British Open Championship Score Predictions (What Will the Winning Score Be at St. Andrews?)

We're inching closer to the final major of the 2022 season, the British Open Championship at St. Andrews. Collin Morikawa won last year's Open and a stacked field is ready to try and take the Claret Jug home.

You can check out my preview, top picks, dark horse bets, and more with BetSided's coverage throughout the week, but now I'll whip out my crystal ball and take a look at how I think the top golfers will fare.

Let's take a look at my predictions for the winning score and top 10 players from the odds leaderboard at WynnBET Sportsbook:

British Open Winning Score Prediction

Winning Score: -16

Unlike the U.S. Open that typically sees golfers struggle, the British Open traditionally has a winning score somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-20 under par. Collin Morikawa and Shane Lowry won the last two Opens at -15.

While this year's Open is at St. Andrews, the last three winners at the Old Course had similar scoring ranges as well.

Plus, Brian Giuffra tells us the weather should be favorable and predicts a score around -18.

I'll stay in that range and see the winner posting a 16-under par score. But who will it be?

Rory McIlroy (+900) British Open Prediction: -14

I'll be stunned if Rory isn't near the top of the leaderboard. He's finished in the top-20 in seven consecutive tournaments and has five top-5 finishes at The Open in his career.

Rory's elite off-the-tee game and equally strong chipping give him a chance to compete every week, and I think he's in for another top-10 finish.

Jon Rahm (+1000) British Open Prediction: -11

Rahm has a top-15 finish in each of the last two British Open Championships with three top-12 finishes in his last five tournaments.

He leads the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-The-Tee and ranks sixth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. However, his poor around-the-green play leaves him susceptible to mistakes. I think that Achilles' Heel will prove his downfall but that he hangs around thanks to his advantage elsewhere.

Scottie Scheffler (+1200) British Open Prediction: -14

In Scheffler's last seven majors, he's finished in the top-18 six times with five top-10 results and a victory at the Masters. He's become a new version of Brooks Koepka, always competing at the biggest events on the calendar.

He leads the Tour in Greens in Regulation and is a fantastic on approach shots and around-the-green. Frankly, it'd be more surprising if Scheffler wasn't in the top 10 than if he was.

Xander Shauffele (+1200) British Open Prediction: -13

With wins in each of his last two events, Xander is the hottest golfer in the field. He finished T2 back in 2018, though he's still seeking his first major championship.

His steady yet stellar play will put him in contention this week as he hopes for an exclamation point to an incredible stretch.

Jordan Spieth (+1500) British Open Prediction: -7

Aha! The first golfer on the list I don't really believe has a chance to win. Spieth's errant driver and sporadic putting will be his downfall this week in my opinion, though I'll admit he's fired up:

He's got four top-10 finishes in his last seven Open tournaments, but I can't trust him until he dials in his accuracy.

Justin Thomas (+1500) British Open Prediction: -16

Looking at the numbers, Thomas is my favorite play this week. He won the PGA Championship with an incredible final round, so he should be brimming with confidence.

He's been excellent in all areas this season, ranking sixth in Strokes Gained: Approach and third in Strokes Gained: Total. He's long enough with the driver and steady with his putter. There are no holes in his game, and I think Thomas wins his second major of the season.

Matthew Fitzpatrick (+1500) British Open Prediction: -13

The U.S. Open champion has never played particularly well at the British Open, but he's in excellent form with five top-10 finishes in his last six tournaments.

Fitzpatrick has no weaknesses and ranks third on Tour in Strokes Gained: Around-The-Green. That incredible wedge ability will keep him in contention.

Cameron Smith (+1800) British Open Prediction: -12

Smith is another golfer that checks all the boxes. He's one of the best iron players on Tour while simultaneously being perhaps the best around-the-green and with his putter. An excellent scrambler, Smith excels in windy conditions and will have an advantage if the weather turns sour.

He's never done particularly well at the British Open Championship, but took T3 at this year's Masters and T13 at the PGA Championship, so he's in great major form coming into the week.

Collin Morikawa (+1800) British Open Prediction: -12

My favorite golfer and the defending champion, Morikawa has five top-10 finishes in his last six major tournaments. He's struggled a bit of late relative to his standards, but is one of the best iron players in the world and always live to win.

If Morikawa can get hot with his putter, then he can roll to a victory. He'll need to find consistency in all phases of his game, but does always seem to show up for majors.

Shane Lowry (+1800) British Open Prediction: -7

Lowry is one of the biggest risers of the week but I think he's a class below the other golfers on this list. He won the event in 2019 and finished T12 last year, so I'll admit he performs well at The Open.

That being said, he's relatively weak with the driver and around-the-green compared to the other top players in the field, so I'll be fading him this week.

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.