Open Championship 2025: The best birdie machines to use for Betfair's free bet offer

• Paul Higham has the stats that count for a US Open wager

• Get FREE BETS for first-round birdies in Betfair's Birdie Bonus offer. T&Cs apply.

• Read David Tindall's four each-way picks

Get free bets with first-round birdies at the Open

The final Major of the season is here so the final chance to take advantage of Betfair's Birdie Bonus merket for the Claret Jug contenders teeing it up at Royal Portrush this week.

Xander Schauffele defends his title but has Rory McIlroy back looking hungry and hoping to put things right in front of his home crowd after missing the cut here in 2019.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is always a threat while Jon Rahm loves playing golf in Ireland and has looked back to his major best this year so far - so could the Spaniard add a third major?

As punters you can get off to a great start with Betfair's Birdie Bonus market that hands out free bets for every birdie your win-only selection makes in the first round of the US Open.

What it means is that if you place a £5 bet or more in our Birdie Bonus market, each time the player you back to win the Open picks up a shot at any hole during the first round you'll land a £1 free bet. 

Now the big question is, who should you back? Who are the birdie machines at the Open?

Who to back for birdies at the Open?

It was a tough one at Troon last year but Justin Thomas came flying out of the traps with seven birdies - he did drop four shots so was still three shots behind surprise first-round leader Daniel Brown, who picked up six birdies or better.

Thomas has served up anything from a 67 to an 82 in his opening rounds in the Open so he's the ultimate risk and reward play in this market, considering he's not got the best record in the tournament.

Scottie Scheffler will always do Scottie Scheffler things but Shane Lowry is one to watch for here - the defending champion at Royal Portrush having had a decent start last year - he looks a value option at a decent price.

Sepp Straka has two decent results from his three Opens and looks at Brooks Koepka starting strongly! With his Portrush connections via his caddie and a decent start last time the Open came here in 2019 he could be another shrewd selection.

Most first-round birdies at the 2024 US Open

• 7 - Justin Thomas
• 6 - Dan Brown
• 5 - Shane Lowry
• 5 - Brooks Koepka
• 5 - Mackenzie Hughes
• 4 - Scottie Scheffler
• 4 - Nicolai Hojgaard
• 4 - Sepp Straka
• 4 - Matt Wallace
• 4 - Alex Noren
• 3 - Xander Schauffele
• 3 - Jordan Spieth
• 3 - Adam Scott
• 3 - Russell Henley
• 2 - Justin Rose

Click here for the full Open Birdie Bonus market

Which players have the best first-round birdie records?

It's a tougher one than the other majors given that conditions can contrast so greatly, for instance last year at Royal Troon was a real slog in the rain yet 2022 at St Andrews the weather made it a birdie fest out there.

You can still find consistency though - Xander Schauffele basically guarantees you three birdies or better, while Scottie Scheffler has no worse than four in every one of his four Open Championships so far.

Jon Rahm hasn't been great of late - but it's interesting to note his six birdie blitz came at Royal Portrush as he's twice a winner of the Irish Open on links courses so there's definitely reasons for including him.

Brooks Koepka also has a solid record while Robert MacIntyre is a more volatile selection but also had six birdies here in the first round of his Open debut in 2019 and similar to Tommy Fleetwood they're not afraid to go low.

Rory McIlroy had a nightmare first round at Portrush in 2019 and last year was fresh off US Open heartbreak so you can forgive those two efforts.

Justin Thomas can, and does, produce anything, and there's nothing much wrong with backing defending champion Shane Lowry or Jordan Spieth - both of who will be on a high here for different reasons and both have really solid first-round numbers.

Open birdies or better form guide

First round birdies or better in last five tournaments 

• Scheffler (9/25.50 to win The Open) 4-4-5-5
• McIlroy 7/18.00 1-3-7-4-2
• Rahm 12/113.00 1-1-2-2-6
• DeChambeau 20/121.00 1-3-5-4-1
• Fleetwood 25/126.00 1-6-3-5-3
• Schauffele 25/126.00 3-3-5-3-3
• Aberg 25/126.00 2
• Hovland 30/131.00 1-3-6-4
• Lowry 30/131.00 5-3-4-4-5
• Hatton 33/134.00 0-3-4-2-4
• MacIntyre 35/136.00 2-2-6-1-6
• Straka 50/151.00 4-5-0
• Thomas 50/151.00 7-2-2-1-4
• Spieth 55/156.00 3-5-4-6-4
• Koepka 55/156.00 5-4-4-3-4
• Rose 75/176.00 2-2-DNP-3-3
• Scott 80/181.00 3-3-4-1-1

Now read all the rest of our Open previews & tips