Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry are the stars of the show at this week’s Irish Open which returns to the Royal County Down GC for the first time in nine years.
In 2015, only five players managed to post under par on this spectacular par-71 course overlooked by the mountains of Mourne.
McIlroy, the 11/2 favourite with betting sites, won this event at the K Club in 2016, but his form in this tournament has been mediocre since then, so we have swerved the four-time major winner for our Irish Open predictions.
Irish Open Betting Tips: Hop On Home Hope Lowry
Lowry has fond memories of the Irish Open which he won as an amateur back in 2009 and the signs are that he could win once again in front of a partisan crowd.
The 2019 Open champion played well in the final two FedEx Cup Playoffs on the PGA Tour and he has finished inside the top 10 of the Irish Open in his last two visits.
Lowry struggled with the wet and windy conditions when he last played here in 2015, but the forecast looks better this time and he kicks off the Irish Open tips at 12/1 with some betting apps.
Irish Open Prediction 1: Shane Lowry To Win – 12/1 With BetVictor
* To access the other three selections below, simply sign up to Gambling.com for FREE.
18+ New customers only. Opt in, place your first bet of €10 or more on any sports market. Get up to a €60 match in Free Bets. Offer available until 23:59 IST on 31.12.2024. Free bets expire after 7 days. Debit Card/Apple Pay payments only. T&Cs apply, see below. gamblingcare.ie | Please gamble responsibly
Irish Open Predictions:
Irish Open Tips: Wiesberger Can Shine Again In County Down
Although Lowry is the second favourite to win in Northern Ireland, the headline tip is a player who catches the eye at more than three times the price.
Bernd Wiesberger may only be just inside the world’s top 200, but he has been in excellent form on the DP World Tour and has a good record in this event, specifically at this links course.
The Austrian missed the cut at the Scottish Open, but finished inside the top 25 in four other tournaments either side of his trip to the Renaissance Club, which included sixth at the Czech Masters.
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first €5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x €5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.
Wiesberger is one of 30 players in this field that competed at the 2015 Irish Open where he finished runner-up to winner Soren Kjeldsen.
Finding the dome-shaped greens and avoiding the penal rough will be an important key to sucess this week, so it’s encouraging to see the 2021 Ryder Cup player is sixth for Strokes Gained: Approach on the DP World Tour this season.
The quality of the field is better than most weeks owing to a handful of PGA Tour players making the long trip ahead of next week’s PGA Championship, but we expect Wiesberger to contend at 35/1 with BetVictor.
Irish Open Prediction 2: Bernd Wiesberger To Win (Each-Way) – 35/1 With BetVictor (Five Places)
18+ Play Safe. New customers using Promo code BB40 only. Min €10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 4 x €10, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 7 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply. See full terms below. gamblingtherapy.org
Irish Open Odds: Lawrence Appeals For Irish Test
At a similar price, Thriston Lawrence looks capable of winning his fifth title on what used to be the European Tour.
Last month, Lawrence won the Sunbet Challenge in his native South Africa which he followed a week later with a runners-up spot at the British Masters.
The world No 61 was also inside the top 25 in Switzerland last week so he heads to Northern Ireland in red-hot form as he looks to continue his love affair with this tournament.
18+. T&C’s apply
18+ New Players only. For free bet wagering requirements and minimum odds read T&C’s. www.begambleaware.org Terms Apply
Lawrence proved he can handle tricky links courses by finishing third in both of his Irish Open appearances at the Mount Juliet Estate and The K Club in the last couple of years.
And it should not be forgotten that just two months ago, Lawrence closed with a three-under-par 68 to finish outright fourth at The Open, so we expect to get a good run for their money this week.
At 30/1 with new betting sites, Lawrence makes the cut as one of our Irish Open predictions.
Irish Open Prediction 3: Thriston Lawrence To Win (Each-Way) – 30/1 With BetVictor (Five Places)
Irish Open Preview: Ramsay Streets Ahead For Value
Richie Ramsay wraps up the Irish Open betting tips for this week after a timely return to form.
The 41-year-old Scot ended a seven-year title drought by winning the English Open in 2022, when it was renamed the Cazoo Classic, but his recent form has been encouraging.
Although he stands at 260th in the world rankings, Ramsay was third at the Czech Masters, just inside the top 40 at the British Masters and 22nd at the European Masters where the wind occasionally played havoc.
Wind could be a factor this week at a course where Ramsay finished 10th in 2015 and two years later only Jon Rahm shot a better score at Portstewart.
Ramsay may not win this week and he looks a push at 150/1 for six places with William Hill, but Ladbrokes are offering 10 each-way spots and could be the play at 100/1.
Irish Open Prediction 4: Richie Ramsay To Win (Each-Way) – 100/1 With Ladbrokes (10 Places)
Stay In The Loop With Free Bets, Insider Tips & More!
Live Betting. Sports Promos. Sent Weekly.
Last Updated: