Koepka, McIlroy Joint Favourites For Open Championship

The Open Championship will be played at Royal Portrush this year, marking it’s return to the Northen Ireland course after a gap of 68 years. When the Open was last played at Portrush in 1951, it was the first time the event had not been played in Scotland or England and the small town will surely put on a great show for the world’s best golfers for the four days of action starting from July 18th. 

Rory McIlroy shot a course record 61 around this course when he was only sixteen years old and that amazing score stands as the lowest score at Portrush to this day. McIlroy shares favouritism for the event but his odds perhaps reflect more emotion and hope than great value. Fact is that though he has been in contention many times Rory hasn’t managed to win a major Championship for five years. Best odds therefore of 9/1 with Betfred and Bet365 are not that attractive given the fact that many of his competitors are in great form. McIlroy will miss this week’s Irish Open, an event he hosted until this year, in order to allow him to play the Scottish Open next week at Royal Berwick followed by the Open Championship. With two wins to his name so far this year including the Prestigious Players Championship at Sawgrass it is clear that McIlroy’s game is in great shape but the doubts are building as to whether he now has the right temperament for the final nine holes of a Major on a Sunday afternoon. 

American Brooks Koepka is the World No.1 and has been in astonishing form in Golf Majors over the last three years winning the US PGA Championship and US Open Championship twice as well as finishing 2nd in the US Masters this year to a certain Tiger Woods. Koepka finished tied 39th in the Open at Carnoustie last year but will be many pundits selection for Portrush with bookmakers generally offering odds of 8/1 about the 29-year-old. 

Currently, Skybet, Paddy Power, Boylesports and Betfair are offering ⅕ odds for 6 places but expect the odds and betting offers for the event to improve as we get closer to the start with many bookies now offering each way for 10 places for the golf majors.