Scheffler Favorite at +680 as Europeans Draw Open Bets — SkimNews
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- Scottie Scheffler is the +680 favorite at DraftKings for the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, his longest odds to win a major since the 2023 Open when he was a +700 co-favorite with Rory McIlroy.
- Matt Fitzpatrick is the largest liability at BetMGM heading into the tournament and has attracted the most tickets at Caesars, where his odds have shortened to 10-1 from his +1750 overall price.
- Tom Kim opened at 150-1 for the Open after winning the Scottish Open on Sunday following a third-place U.S. Open finish, and his odds have already shortened to 55-1 at DraftKings.
- DraftKings Sportsbook director Johnny Avello said his team adjusted Scheffler's odds after his missed cut at the Scottish Open — his first in nearly four years — while also factoring heavy action on European players.
- One DraftKings bettor won more than $4 million on a $47,700 wager on Kim at 84-1 to win the Scottish Open, the kind of payout bookmakers cited when explaining why they've shortened Kim's Open odds.
- Royal Birkdale is expected to play abnormally fast, firm and dry, and Caesars golf lead Anthony Salleroli said his shop is taking a "wait-and-see" approach on conditions and manual watering before shifting prices further.
- Other notable liabilities across European books include McIlroy (+830), Tommy Fleetwood (+1750), Jon Rahm (+1950), Viktor Hovland (34-1), Robert MacIntyre (35-1), Tyrrell Hatton (38-1) and Justin Rose (41-1).
Why it matters: Scheffler's +680 price — his longest major favorite line in three years — combined with Caesars and BetMGM flagging Fitzpatrick as their biggest liability shows the market views this Open as genuinely open rather than a Scheffler procession, which matters for anyone pricing exposure on the field. With $4.7 million already changing hands on Kim at DraftKings and books explicitly hesitating to move further on fast, dry Royal Birkdale conditions, odds are likely to keep compressing on in-form Europeans through Thursday.
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