The last golf major of 2025 is rapidly approaching as the 2025 Open Championship starts this Thursday from the gorgeous Portrush Club in Northern Ireland. This course is more of a pure links-style course and is complete with plenty of open areas for the wind and rain. Dunluce Links will be the 18-hole set the golfers use and naturally, it is the much more challenging course.
156 of the very best golf players in the world will battle this course over 72 holes between July 17-20 2025, to see who can accumulate the best score and win the major. Can Scottie Scheffler finally win a tournament on United Kingdom soil or will someone else win yet again?
We examine the field, include some contenders and longer shots then offer up more of our best free golf betting picks to see if you can make some green at The Open Championship.
| The Open Championship 2025 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +450 | +450 | +500 |
| Rory McIlroy | +750 | +800 | +750 |
| Jon Rahm | +1200 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Bryson DeChambeau | +2000 | +2200 | +2000 |
| Xander Schauffele | +2500 | +2000 | +2500 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +2800 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Viktor Hovland | +3000 | +2800 | +2500 |
| Tyrrell Hutton | +3000 | +3000 | +3000 |
| Ludvig Aberg | +3000 | +3200 | +3000 |
| Collin Morikawa | +3500 | +3000 | +3000 |
| Shane Lowry | +3500 | +3000 | +3000 |
| Robert MacIntyre | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
Check out the latest and best Golf Las Vegas betting odds here.
Below you will find some contenders and favorite to win the 2025 Open Championship golf tournament.
Once again, the Open Championship 2025 betting favorites look familiar. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy lead the way in the odds. So what happened at the Genesis Scottish Open last week? McIlroy did falter on the final day while Scheffler never quite truly contended but a final round 67 vaulted him inside the Top 10. Chris Gotterup shocked the field by winning the tournament behind a 66 on Sunday.
Everyone wants to wax poetic about McIlroy’s 61 at this golf course when he was 16. Honestly, the golf course is a little different now. McIlroy keeps saying this was the tournament he was tuning up for. Can he live up to the pressure? Can Scheffler finally stick around on the top page of the leaderboard? There are several key questions and the answers may not be as clear as one would think.
Now, Scheffler has not finished better than a T-7 (2024 Royal Troon). Consistency does not always win championships. This is that Grand Slam that eludes the Texan. Meanwhile, McIlroy has had his own issues. The 2014 winner missed the cut the last time a major was contested at Royal Portrush. An opening 79 derailed any chances of glory. Weather was an issue that day and can be at any time.
Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau are on the edge of the favorites here. Rahm was on the edge of glory at the Northern Ireland golf course when disaster struck in 2019. A 75 ended his championship hopes. As for DeChambeau, he is another big hitter who could perform big or go home early.
At Even or plus money, taking a look at Top 5 results for at least three of the favorites may be the safer bet. Rahm might be the top bet to gain revenge here and win the whole thing.
Here is our review for Bovada sports betting here.
When it comes to previous course play, Tommy Fleetwood enters the tournament. Why? One could argue that the Englishman is more suited to play Royal Portrush than even some of the World’s best golfers. He almost pulled off an improbable win against Shane Lowry. A few unlucky shots kept the golfer in second place on that fateful Sunday six years ago.
Fleetwood has been in contending form. Furthermore, he has four Top 12 results in his previous six appearances at the final major. The 34-year-old wound up outside the Top 30 last week but did shoot a final round 68 which had to help given the first three days. Again, the Englishman ranks ninth in FedEx Cup points and does have five Top 10 results on the PGA Tour in 2025.
The golfer relishes tournaments like this. While several top golfers could falter here, Fleetwood’s game feels more suited for Royal Portrush currently. Even at +2800, Fleetwood could be a golfer that still goes under the radar in betting circles.
Here is our latest review for BetOnline sports betting.
The fourth major gives up another chance to prop things up for this weekend. Heading down on the list of odds can be useful sometimes and maybe looking at more than just the win. Also, do keep a keen eye on the weather forecast. Naturally, it might rain on Thursday with some breezy conditions. Look out!
One can ride Fleetwood to finish inside the Top 10 at +210 or the Top 20 at +105. Alas, the latter expects to shorten between now and Thursday. Even the Top 10 may get close to +175. Golfers like Shane Lowry and Matt Fitzpatrick may not win at Royal Portrush but contending is still more likely. Look to group betting where a golfer like Fleetwood is +260 on Bovada.
If one wants to dig even further, BetUS had Top LIV golfer listed. Jon Rahm tops the list at +260. It is hard to stray too far away from him here. Bryson DeChambeau stands at +450 but honestly, one just never knows with the American long hitter.
If Rahm can get off to a good start, there is every chance he tops all the LIV golfers here, and at +260 there is value in backing the Spaniard who has come close to Open glory several times recently.
Chris Wassel is someone who has covered a little bit of everything: business, writing, sports, food, grilling, the Olympics, injuries, politics, and more. He has climbed mountains like Mount Washington and Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California, and for those who don’t know, he is also big into food challenges. With friends like Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has tackled eating feats like finishing a 16-pound turkey or a 32-inch meat lover's pizza. Since 2013, he has focused on fitness, fishing, and sports while managing to fit in running, hiking, rock climbing, and even the occasional mini-triathlon. He can lift more than his body weight with ease and is the person you turn to when you want to know if a NASCAR rain delay means a Monday race. Over his career, Chris has worked at places like Amazon, USA Today, and various rumors and fantasy sports sites. He has been nominated for awards such as the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hockey Writer of the Year and has a collection of high-stakes fantasy trophies and rings on display at home. With all this, Chris sums it up best with his motto: "Shut up and play."