The seventh major championship in less than a year tees off Thursday, when the world's top players take on Royal St. George's in the 2021 Open Championship. The British Open was canceled last year, so Shane Lowry comes in as the defending champion after winning by six strokes at Royal Portrush in 2019. 

U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm is the 7-1 favorite in the latest 2021 Open Championship odds from William Hill Sportsbook. Other top players in the 2021 Open Championship field include Bryson DeChambeau (14-1), Dustin Johnson (15-1), Rory McIlroy (16-1) and Brooks Koepka (16-1).

Before you consider your 2021 British Open picks or PGA Tour predictions, you HAVE TO see who golf insider Sal Johnson is backing.

A media legend and consummate golf insider, Johnson knows what it takes to win on the tough links courses across the pond. Before the 2018 British Open, the expert was locked in on Francesco Molinari as a contender. 

"Look at what he has done in the last five weeks," Johnson told SportsLine before that event, "this guy is on fire and that could include and spill over to this week."

The result? Molinari went out and shot 65 in the third round and posted a bogey-free 69 on Sunday to win his first major championship by two strokes. He is the only Italian player to win a major title.

In 2017, he said of Jordan Spieth, "if he putts well, watch out for him." The Texan did just that, shooting a pair of 65s to take his first British Open and his third major overall.  

Johnson also has a tremendous feel for when momentum will propel a player to victory. Before the U.S. Open, he pegged Rahm among his best bets to win and touted Louis Oosthuizen at 45-1 as his top long-shot candidate. Rahm and Oosthuizen battled to the finish, with Rahm surging to his first major title.

Johnson has been on fire all season! Before the Memorial, he had Rahm and Collin Morikawa listed among his best bets. Rahm had a six-stroke lead after the third round but had to withdraw, and Morikawa  dueled to the  end with Patrick Cantlay before falling in a playoff. Anyone who has followed Johnson's advice has cashed in HUGE!  

Now Johnson, the first producer of "Inside the PGA Tour," a longtime ABC Sports golf producer who worked with Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Greg Norman, and the founder of the world's top golf stats database, has released his highly confident 2021 British Open picks, and they will surprise you.

Shockingly, the golf expert is fading Bryson DeChambeau, even though he is among the favorites at 14-1! The winner of September's U.S. Open could find himself in a lot of trouble off the tee at Royal St. George's, where the rough will be thick and the deep bunkers come into play for longer hitters. He could surprise like he did at Winged Foot, but Johnson is advising you to go in a different direction with your picks!

Johnson is backing a MAJOR long shot who comes in at around 50-1 odds for the 2021 Open Championship. This veteran is trending in the right direction and has found success at the Open Championship before. He could pull off a stunning victory this week, and anyone who backs this underdog could cash in HUGE!

Who wins the 2021 British Open? Where do Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson finish? And which MONSTER long shots are MUST-BACKS? ... Join SportsLine now to see Sal Johnson's full leaderboard and picks for the 2021 Open Championship, all from the insider who knows the challenges the players face on Britain's links courses!