Open Championship
The Open Championship preview
The fourth and final Major on the golfing calendar is upon us as 156 players are set to compete to get their hands on the Claret Jug.
Northern Ireland is the destination this year, with Royal Portrush hosting the tournament for a third time.
It has traditionally been a good venue for those based in Great Britain & Ireland, with Englishman Max Faulkner winning in 1951 and Irishman Shane Lowry winning back in 2019.
The 7,346-yard par 71 course will provide a true test of not only golfing skill but intelligence as well. Links golf is the ultimate all-round test of a player’s shot-making ability and that often sets the class players apart from the rest of the field.
Many will be hoping for a certain Northern Irishman to land his second Major of the year, but he’ll face some serious competition this week. That said, we fancy the fairy tale to come true this week!
Rory McIlroy 7/1
Our first selection this week is by no means a surprising one, as we’re siding with Rory McIlroy. At 7/1 he is second-favourite with only Scottie Scheffler ahead of him in the betting.
The Masters was obviously McIlroy’s main aim for the season and his completion of the Career Slam saw his performances dip off the back of that victory, understandably so. However, he has since come out and said that he’s as fired up for the Open as he’s ever been due to the fact it’s at his home course.
The Northern Irishman said: “If I can’t get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don’t know what can motivate me,” which is enough to strike confidence into any of his backers.
His preparation went very well as he finished T2 at last week’s Scottish Open, having recorded a T6 finish at the Travelers Championship prior to that. There’s no doubting his ability or his form and this looks the perfect chance for him to get another Major under his belt heading into the Ryder Cup later this year.
With 1/5 of the odds being paid on the first 7 places, McIlroy would still return an each-way profit. His record of seven T3 or better finishes at the Open makes him a rock-solid option for at least minor returns, with a great chance of winning the whole thing.
Sam Burns 70/1
Our second selection and the each-way angle this week is Sam Burns. He started the season shakily but looks to be hitting peak form just at the right time to go well here.
Since missing three consecutive cuts a few months ago he has made ten in a row and recorded seven top-20 or better, including a T7 at the U.S. Open and a play-off loss at the Canadian Open.
He didn’t set North Berwick alight with his T47 at the Scottish Open last week but looked steady enough to make the cut. He’s made it to the weekend on three of his four Open appearances, including last year when he finished T31.
At a massive price of 70/1 he looks good value to finish in the 7 places available with William Hill, given his recent cut-making record.
