Open Championship 3-Ball Betting: Who Will Come Out On Top In Featured Groups?

The Open Championship tee times are out so we know the groupings for Thursday at Royal Portrush, but who should you back to have a better opening round?

As always there are some star-studded feature groups that you can focus on for your first round viewing pleasure at the Open Championship, and you can bet on which player from each threesome will shoot the best score on Thursday.

So let's dive right in on who to back to come out on top.

More Open Championship betting

• First round leader picks for Portrush
• Bazza's Best Bets At The Open Championship
• The Open Sleeper Picks: Outsiders Who Could Contend
• The Open Special Bets: Top LIV Golfer, Debutant and More

9:58am: Xander Schauffele, JJ Spaun, Jon Rahm

Odds: Schauffele 7/4 | Spaun 13/4 | Rahm 5/4

Despite having the defending Open champion in this group, it looks like a no-brainer to back Jon Rahm here to me, thanks to his love of Portrush and Irish links courses in general as a two-time Irish Open winner.

I think JJ Spaun may struggle on his Open debut and although you'd never rule out Xander Schauffele, Rahm looks ripe for a big challenge and only two players bettered his first-round 68 here in 2019.

Pick: Rahm

10:09am: Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler

Odds: Lowry 11/4 | Morikawa 27/10 | Scheffler 21/20

The World No.1 is always hard to oppose but I've backed Shane Lowry in my Open Championship specials so it's only right to stick with the 2019 champion here - who was only a shot off the lead after 18 holes during his memorable victory.

Lowry also had a hot start last year with an opening 66 just a shot off Daniel Brown's surprise lead, and so with Collin Morikawa in so-so form let's roll with the man from the Portrush mural to make the best start of this trio.

Pick: Lowry

2:48pm: Robert MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose

Odds: MacIntyre 7/4| DeChambeau 6/4 | Rose 27/10

Bryson DeChambeau is the favorite of the three and has been huge in Majors the last couple of years, but aside from that benign birdiefest at St Andrews he's really struggled on the links.

He shot 74 here in 2019 and just does not get on with the wind and rain, so I'm happy to take him on as Robert MacIntyre shot 68 and Justin Rose 69 in the first round last time on the Dunluce Course.

Again, though, I've tipped Rose in my first round leader special so I'll stick with him - thanks to his fine performance in the rain at Troon last year and his Sunday 63 in Scotland where MacIntyre struggled.

Pick: Rose

2:59pm: Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland

Odds: Spieth 12/5 | Aberg 6/4 | Hovland 13/8

This one is a headscratcher for me - as it's just Ludvig Aberg's second Open, Viktor Hovland has started fast before but Jordan Spieth could serve up absolutely anything from 65 to 80 and you'd not be surprised either way.

If you're doing a 3-ball accumulator I'd stay away from this one from a betting perspective as there's just too many variables - with Spieth the biggest variable in golf betting - but if you're picking for fun then you'd have to back new dad Spieth to produce something stupidly brilliant.

Pick: Spieth

3.10pm: Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood

Odds: McIlroy 5/4 | Thomas 3/1 | Fleetwood 15/8

Tommy Fleetwood is another first-round leader fancy after shooting 66 to lead at Hoylake in 2023 and 68 to sit second here in 2019 - but I'd also back him here mainly due to the negatives around the other two.

Justin Thomas just hasn't clicked in links golf, even though he has the game for it, and I think Rory McIlroy would take just a solid and safe first round after his disastrous effort in 2019.

So I think Thomas will struggle, McIlroy will play conservatively to ease himself into the tournament, but Fleetwood has a habit of going low so can take the Thursday honors.

Pick: Fleetwood