It’s Open week at Royal Portrush… and that means our Fantasy game is open for entries!
Our resident golf guru, Jeremy Chapman, puts up his selections ahead of the week with £40,000 up for grabs…
Jeremy’s selections
Rory McIlroy
Jon Rahm
Viktor Hovland
Robert McIntyre
Tyrell Hatton
+Jordan Spieth
enter game
Rory McIlroy
Open form: MC-T6-3-T46
Portrush favourite in 2019 but punters knew fate after first hole, lost ball with tee shot, ended up with quad-bogey 8. More relaxed since got those Masters and Slam monkeys off his back, T2 at Scottish was perfect aperitif. Course record 61 as 16-y-o amateur
Jon Rahm
Open form: T7-T2-T34-T3
Warmed up in eye-catching fashion with a second, at Valderrama. Said he was swinging the best for 18 months. Without a W this year but Mr Consistency on the LIV circuit. Former world No. 1 has won two Irish Opens on classic links and T11 at Portrush in 2019
Viktor Hovland
Open form: MC-T13-T4-T12
Forget last year’s Open missed cut – his game had gone AWOL. The Norwegian’s a good links player (12-4-13 the previous years). 3rd at US Open, can be clumsy but makes lots of birdies. An out-of-the blue winner this year who is hungry for more
Robert MacIntyre
Open form: T50-T71-T34-T8
Ambitious Scottish lefty who finished sixth at Portrush on Open debut in 2019. Right at home with links golf (8th following year). Much improved now and winner on both tours last year. Runner-up at US Open. Will win a Major one day – why not now?
Tyrrell Hatton
Open form: MC-T20-T11-MC
English eccentric who tied sixth with MacIntyre at Portrush last time, 5th in 2016 and 11th in 2022. Won in Dubai and T4 at last month’s US Open. No worries about talent, just temperament. If he can control it, the LIV star has all the tools of a champion.
Tiebreaker: Jordan Spieth
Open form: T25-T23-T8-2
Totally unpredictable genius who won 2017 Open and was runner-up in 2021. A magician or a muppet on the greens – you just never know with the Texan and there’s little on the slate for 2025 to justify a bet. I just think he’ll have a say, for Top US at least.
Jeremy Chapman is Fitzdares’ Golf Ambassador.
