau’s bulked-up frame and commitment to big bombs off the tee serve him at the British Open, set for next weekend at Royal St. George’s? DeChambeau’s game is almost postmodern, and it will appear against the backdrop of one of golf’s most venerated courses. He went 2-0-1 in individual matches at the Walker Cup in 2015, going 2-0-1 for the American side. Since then, though, he has gone 76-77 in the 2017 British Open at Royal Birkdale, finished 51st in 2018 at Carnoustie, 12 shots back of Francesco Molinari, and missed the cut by four shots in 2019. He played on a links course at Royal Melbourne in the 2019 Presidents Cup, going 0-1-1 while Tiger Woods sat him twice during team format matches. Looking at his game today, he hits the ball very high, which helped him win the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, but in links golf, courses tend to be windier (which can wreak havoc on high shots) and firmer (so lower hitters see their shots roll for days). What about DeChambeau’s huge bombs off the tee? The last five British Open champions have not been long hitters. Add the vagaries of links golf to DeChambeau’s parting of ways with longtime caddie Tim Tucker at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week — a break that occurred between the practice rounds and the first round of play — and you see the possibility for another difficult weekend for one of golf’s biggest stories.
Read on for more PGA betting insights about one of golf’s most storied events.
PGA News: Early British Open Predictions and Insights
The British Open returns to Royal St. George’s for the first time since 2011; the last two times it has been there, long shots have won the title, with Darren Clarke winning in 2011 and Ben Curtis taking the claret jug in 2003. But before you look way down the odds list this time around, here are some names with value — but not long shot value — for you to think about.
Jordan Spieth has been one of the best players in the game in 2021, and his last win in a major came at the last British Open that took place in England. He loves the slow greens on this side of the Atlantic Ocean, and the current odds on Spieth have him at double the odds of the current favorite. He has started slowly in his last two tournaments, starting with rounds of 76 and 77, respectively, before rebounding to crack the top 20. If he can start with a solid opening round, he will be right there at the end.
Dustin Johnson came in T2 back in 2011, tied with Phil Mickelson, just behind Clarke. He did hit a 2-iron out of bounds on the 14th hold during the last round, a memory that could still rankle Johnson when he hits the course. He also has not cracked the top five in any tournament since he won the delayed Masters in November 2020. So you could say that he’s due, but you could also say that he’s not peaking yet.
Patrick Reed has saved his best golf for the top tournaments this year. Reed is not a big bomber off the tee, but the firm fairway surface at Royal St. George’s should be forgiving. He won the Masters this year and still offers a considerable amount of value. However, while he has a reputation as a solid player in the wind, he has missed the cut at the British Open more often than he has finished in the top ten.
Xander Schauffele has nine top-ten finishes in 17 major starts. If you see him at a major, he’s likely to be on the leaderboard. However, he has yet to climb to the top of one of those leaderboards. It’s worth noting that Jon Rahm just broke a lengthy major drought with his first at the U.S. Open. Is it time for Schauffele to follow him?
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