Picks Summary
- Rory McIlroy to Win Outright (+700) at Bet365
- Rory McIlroy to Finish Top 10 (-190) at Bet365
- Chris Kirk to Finish Top 20 (+650) at Bet365
- Chris Kirk to Win Outright (+27500) at Bet365
- Ewen Ferguson to Finish Top 20 (+600) at Bet365
- Ewen Ferguson to Win Outright (+25000) at Bet365
2023 Open Championship
July 20 – July 23, 2023 at Royal Liverpool Golf Club
Will Rory McIlroy Justify Favoritism?
Undoubtedly, Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy cuts a strong figure as a solid betting favorite at the top of the market, after his win at last week’s Scottish Open. The question is can he justify favoritism, and should we be backing him at +700?
We know by recent interviews and the one yesterday, that the thirty-four-year-old needed a confidence boost. So, having his mood jump forward after recent months will be a huge shot in the arm, and over the years, McIlroy has won so much, that following up a win is no problem to him. Let alone the week when going back to the place of his one previous Open Championship victory.
To further his case, Rory McIlroy is 100% focused again after the upset and disruption the LIV fiasco caused him, and indeed with Jay Monahan’s tenure looking over at the PGA, he will not be reminded of how they used him as a pawn in the war with LIV.
We also know how well McIlroy has been playing in the weeks leading up to the Scottish Open and he could be described as something of a Harry Colt specialist around the world. Harry Colt has been responsible for many tracks around the globe, that Rory McIlroy has flourished at, from Wentworth and Royal Liverpool in England to Hamilton in Canada, and let’s not forget he is the course record holder at Royal Portrush another design in his home nation.
Here at OddsTrader, we suggest making Rory McIlroy your “one and done” in the main Open Championship market this week as armed with the above information he wins more than 1 in 7 theoretically with this week’s dynamics.
Golf Pick: Rory McIlroy to Win Outright (+700) at Bet365
Golf Pick: Rory McIlroy to Finish Top 10 (-190) at Bet365
What Bettors Need to Know About Royal Liverpool
Royal Liverpool, previously known as Hoylake, last hosted the Open Championship in 2014 when Rory McIlroy won at 17-under par, the previous time before, Tiger Woods won at 18-under par. This informs us that despite a few changes, particularly a new par-3 17th the only defense the east coast links has is the elements, and is one of the easier Open tests on the roster.
The weather forecast indicates a wet week in western England and that could lead to lower scoring if the rain is only as light as the forecast modest winds. The Harry Colt design demands accuracy off the tee and has six out-of-bounds holes to catch out the wayward drives. Interestingly, in 2006, Tiger Woods used an iron off the tee on most holes, using his notorious stinger with long irons to the optimum effect, hitting 48 off 56 fairways.
Why Is Chris Kirk a Solid Props Pick?
I am sure Chris Kirk is not the first name to roll tongues for this week’s Open Championship, but he has a solid look.
Firstly, the thirty-eight-year-old from Knoxville in Tennessee has only played two Open Championships but one of those was here in 2014 when managing an impressive finish of 19th.
When we look at the track, we see it requires accuracy off the tee and strong putting. That’s no problem for Kirk and interestingly, he won this year’s Honda Classic which is often a good marker for players suited to the demands of Open Championship golf.
Since that win earlier in the season, Kirk slipped from view but there was promise in his recent effort at the Rocket Mortgage Classic when a poor final round undermined his finishing position.
It’s a huge ask for a long shot to win this week so trust Chris Kirk to land a props top 20 finish with a very modest stake on him to win.
Golf Pick: Chris Kirk to Finish Top 20 (+650) at Bet365
Golf Pick: Chris Kirk to Win Outright (+27500) at Bet365
Ewen Ferguson Is an Interesting Prop Too
Scot, Ewen Ferguson keeps plying his trade manfully on the European Tour and has an interesting look this week. The twenty-seven-year-old from Glasgow won the Boys Amateur Championship here a decade ago.
He arrives back in Liverpool in superb form on the European Tour with a plethora of strong finishes in recent weeks after 2022 when he won twice.
Returning to the scene of his triumph back in 2013 can only evoke strong positive memories for Ewen Ferguson and he has a strong look in many props markets.
My preferred play for Ewen Ferguson is like Kirk with a healthy bet on a top-20 finish and a small stake on an outright win at the top online sportsbooks.
Golf Pick: Ewen Ferguson to Finish Top 20 (+600) at Bet365
Golf Pick: Ewen Ferguson to Win Outright (+25000) at Bet365
