This preview was written before the tournament. Prices quoted are pre-tournament prices and are not current.
Best Bet
Rory McIlroy to win (outright, $7.00). The Irish Open has a strong field, with PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV players all in the draw, but it does not include Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy is the home favourite, will have the crowd behind him, and has won the Masters earlier this season. He is also at his best when he plays in Europe. At $7.00 the price is fair, and we expect it to shorten as the week goes on.
The reasoning
The market has McIlroy and Jon Rahm as the two main contenders. McIlroy is a clear choice because of his record in Europe and the lift he gets from playing in front of home support. With Scheffler missing, the field is more open than it would be at a PGA Tour event, and that favours the player with the most experience of this sort of week.
Other plays
- Jon Rahm ($11.00, value). Rahm has had a good year on LIV and is keen to lift his world ranking by playing events like this. He has plenty of experience in Europe and is usually a shorter price than $11.00, so we think there is value in the bet.
- Sepp Straka ($56.00, roughie). The Austrian was playing well on the PGA Tour before a quieter patch, and he made the BMW Championship during the FedEx Cup, where he finished T33. He is a European player of real class who the market is not respecting.
- Angel Ayora ($41.00). The young Spaniard finished T4 the week before and was only two shots off the winner. He is getting close to a first win on the DP World Tour.
- Joaquin Niemann (first-round leader, $31.00). Niemann is in strong form on LIV and often starts quickly, so the price for the first-round lead looks generous.
How we’d play it
- Main bet: McIlroy outright at $7.00.
- Value: Rahm at $11.00, or split the stake between the two favourites.
- Small stakes: Straka and Ayora outright, and Niemann for the first-round lead, only for punters who want an outsider or two.
