2025 British Open Betting Preview: Picks, Predictions, Odds for Royal Portrush

Iain MacMillan | Jul 14, 2025

Xander Schauffele's odds to win back-to-back Open Championships are set at +2500. / Jack Gruber-Imagn Images

It’s time for the final men's major golf tournament of 2025: the British Open.

The best golfers in the world from the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf will compete against each other for one last chance at winning a major championship. Xander Schauffele enters the week as the defending champion, winning at Royal Troon last year, and Shane Lowry will enter as the defending champion at this year’s course, Royal Portrush. He one his first and only major championship the last time this course hosted the British Open, back in 2019.

Let’s take a look at the top names on the odds list and then I’ll break down a few of my favorite bets.

British Open odds

Top 15 odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

• Scottie Scheffler +450
• Rory McIlroy +700
• Jon Rahm +1200
• Bryson DeChambeau +2000
• Xander Schauffele +2500
• Collin Morikawa +2800
• Tommy Fleetwood +2800
• Ludvig Aberg +2800
• Viktor Hovland +3000
• Tyrrell Hatton +3000
• Shane Lowry +3000
• Robert MacIntyre +3500
• Sepp Straka +5000
• Justin Thomas +5000
• joaquin Niemann +5000

British Open how to watch

• Thursday: 1:30 a.m.–4 a.m. ET (Peacock), 4 a.m. ET–3:30 p.m. ET (USA Network)
• Friday: 1:30 a.m.–4 a.m. ET (Peacock), 4 a.m. ET–3:30 p.m. ET (USA Network)
• Saturday: 5 a.m.–7 a.m. ET (USA Network), 7 a.m.–3 p.m. ET (NBC)
• Sunday: 5 a.m.–7 a.m. ET (USA Network), 7 a.m.–2 p.m. ET (NBC)

British Open purse

• Date: Thursday, July 17–Sunday, July 20
• Where: Royal Portrush
• Purse: $17 million ($3.1 million to winner)
• 2024 champion: Xander Schauffele

British Open notable golfers

Rory McIlroy: Now that he has completed the career grand slam with a win at the Masters, the next big goal for Rory McIlroy is to win the Open Championship in his home country, and this could be his last chance to do exactly that. The last time the Open was hosted at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, McIlroy disappointed the hometown crowd by failing to make the cut. This time around, he’ll hope to at least put himself in contention on the weekend.

Shane Lowry: The only major win of Shane Lowry’s career to date came at the Open Championship when it was last hosted at Royal Portrush. He has a chance now to successfully defend his title at this course, and he’s been playing well enough this season to do so. He’s one of the few top golfers on the PGA Tour who didn’t tee it up at last week’s Scottish Open, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of form he’s in when he tees it up Thursday.

British Open best bets

Robert MacIntyre +3500

People forget that Robert MacIntyre’s coming-out party was at the British Open the last time it was hosted at Royal Portrush, playing to a T6 finish while posting one of the best rounds of the day on Sunday in what had some brutal rain and windy conditions.

Now, he’s grown as a golfer and has some big wins under his belt, including victories at last year’s Canadian Open and Scottish Open. He’s an accurate golfer with a well-rounded game who knows how to golf in tough conditions. He seems poised to take the next step in his career after finishing as the solo runner-up at this year’s U.S. Open. He enters this week as my best bet on the board to win the 153rd British Open.

Sepp Straka +5000

It was just a few months ago that Sepp Straka was one of the more popular picks to win this year’s British Open, but people have seem to put him on the back burner after a couple of missed cuts at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, causing his odds to dip to 50-1.

Let’s remember that a British Open setup is a much better fit for his game, and he proved it with a seventh-place finish at the Scottish Open last week. He now ranks third in the world in true strokes-gained: approach over the past three months, and his sharp long irons will prove pivotal at Royal Portrush.

His win at the Truist Championship this season, an elevated event, proves he can not only contend but beat the top golfers in the world.

Aaron Rai +12000

If you’re looking for a long shot bet this week, consider Aaron Rai at 120-1. His recent form doesn’t jump off the page, but he has had some solid results including a T19 at the PGA Championship and a T17 finish at the Travelers Championship, a signature event on the PGA Tour.

If the conditions get tough, Rai is going to shine. He’s one of the most accurate golfers in the world, ranking second on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy and 25th in greens in regulation. His lack of distance won’t hurt him at Royal Portrush like it did at the two previous majors this season. The English golfer has proven he can win in demanding weather, including capturing the 2020 Scottish Open. He’s certainly worth a look at 120-1, or you can be more conservative and bet on him to finish in the top 5, top 10 or top 20. He’s currently available at +260 at DraftKings to finish inside the top 20.

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!