It is all eyes on the links at Royal Portrush for the 2019 Open Championship. 68 years after hosting the event for the first time, Major golf will return to Northern Ireland. This is Rory McIlroy’s home turf and the bookmakers recognise that that could play a big part in his pushing towards his second British Open title. McIlroy will be teeing off on Thursday as the 8/1 odds-against favourite* (betting odds taken bet365 on July 13th, 2019 at 5:42 pm).
The Open Championship 2019 Winner Odds*
Rory McIlroy 8/1
Brooks Koepka 10/1
Dustin Johnson 16/1
Jon Rahm 16/1
Tiger Woods 16/1
Justin Rose 201
Francesco Molinari 22/1
Xander Schaufelle 25/1
Tommy Fleetwood 28/1
Rickie Fowler 30/1
Jordan Speith 30/1
Adam Scott 33/1
Justin Thomas 33/1
Henrik Stenson 33/1
Patrick Cantlay 33/1
Matt Kuchar 35/1
Jason Day 40/1
Hideki Matsuyama 40/1
Bryson DeChambeau 40/1
Bar 45/1
* (betting odds taken bet365 on July 13th, 2019 at 5:42 pm)
Table of Contents
Royal Portrush
Wherever you look you’ll only find positive comments about the course at Royal Portrush. The Dunluce Links will be in play here with some beautiful undulations wherever you look. Because this course hasn’t been played for such a long time there is no precedent to look back on at this level. The last time that the course hosted a pro tournament was in 2012 when it played the Irish Open. McIlroy was joint tenth on that occasion, the Irish Open being won by Wales’ Jamie Donaldson.
The greens are expected to play pretty fast in County Antrim. The course will be making some history in that it will play the fewest bunkers ever in the history of the Open Championship. Since it hosted the 2012 Irish Open there have been considerable alterations to toughen it up. The 17th and 18th holes being totally new. 200 yards overall has been added to the course. The general perception is that it is going to be playing a lot harder than it did six years ago. There is of course the weather which will play its part too. That will play a big factor and a total mix is expected.
Scottish Open Influence
The big warm-up ahead of the British Open was the Scottish Open. The performances there on the links may well give a decent indicator of who is in form. It doesn’t guarantee anything of course. Bernd Wiesberger showed up in some great form there and knocked off a course record of 61 on Friday, as did Jamie Donaldson. With the Welshman’s name cropping up again, he may be worth some consideration.
Others putting in some strong showing with decent links form up north included Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Henrik Stenson, Rafa Cabrera and Matt Kuchar. Rory McIlroy skipped over the Irish Open to take part at the Scottish Open. He was as steady as expected to be, but really it was the blistering form of Bernd Weisberger in the second round which pretty much dialled back everyone else’s expectations.
Can Rory McIlroy win The Open 2019 on home soil?
The Northern Ireland star will have extra pressure on his shoulders for his home tournament. He has won The Open once before. That was his 2014 success at Royal Liverpool. His track record at The Open speaks for itself. In his first effort in 2010, he took a T3 and that is one of four top-five finishes that he has recorded, besides his 2014 triumph. It’s not a bad return from him. Can he live up to that top billing? He’s brilliant on the links, and has carried massively consistent form through the season. Are the stars aligning for him to get that second Open Championship title? McIlroy is 8/1 to sweep the title* (betting odds taken bet365 on July 13th, 2019 at 5:42 pm).
Will Majors beast Brooks Koepka bring his best?
Koepka will be leading the American charge at Royal Portrush. Three of the last six major titles have been won by him. Along with those three wins he has taken two top-two finishes as well in that run of six Majors. It’s been some form from him. Twelve months ago he only carded a T39 at The Open 2018. That was after back to back top ten finishes at the tournament though from him. He just gets into beast mode wherever the Majors roll around and can’t be dismissed.
Can Bernd Wiesberger keep up his hot hand?
The Austrian’s numbers recently suggests that he is going to be in the frame one way or another. He claimed a second place at the Irish Open and then produced a record-breaking round of golf at the Scottish Open strong number. He did pick up a victory back in May as well at the Made in Denmark tournament. He was out at 90/1 for the Open Championship 2019 at the time of writing. Well worth a punt at each with that on the back of his form. He didn’t piece things together at the 3M Open in Minnesota at TPC Twin Cities, but there’s every chance that he will play his way into contention in Northern Ireland.
Will Dustin Johnson be able to find his form on the links?
