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The Open Championship: PGA Best Bets, Predictions, Past Results, and Course Info

Brandon Gdula
Brandon Gdula•@gdula13

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The Open Championship: PGA Best Bets, Predictions, Past Results, and Course Info

The fourth and final men's golf major of 2025 -- The Open Championship -- is set to tee off this week at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

Here's all you need to know.

All golf odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

The Open Championship Info
Royal Portrush Golf Club Course Info

Data from GCSAA, PGA Tour, and data golf's course table unless otherwise noted.

  • Par: 71
  • Distance: 7,381 yards (long)
  • Average Fairway Width: 27 yards (narrow)
  • Average Green Size: 5,400 square feet (smaller than average)
  • Green Type: Fescue
  • Stimpmeter: N/A
  • Recent Winning Scores: -15

Royal Portrush Golf Club Course Key Stats

Historically speaking, the Open is a really volatile event in terms of how golfers fare relative to their betting odds, and that also translates into the idea that there isn't a lot of key stats we can dig into because there are multiple ways of playing well at Opens historically.

When looking at 2019 at Royal Portrush, specifically, we have a lack of data to sink our teeth into, as well.

But with greens of just 5,400 square feet, on average, Portrush features smaller-than-Tour-average (around 6,000 square feet) landing areas. That means fewer lag putts than you may be expecting at a usual Open Championship.

Putting will be important, and putting often crowns the winner among the best tee-to-green players for the week.

As for some ball-striking stats, we'll need to go traditional, but a few things emerge.

In 2019, Shane Lowry ranked second in good drive rate (fairways hit plus greens in regulation after a missed fairway, indicating misses that still led to GIR opportunities). The rest of the top five ranked 7th, 12th, 4th, and 19th in good drive rate.

Similarly, greens in regulation were crucial, as the top five ranked 1st, 13th, 3rd, 3rd, and 34th in GIR percentage.

With that said, I think the archetype that wins out this week is a great all-around tee-to-green game -- including a semblance of safety off the tee. That is, selling out for distance isn't exactly the way I think we should approach it this week.

The Open Championship Past Results

Check out our course history primer for past British Open history for golfers in this year's field.

The Open Championship Best Bets

These picks stand out relative to their FanDuel Sportsbook golf betting odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats cited below originate at datagolf and reference ranks relative to the field over the past 50 rounds unless otherwise noted.

Xander Schauffele

Historically speaking, Xander Schauffele has been a very accurate driver while also being long off the tee. In full transparency, his accuracy numbers have dipped a bit as he has gained a lot of distance with his driver, and this is his least accurate season as a pro.

But on the flip side of things, Schauffele has played well at links setups and is -- of course -- the defending Champion Golfer of the Year.

Schauffele ranks top-15 in approach over his last three months and is 15th in strokes gained: tee to green while 12th in distance (but 101st in accuracy).

Xander also rates out as a 63rd-percentile putter on Tour this year from within 15 feet -- but 3rd percentile from beyond 15 feet. While putting isn't exactly a key stat for me this week, that really indicates some regression coming his way.

Additionally, each of the last four Open champions played the Scottish Open the week prior:

  • 2024: Xander Schauffele (T15 at the Scottish Open the week prior)
  • 2023: Brian Harman (T12)
  • 2022: Cameron Smith (T10)
  • 2021: Collin Morikawa (T71)

Schauffele was T8 last week.

Viktor Hovland

Viktor Hovland missed the cut at The Open last year while really struggling from fairway through green, but we shouldn't ignore his Open form prior to that: T12, T4, and T13 in his three other starts.

Additionally, Hovland was T11 last week, typically a good sign for Open Championship success in recent years.

Hovland enters this year's Open ranked second in strokes gained: approach over the last 50 rounds -- albeit 79th or worse in the other three strokes gained stats.

Now, that's a little understated, as he's effectively neutral in off the tee, around the green, and putting splits. That's still in line with how the top-five finishers from 2019 at Royal Portrush were playing entering The Open.

Lastly, Hovland is also due for putting regression despite being an average putter (45th-percentile putting from within 15 feet but 20th-percentile beyond that).

This ball-striking setup seems perfect for Hovland.

Sepp Straka

With the ball-striking stats from 2019 at Portrush that emerged (the good drives and GIRs as discussed above), Sepp Straka really comes to mind.

Straka ranks 13th in accuracy and 5th in approach over the last six months, ultimately settling in 9th in ball-striking despite ranking 39th in off-the-tee play (due to the fact that he's only 91st in distance).

Straka is 20th in putting in that sample and has putting splits supported by 77th-percentile numbers from within 15 feet on Tour this season.

Straka's Open history reads missed cut, T2, and T22 for some strong finishes as his game has peaked, and he also finished seventh last week at the Genesis Scottish Open.

Russell Henley

Russell Henley really sets up in the same mold as Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood from 2019 where we can expect him to be in good position off the tee and to hit a lot of greens.

Henley ranks 22nd in ball-striking the last six months despite sitting 125th in distance. He's 16th in accuracy and 12th in approach to help account for that.

Henley is also top-22 in both short game stats and has emerged as a strong major player, one who should continue to build on a poor Open history.

Henley has missed 5 of 10 cuts at The Open in his career but was 5th last year while playing his best-ever golf. He's still in elite form and has the tools to work his way around Royal Portrush.

Henley didn't play last week, which I don't love, but 65/1 is a really nice number for his game.

Maverick McNealy

Maverick McNealy has positive marks across the board over the last six months in terms of his driving distance, driving accuracy, strokes gained: off the tee, strokes gained: approach, strokes gained: around the green, and strokes gained: putting numbers, and that all-around game has led to a solid major season to date.

McNealy has played in all three majors this season and has made all three cuts. The results have been solid (T32 at the Masters, T33 at the PGA Championship, and 37th at the U.S. Open). We still need a bit more than that for a top-20, and we need a bit more than the T22 he had last week at the Renaissance Club, too.

Still, McNealy's form is hard to ignore, as his complete game has led to major success so far in 2025.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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