The PGA TOUR is at Royal Portrush this week for the final major of 2025. The venue should be beautiful, the field is elite, and we should have plenty of drama coming down the stretch on Sunday. Will Irish eyes be smiling on Sunday, though? Let’s take a look at the market for the top Irish golfer this week on DraftKings Sportsbook and explore whether Rory McIlroy makes sense as one of this week’s best bets.
If you’re looking for some green on the Emerald Isle, here’s one fun market to consider:
Top Irish: Rory McIlroy (-175)
Rory is the heavy favorite in this group at -175, especially after another near miss last week at the Scottish Open. He finished T2 behind Chris Gotterup and said his game is almost back to where it was when he won the Masters to complete his career grand slam earlier this season.
He’ll be the most popular man on the property and get plenty of spotlight all week as he comes home to Northern Ireland. In 2019, for The Open’s last stop at Royal Portrush, he missed the cut, but he’s excited to be back for another chance this week.
Rory is +750 to win the tournament and -140 to finish in the top 10, but this prop at -175 is another way to consider playing him this week. I also spotlighted Rory’s form and how well he fits in fantasy golf lineups in my top cash picks for this week.
Top Irish: Shane Lowry (+240)
If Rory’s odds are too short for you in this market and you’re looking for something a little juicier, Lowry makes sense at +240, as well. The case is pretty simple and can be summarized quickly: Just look back to 2019.
In 2019, Lowry dominated at Royal Portrush and claimed his one career major championship. After opening with back-to-back rounds of 67, he set a new course record with a 63 on Saturday to lead by four strokes at the end of the third round. He cruised home on Sunday and won by six strokes over Tommy Fleetwood and the rest of the field.
He’ll be back at home in more ways than one at Royal Portrush this week, but his form has trailed off a little bit recently. He had nine top 20 finishes earlier this season, but missed the cut at the U.S. Open and finished T45 at the Travelers Championship in his last two starts.
If you think returning to the site of his biggest win can jumpstart him, or at least that he has what it takes to out-duel Rory, he’s a nice play at these odds.
Tom McKibbin (+500) is coming off a couple of top five finishes on LIV Golf, and Padraig Harrington (+1400) won the U.S. Senior Open Championship a few weeks ago. However, this market really seems to be a two-horse race between Lowry and Rory this week.
If you can’t choose between the two Irish golfers but think one will win the tournament, you can pick Rory McIlroy or Shane Lowry to Win at +550 in the Double Chance market on DraftKings Sportsbook, as well.
