6 LIV Golfers Worth Backing At The Open

The best bets for LIV Golfers at The Open

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 12 July 2024

There are 17 LIV Golfers who will be teeing it up at The Open Championship, but who are the ones worth backing to challenge for the Claret Jug?

It's the biggest group of players from the team golf tour to have made a Major this year, with 13 playing in The Masters and US Open and 16 taking part in the PGA Championship.

Eight of the LIV contingent have won a Major and four are Open champions - including Henrik Stenson who claimed the Claret Jug at Royal Troon back in 2016 following an epic duel against fellow LIV golfer Phil Mickelson.

While those two aren't among the bookies favourites, 2022 champion Cameron Smith is always a danger in links golf, Brooks Koepka is always a danger in any Major - and nobody has played better in the big ones this year than Bryson DeChambeau.

So who is worth backing at Royal Troon at The Open this week?

Bryson DeChambeau - 14/1

Bryson DeChambeau with the US Open trophy

His price of 14/1 seems a touch generous considering Bryson DeChambeau has been the best player in the Majors this year by some distance.

It was desperately disappointing for Rory McIlroy but after hitting that sensational bunker shot on the 72nd hole DeChambeau fully deserved his second US Open triumph at Pinehurst No.2 last month.

Runner-up at the PGA Championship and T6 at The Masters, DeChambeau has continually been a threat and a T8 in The Open a couple of years ago shows he can also do it in links golf.

There's only McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler ahead of him in the betting market but he should really be right there with them as the main Major man this year - so looks a standout value at this price.

Jon Rahm - 25/1

The second favourite of the LIV Golf crew, Jon Rahm has had a torrid time in Majors this year, with a T45 in his Masters defence, a missed cut at the PGA Championship and a missed tournament at the US Open thanks to that dodgy foot.

He was runner-up behind Brian Harman last year though and T3 in 2021 so has strong Open form, and in LIV he's had top 10s in every event he's played in despite not winning so there's some good stuff in there.

If he can translate that back into the Majors then he could be a steal of an each-way pick even if you don't fancy him to go all the way.

Tyrrell Hatton - 30/1

Does Tyrrell Hatton have what it takes to be a Major winner? The jury's still out as he looks to have the game but has just one top-five finish in 37 Majors played.

Perhaps he flatters to deceive a bit but he's grabbed a recent LIV Golf victory, which will do wonders, and he's top three in both birdies and putting on that tour so could this finally be his breakthrough?

He is a two-time winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links so does have form by the seaside even if not in the same league as this.

Cameron Smith - 40/1

Cameron Smith of Australia celebrates with The Claret Jug in celebration of victory on the eighteenth green during Day Four of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course

It's tough to rule out a five-time Major winner such as Brooks Koepka, but he's just looked off this year and at around the same price I'd much rather back former Open champion Cameron Smith.

He's not backed up his T6 at The Masters this year but a return to links golf should suit and he remains the best putter on LIV Golf and one of the best in the world on the greens.

In general his short game is magnificent when it's on so at a big price the Australian could give us a nice run for our money.

Abraham Ancer - 150/1

Abraham Ancer with the PIF Saudi International trophy

We're into the big prices here, and while Joaquin Niemann is a fine player, he's 50/1 and at three times the price Abraham Ancer could be much better value.

He's a fine player himself and with two Major top-10s to his name he has two more than Niemann has managed so far in his career.

Ancer won a LIV event in Hong Kong this year and he came through Final Qualifying at Burnham & Berrow to book his spot in a sixth consecutive Open, with that links golf form invaluable.

It's also his only Major this year after missing out on the other three so he'll be fired up to show what he can do - the Mexican could easily surprise a few.

Dean Burmester - 150/1

Dean Burmester with the LIV Golf Miami trophy

Big-hitting South African Dean Burmester knows how to win tournaments and also how to compete in the Majors - backing up consecutive wins last year and a LIV title in April with an eye-catching T12 at the PGA Championship.

This is his third Open with a T11 in his last in 2022 showing he can handle links golf and his length will come in very handy if he can ensure his accuracy is on point.

Don't rule him out from bombing his way around Troon and making a run.

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.