Irish Open golf tips, free bets and latest odds
RORY MCILROY will spearhead a trio of Ryder Cup-bound stars who will tee it up at this week’s Irish Open - along with another player who is entitled to feel he should be joining them in Rome.
Defending champion Adrian Meronk was the most obvious absentee when Luke Donald named his six wild cards this week, especially after he followed up his victory in Ireland by winning the Italian Open over the Ryder Cup course in May.
Who is favourite this week?
Rory McIlroy is the 7/2 favourite to win the Irish Open ahead of his Ryder Cup team-mates Tyrrell Hatton 10/1 and Shane Lowry 20/1. In between those two is Min Woo Lee at 18s.
Joining Lowry at 20/1 is Adam Scott ahead of Adrian Meronk at 22/1 and a group of Aaron Rai, Billy Horschel and Alexander Bjork at 30/1.
Betting on golf is easier than you'd image and there are a host of interesting markets you can pick from.
How to bet on golf
Here are five easy steps for beginners.
1. Choose Your Favourite Sportsbook – there are plenty to choose from and most have their own app or mobile site.
2. Make a Deposit – each sportsbook will walk you through how to connect your bank account to their system including providing a list of all the safeguards they have set up to ensure the safety of your transactions.
3. Claim Your Bonuses – most sportsbooks offers bonuses to first time bettors in the form of free bets.
4. Place Your Bet – now it’s time to navigate through your sportsbook’s odds where they will offer a variety of options including outright winners, or top finishing positions, such as top 10 or 20, or even to make the cut. For the event this week each way odds are generally paid on the top eight players.
5. Collect Your Winnings – If you're successful you will be able to withdraw your winnings once the bet is complete. Some bookmakers offer cashout options on certain bets as well, which is worth keeping an eye on.
Where to find the best odds for the golf?
Lots of bookmakers have different options for betting on the golf this week, including competitive odds and different place markets.
We like the markets on bet365, including the price boosts on offer pre-tournament.
But it is worth shopping around to get the best value with each way odds and different places available throughout the market.
This week you can get McIlroy to win by three strokes or more at 7/1, McIlroy to lead after round one and win at 16/1 and then a top 10 treble of McIlroy, Hatton and Lowry boosted to 13.14/1.
Golf tips for the Irish Open
That feeling of injustice could be just the spur Meronk needs to make Donald look silly for snubbing him - even though last year’s victory was at Mount Juliet, and the action this time moves to the K Club.
That venue also has a major association with the Ryder Cup, as the scene of a Darren Clarke-inspired victory back in 2006 - more fuel to stoke Meronk’s fire.
So the 25-1 about the giant Polish player looks a lot more attractive than the top priced 7-2 for McIlroy, or the odds offered on the other Ryder Cup players, Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry.
The odds look less than generous in Hatton’s case, while 2019 Open champion Lowry has managed just one top five this year, and must be hugely relieved at getting one of Donald’s wild cards.
McIlroy is obviously the class act at the K Club, and on form the world No 2 should win this by a street.
But Matt Fitzpatrick’s collapse in Switzerland last week was a timely reminder that good things often come unstuck.
In McIlory’s case it may be worth waiting for Wentworth next week, when his odds should be a lot more rewarding.
The change in venue means it is hard to pay too much attention to last year’s result, but I still like the chances of runner-up Ryan Fox.
Fox seems to love playing in the Emerald Isle. That was his second runner-up finish in his last five outings in this event, and he also has a fourth place to his credit.
The big-hitting New Zealander enjoyed an incredible year in 2022, but deciding to concentrate on the PGA Tour did not work out. At 40-1 he looks worth supporting now that he is back on familiar soil.
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Min Woo Lee went onto the shortlist as a probable winner before the year is over when he played out of his skin to claim a share of fifth at the US Open.
It hasn’t happened yet, but Lee has taken a well earned break since the Open, and should be raring to go here. Odds of 20-1 look fair.
Matt Wallace was another player who set his stall out to earn a Ryder Cup debut, but must have realised his chance had gone when Todd Clements pipped him to the Czech Masters title.
Wallace didn’t have the same buzz when he finished outside the top 20 in Switzerland last week. But he is not the type of player to dwell on disappointments for too long, and it is worth backing him at 50-1.
Alex Fitzpatrick is available at the same price, and he is on a great run of form - fourth and first in two Challenge Tour events, plus a runner-up finish in Sweden and a share of fifth last week.
Lower down the list, Masahiro Kawamura has bagged two top tens in his last three starts, and odds of 200-1 jump off the page.
Marcus Helligkilde and Conor Syme - who was third at 125-1 last week - are other players worth a second look at three figure odds.
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