7 Favorites For The 2024 Open (And Their Records In Golf's Oldest Major)
Which of this year's Open favorites have the best record in the final men's Major of the season?
Scottie Scheffler heads into the 152nd Open as overwhelming favorite with the bookmakers to win his second Major of the year and third overall.
The World No.1 has six tournament wins already in the US this year, with fellow 2024 Major winners Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau also highly fancied for the Claret Jug.
Rory McIlroy, who was 2nd at the US Open last month to DeChambeau, is second-favorite to win at Troon and he has by far and away the best Open record and the most experience out of all of the top seven favorites.
McIlroy has 14 Open starts in his career including a win and six other top-10s. The favorite with the next-best record is Xander Schauffele, who is yet to miss a cut in golf's oldest Major while also recording a runner-up at Carnoustie in 2018.
The 2021 Champion Golfer of the Year Collin Morikawa is also highly fancied after a strong showing in the Majors so far in 2024, although he has missed the cut in his last two Open appearances.
Take a look at the 7 favorites to win The Open and how their record in the UK Major stands...
Scottie Scheffler - 9/2 (+450)
Scheffler has played in three Opens, with his best finish of T8th coming in his debut at Royal St George's in 2021. He has either wins and runners-up finishes in the other three Majors, so currently The Open is his worst Major - although that certainly doesn't suggest he won't go on and contend this year.
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The World No.1 has made all three cuts in golf's oldest Major and will surely challenge for the Claret Jug this time around.
2021 | T8 |
2022 | T21 |
2023 | T23 |
Rory McIlroy - 9/1 (+900)
Rory McIlroy won the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool in 2014 and so nearly claimed it again at St Andrews in 2022 but for a charging Cameron Smith.
He has plenty of Open experience and a great record so all the signs point to him being able to bounce back from his Pinehurst agony and claim a fifth Major.
He was T5th at Troon in 2016, too.
2007 | T42 (low amateur) |
2009 | T47 |
2010 | T3 |
2011 | T25 |
2012 | T60 |
2013 | MC |
2014 | 1 |
2016 | T5 |
2017 | T4 |
2018 | T2 |
2019 | MC |
2021 | T46 |
2022 | 3 |
2023 | T6 |
Bryson DeChambeau - 14/1 (+1400)
US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau notched his one Open top-10 at St Andrews in 2022. His other five starts in the Major are underwhelming but he is far and away the best player in the three big men's events so far this year.
Can he win the Claret Jug? Definitely.
2017 | MC |
2018 | T51 |
2019 | MC |
2021 | T33 |
2022 | T8 |
2023 | T60 |
Xander Schauffele - 14/1 (+1400)
Xander Schauffele has made the cut in each of the six Opens he's played in, and he may well go on to challenge this year now he has the added confidence of being a Major champion.
The American was T2nd at Carnoustie in 2018 while he has two top-20s over the last two years.
2017 | T20 |
2018 | T2 |
2019 | T41 |
2021 | T26 |
2022 | T15 |
2023 | T17 |
Ludvig Aberg - 18/1 (+1800)
Aberg is among the favorites for the Claret Jug despite having never played in an Open.
His lack of professional experience didn't stop him finishing 2nd in his Masters debut or nearly winning in his first US Open though.
The Swede looks to be a superstar so victory at Troon, and emulating his fellow Swede Henrik Stenson, would not be a huge surprise.
Collin Morikawa - 22/1 (+2200)
Morikawa won The Open in his debut at Royal St George's in 2021 but has gone on to miss the cut in his next two starts.
His game looks very much back to its best this year, though, with T3-T4-T14 finishes in the three Majors in 2024 so he could definitely go on to win a second Claret Jug.
2021 | 1 |
2022 | MC |
2023 | MC |
Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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