A five-way tie sits atop the leaderboard after the opening round of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush. Jacob Skov Olesen, Haotong Li, Matt Fitzpatrick, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Harris English all carded 4-under 67s on Thursday.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler lurks just one shot back after posting a 3-under 68. Local favorite Rory McIlroy remains in the hunt at 1-under 70, three strokes off the lead.
The betting markets have adjusted quickly after day one. Despite trailing the leaders, Scheffler remains the overwhelming favorite at +210. That’s not surprising given his dominant form this season and his ability to climb leaderboards on the weekend.
McIlroy, still searching for his first major since 2014, holds the second position at +800. The Northern Irishman’s familiarity with Royal Portrush and his recent strong play make him a threat despite the three-shot deficit.
Fitzpatrick’s opening 67 has vaulted him to +1100, while Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm share +1200 odds despite different first-round performances. Rahm’s ability to go low makes him dangerous even from further back.
Here’s how the odds stack up heading into Friday’s second round:
- Scottie Scheffler: +210
- Rory McIlroy: +800
- Matt Fitzpatrick: +1100
- Tyrrell Hatton: +1200
- Jon Rahm: +1200
- Harris English: +2000
- Shane Lowry: +3000
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout: +3000
- Xander Schauffele: +3500
- Justin Rose: +3500
- Aaron Rai: +4000
- Joaquin Niemann: +4000
- Maverick McNealy: +4500
- Haotong Li: +5000
What’s interesting is Li’s +5000 odds despite sharing the lead. The bookmakers clearly don’t love his chances to maintain his position through Sunday. Similarly, co-leader Bezuidenhout sits at +3000, suggesting oddsmakers see his first round as somewhat of an outlier.
The second round will be crucial for separating contenders from pretenders as Royal Portrush continues to challenge the world’s best golfers.
