British Open

Odds to Win Tournament

Golfer	Odds
Tiger Woods	7-to-1
Phil Mickelson	18-to-1
Justin Rose	22-to-1
Jason Day	25-to-1
Adam Scott	25-to-1
Rory McIlroy	25-to-1
Luke Donald	28-to-1
Lee Westwood	28-to-1
Ernie Els	28-to-1
Graeme McDowell	28-to-1
Sergio Garcia	30-to-1
Brandt Snedeker	35-to-1
Dustin Johnson	40-to-1
Ian Poulter	45-to-1
Charl Schwartzel	45-to-1
Matt Kuchar	45-to-1
Jason Dufner	45-to-1
Henrik Stenson	45-to-1
Rickie Fowler	50-to-1
Thomas Bjorn	50-to-1
Nicolas Colsaerts	50-to-1
Louis Oosthuizen	55-to-1
Hunter Mahan	55-to-1
Webb Simpson	60-to-1
Martin Kaymer	60-to-1
Padraig Harrington	60-to-1
Branden Grace	60-to-1
Zach Johnson	60-to-1
Matteo Manassero	60-to-1
Keegan Bradley	65-to-1
Bubba Watson	65-to-1
Nick Watney	80-to-1
Bill Haas	80-to-1
Francesco Molinari	85-to-1
Billy Horschel	85-to-1
Jim Furyk	85-to-1
6 golfers	100-to-1
10 golfers	125-to-1
7 golfers	150-to-1
13 golfers	200-to-1
8 golfers	250-to-1
9 golfers	300-to-1
Tom Watson	400-to-1
Thaworn Wiratchant	500-to-1
4 golfers	1,000-to-1
FIELD (Any other golfer)	12-to-1

The Open Championship returns to Muirfield for the first time in more than a decade. That makes Ernie Els not only the defending champion, but also the last winner to take home the Claret Jug on this course (in 2002). Non-U.S. born players have won the last four Open Championships, as well as six of the past seven. With that in mind, here’s a look at this week’s Best Bets…

Justin Rose (22/1): The U.S. Open champion had three top-15 finishes in his three June starts (going T8 at the Memorial and T13 at the Travelers). The U.S. Open win was a breakthrough as his first major title, and Rose is the best British hope for a victory at Muirfield.

Tiger Woods (7/1): Though he hasn’t captured the Claret Jug since 2006, the three-time British Open champion is once again on top of his game. He was in the hunt at Royal Lytham & St. Annes last year, settling for a T3 finish. And, as it was during his last British win seven years ago, he’s head and shoulders better than any other golfer in the world.

Ernie Els (28/1): Els has lacked week-to-week consistency in 2013, but he’s had his moments. Although he missed the cut at last week’s Scottish Open, prior to that he went wire-to-wire at the BMW International in Munich, finished T4 at the U.S. Open, and placed T6 at the BMW PGA Championship. The defending champ also won the Open Championship the last time it was held at Muirfield, in 2002, and he’s finished top-15 in four of his past five majors.

Graeme McDowell (28/1): He’s coming off a win at the French Open, and McDowell was right in the thick of things at Royal Lytham & St. Annes last year, when he entered the final day tied for second before slipping to a T5 finish. He missed the cut at the year’s first two majors, but he has a U.S. Open win under his belt (2010) and he finished no worse than T12 in last year’s four majors.

Matteo Manassero (60/1): The 20-year-old Italian continues to blossom into one of the world’s best golfers. He won the BMW PGA Championship in May and sits behind only Rose and McDowell on the European Tour money list. He finished T13 as an amateur at Turnberry in 2009, and considering teenager Jordan Spieth’s victory at the John Deere Classic this past weekend, Manassero can’t be counted out.