The final golf major of 2022 kicks off on Thursday when 156 players tee off in the first round of the 2022 Open Championship at storied St. Andrews in Scotland. Rory McIlroy, who won the Open in 2014, is the +1800 favorite to lead after the first round. American Xander Schauffele, who has won his last two starts, isn't far behind at +2800. Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm (all +3000) round out the top six choices.

Before you consider your Scottish Open picks and who will lead the tournament after the first round, you NEED to see what Sia Nejad has to say. Nejad is a PGA and NFL betting and DFS expert who has had incredible success in the first-round leader market. While those markets tend to be highly volatile, Nejad managed to hit six first-round leaders in a 12-week span earlier this year. He utilizes the inherent volatility in the market to identify value with golfers more likely to spike in one round versus a full tournament. He maintains that proper bankroll management is centered upon head-to-head matchups and the top 20 and top 40 markets but has been exceptional in spiking bankrolls via first-round leader cashes.

In 2022, his first-round leader hits include Danny Lee (150-1 at the American Express), Kevin Na (40-1, Sony), Tom Hoge (80-1, Players), KH Lee (85-1, Phoenix), Jhonattan Vegas and Adam Hadwin (70-1 and 100-1, Valspar). He has also hit a handful of outrights and live outrights this year, including Cameron Smith (28-1, Tournament of Champions) and Sam Burns (80-1 after Round 1, Charles Schwab Challenge).

Now Nejad has released his first-round leader picks for the 2022 Open Championship.

One shocker: Nejad is high on the chances of Tony Finau, who is +5000 to lead after the first round. "The fact is, he can get extremely hot in the ball-striking department, and he has turned around the putting over the last couple of months," Nejad says.

However, Nejad also likes five other players, including three at even longer odds than Niemann's. One of these players is "starting to round into form," Nejad says. You ABSOLUTELY need to see who it is before entering any Scottish Open 2022 picks!

What players offer the best value to lead after the first round of the 2022 Open Championship? And what massive long shots are must-backs? ... Join SportsLine now to see Sia Nejad's top predictions and analysis for the 2022 Open Championship, all from the golf expert who hit six first-round leaders in a 12-week span earlier this year!