Royal Portrush Golf Club (par 71, 7,381 yards, fescue greens) in Portrush, Ireland, is hosting the 153rd Open Championship this week. There are 156 golfers competing and a top-70 and ties cut after the first two rounds.
Below, I have featured some head-to-head tournament matchup bets to consider for the Open Championship on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Top Open Championship Matchup Picks
Ryan Fox over J.J. Spaun (+100)
While J.J. Spaun shocked the golf world and won the U.S. Open last month, Ryan Fox has won twice since the start of May and he is one of only five players on the PGA TOUR with multiple victories this season. When we compare these two players’ last eight starts, Fox has gone 8-for-8 in made cuts and he has produced six top-30 finishes, while Spaun has made 6-of-8 cuts with four top-30 finishes. Furthermore, when we compare this field’s last 36 rounds, Fox ranks 19th in total strokes gained, compared to Spaun, who ranks 26th.
Fox not only has the upper hand in recent form, but the professional out of New Zealand has a major edge when it comes to experience at the Open Championship. Fox has made 6-of-8 cuts at this major and he finished T-16 at Royal Portrush in 2019. Spaun on the other hand will be making his Open Championship debut at Royal Portrush this week. Fox was a full-time player on the DP World TOUR before joining the PGA TOUR and he won four times on the DP World TOUR, so he knows how to navigate links courses overseas very well.
At major championships in general, Fox has made 10 cuts in a row and five of these finishes have been top-30 results, whereas Spaun has made 6-of-9 major cuts for his career and his win at the U.S. Open last month is only the second time he has finished inside the top-30 at a major.
Fox’s +9000 odds to win the Open Championship on DraftKings Sportsbook are much shorter than Spaun at +11000, so Fox being the underdog for this matchup is rather puzzling. At this +100 price, Fox is a must-bet to win this matchup.
Russell Henley over Joaquin Niemann (-110)
While Joaquin Niemann has been brilliant on the LIV Golf Tour this season, winning four times and leading the circuit points, it’s hard to believe in him at major championships. Niemann just missed the cut at the U.S. Open last month and for his career, he has made 18-of-25 major cuts and he has only finished inside the top-10 once. Specifically at the Open Championship, Niemann has made 3-of-5 cuts and he has never finished higher than T-53.
Conversely, Russell Henley has been great at majors throughout his career and he has contended on multiple occasions, most recently with a T-10 at last month’s U.S. Open. Henley has made 30-of-44 major cuts and his performance at Oakmont last month marked his ninth top-15 finish at the major level. Henley is 5-for-10 in terms of made cuts at the Open Championship, but he just finished fifth at Royal Troon last year, which is his second top-20 finish at this major. Overall at major championships over the last five years, Henley is gaining 1.06 strokes per round, while Niemann is gaining 0.78.
While Henley can’t match Niemann’s four wins on the LIV Golf Tour this season, Henley’s campaign on the PGA TOUR this season is also very impressive and his best to date. The 36-year-old has made 12-of-14 cuts with eight top-10 finishes, including a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Henley sits at a career-best No. 5 in the world golf rankings and he is an excellent bet to outperform Niemann at the Open Championship this week.
