The “Champion Golfer of the Year” will be crowned this weekend at the 154th British Open Championship. The oldest golf tournament in the world heads to Royal Birkdale Golf Club in northwest England for the 11th time.

Previous Open winners at Birkdale include Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and, most recently, Jordan Spieth in 2017 — despite this!

But I digress…

What is “Links” golf? 

Links golf is a popular buzzword North Americans throw around when discussing the game across the pond. Think big pot bunkers, heavy winds and a ton of natural slopes and hills to navigate — which is all true! But what does it actually mean? 

Per Golf.com, “links” is derived from the Old English word “hlinc”, which describes what is essentially non-arable land along the coast due to the sand underneath the soil.

While such land wasn’t useful for farming, golf’s founders found it very useful for sport, transforming the uneven coastlands into the courses that would shape the game we know and love today. With a lack of trees and ocean winds in abundance, players need to excel at controlling their ball flight and using the elements to their advantage, which is precisely what every player will be looking to do this week. 

The holes that will define The Open

Hole 5: Par-4, 321 yards

To a high-handicap golfer this looks like the kind of yardage you’d find at your local muni, which should tell you all you need to know about how the pros will be licking their chops to play the 5th.

This hole played below par all four days of the 2017 Open, and you can expect daring bombers like Rory McIlroy and John Rahm to be thinking bigger than birdie when they step up to the tee. For anyone with aspirations of winning this week, anything worse than a birdie will feel like a missed opportunity. And for those playing catch-up on Sunday, expect to see the big twigs come out of the bag as they look to shave a quick two strokes off their card.

Hole 6: Par-4, 514 yards

Immediately following the fun at the fifth is a much stiffer test, with nearly 200 more yards of distance for the exact same target score (seems kind of cruel!).

After a narrow tee shot that threatens elements on both sides of the fairway and a massive bunker on the left, golfers will then tackle an approach shot into a sloped green littered with pot bunkers at the front and a menacing hill of fescue at the back. To no one’s surprise, this one played above par all four days in 2017 and, in contrast to No. 5, a par will often feel just as good as a birdie as players walk to the 7th tee.

Hole 17: Par-5, 566 yards

With Hole 18 being a stiff, 508-yard Par-4 test, those with Major aspirations will certainly feel the need to make the most of the final strong scoring opportunity at Royal Birkdale.

Those who hit the narrow fairway will have a long approach shot into a smaller green. If they can control their ball flight through that windy approach, a great putt will be rewarded handsomely. Jordan Spieth made birdie here twice in 2017, including in the final round to cap off an incredible 5-under stretch from 14 through 17 that ultimately earned him the Open Championship. I would expect this weekend’s winner to do something similar.

For the sickos out there who remember Spieth’s win in 2017 and want to know how the course has changed for 2026, none other than Sir Nick Faldo has you covered.

Key British Open Championship betting statistics

Royal Birkdale will demand players to get off the tee and onto the green through treacherous conditions, but will also require a deft touch when a hole goes off-course. As such, we’ll focus on three key stats this week to model out our prediction:

  1. Driving Accuracy Percentage (DA%) Royal Birkdale is one of the shorter courses on the schedule this year but, as with any links course, missing the fairway will be detrimental to any golfer’s ability to score. 
  2. Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (SG:APP) The most important metric in golf betting week in and week out.
  3. Scrambling (SCR) For those unable to hit the green in regulation, navigating the coastal terrain and getting up and down will be crucial to keeping pace.

With these metrics in mind, let’s identify the players who are Top-40 in all three categories, as well as those who are Top-10 in at least two. All data is as of the completion of this past weekend’s Scottish Open.

