Here's everything you need to know about 2024 British Open first-round leader picks — including our expert's three FRL bets for this week's major championship in Troon, Scotland.
With the Genesis Scottish Open in the rear-view mirror, we now look forward to this week's 2024 British Open. Royal Troon Golf Club hosts for the first time since 2016.
Royal Troon is a par-71, 7,385-yard track that can play extremely difficult, with the front nine playing alongside a windy shoreline while the back nine features an abundance of difficult gorse bushes, wispy rough and bunkers to navigate.
The name of the game is ball-striking this week, with an emphasis on accuracy both off the tee and on approach.
Find my 2024 British Open first-round leader picks below, including a FRL bet for Tony Finau.
2024 British Open First-Round Leader Picks (FRL)
Collin Morikawa +3300 (BetRivers | 0.15 Units)
Thursday Tee Time: 9:48 a.m. ET
There was no question in my mind that Collin Morikawa was going to find my betting card this week, and at 33/-1, I think the FRL market provides the most value for several reasons.
First, Morikawa ranks second on the PGA Tour this season in First Round Scoring Average, only trailing Scottie Scheffler.
Second, Morikawa has been thriving all season but still has not secured a victory. He is starting tournaments in a dominating fashion but has faltered when the pressure ramps up on Sunday, which is a key reason why I prefer him in this market over the outright one.
Finally, he profiles well for this course. Morikawa is a highly accurate ball-striker who knows how to navigate links style courses.
He is also a two-time major champion, including his 2021 Open Championship victory at Royal St. George's, so it's not like he can't compete at these types of venues against this level of competition.
Tony Finau +6000 (BetRivers | 0.15 Units)
Thursday Tee Time: 4:25 a.m. ET
Like Morikawa, Tony Finau is a golfer with an enormously high ceiling but has struggled to close out tournaments this season. Finau has made the weekend in nine consecutive tournaments with four top-eight finishes over that stretch, including his third-place finish at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst N0. 2.
That major championship performance proved that he has no issue competing in major championships, and he should be confident heading to Royal Troon this week. He also ranks 12th on Tour this season in First Round Scoring Average, which is another reason to like Finau in this market.
Alex Noren +8000 (bet365 | 0.15 Units)
Thursday Tee Time: 1:46 a.m. ET
Alex Noren has never won on the PGA Tour, and I don't think that breakthrough is there for him this week at The Open Championship, but I do believe that his floor is high enough that he can compete during Thursday's opening round. He ranks sixth on Tour this season in First Round Scoring Average and has made the weekend in 19 of his past 22 tournaments.
Noren boasts 14 top-25 finishes over that stretch, the majority of which occurred due to his accurate ball-striking both off the tee and on the approach. He profiles well for the FRL market at this venue, which is why I'm taking the flier on him at 80-1.
Here's my full betting card for the 2024 Open Championship, and you can find more of my thoughts on this week's tournament on the Links + Locks Best Bets podcast:
- Scottie Scheffler Outright Winner (+500 at BetMGM) – 0.3 Units
- Bryson DeChambeau Outright Winner (+1600 at BetRivers) – 0.3 Units
- Corey Conners Outright Winner (+8000 at bet365) – 0.3 Units
- Rasmus Hojgaard Outright Winner (+17500 at bet365) – 0.3 Units
- Austin Eckroat Top 20 (+700 at bet365) – 0.24 Units
- Romain Langasque Top 20 (+750 at BetRivers) – 0.23 Units
- Collin Morikawa FRL (+3300 at BetRivers) – 0.15 Units
- Tony Finau FRL (+6000 at BetRivers) – 0.15 Units
- Alex Noren FRL (+8000 at bet365) – 0.15 Units
