It was windy and rainy at Royal Portsmouth on Thursday. In other words, a picture-perfect start to the British Open.
There are some surprising names atop the leaderboard as we head into Friday’s action, but some big hitters are lurking just a few strokes back, including Scottie Scheffler.
Check out my golf picks for Round 2 of The Open Championship.
Best British Open Round 2 predictions
Pick: Scottie Scheffler to win outright
+260 at DraftKings
Uhh, yeah. I’m taking a piece of Scottie Scheffler to win while he's still at plus money. The best golfer in the world hit just three fairways in Round 1 and still shot a 3-under 68, entering the clubhouse just one stroke behind the leaders.
That does not bode well for the rest of the field.
What also doesn’t bode well for the field is how well Scottie struck the ball with his irons in his opening round at Royal Portrush. Scheffler leads the field in strokes gained approach at 4.23. That’s more than a stroke better than the next closest golfer (Jon Rahm).
Royal Portrush is, at its core, a second-shot golf course, and there is no one better in the world at that than Scottie Scheffler, particularly when he gets in a groove.
Scheffler has the game to navigate the course and the temperament to handle the bad weather. Now, imagine if he starts hitting fairways on the weekend.
Pick: Shane Lowry Top 10 Finish
+195 at FanDuel
Strokes gained approach will be the theme here today, and it shouldn’t be surprising that even though the weather was bad at Royal Portrush on Thursday, Shane Lowry had no trouble striking the ball.
Lowry, the man who famously won The Open at this very course by five strokes in 2019, got the 2025 event off to a solid start, shooting a 1-under 70 in his opening round.
The Irishman, of course, navigated the difficult course and conditions well, thanks to ranking 10th in the field in strokes gained approach. But that’s something he’s done all season, ranking third on tour in strokes gained approach and 13th in total strokes gained.
It was also a good sign for Lowry that his putter was in good form, gaining 1.42 strokes in Round 1, because the flatstick has held him back a bit this season.
But Lowry is obviously comfortable at Royal Portsmouth, and wearing short sleeves on Thursday was such a flex. I would be shocked if he isn’t near the top of the leaderboard come Sunday.
Pick: Sam Burns Rd 2 3-ball vs Koepka and Potgieter
+120 at DraftKings
If Sam Burns can continue to strike the ball like he did on Thursday, there’s no reason he can’t be in contention for the title of Champion Golfer of the Year come Sunday.
Burns, who is still searching for his first career win, shot a 1-under 70 on Thursday thanks to some of his best iron play of the season. He ranked fifth in the field in strokes gained approach.
And he did this despite not having his best day with the flatstick, gaining 0.69 strokes with the putter. So, as arguably the best putter on tour, he’s got some room to grow moving forward, and his game is in a good enough place to win his group on Friday.
He’s playing with Brooks Koepka and Aldrich Potgieter.
Koepka is a multiple-major champion and can strike the ball well, but the rest of his game looks like a mess, and he shot a 4-over 75 on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Potgieter is the 22-year-old South African who won the Rocket Classic in a playoff a few weeks ago. But he looked overwhelmed in just his second Open Championship, shooting a 6-over 77.
Latest British Open odds
- Scottie Scheffler: +230
- Matt Fitzpatrick: +1000
- Tyrrell Hatton: +1100
- Rory McIlroy: +1100
- Jon Rahm: +1200
- Harris English: +1400
Odds courtesy of DraftKings.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
