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Open Championship predictions: In-form Gotterup can take Major step forward

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James MasonJames Mason
James Mason has three selections for this week's Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, headlined by American Chris Gotterup.
Chris Gotterup is among the candidates to win the Open this summer
Chris Gotterup is among the candidates to win the Open this summer
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The final Major of the season begins on Thursday with a star-studded field descending upon Royal Birkdale in Southport, Merseyside for the 154th Open Championship.

World number one Scottie Scheffler is the 15/2 favourite with LiveScore Bet to successfully defend the title he won for the first time last year, but his preparations did not go to plan following a missed cut at the Scottish Open and he will need to pick himself up quickly.

Rory McIlroy is 17/2 to claim his first Claret Jug since 2014, while Matt Fitzpatrick is priced at 14/1 and Tommy Fleetwood, whose home club is just four miles down the road from Birkdale, is available at 16/1.

The latest Open Championship odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Gotterup to make Major breakthrough

Links golf is a test like no other and if there is a part of a golfer's game which is not up to scratch, it will be found out in this environment.

Obviously, it pays to be in good nick heading into the tournament and it is hard to ignore the chances of Chris Gotterup.

The world number six landed his third title of the year at the John Deere Classic two starts ago and he followed that up with a tied-11th finish on his Scottish Open title defence last week.

Gotterup ranked eighth in strokes gained off the tee at the Renaissance Club, which is pleasing given Birkdale is one of the toughest driving courses around, while he was 16th in greens in regulation.

The 26-year-old American was third on his Open debut last year, that effort coming after his Scottish Open win, and he can take the positives from another solid showing in Scotland into this event in Southport.

Back Chris Gotterup to win and each-way at 28/1 with LiveScore Bet

MacIntyre to land the Claret Jug?

Robert MacIntyre knows all about links golf having grown up in Scotland and he has had some strong showings in the Open, finishing tied sixth on debut in 2019, tied eighth in 2021 and sharing seventh position last year.

The 29-year-old has the 2024 Scottish Open and 2025 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on his CV, further evidence of his affinity for links golf, and he warmed up for this trip to Birkdale with a tied-third effort at the Renaissance Club.

MacIntyre topped the greens in regulation statistics last week, highlighting how sharp his approach play is, while his ranking of fourth in putting average on the PGA Tour this season shows his short game is in fine shape too.

Back Robert MacIntyre to win and each-way at 33/1 with LiveScore Bet

Noren a lively outsider

Further down the betting is Alex Noren, who started off last week's Scottish Open with a promising round of 69 before a score of 75 on Friday ended his hopes of making the weekend.

While disappointing not to have made the cut, the Swede has strong links form and his best Major finishes have come in the Open, with a tied-ninth effort in 2012 and a tied sixth in 2017, the last time Birkdale hosted the Open.

The 44-year-old was also tied-19th at this course in 2008 and if he can rediscover the form which helped deliver top 10s at the Cadillac Championship and Memorial Tournament this year, then he could get into the mix at a big price.

Back Alex Noren to win and each-way at 125/1 with LiveScore Bet

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Open Championship predictions: In-form Gotterup can take Major step forward