British Open predictions: Odds, picks, long shots for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale

Played on coastal links courses across the pond, golf’s oldest major is defined by unpredictability.No tournament on the calendar is more vulnerable to the whims of the weather, making the race for the Claret Jug as volatile as any event in the sport.That volatility has produced its share of surprise champions.

Six of the last 16 Open winners teed off at odds of 80/1 or longer, including Brian Harman, who stunned the field as a 125/1 long shot in 2023.Of course, plenty of favorites have lifted the Claret Jug over that stretch, too, so separating contenders from pretenders is all about identifying players whose games fit the conditions.Before we get to the picks, here’s a quick look at the course and the forecast.Royal Birkdale, perched on the coast of the Irish Sea, hosts this year’s championship.Like every Open venue, it is at the mercy of Mother Nature, but few courses are exposed to the elements quite like this iconic layout in Merseyside.

With little shelter from the coastal winds, conditions can change in an instant.However, the early forecast looks relatively tame, with only occasional 15-mph gusts expected.The last time that Royal Birkdale hosted the tournament was in 2017 when Jordan Spieth won at 12-under par.

That leaderboard produced a few surprising names, including third-place finisher Haotong Li and an unheralded Englishman (we’re foreshadowing here) who finished T6.Now, let’s get to the betting card, as we look to build on our momentum after nailing Tom Kim at 85/1 last week at the Scottish Open.Cameron Young (33/1, FanDuel) & Viktor Hovland (34/1, DraftKings)Two picks for the price of one among the headliners this week.Cameron Young was the best golfer in the world for the first half of the season, but his cold snap since winning the Cadillac Championship at the end of April has caused his odds to tumble a bit.

That’s good news for us, as we get a solid price on a player who has a runner-up and a T8 in four trips to the British Op...