Rory McIlroy vs. Bryson DeChambeau: British Open Head-to-Head Matchup Bets

We’re less than 24 hours away from the start of the 2025 British Open at Royal Portrush, so it’s time to place those last-minute bets.

Picking a winner of a golf tournament is a tall ask for any bettor. Even the best golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler, has a less than 20% chance of winning. So, if you’re looking for a few bets that have a better chance of winning for you compared to an outright wager on who is going to win the Claret Jug, consider placing some head-to-head matchup bets. These bets are simply on one golfer to finish further up the leadboard than the golfer they’re matched up against.

Let’s take a look at my top three matchup bets for this week’s action.

British Open matchup bets

• Rory McIlroy (-170) vs. Bryson DeChambeau via DraftKings
• Viktor Hovland (-125) vs. Justin Thomas via FanDuel
• Sepp Straka (+110) vs. Collin Morikawa via DraftKings

Rory McIlroy (-170) vs. Bryson DeChambeau

If you’re looking for a way to fade Bryson DeChambeau and you’re O.K. with laying the -170 price tag on Rory McIlroy, this is a great way to do it. DeChambeau is coming into this event off a rough T30 finish at LIV Andalucia last week, where he lost strokes in three of the four major areas. He’s also had bad history at the British Open, missing the cut here in three of his seven starts and only posting one finish better than T30.

When it comes to McIlroy, many of us were concerned about his form coming into this based on a baffling rough stretch in the middle of the season, but a T6 finish at the Travelers Championship and a T2 finish at the Scottish Open last week have erased those doubts. He seems ready to go to his home country.

Viktor Hovland (-125) vs. Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas’s two wins at the PGA Championship have caused people to forget how bad he’s generally been at majors throughout his career. Since his win in 2022, he has finished inside the top 30 at a major just once and has missed the cut seven times, including this year’s U.S. Open and PGA Championship. He has also never posted a top-10 finish at the British Open.

Meanwhile, Viktor Hovland looks like a top contender to win his first major this week. He’s rounding into form lately, including a solo third-place finish at the U.S. Open and a T11 at last week’s Scottish Open. He's also second in the field in true strokes-gained approach over the past three months.

This -125 is more than a fair price on the Norwegian for this head-to-head matchup bet.

Sepp Straka (+110) vs. Collin Morikawa

As I wrote about in my betting preview, Sepp Straka is one of my best bets to win this week, and I’m going to double-dip on him by taking him at plus-money in a matchup bet against Collin Morikawa.

Morikawa hasn’t been himself since allowing the Arnold Palmer Invitational to slip through his grasp back in May, leading to multiple changes in caddies. His most recent performance is a cause for concern, missing the cut at the Scottish Open last week.

Straka seems like a great plus-money play in this spot.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and place a $5 bet to earn a guaranteed $150 in bonus bets. Regardless of the outcome of your wager, DraftKings will add six $25 bonus bet tokens to your new account instantly.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.