Action Report: Bettors flocking to co-favorite Scottie Scheffler ahead of The Open

Scottie Scheffler is having an exceptional season and enters The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool as one of the hottest players in the sport.

The 27-year-old has gone 19 straight events finishing T-12 or better and has finished inside the top five in seven straight events.

So, it’s no surprise Scheffler is a massive betting draw this week at the BetMGM online sportsbook. At +750 he shares co-favorite honors with Rory McIlroy in the outright market, followed by Jon Rahm (+1200).

As of Wednesday, Scheffler is pulling in 19.4 percent of the handle and 11.4 percent of tickets. Both are the highest of any player in the field.

Scheffler has seen his odds drop from +850 last July, when tournament odds were released, to +750 entering the tournament this week.

Scheffler’s ball-striking is what has set him apart this season. He has gained 2.81 strokes tee-to-green this year, which is by far the best of anyone on the PGA TOUR. According to Justin Ray, it is the second-highest number since Tiger Woods gained 2.91 strokes tee-to-green in 2006.

And it’s worth noting Woods won The Open Championship that year, also at Royal Liverpool.

The other player generating a lot of action this week is Rory McIlroy, who is coming off a win at the Genesis Scottish Open last week and who won the event the last time it was at Royal Liverpool (2014).

McIlroy (+750) is drawing the second-highest handle (14.3%) on the second-most tickets (9.8%).

The 34-year-old is enjoying a nice stretch of his own, posting six straight top-10 finishes.

Scheffler, McIlroy and Brooks Koepka are BetMGM’s biggest pre-tournament liabilities.

After opening at +3300 last summer, Koepka is now down to +2000 and pulling in the third-most tickets and handle.

Here’s a look at where the money is going ahead of the opening round in England:.

Current Handle & Tickets

Handle (money wagered)

1. Scottie Scheffler – 19.4%
2. Rory McIlroy – 14.3%
3. Brooks Koepka – 8.3%
4. Viktor Hovland – 6%
5. Cameron Smith – 5%

Tickets (bets placed)

1. Scottie Scheffler – 11.4%
2. Rory McIlroy – 9.8%
3. Brooks Koepka – 6.8%
4. Viktor Hovland – 5.4%
5. Rickie Fowler – 5%

In the First Round Leader market, Smith is generating the most action at +2800 as the defending champion. He’s also taking in the highest handle at 7.9 percent.

Scheffler is also dominating the prop market, as he’s the most bet-on player to finish inside the top 5 (+175) as well as top 10 (-125). Rickie Fowler is the most bet-on player to finish inside the top 20 (+105).

Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson is the most bet-on player to make the cut (+110), while Bryson DeChambeau is the most bet-on player to miss the cut (+188).

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