Open Championship Picks
Does Jordan Spieth have the 2017 Open Championship wrapped up, or will he slip up and open the door to someone else on Sunday?
According to the latest oddsmakers, Spieth is now a -375 favorite to take home the major championship entering Sunday’s final round. Other short odds to win are Matt Kuchar (+400) and Brooks Koepka (+2200). The Open Championship concludes on Sunday from Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.
Spieth has been dialed in this weekend. He is the only golfer to go under par in all three rounds, including a pair of 5-under 65 rounds on Thursday and Saturday to get to -11 for the tournament. There was a moment where Spieth looked like he might lose the lead, but he finished strong while Kuchar took a step back, which opened the door for the three-shot lead.
Kuchar is looking to win his first major championship and this is one of his best opportunities to do so. He looked to be up to the challenge on Saturday, getting within one shot of Spieth, but a double-bogey on the 16th hole pushed him back to -8 for the tournament. Had Kuchar stayed out of trouble, he could be even with Spieth.
Koepka is coming off his first major championship, the 2017 U.S. Open. He has done quite well this week, but has committed a few too many bogeys to keep pace with Spieth. He had six birdies on Saturday, but also had four bogeys and is now 6 shots out of first at -5.
There was a time where I thought Kuchar would find a way to win this weekend, but his double bogey on 16 today changed that. Three strokes is a lot to make up in one round for a major. Kuchar will have to post a very low score on Sunday, which is possible, but I don’t expect Spieth to stay put. Spieth has scored under par, even in bad weather. He seems dialed in this weekend and should be able to finish the job on Sunday.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTIONS: JORDAN SPIETH -375