GOLF DFS: THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2026 DRAFTKINGS PICKS, TARGETS & LINEUP ADVICE

COURSE OVERVIEW

The Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush for 2026, bringing with it the raw, unforgiving beauty of the Dunluce Links on the Northern Irish coast. This layout demands precision off the tee above all else — the deep, gnarly rough punishes anything offline, and the course's natural contours mean approach angles are everything. Firm fairways and wind-swept greens reward bump-and-run creativity over pure aerial attack, making ball-strikers who can shape shots in both directions and control trajectory absolutely essential. Strokes Gained: Approach and Strokes Gained: Off the Tee are your primary statistical filters this week. Putting on these quick, undulating links surfaces is secondary, though scrambling ability and sand save percentage will quietly separate the elite finishers from the field. Expect scoring to be volatile round to round depending on the draw and wind windows — stack construction and exposure to mid-round weather variance will be critical in large-field GPP slates.

---

TOP TARGETS THIS WEEK

Rory McIlroy — $12,200

There is no more obvious course fit in professional golf. McIlroy grew up 30 minutes from Royal Portrush, has won here before, and has been playing some of the most consistent ball-striking golf of his career heading into July. His elite SG: Off-the-Tee and trajectory control in coastal winds make him a near-must-play tournament anchor. Ownership projection: High (45–55%)

Ludvig Åberg — $10,400

The young Swede has quietly become one of the most consistent players in major championship conditions over the past two seasons. His ability to flight the ball low and control dispersion off the tee is tailor-made for links golf, and his iron play at distance gives him a massive edge in approach accuracy. With moderate ownership, he represents excellent value at his salary tier. Ownership projection: Mid (18–25%)

Shane Lowry — $9,600

Lowry is a links specialist who thrives precisely when conditions get nasty. He has an obvious emotional connection to major championships and has top-ten history at Portrush specifically. His SG: Around-the-Green numbers on links layouts are undervalued by the general public. A potential tournament winner at a digestible price. Ownership projection: Mid (20–28%)

Min Woo Lee — $8,700

Lee has been one of the most exciting ball-strikers on the European circuit this season and arrives with genuine links pedigree. His shot shaping creativity and aggressive mindset translate well to Portrush's risk-reward corridor holes. At under $9K, he unlocks salary for value stacking in GPPs. Ownership projection: Low-Mid (10–16%)

---

VALUE PLAYS

Rasmus Hojgaard — $7,600

The Danish twin has emerged as a legitimate links threat, with multiple European Tour wins on coastal courses. His compact swing generates impressive trajectory control, and he's affordable enough to triple-expose in large GPP entries.

Justin Rose — $7,200

A past major champion who knows how to manage links courses mentally and technically. Rose's iron precision remains elite, and at this salary he's one of the better floor-upside combinations on the board.

---

FADES

Scottie Scheffler — $12,500

Scheffler's game is built on pristine fairways and aerial approaches. Links golf historically deflates his advantages, and at maximum salary he's simply too expensive for the course fit risk involved.

Tommy Fleetwood — $9,900

A perpetual Open favourite who generates enormous chalk ownership without delivering consistent top finishes. Public perception outpaces his actual major results — fade him in GPPs specifically.

---

LINEUP CONSTRUCTION

Build around one of the two top-tier salary anchors — McIlroy or Scheffler (if you're contrarian to our fade) — and pair with a mid-salary links specialist like Lowry or Lee. Load two value plays under $8K to free up salary for a second premium player. In GPPs, avoid stacking too heavily in the 35%+ ownership tier. Target one complete contrarian under 10% ownership