It is a major and we have to talk about Dustin Johnson. He has finished runner up in both the Masters and the PGA Championship this year. The 2016 US Open winner hasn’t been in prime form recently, not since his second-place finish at the PGA Championship really. His career on the links is a little hit and miss. He has carded three top-ten finishes from his previous ten British Open attempts but his last two cracks have yielded very poor returns, a T54 in 2017 and a missed cut twelve months ago.
Is a major British Open performance coming from John Rahm?
He powered his way to recent success the Irish Open on the Lahinch Old Course, four shots clear or Bernd Wiesberger and Andy Sullivan. The Spaniard missed the cut last year at The Open, just his third attempt at this particular Major. But he has shown up well in other majors in the last two years. He has four top tens along with three missed cuts in appearances in the last seven big ones.
Our top Each Way Picks for The Open 2019
Rafael Cabrera Bello was runner up to Jamie Donaldson in the 2012 Irish Open at Portrush. With a decent showing through the early stages of the Scottish Open and a T4 at the Irish Open, he has a decent chance of getting in the picture. He had taken a T3 at the BMW International Open prior to his trip to this year’s Irish Open. He is clearly in a purple patch of form at the moment and could be worth riding. He is certainly a value option for each way to consider in The Open 2019 betting at 60/1 odds* (betting odds taken bet365 on July 13th, 2019 at 5:42 pm).
Andy Sullivan produced a strong opening couple of days at the Scottish Open and that was after a tie with Wiesberger at the Irish Open. This will be just his fifth appearance at The Open. He missed the cut last year but did put up a T12 on the links in 2016. If you consider his steady hand at the Scottish Open as well where he was tied with Weisberger at one point on Friday, he could be a decent Top Ten Finish option. He is at 125/1 to win outright if you want to load up each way on him* (betting odds taken bet365 on July 13th, 2019 at 5:42 pm).
Will the steady hands of Stenson or Kuchar contend?
Henrik Stenson has piqued some interest after playing some good stuff at the Scottish Open. That was the Swede’s first outing anywhere since the US Open where he took a ninth-place finish. That was after a top ten finish at the RBC Canadian. It has been a difficult year for Stenson, but it looks like he has come back strongly at the moment. The outing on the links over the weekend will certainly raise his expectations and his 33/1 odds may tumble after Sunday* (betting odds taken bet365 on July 13th, 2019 at 5:42 pm)
Matt Kuchar, much like Stenson is coming good at the moment. He missed the cut back at the Memorial in early June but then has been on an upward swing of things in general. He took a T4 at the Canadian Open on his return before securing a top twenty finish at Pebble Beach in the US Open. At the close of play on Saturday at the Scottish Open, he was inside the top fifteen. Prior to his outing at the Scottish Open, he had nailed six top fifteen finishes in seven tournaments, four of those were top tens.
What about Tiger, can he win his fourth British Open title?
The last time that Woods won the Open Championship was in 2006. That was the third of his career. He put in an exciting challenge twelve months ago with a T6 finish which, looking back was his third top ten finish inside his last five attempts at the Major. He had that big moment earlier this year at the Masters with his win at Augusta. He followed that up with a missed cut at the PGA Championship, a top ten at the Memorial and then finished outside the top twenty in the US Open at Pebble Beach. The bookies are mildly cautious about him at 16/1 odds* (betting odds taken bet365 on July 13th, 2019 at 5:42 pm).
Open Championship 2019 Predictions
Of course, there’s no way to asses everyone taking part in the field. Taking what we could from the first day of action at the Scottish Open, we have pieced some bits together. Notably that it’s hard to find fault in the claims of Rory McIlroy the 8/1 favourite* (betting odds taken bet365 on July 13th, 2019 at 5:42 pm), other than the pressure of this big event on home soil getting to him. But that’s not likely to even be a thing with him, so there is every reason to suggest that he is going to be in contention on Sunday.
The other top picks as far as an outright win is going to be is Weisberger. Even though his form has been pretty hot recently, he hasn’t been particularly on top of things with the putter. But even that took an improvement at the Scottish Open so now he makes a fine fit and really is worth snapping up each way on the 90/1 odds we saw on him on Saturday.
Our other big pick will be Spain’s Rafa Cabrero Bello. He has been in good nick recently and has performed on the links. He is looking pretty cool and relaxed as well and around the 60/1 on Saturday, there is more than enough meat on the bone to warrant having a look at him as a genuine option* (betting odds taken bet365 on July 13th, 2019 at 5:42 pm).
