
Golf
The Open Championship 2025 Preview: Odds, Tips, & Predictions
Date: Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland Venue: July 17-20 Defending champion: Xander Schauffele All eyes in the golfing fraternity will be firmly fixed on Royal Portrush this week for The Open Championship. The 153rd edition of The Open Championship sees 156 players tee it up in Northern Ireland, and this tournament is always packed with drama and unexpected plot twists. Links golf is a unique test laden with danger. Nevertheless, the leading golf betting sites will drum up excitement for this prestigious event with a raft of pre-tournament betting odds, including specials to provoke interest.
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Xander Schauffele/Getty Images
The Open Championship Tournament Betting Odds and Win Probability
Given the size of the field, picking a winner for the Open Championship might be like picking a needle in a haystack.
However, we’ve checked in on one of the best betting sites for golf to gauge the prices assigned to the favourites.
Scottie Scheffler – 17/4 (5.25) – 19%
Rory McIlroy – 13/2 (7.50) – 13.3%
Jon Rahm – 12/1 (13.00) – 7.7%
Odds courtesy of Stake, subject to change.
Key Player Updates
A few golf bookmakers might have some rudimentary data leading into a tournament, but we prefer to pinpoint the key stats which provides more context on where a player’s game is at.
This segment runs through the defining performance metrics of the top players to see whether they are equipped to tame Royal Portrush.
Key Player Updates
Attribute | Scottie Scheffler | Rory McIlroy | Jon Rahm |
Age | 29 | 36 | 30 |
World Ranking | 1 | 2 | 68 |
Recent Wins | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Driving Accuracy | 63.85% | 52.40% | 59.52% |
Greens in Regulation | 70.24% | 66.40% | 67.59% |
Putting Average | 1.706 | 1.707 | 1.788 |

Contender News
Going through the stats is only one part of how we assemble golf tournament predictions. However, we think it’s always worth fleshing out some details on the recent performances of the leading contenders and how they could fare this week.
Giving this a read could go some way to nailing your golf betting strategies.
Scottie Scheffler
A model of consistency and one of the most feared stars on the circuit, Scottie Scheffler, who became the first player since Tiger Woods in 2007 to notch up 100 consecutive weeks as World No.1, is a huge threat.
Scheffler, who claimed three wins on the PGA Tour in the space of six weeks, has been robust with his approach play, ranking 13th for Greens in Regulation and first for SG: Approach to the Green.
The American, who finished T8 on his Open debut in 2021 at Royal St George’s, was T7 last year at Royal Troon, and he would love to get his hands on the Claret Jug. There aren’t any obvious chinks in its armour, and if he settles into his stride quickly, he could be hard to shake off.
Rory McIlroy
The Ulsterman achieved golfing immortality at the Masters, and he will be taking part in his 16th Open Championship this week. He would be a popular winner as this tournament is taking place on home soil, and he is carrying favour with many golf betting sportsbooks.
A cause for concern would be his slightly erratic handling with the driver, where he is down on most of the field in that performance metric. There are some nightmare holes at Royal Portrush, especially on the front nine, especially if you end up in the rough.
Last year, McIlroy missed the cut, and he’s looking to win the Open for the first time in 11 years. He’s also had some near misses, and it would be remiss to write him off.
Jon Rahm
Although Jon Rahm has been tucked away playing on the LIV Tour, he usually comes to the fore at the majors. At the other three majors, he finished no lower than T14, which augurs well.
At The Open Championship, meanwhile, the Spaniard has finished inside the top 10 in his past two starts, and only a sublime performance from Harman in 2023 stopped him snaffling the Claret Jug.
A brilliant lag putter, if Rahm can read the pace of the greens, he has a good chance.
Suggested Bets
We’ve scurried over to the top sportsbooks to source some more golf betting odds for you to mull over.
Rory McIlroy to claim a top-10 finish: Invariably, Rory McIlroy features in the upper echelons of a leaderboard for any given tournament, and he relishes a challenge. McIlroy will have the extra motivation of wanting to do well at a home tournament, and in terms of golf betting tips, the 36-year-old could clinch a top-10 finish this week (4/5 with N1Bet).
Jon Rahm Over 4.5 birdies in the first round: Although Royal Portrush has some monstrous holes filled with horrible rough and tricky greens, Jon Rahm is a master putter, and he could get on a roll. Over 4.5 birdies in the first round doesn’t seem too fanciful (7/4 with 1xBet).
Scottie Scheffler to lead after the first round: Scottie Scheffler, as we know, is a good frontrunner in the majors, and he could come storming out of the traps at Royal Portrush. He could lay down a marker in round one and take the lead (14/1 with BetWinner).
Tournament Prediction
The Open Championship is arguably the hardest Major to win, especially as the weather can wreak havoc with playing conditions. While Rory McIlroy will be keen to do well and add another Major to his collection, his driving remains a cause for concern, and he could well struggle.
Jon Rahm, meanwhile, is formidable with the putter, but playing in the Andalucia Masters last week perhaps wasn’t as good prep as playing in the Scottish Open, and sometimes there are question marks over his temperament. Instead, we’re leaning towards Scottie Scheffler, who seems unflappable at times, and he delivers in clutch moments, so he’s our tip to win The Open Championship.
If you want to get involved, don’t forget to explore the best signup sports betting offers and tap them up before the tournament spices up.

Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.
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