British Open Sleepers: Which overlooked golfers could shock the world at Royal Portrush
The British Open will be the final major tournament of 2025. Although the favorites like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are always going to be in the running, it is a lot more fun to root for an underdog.
With so many golfers competing in the tournament, it's nice when someone like Harris English, Davis Riley or J.J. Spaun can shock the world and compete for the top spot at one of golf's most prestigious tournaments, as has been the case this year.
2025 has seen a flurry of relative unknown come through on the biggest stages, so it would only make sense if you wanted to get in on that action as well for the final major of the year. But which golfer is the underdog who will take Royal Portrush by storm this weekend?
Here are three sleeper picks that could wind up at the top of the British Open leaderboard (all odds provided via BetMGM):
2025 British Open sleeper picks
Rickie Fowler (+12500)
Fowler has finished in the top 20 at four of his last seven tournaments. He's been playing well as of late and has historically been pretty solid on major links. With 13 career top-10 finishes at majors, he's also proven capable of coming up big in big moments.
Ryan Fox (+8000)
Playing on a course he's somewhat familiar with, Fox has all the momentum going into this tournament, having already posted two wins on the year and having not finished outside the top-30 at any tournament since May. He might not have performed exceptionally well at his other major tournament appearances in 2025 − tied for 19th at U.S. Open; tied for 28th-place at PGA Championship. That said, he hasn't missed the cut in 18 straight majors.
Thriston Lawrence (+15000)
After a fourth-place finish at the British Open a year ago, a 12th-place finish at the U.S. Open a month ago, and a top-10 finish at the Rocket Classic just two weeks later, Lawrence is playing his best golf of the year. Yes, he missed the cut at his most recent tournament, but his upside is fantastic for someone at +15000 odds.