It only feels like last week that we were gearing up for the first major of the season at Augusta National, but by Sunday evening, all four majors will have been and gone.
The final major of 2025 comes from Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, making this a particularly special Open Championship for Rory McIlroy, who is looking to win major number six on home turf this week.
Although McIlroy will be the home favourite, he won't start the tournament as the favourite with the bookies. That honour goes to Scottie Scheffler, who has once again been the best player on the PGA Tour this season, picking up three victories, including the PGA Championship.
If Scheffler is to win this week, he will have to do something he has never done before – win on a links golf course. The challenges of links golf aren't exclusive to him, though, and all 156 players will have their work cut out this week at Royal Portrush.
Ahead of the first tee times on Thursday, check out our Open Championship betting tips below.
Open Championship golf betting tips
Rory McIlroy EW (Ten places) – 6/1
If this golf tournament were being played anywhere else in the United Kingdom, then I'd probably be avoiding Rory McIlroy at all costs. He has lacked form and motivation since winning the Masters in April, but this is a tournament and location that should kick him back into top gear.
As far as Open Championships are concerned, this is McIlroy's home tournament, and victory here would mean as much as his victory at Augusta did. He will be doubly determined to get the job done after missing the cut in 2019, when the tournament was last played here, but that doesn't mean to say the course doesn't suit his style of golf.
In fact, there is an argument that suits him down to the ground, as proven by the fact that he holds the course record after posting a round of 61 back when he was just 16 years old. He is also naturally a very strong links golf player, and returned to top form with a second-place finish at the Scottish Open in similar conditions last week.
Tommy Fleetwood EW (Ten places) – 18/1
Tommy Fleetwood is going to win on the PGA Tour one day; he's too good not to. I may have been saying this for several years now, but I still have full belief in him, so why not this week?
As far as links golf is concerned, there isn't anyone in the field more accustomed to it than Fleetwood, having been brought up on coastal golf courses in Southport. He's come desperately close to lifting the Claret Judge a couple of times, including here in 2019 when he finished second to Shane Lowry.
Fleetwood also ranks third on the PGA Tour this year in a stat that is always extra important on links golf courses – strokes gained from tee to green.
Aaron Rai EW (Ten places) – 60/1
Unlike a lot of courses on British soil, there is no ‘easy' first hole to settle players into their round at Portrush.
The opening hole, known as ‘Hughies', is arguably the toughest opening hole in the world with internal out-of-bounds on both sides. Anything but a straight tee shot will leave players chasing their tails for the rest of the round.
Now, of course, the tournament isn't going to be won by the player who plays the first hole the best over the four days, but it can be lost here – just ask McIlroy about his 2019 showing here. While out of bounds isn't in play on every hole, the thick rough throughout Royal Portrush is certainly not a place anyone is going to want to be.
Therefore, driving accuracy could turn out to be a hugely important metric to follow. The current leader in driving accuracy in 2025 on the PGA Tour? Aaron Rai. At 60/1 with some of the top golf betting sites, he's worth a punt.
Open Championship tips summary
- Rory McIlroy EW – 6/1 @ Boylesports
- Tommy Fleetwood EW – 18/1 @ BoyleSports
- Aaron Rai EW– 60/1 @ BoyleSports
Andy is tipster who has been calling Golf tournaments for several years across many different platforms. He has covered all tournaments from the Asian Tour to the Masters. He's also a keen football fan and is an expert on European football.
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