The Open Championship value tips: Best bets in alternative markets

I can’t believe we’ve reached the final of this year’s majors already but from a betting perspective the Open Championship can throw up all sorts of opportunities, especially in alternative and submarkets.

Let’s get straight to some off the cuff bets I fancy for Royal Portrush.

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I love the Renaissance Scottish Open slot the week before the Open Championship, and we got some heavy clues as to who might go well this week.

Sepp Straka - first round leader - 66/1

I’ll start with Sepp Straka, arguably the most improved player over the last two years in the world of golf. The Austrian finished second only to Brian Harman in the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and he was back at it last week on the links of Scotland finishing solo seventh but having contended for most of the four days. 

Some of you may know that Straka is a fan of a low opening round and I’m looking at him for a fast start at Royal Portrush which will be playing just short of 7,350 yards to a par 71 this week. 

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Straka’s latest win was at the Truist Championship five weeks ago, a step up given it was a ‘signature event’ and the Austrian has his eyes firmly on a major championship title now to reach the top echelons of the game.

Back Straka for the first-round lead at 66/1 (five places) each way with BetMGM. Straka is available at a nice price of 11/2 with the same firm for a top 10 finish.

Patrick Reed - 'Top American'?

Patrick Reed is being very underrated by the markets. I saw some official data on the American that showed he was the third player in the world of golf right now in terms of strokes gained per round. 

Reed was third in the Masters this year and posted a top 25 finish in the US Open. He is battling hard to make Keegan Bradley’s US Ryder Cup team. 

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Reed is a recent winner at LIV Golf Dallas, and he followed that up with a top 10 in Valderrama last week. 

Reed is fourth in the LIV golf standings in 2025. ‘Captain America’ finished inside the top 10 at Royal Portrush in the 2019 Open Championship and it feels like the Dunluce links is a perfect course fit for him

Back Patrick Reed to be ‘Top American’ each way (five places) at a general price of 33/1.

Ryan Fox - 80/1 (five places)

Ryan Fox is part of my main Open Championship preview, but I love him in some submarkets too. 

The former Alfred Dunhill links champion has moved up a level so far in 2025 banking two wins on the PGA Tour at Myrtle Beach and at the Canadian Open. 

Fox is no stranger to going low and he started fast before fading in Scotland last week. Fox finished t16 at the Open Championship in 2019.

The Kiwi can be backed at 80/1 (five places) with Ladbrokes in the first-round leader market. Fox is also available at a general 16/1 in the ‘top rest of the world market’.

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Odds correct at the time of writing.