The Open Championship: Best Bets, Course Info, and Key Stats

The golf world turns to Royal Troon this week for the 152nd Open Championship, the final men's major of the year.

This is the 10th time Troon is hosting -- but just the second time since 2005.

How can you bet this week's event?

Here's all you need to know.

All golf odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

The Open Championship Event Info

• Recent Winning Scores (Overall): -13, -20, -15, -15, -8
• Recent Winning Scores (Royal Troon): -20, -10, -12

Royal Troon Course Info

Data from GCSAA, PGA Tour, and data golf's course table unless otherwise noted.

• Par: 71
• Distance: 7,385 yards (around 80 yards longer than the average par 71)
• Average Fairway Width: N/A
• Average Green Size: N/A
• Green Type: N/A
• Stimpmeter: N/A

In addition to lacking a lot of general course data this week, we also have no ShotLink information from any of the Open Championships at Royal Troon.

Most recently, the Open has been held at Troon in 2016. Before that, it was held in 2004 and 1997 to give the course three majors since 1990.

In 2016, Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson battled it out in one of the most memorable majors in recent history. Stenson won at -20 with Mickelson (-17) clearing the rest of the field by 11 strokes.

In 2004, Todd Hamilton beat Ernie Els in a playoff in what was Hamilton's second ever PGA Tour or major win. He'd never win another.

In 1997, Justin Leonard won by three shots at -12.

As far as the course breakdown goes, there is a mix of long and short holes. There's a 123-yard par 3 and three sub-400-yard par 4s -- plus another short par 4.

The length is added back in with most of the other holes, which are average or longer than usual. This specifically includes two long par 3s over 220 yards and a pair of 500-yard par 4s.

Royal Troon Course Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Approach
• Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
• Strokes Gained: Around the Green
• Strokes Gained: Putting
• Open Championship History

Yes, that's all four strokes gained stats, but it's a major, and the course doesn't necessarily favor any particular archetype.

The Open Championship Best Bets

These picks stand out relative to their FanDuel Sportsbook golf betting odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats cited below originate at datagolf and reference ranks relative to the field over the past 50 rounds unless otherwise noted.

Ludvig Aberg

• Odds To Win the Open Championship (+1600)
• To Finish Top 10 (+180)

Ludvig Aberg nearly got a big win last week at the Genesis Scottish Open (he finished T4). This week, he sets up as a second-tier favorite in what will be his first Open Championship start.

His major history is short but includes a solo 2nd at the Masters, a missed cut at the PGA Championship, and a T12 at the U.S. Open.

Aberg, entering this week, ranks top-13 in strokes gained: off the tee (6th), approach (10th), and putting (13th) the last 50 rounds among this field.

He'll have his around-the-green game tested (64th), and he has lost strokes in that category in all three majors, but he's gained in the others in all three.

He has the game to get it done this week.

Tommy Fleetwood

• To Win (+2500)
• To Finish Top 10 (+250)
• To Finish Top 20 (+110)

I'm okay to go back to Fleetwood this week for a few reasons.

One big one is that he just largely plays well in majors and is also successful in Open Championships in particular.

That includes a T12 at the 2018 Open Championship, followed up by finishes of 2nd, T33, T4, and T10 at Opens.

Fleetwood enters this week with 11 straight made cuts and a top-26 finish or better in all three majors this season: T3 at the Masters, T26 at the PGA Championship, and T16 at the U.S. Open.

He has a good all-around game, which is a solid profile archetype for me this week.

Tom Kim

• To Win (+5000)
• To Finish Top 10 (+400)
• To Finish Top 20 (+180)

Tom Kim was T2 last year at the Open after a T47 in his championship debut. We've also seen him finish 3rd, T6, and T15 at the Genesis Scottish Open in three years. Something about this type of golf works for him.

Kim's current form is also looking strong, as he has gained strokes from approach play in four of his past five events and ranks 35th in that stat over the last 50 rounds.

Kim's shorter history -- the last 20 rounds -- has him 11th in that stat.

Speaking of major history and iron play, Kim has gained strokes with his approach play in each of the last eight majors he's played.

Another golfer who doesn't excel in anything in particular (aside from maybe accuracy), Tom Kim has a game that can translate to any majors that don't have a baked-in distance prerequisite.

Sahith Theegala

• To Win (+6500)
• To Finish Top 10 (+500)
• To Finish Top 20 (+220)

Theegala missed the cut at the Open last year after a T34 in 2022, but he's fresh off of a T4 at the Genesis Scottish Open while gaining a lot of strokes in the short game area. Typically, I shy away from that, but this is a bit of a different week where around-the-green play matters a decent amount (because everything looks like it'll matter).

Theegala has finished T45 at the Masters, T12 at the PGA Championship, and T32 at the U.S. Open this year. He's actually made the cut in seven of his last eight majors, missing only at last year's Open when the irons went frigid.

Sahith is 18th in strokes gained: off the tee with balanced distance and accuracy, and he's 18th in strokes gained: putting in that span, too.

He's lively for a win but makes more sense as a finishing position target.

Aaron Rai

• To Finish Top 20 (+210)

Aaron Rai is playing some great golf.

He finished T4 last week at the Genesis Scottish Open after a T7 at the John Deere Classic, and a T2 at the Rocket Mortgage.

He now has five straight top-20 finishes and eight straight made cuts.

He's also done some work in majors: a T19 at the U.S. Open and a T39 at the PGA Championship, his only two majors so far this season.

Rai enters 20th in approach, 33rd around the green, and 27th in putting over the last 50 rounds. That's a really interesting profile.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.