The PGA Championship used to be coined "Glory's Last Shot," but that moniker now belongs to The Open -- the final major of the year -- as the Claret Jug travels to Royal Liverpool for the first time since 2014. In a season where big names have made big runs, the 2023 Open represents one final opportunity for players to add a major chapter to their storybook careers before the season concludes.
All eyes will be on world No. 2 and 2014 Champion Golfer of the Year Rory McIlroy as he attempts to capture major No. 5. Surpassed by Brooks Koepka at the PGA Championship, McIlroy arrives off a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open and a victory at the Scottish Open in North Berwick.
McIlroy upended Scotland's own Robert MacIntyre for his 24th career victory, and this week, the hometown crowd will belong to Tommy Fleetwood, who grew up 30 minutes outside Hoylake, England. A holders of numerous major championship scoring records, the Englishman looks to break through for his first in front of friends and family.
Each time Koepka tees it up in a major championship, there is a legitimate chance of new history being written. The PGA Champion eyes No. 6, and should he convert, a green jacket would be the lone piece of clothing missing from a grand slam wardrobe. Jon Rahm would capture his third leg of the career grand slam with a win at Hoylake, while world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler would put a bow on an all-time tee-to-green season by raising the Claret Jug.
Below is an all-inclusive rooting guide for the 2023 Open. Here's a look at the nine golfers who stand out the most, along their odds to win provided by Caesars Sportsbook.
2023 Open Championship odds to win
| 1 | |
| Nine. It's the elephant in the room at this point as the 34-year-old has gone nearly a decade without raising a major trophy. He returns to the site of his third this week with a wave of momentum at his back. Finally claiming a close tournament on Sunday, McIlroy became the heartbreaker at the Scottish Open and should relish the opportunity to avenge last year's Open at St. Andrews where he entered the final nine with the lead. He's confident, in form and ready to come through with clutch putts on Sunday. Odds: 21/4 | |
| 2 | |
| Eight. Koepka can become just the eighth golfer ever to have multiple seasons of multiple major championship wins joining Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Gene Sarazen and Tom Watson should he raise the Claret Jug. Since the start of 2017, Koepka is 80 under in major championships and 21 strokes clear of his nearest competitor. Having come up on the Challenge Tour, Koepka is more than comfortable in these parts as shown by four top-10 finishes in his last six Opens. A win this week means both he and McIlroy would head to Augusta National next April with the grand slam on the line. Odds: 18-1 | |
| 3 | |
| Sixteen. That is the number of top-10 finishes in major championships Johnson has compiled since the start of 2015 putting him behind only McIlroy and Koepka. He has collected his two major titles during this span, but that haul feels light for a player of his talent. He has had his chances at this championship, namely his runner-up result to Darren Clarke in 2011 at Royal St. George's, and he appears to have a renewed confidence level on links golf courses. Contending over the weekend at St. Andrews and also finishing inside the top 10 in 2021, Johnson should like his chances following three straight top-10 finishes one of which came at the U.S. Open. Like Koepka, a win means Johnson heads into 2024 with just one major (the PGA Championship) missing from his mantle. Odds: 30-1 | |
| 4 | |
| Eighteen. That is the number of consecutive top-12 finishes Scheffler has on the PGA Tour, good for the longest streak in more than 40 years. The world No. 1 is the only player to finish inside the top 10 in the year's first three majors and has done so in nine out of his last 13 majors. Since the start of 2020, Scheffler is 62 under in major championships and 27 strokes better than any other golfer in that span. He is on pace to have the lowest scoring average and most strokes gained since Tiger Woods in 2009, plus the most strokes gained tee to green since Tiger in 2006. He has finished inside the top three in strokes gained tee to green in each major and outside the top 30 in strokes gained putting. Scheffler's season has been too good to end without major No. 2. Odds: 15/2 | |
| 5 | |
| Five. That is the number of major championships for which Fowler failed to qualify from 2021-22. Over the past month, Fowler has finished T5 at the U.S. Open where he set an all-time major scoring record, shot 60 at the Travelers Championship and won the Rocket Mortgage Classic for his first victory in four years. He was paired with McIlroy in the final group the last time The Open traveled to Hoylake in 2014, and nine years later, it is crazy to think the same final pairing wouldn't be all that crazy. That same year Fowler, finished inside the top five in each major championships -- something only Nicklaus, Woods, Koepka and Jordan Spieth have accomplished. Of those players, Fowler remains the only one without a major title. Odds: 12-1 | |
| 6 | |
| Four. Despite not winning since April, Rahm still has twice as many PGA Tour wins (four) as any other golfer (two) this season. He was the only top-10 player to not participate in the Scottish Open and arrives at The Open having missed the cut at the Travelers Championship -- his first since September 2021. With a victory, Rahm would pull ahead of Jose Maria Olazabal for second-most major victories among Spaniards and can become the first from his country to win multiple in one season. He too would join the grand slam chase in 2024 should he claim The Open. Odds: 12-1 | |
| 7 | |
| Ten. Smith can become the 10th golfer in the last 100 years to successfully retain the Champion Golfer of the Year title should he once again raise the Claret Jug. The Australian represents the best chance for a defender in quite some time and would be the first since Padraig Harrington in 2007-08. He arrives with eight straight top-12 finishes under his belt, including top-10 results at the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open. Oh, by the way, the 29-year-old won in his outing at LIV Golf London. Odds: 15-1 | |
| 8 | |
| Three. That is the number of top-five finishes in major championships Fleetwood has the past two years trailing only Scheffler and McIlroy. He recently claimed the all-time PGA Tour record for most career earnings (roughly $19 million) among players without a victory. A product of Southport, England, Fleetwood's name will be atop fan's lips at Hoylake but will need to do better to play himself into the mix come Sunday. Should he be successful, he would be the first Englishman to win The Open since Nick Faldo in 1992. Odds: 15-1 | |
| 9 | |
| Nine. Spieth has made all nine cuts in The Open since his debut appearance in 2013. During this time, the 2017 champion ranks first in score to par at 46 under, first in made cuts (nine), tied for first for top-10 finishes (five) and tied for first with wins (one). Should another chance slide by, it will be six years without a major trophy for the man who claimed three in his first 18 starts as a professional. Links golf has always been Spieth's calling card, but his missed cut at the Scottish Open could be cause for concern. Odds: 30-1 | |
Who will win the Open Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected Open leaderboard, all from the model that has nailed nine golf majors, including this year's Masters.
