Rory McIlroy headlines a surprisingly strong field for this week’s Irish Open, with a powerful contingent of LIV stars heading to the K Club now that their own season is done and dusted.
The presence of six time Major champion Brooks Koepka and former Masters winners Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed mean it is not just McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington who know what it is like to win at the highest level.
But the biggest threat to McIlroy – who is a red hot favourite to repeat his 2016 victory at this venue – could come from a player still waiting for his Major breakthrough, Tyrrell Hatton.
Hatton could easily have broken his duck when he finished a close fourth in the US Open, and his victory in the Dubai Desert Classic at the start of the year was another reminder of just how talented he is.
At around 12-1, he represents better value than Ryder Cup team-mate McIlroy. You will be lucky to find better odds than 7-2 about the Grand Slam winner.
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Irish Open 2025 betting tips
The most recent Irish Open at the K Club, two years ago, threw up a surprise winner in Swede Vincent Norman.
And there are plenty of contenders at decent odds who could cause another upset – led by last week’s European Masters winner Thriston Lawrence.
The South African star has turned his year around after a sticky start to 2025, when he found it hard to come to terms with life as a PGA Tour rookie. That win in Switzerland has been on the cards for a while.
He finished in a share of third here in 2023, just two shots behind Norman, and at 40-1 he looks a good each way option.
The same thing applies to 33-1 shot Kristoffer Reitan. He has been signposted in this column a few times and has risen to third on the DP World Tour money list.
Richard Mansell is another player whose name has featured here on several occasions. He was in the mix last week, finishing sixth, and he is another each way fancy at 66-1.
And there are a few players at three figure odds who could go well, led by Frenchman Adrian Saddier, who won the Italian Open earlier this year. He played better than his T33 finish in Switzerland suggests. So he looks tempting at 100-1.
Conor Syme’s KLM Open win a couple of months ago was sandwiched by seven missed cuts, and two other mediocre efforts.
But he finished tied seventh here in 2023, and he could be in for another out of the blue cracker. At 200-1 it is worth a small interest to find out.
And another small stake on Lucas Bejerregard at the same odds could be rewarding, after his encouraging eighth place last week.
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Ryder Cup – Early predictions
With both Ryder Cup teams now finalised, most bookies are offering markets on the Bethpage Black shoot-out at the end of the month.
The one that interests me is the one on top overall points scorer, where you can bet each way with most firms offering a return for finishing in the top four.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler inevitably heads the market at around 6-1. But he will want to partner Sam Burns, and may find it difficult to rack up points with his out-of-form pal.
Hatton is the eye-catcher again here. He won three of his four matches in Rome and halved the other, so 18-1 looks more than acceptable.
Tommy Fleetwood, who is enjoying the best year of his career, is also worth an interest at 12-1. Russell Henley and Cameron Young, who can both be backed at 25-1, appeal most among the American contingent.
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