The final major championship of the 2025 season has arrived, with Royal Portrush playing host to the 153rd edition of The Open Championship this week.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is both the betting favorite in the British Open odds and looking to win his second major of the year. My top golf picks are looking past Scheffler, though, with Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland headlining by betting card for this week's action in Northern Ireland.
Golf picks for the British Open 2025
- McIlroy to win outright (+700)
- Hovland to win outright (+3000)
- Henley Top 40 (+100)
- Burmester Top 40 (+170)
British Open outright picks
Outright pick: Rory McIlroy
+700 at FanDuel
Rory McIlroy tops my betting card this week with his game trending in the right direction. He’s coming off a T2 at the Genesis and a T6 at the Travelers, and he’s gained true strokes across the board in both starts.
The Grand Slam winner has six career Top 6 finishes at The Open in addition to his 2014 win at Royal Liverpool, and ranks seventh in this field in true strokes gained tee-to-green and sixth in putting since the start of 2025.
Outright pick: Viktor Hovland
+3000 at DraftKings
There’s no better time for Viktor Hovland’s first major championship than this week at Royal Portrush.
He’s sixth in this field in true strokes gained tee-to-green and third on approach dating back to his win in the Valspar in March, and he’s also carded four Top 5s in majors since the 2022 Open Championship.
With Hovland also gaining true strokes putting during the highlighted stretch, and the links-style setup likely mitigating the potential for his inconsistent work around the greens to put squares on the card, the 2023 FedEx Cup champion can lean on his ball-striking to pull away from the field.
British Open prop picks
Finishing position pick: Russell Henley Top 40
+100 at bet365
Russell Henley rolls into The Open with three straight Top 10s while gaining true strokes across the board. He picked up a statement win at Bay Hill in the Arnold Palmer in March and continues to show off improved play in majors, highlighted by a solo fifth at last year’s Open, where he also gained true strokes in every key metric.
Additionally, I’m bullish about this prop because DraftKings is priced at -150 for a Top 40, so there’s a positive expected value of 20% attached to the +100 bet365 odds in comparison.
Finishing position pick: Dean Burmester Top 40
+175 at bet365
It’d be ideal if Dean Burmester were heading to Royal Portrush in better form, but it’s also why we’re landing a nice number in this market. The 36-year-old bomber has developed a more complete game in recent years, and if the putter heats up, he has the game and experience to contend this week. Not only does Burmester sport a solid track record in The Open, with back-to-back Top 20s following his T40 debut in 2021, but he also has a solid resume of worldwide victories.
British Open first-round pick
Round 1 pick: Ludvig Aberg Top Swede
+130 at bet365
I’m buying Ludvig Aberg's momentum from finishing T8 in the Genesis, which will carry over to The Open this week. The rising star gained true strokes across the board while finishing with 20 birdies.
None of the other Swedes in the field has the game to match Aberg’s best, either. For comparison, he’s 28th in true strokes gained total and 32nd in tee-to-green play since finishing T16 in the Memorial, and Jesper Svensson is next up with respective 66th- and 52nd-ranked marks.
Additionally, Svensson has only played in two major championships, including missing the cut in the 2024 Open.
British Open odds
- Scottie Scheffler: +450
- Rory McIlroy: +700
- Jon Rahm: +1200
- Bryson DeChambeau: +2000
- Xander Schauffele: +2500
- Tommy Fleetwood: +2800
- Collin Morikawa: +2800
- Ludvig Aberg: +2800
Odds courtesy of DraftKings.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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