One Of These 5 Players Will Win The Open Championship

Other than the Masters, the Open Championship is my favorite golf tournament of the year.

It’s unpredictable and chaotic. Weather usually plays an outsized role. There is luck involved—but the skill of staying patient is even more critical.

This week, the tournament returns to Royal Portrush where Shane Lowry won in 2019. It’s easily among the top few courses on the Open rota despite the relative lack of history.

Who is going to win this week? I believe it will be one of these five players.

1. Rory McIlroy

It’s been a rollercoaster year for McIlroy. After winning the Masters in dramatic fashion, he seemed to be a shell of himself and, for some, even started to take on the role of villain. Some of the quotes he gave at the U.S. Open—where he continued a spat with the media—were alarming.

However, McIlroy has returned to form with strong finishes at the Travelers (T6) and Scottish Open (T2). And you would figure he will be in full focus this week in his home country of Northern Ireland.

There is a high ceiling and a low floor here, but McIlroy is definitely on everyone’s mind as a potential victor.

2. Scottie Scheffler

Scheffler’s last 10 starts read like this: T2-4-T8-WIN-WIN-T4-WIN-T7-T6-T8.

Even his bad weeks are top-10 finishes. Scheffler is, without a doubt, the best golfer in the world.

But of slight concern is his record in Open Championships. Scheffler has been good but never great with links golf, recording four top-25 results but never getting into realistic contention.

I would expect that to change at some point.

3. Jon Rahm

I’m still thinking Rahm has more to give in 2025.

Gun to my head, he would be my pick to win this week.

His first three majors resulted in three top-15 finishes, but he’s yet to insert himself into the mix on a Sunday. It feels like he is due for that to change.

The Open Championship has been good to Rahm as he had a T2 in 2023 and a T3 in 2021. Unlike someone like Bryson DeChambeau (purposefully not on the list), this is a comfortable tournament for Rahm.

4. Viktor Hovland

Hovland is another high ceiling-low floor choice for the Open, but I think it’s worth a shot.

He is coming off a third-place finish in the U.S. Open and also played well at the Scottish. He’s had recent success in the Open Championship, including in 2022 when he was in the final pairing on Sunday.

Hovland is due for a major at some point, and there aren’t many obvious picks this week. He could contend or flame out—there isn’t much in between with him.

5. Tyrrell Hatton

Slightly off the board here as Hatton’s career major record is a little suspect. His Open Championship record is middling as well.

But we’re looking for good links players. Hatton qualifies there—he won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship three times and had a good track record in the Scottish Open back when he was a PGA Tour player.

Everyone will be frustrated this week on a hard golf course where conditions can get difficult, so Hatton’s typical anger should fit right in at Portrush.

Who else do you like this week? Let me know below in the comments.