After evaluating every player, perusing every stat and considering every scenario, it’s time to narrow down the field from the 156 golfers competing at the 151st Open Championship to the nine who can actually win the golf tournament. This is, of course, a fool’s errand because nobody had Wyndham Clark in their top nine going into the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. Still, it’s a worthy exercise ahead of the year’s final major championship at Royal Liverpool.
The top half or so of this nine was relatively easy, but it gets a lot more difficult after that. Forty different golfers have finished in the top 10 in the last five Open Championships, which is a crazy high percentage when you consider the horses for courses model.
The Open is strange, though, and it brings all types of players into the mix. Look no further than the last Open here at Royal Liverpool back in 2014 when Rory McIlroy won but Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Charl Schwartzel and Marc Leishman all finished inside the top 10. Bombers, flighters, movers of the ball and short hitters were all in contention.
With that in mind, let’s jump in and try to somehow narrow this field down to the only nine who can win. Check out a full slate of 2023 Open odds, some extensive Open expert picks and predictions from our CBS Sports golf team and Kyle Porter’s top storylines entering the Open Championship.
2023 Open predictions, favorites
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
Who will win the Open Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected Open leaderboard, all from the model that has nailed nine golf majors, including this year’s Masters.