The Open betting tips: First round preview
19 Jul
Golf
Betway Insider
Our three best bets for the opening round at Royal Liverpool include a first-round leader and two players to win their 3 Balls.

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The 151st Open Championship begins on Thursday morning and we have picked out some betting suggestions for the opening round at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

A total of 156 players will battle it out over the first two rounds before the cut is made, and it promises to be another fascinating battle for the coveted Claret Jug.

With some bad weather forecast across the tournament - the worst of which is expected over the weekend - being able to handle the tough conditions and have great course management will be crucial to success.

Corey Conners - 1st Round Leader 66/1

Canadian Corey Conners arrives at Hoylake on the back of a solid tied-19th finish at last week's Scottish Open and the way he ended that tournament in North Berwick makes him a prime pick to be first-round leader on Thursday.

The 31-year-old carded a four-under-par 66 in tough conditions to round off his work at The Renaissance Club - only Scotland's Robert MacIntyre managed to post a lower score on Sunday - and he can keep that momentum going.

If the wind does pick up at Royal Liverpool GC then Conners should have no issues adapting his game, given the fact he is a two-time Texas Open winner - the second of those victories coming in April this year.

Matthew Jordan to win his 3 Ball (06:35) 13/8

Englishman Matthew Jordan has been a member at Royal Liverpool since a young age and that extra course knowledge should give him an advantage over several players in the field.

The 27-year-old, who has been given the honour of hitting the opening tee shot on Thursday, is well-equipped when it comes to links golf with wins at the 2017 St Andrews Links Trophy and the 2018 Lytham Trophy when an amateur.

Jordan has been in decent form leading into The Open and he should have enough to outscore playing partners Branden Grace and Richie Ramsay.

Grace has disappointed on his last two LIV outings and arrives here scratching around for form, while Ramsay is making his first appearance in this Major since 2017 and is easy enough to oppose here.

Dustin Johnson to win his 3 Ball (13:26) 1/1

With two Major wins to his name, Dustin Johnson is a man to fear when it comes to the biggest events and he arrives at Hoylake on the back of a fifth-place finish at Centurion Golf Club on the LIV tour.

The American, who also triumphed in Tulsa in May this year, came close to winning The Open when tied-second in 2011, while he has also posted a further four top-10s in this event.

Johnson looks a good bet to get the better of Sahith Theegala, who missed the cut at last week's Scottish Open and has failed to record a top-10 finish in his last seven starts.

The third member of this 3 Ball, Emiliano Grillo, has failed to make the weekend at The Open four times and two missed cuts from his last three PGA Tour appearances show he's struggling for form.

The Open - 1st round tips

Corey Conners - 1st Round Leader 66/1

Matthew Jordan to win his 3 Ball (06:35) 13/8

Dustin Johnson to win his 3 Ball (13:26) 1/1