Among that group of golfers is Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and McIlroy, who enters this year's edition of the tournament as the favorite. If you. The British Open brings with it all sorts of prop bets, including the opportunity to wager on the top player from each country. World number one Brooks Koepka finished at 3-under par on Thursday and is a 7/2 favorite to win at The open golf 2019 betting this weekend. Golf expert Ben Coley put up Shane Lowry when he won the Open Championship — and he's putting his faith in the same player at Royal St.
By Chris Cutmore for MailOnline. As always these days, Brooks Koepka deserves to be considered the man to beat, along with Rory McIlroy , who broke the Dunluce Links course record aged just 16 with a staggering But this is The Open, which can be the most capricious of majors, won and lost with a couple of bad bounces of the ball on the humps and hollows of links land, or on a morning when the wind kicks up and rain pours before clearing and leaving late starters bathed in sunshine.
In others words, no-one is ever nailed-on to win The Open — and unfancied outsiders can become genuine contenders in just a couple of hours. Rory McIlroy knows his way around Royal Portrush and is rightly one of the favourites. Brooks Koepka, though, has no weaknesses and has plenty of ways to navigate the course. All signs point to Portrush providing a stern all-round test of golf, however, just as any Open course should do to identify the Champion Golfer.
Koepka has no weaknesses. Koepka is one of the longest hitters on tour and could power his way round Portrush this week. His caddie, Ricky Elliott, also grew up playing Royal Portrush so can lend added insight. The only recent form blip is that 39, which came at Carnoustie last year, but the world No 1 finished 10th at St Andrews and sixth at Birkdale so he knows how to play links golf.
McIlroy, meanwhile, is obviously in great shape and would love to win the Claret Jug on home turf more than anything — he has called this possibly the defining tournament of his career — but his struggles in trying to close out the career Grand Slam at Augusta shows that, great player though he is, perhaps he struggles when he piles this amount of pressure on himself.
His stinger iron off the tee will be a huge asset here just as it was at Pebble Beach. And just look at that price for the most recent major champion. But the hottest player on the planet right now is Jon Rahm , a multiple major-winner in waiting.
No top-5s in The Open yet, but the Spaniard has them in other majors as he begins to keep his cool. He won his second Irish Open this month - his first came down the road on the links at Portstewart - and who can ignore form that reads . Well, those who look at his Open form, for starters. That reads missed cut. Gary Woodland has already shown this year he can handle the pressure of major tournaments.
Elsewhere among the big guns there is great value to be had. He threatened to contend at Pebble but never truly got going, and has taken a few weeks off to recharge. The open golf 2019 betting With his game and temperament, again that is a hugely tempting price. Justin Rose finished second at Carnoustie last year and is never far away from the top. Despite overcoming his slump with three decent weeks in succession, plus his win at Troon in Eight of the last nine Open champions played the week before the championship.
But these two have barely played at all this year. Neither has teed it up since the US Open, but only Woods has attracted negative comment, being widely thought to be too rusty to contend. But then again Tiger never did play the week before The Open and his record is superb. You never know. Scott, meanwhile, again looks a strong candidate to win.
Runner-up at Lytham in and with a string of good Open results behind him — and a Masters win - his ominously good form when rarely seen makes him a standout. The putter, as ever, remains his only weakness. First-round leader might be a good shout.
Expect the Yankee dollar to pour into Portrush after our friends from over the pond see this spectacular links on television, and especially if there is an American winner. Most signs point towards that being the case — seven of the last nine majors have been won by Americans. He can operate in the worst of weather and has a short game which is the envy of everyone on tour.
Spaniard has four tops this year and three of them have come in his last three events. Two of those have come at links courses and he finished runner-up when the Irish Open was played on this course in I'm a little put off by the odds but there is no doubting the American's ability in the Majors.
He has not finished outside the top yet this year in the big ones, and that includes a runner-up finish in the Masters and tie for third in the US Open, so he relishes tough tests. Masters champion was moving in slow motion during his first practice rounds at Portrush, which came in bright sunshine and warm weather. The time Major champion admits his game is not where it needs to be, he hasn't played in a month and there is a lingering suspicion that his heroics at Augusta took too much out of him for the rest of the year.
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