
Rory McIlroy is 8/1 to win his second Open Championship at Royal Portrush - but who is the 21/10 favourite after the first round?
The Northern Irishman sealed a historic career Grand Slam of Major honours earlier this year with a dramatic Masters victory over Justin Rose to end his 11-year wait for the full set.
McIlroy entered the fray on Thursday alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Thomas, and shot a round of 70 to open his account.
However, he is currently second-favourite to take home the Claret Jug on Sunday night.
After an impressive first round at Royal Portrush, World No 1 Scottie Scheffler owns the title of favourite, according to Sky Bet.
The American is now 21/10 to win his first Open Championship crown, having finished T7 last year.
McIlroy is then second on 8/1, ahead of Tyrrell Hatton who is still looking for a first Major crown, currently priced at 10/1.
Next up is Jon Rahm on 12/1, with the Spanish golfer looking for his third Major after a T2 finish in the Open in 2023, followed by Harris English at 20/1.
Then comes Justin Rose and Brian Harman on 28/1, with Shane Lowry at 33/1 and Xander Schauffele and Christiaan Bezuidenhout at 35/1.
Sky Bet Open Championship outright winner odds:
Scottie Scheffler 21/10
Rory McIlroy 8/1
Tyrrell Hatton 10/1
Matt Fitzpatrick 11/1
Jon Rahm 11/1
Harris English 20/1
Justin Rose 28/1
Brian Harman 28/1
Shane Lowry 33/1
Christiaan Bezuidenhout 35/1
Xander Schauffele 35/1
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The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2: Classic heavyweight rematches revisited
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In the closing stages of the fourth round, Cooper landed his signature left hook on Ali's jaw to knock the American down. The bell rang shortly afterwards, and Ali was then given extra time in his corner after his trainer Angelo Dundee pointed out to the referee a split in one of his gloves. That was enough time for Ali to recover and he went back out to stop Cooper on cuts the following round. After narrowly avoiding a shock loss, Ali would go on to become world champion in 1964, but two years later he returned to London to face Cooper again at Highbury. Despite Cooper having the crowd behind him, Ali dominated the rematch and picked up a sixth-round stoppage victory. Gene Tunney vs Jack Dempsey This rematch from September 1927 has gone down in folklore as 'The Long Count Fight'. Jack Dempsey had been the best heavyweight for the first half of the 1920s but was surprisingly beaten on points by Gene Tunney in 1926. 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Muhammad Ali vs Leon Spinks Ali was way past his best when he suffered a surprise loss to Leon Spinks in February 1978 to relinquish his heavyweight titles. The days of the 'Rumble in the Jungle' and the 'Thrilla in Manila' were long gone, and many wondered how much Ali had left. He accepted an immediate rematch with Spinks as he tried to become a three-time heavyweight champion at the age of 36. The ageing legend had to dig deep to overcome his much younger foe, but managed to get over the line to get a decision victory. It would prove to be the final win of his iconic career. Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling The two fights between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling came at a time of rising political tensions in the 1930s. Louis was the most successful black boxer of the time, while Schmeling hailed from Germany who were being ruled by the Nazis. It was Schmeling who took Louis' unbeaten record in 1936 by stopping his opponent in the 12th round. 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BreakingNews.ie
13 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Ryder Cup to return to Spain in 2031
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The Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Sun
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