Open Championship 2026: Dave Tindall's pick of the specials up to 22/1

Bet 1 - Jordan Spieth to beat Justin Thomas in 72 Hole Matchbet

Jordan Spieth won here in 2017 while Justin Thomas missed the cut that same week. But beyond that extreme, Spieth outperforms Thomas at Opens year after year.

Since that triumph at Birkdale eight years ago, Spieth has made the top 25 in six of the last seven Opens, also finishing second, eighth and ninth. Thomas, meanwhile, has one top 30 in his entire Open career (an 11th in 2019).

Thomas has the better recent form overall but Spieth's vastly superior Open record trumps that.

Bet 2 - Spieth to bt Thomas and Robert MacIntyre to beat Cameron Young in 72 Hole Matchbet double

Spieth is the underdog in the Thomas duel which I can't see. But I think MacIntyre is the right favourite in his match bet with Cameron Young.

MacIntyre has a bunch of great links form with three top 10s in six Open appearances, a victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, a trio of top threes in the Scottish Open and even a second at nearby Hillside.

Young has played well in Opens too (2-8-31-MC since 2022) and was perhaps the hottest player on the planet earlier in the year but his form has dropped off dramatically (three straight finishes outside the top 40). Play Spieth and MacIntyre in a double.

Bet 3 - OddsBoost: McIlroy, Fleetwood or Fitzpatrick to Win

This has been boosted from 3/14.00 to 4/15.00 and is a nice way of getting three genuine win candidates on board.

McIlroy is perhaps a bit undercooked but a fast-finishing seventh in Scotland last week bodes well as does his top four here in 2017. Fitzpatrick is probably the third-best golfer on the planet after a stunning 2026 and he was fourth in last year's Open.

Fleetwood is the local hero and a former Open runner-up. If he can refind the levels he showed in the second half of 2025 the current FedEx Cup champion has the links skills to get that overdue first major.

Bet 4 - Back Brian Harman for Top 10 (Incl. Ties)

Harman's finest hour in golf was the 2023 Open along the coast at Royal Liverpool but that six-shot romp didn't come out of thin air.

The left-hander was sixth the year before at St Andrews while he also made the top 10 at Portrush in 2025. In the last five Opens, Harman has made the top 20 in four of them.

He's been ticking over nicely enough with a top 25 at the Travelers and two 68s and a pair of 70s at the Scottish Open last week (36th) so looks a value play a 7/18.00 to crack the top 10.

Bet 5 - Back Fitzpatrick and Fleetwood both to Finish in the Top 10 (Incl. Ties) at 11/112.00

Back to Fitzpatrick and Fleetwood. If you want to downgrade expectations from one of them actually winning, this is a good way in at an attractive price.

Fitzpatrick was fourth at Portrush 12 months ago and has eight top 10s this year (seven are actually top fours).

Fleetwood has six top 15s in his last seven starts, often finishing only a shot or two away from the top 10, and has five top 16s in the last seven Opens. That includes a second, a fourth and a 10th.

Bet 6 - Back Any Player to make an Albatross

The slightly fun bet in these previews is usually to say 'yes' for a hole-in-one. Often the numbers back it up.

And with Royal Birkdale running firm and fast and par 4s being driven, let's up the ante and have a punt on the rarest bird of the lot.

It seems a big ask and there have only been eight in Open history but five of those have come since 2000. There were actually two at Royal Lytham in 2001. We've had one on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour this year.

Bet 7 - Back Russell Henley Top USA

I seem to like a lot of Europeans this week but there's one American I want to get onside given the conditions and emphasis on short game.

Backing Russell Henley for Top USA is a good way to dodge the Euros and he has some strong recent Open history with fifth in 2024 and 10th last year. He was also 10th at halfway at Birkdale in 2017.

Henley won at Colonial four starts ago and was 12th at the Travelers last time. He was also in contention at the US Masters this year, finishing third. Back him in this market with each-way terms of 1/4 1-2-3-4.

Read Dave Tindall's First-Round Leader preview here