Is Brooks Koepka a smart bet at the Open Championship?

But fans should also be looking at how Koepka may perform this weekend -- especially when it comes to whether they should put money on him. 

Koepka has in fact hopscotched his way up the list to 18-1 odds at DraftKings just one day before the first round tees off. He was previously listed behind some of his contemporaries including 2022 Open winner Cam Smith. Now, the PGA Championship winner only has longer odds than Rory McIlroy (7-1), Scottie Scheffler (8-1) and Jon Rahm (13-1).

So is he the pro to put your money on at Royal Liverpool this weekend?

As Golf Digest acknowledges, Koepka plays at a whole other level in majors. He also has four top-10 finishes over his past six starts, so it's no wonder he's a contender to play better than his odds imply. The New York Times adds that Koepka is a player to watch due to the heightened confidence from not being injured like he was over the last few seasons.

The downside to betting on Koepka this weekend, Golf Digest notes, is that a slow Sunday can do him in. And were aren't just talking about Cantlay slowing things down at this year's Masters. Remember, Koepka was in a good position at the 2019 Open Championship until he was paired with notorious slow-poke J.B. Holmes in the fourth round. He started that round with four straight bogeys and fell down the leaderboard.

So, are bettors willing to risk a slow fourth round and put their money on Koepka? 

They should make that decision quickly since Koepka and his "speedy" compadre Cantlay tee off at 4:36 a.m. ET on Thursday.