Top-40 in all

  • Matt Fitzpatrick: T-9 in DA%, 1st in SG:APP, 25th in SCR
  • Scottie Scheffler: 23rd in DA%, 13th in SG:APP, 4th in SCR
  • Tom Kim: 29th in DA%, 5th in SG:APP, T-1 in SCR

Top-10 in at least two

  • Russell Henley: 1st in DA%, 54th in SG:APP, 3rd in SCR
  • Si Woo Kim: 3rd in DA%, 3rd in SG:APP, 66th in SCR
  • Collin Morikawa: 5th in DA%, 2nd in SG:APP, 125th in SCR
  • Tommy Fleetwood: 6th in DA%, 42nd in SG:APP, T1st in SCR

However, determining who will win cannot be done simply by looking at statistics primarily gathered on U.S. courses, this is links golf after all! For starters, a strong performance last week at the Scottish Open is a great indicator of potential success. Our past four Open Championship winners finished at least T-15

YEARPLAYERFINISH
2025Scottie SchefflerT-8
2024Xander SchauffeleT-15
2023Brian HarmanT-12
2022Cam SmithT-10

The 2026 leaderboard featured a few of the names highlighted above, with Scheffler’s rare missed cut making him a notable omission:

  • Tom Kim (winner)
  • Matt Fitzpatrick (T-3)
  • Si Woo Kim (T-9)
  • Tommy Fleetwood (T-13)

But again, one good week on a links course does not make a links golfer. Previous success at The Open itself is also a great indicator, and one of the four above (Si Woo Kim) has finished in the Top 20 just once in seven attempts, missing the cut in four. 

Tom Kim is the least experienced of the quartet with just four appearances, but he did finish T-2 in 2023 and has made the cut twice. UK natives Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood are seasoned veterans, with 8/10 and 7/11 cuts made, respectively.

How to bet on the 2026 British Open

  1. Log in or register at ToonieBet.
  2. Navigate to the sports betting page > golf > The Open Championship 2026.
  3. Pick outrights, props, build a parlay or bet live.

How to live bet the 2026 British Open

  1. Navigate to the live sports page.
  2. Bet who will win outright, who will win the round and more.
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British Open Championship best bets

Deciding between Fitzpatrick and Fleetwood is difficult, but luckily we don’t necessarily have to. Those two have the joint third-shortest odds on the board (+1400) this week behind Scheffler and McIlroy. If you’re like me and can’t choose between the two, we can take a different approach.

To avoid the potential FOMO of picking the wrong winner, I recommend heading over to ToonieBet’s The Open Championship 2026 – Winner – Double Chance market, where we can land on a bet of either to win at similar odds to Scheffler and McIlroy.

By doing so, you’re getting the two golfers with the best mix of skill, fit and experience packaged together for the price of one Scheffler or McIlroy — a “buy one, get one” of sorts you’d typically only find on your favourite delivery app. For those who are less concerned with experience and are happy to back some longer shots, I also believe the Kims (Tom and Si Woo) are absolutely worth a sprinkle.

Best Bet

  • Matt Fitzpatrick or Tommy Fleetwood to win, +700.

Longshots

  • Tom Kim to win, +4000
  • Si Woo Kim to win, +4000

Best of luck, and enjoy the (extra early) golf!

Looking to place some bets on the The Open, but not sure where to start?

This article walks you through the sportsbook, explaining odds, terms, bet types, tactics and more. Consider it your sports betting course guide.

Feature image courtesy AP Photo/Jon Super via Canadian Press Images.
Stats courtesy pgatour.com.

British Open Championship FAQ

1 How many Open Championships have there been?

This year marks the 154th Open Championship.

2 Where is the British Open being played in 2026?

The tournament is being played at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in England.

3 When is The Open Championship this year?

The tournament will be played from July 16 to 19, 2026.

4 Who is the defending Open champion?

Scottie Scheffler won in 2025 at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

5 Who has won the most Open Championships?

Harry Vardon won six times (1896, 1888, 1889, 1903, 1911, 1914).

In modern times, Peter Thomson (1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965) and Tom Watson (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983) have five victories.

6 How can I watch the 2026 British Open in Canada?

TSN is the primary broadcast home for live coverage across all four rounds. TSN+ is the streaming companion, with featured groups, multi-camera feeds and early-morning coverage. CTV will also broadcast Rounds 3 and 4.

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