2023 British Open: First-Round Leader Odds, Picks & Predictions

Just like that, the final major of the year is upon us. It will be another nine months before we get to crown another major champion after Sunday. Across the pond we go, to Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. The course will play 7,383 yards and par will be 71. But there’s more to it than just covering that yardage this week. Thirty-six fairway bunkers you want no part of, and a steady wind in the teens, along with some sporadic rain and the pressure of competing in a major, will put the field through the wringer this week.

There are plenty of storylines, the least of which is Rory McIlroy, fresh off a victory at the Genesis Scottish Open and still searching for his first major championship since 2014. Oh, and he won the British Open here at Royal Liverpool that same year. While the second-ranked player in the world will most likely be in contention Sunday, we’re more interested in who will be atop the leaderboard Thursday night. Let’s get to the picks.

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2023 British Open Best First-Round Leader Bets

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Tony Finau (55-1)

When you make a “best to not win a major yet” list of players, Tony Finau’s name has to be on it. Of the four majors though, the British Open has been where the Salt Lake City native has played his best. In six appearances, the 33-year-old has finished no lower than T-28 including a third-place finish in 2019 at Royal Portrush. Finau was a shot off the lead in 2018 after one round, and just two back in 2019 so he has a history of starting fast here. Ranked 36th in SG: Off-The-Tee and sixth in SG: Approach, Finau is a threat to be leading Thursday night.

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Min Woo Lee (55-1)

Lee isn’t a household name to most. That’s probably due to the fact the Australian splits time between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. The fourth-year pro has yet to earn full status on the PGA Tour after being granted a special exemption in 2023. Lee sits fifth on the DP World Tour money list though, and finished T-21 here a year ago. The Perth native is in fine form, posting a T-5 at the U.S. Open, followed that with a T-9 at the Travelers Championship, and finished a respectable tie for 35th. Lee fired three 65s in that stretch so he could very well go low Thursday.

Brian Harman (80-1)

This isn’t as sneaky of a pick as it should be. Harman is having a sensational year. The Georgia Bulldog is 18th in the FedEx Cup rankings, has five top-ten finishes in 23 starts, and is on a run of three straight finishes of T-12 or better. Oh, and he fired an opening-round 65 in this tournament just two years ago, on his way to a top-20 showing. The 36-year-old bested that finish last year when he ended the week tied for sixth. Harman is 14th in Driving Accuracy, which is going to be crucial this week, making him a solid play and a steal at this number.

Best of luck and enjoy the final major of the year!