A second consecutive DP World Tour event in Australia sees us move to the stunning Royal Melbourne for the Crown Australian Open.
With excitement building around a strong field teeing it up at the 2019 Presidents Cup venue, it begs the question... should the Australian Open be the fifth men's Major?
David Puig took victory at Royal Queensland last week, expertly tipped by Jonny Leighfield, making it four winning tips in the last four events and five in the last six weeks.
Keeping that impressive run going is going to be a challenge, especially with Rory McIlroy in the field, but who have our panel selected to surge past the Career Grand Slam winner and emerge victorious on Sunday? Let's find out...
Crown Australian Open: Expert Betting Tips
Pick One: Daniel Hillier (+2500) To Win @ BetMGM
Hillier has been growing in stature through the years and is starting to look increasingly more comfortable on the DP World Tour and ready to win again after his 2023 British Masters triumph.
The New Zealander, who I think could easily earn one of the ten PGA Tour cards next season, has three top-10s in his last five starts including two top-fives, one of which came last week at the Australian PGA Championship. I can certainly see him contending again this time out.
Pick Two: Anthony Quayle To Finish In The Top-10 (+500) @ BetMGM
The Australian has a remarkable nine top-10s in his last ten starts including a runner-up finish so he is one of the most in-form players heading into the Australian Open.
Whether he quite has the stature to win remains to be seen but with Tiger Woods’ former caddie Steve Williams on the bag he certainly has some great expertise helping him.
The two-time PGA Tour of Australasia winner was T15th at the 2022 Open and would be a very popular winner at Royal Melbourne. I do think that is unlikely, though, but I will pick him for another top-10.
Pick One: Marc Leishman (+1400) To Win @ BetMGM
Leishman is one of the most in-form players coming into the Australian Open with four consecutive top-11 finishes from starts across the PGA Tour of Australasia, Asian Tour and DP World Tour.
A T3rd at the Australian PGA Championship tells me his game is in a great place, and the T3rd result at the Australian Open 12 months ago shows his style suits his home country.
With spots at The Masters and The Open on the line, and having managed to qualify for Royal Portrush via this route last year, Leishman is likely to feel pretty confident he can do it again.
Pick Two: Wenyi Ding (+3500) To Win @ BetMGM
Recent form and course form are really important metrics at this time of year, and Wenyi Ding is another man who is flying at the moment.
The Chinese pro was runner-up at the Australian PGA Championship and was T6th and third in a couple of big Asian Tour events previously.
Add in the fact that he was T5th at the Australian Open last year and you've got a great starting point for a potential contender in 2025.
Ding might well have to carry on producing his A game if he's to win, though, as this is a tough field and his B game isn't likely to get it done.
I'd feel more confident in a top-10 pick here, but Ding could well be a star of the future and this week might turn out to be his breakthrough moment...
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Pick One: Adam Scott (+1600) To Win @ BetMGM
Despite missing the FedEx Cup Playoffs in August, Adam Scott hasn't missed a cut since, registering a T27th at the PGA Tour's Baycurrent Classic, as well as a T30th at the Genesis Championship and a solo seventh at last week's BMW Australian PGA Championship.
That solo seventh is what's putting him up for my first pick, along with the fact that the experienced 45-year-old knows Royal Melbourne well, having held a decent record at the 2019 Presidents Cup when this tournament was staged there.
Admittedly, Scott will need to get his putter working, which is always a problem area, but on home soil and re-finding some form, I believe the Aussie is a good pick for this week.
Pick Two: Bernd Wiesberger To Win/Finish In Top-10 (+9000/+500) @ BetMGM
Personally, I think Wiesberger is coming into the event slightly under the radar, especially given his recent form and the fact he appears more settled back on the DP World Tour in the tail-end of 2025.
Finishing T10th at last week's BMW Australian PGA Championship, he was also T17th at the DP World India Championship and T16th at the Open de Espana.
That equates to three top 17 finishes in his last four starts, which shows me excellent form. In Australia last week, he hit 84% of fairways, 72% in greens in regulation and was 4th in putting average, key areas to look for to perform well at Royal Melbourne.
Pick One: Ryan Fox (+3000) To Win @ BetMGM
Ryan Fox is a great price this week, perhaps due to the quality at the top of the board. His stats suit the test that Royal Melbourne sets, ranking in the top-10 for scrambling in each of the past two seasons and 11th for SG: Approach in 2025.
Fox is also a proven winner worldwide, solidifying that status this season with two well-earned PGA Tour victories.
A disappointing third round at Royal Queensland last week halted his momentum, after a solid opening 65, but I can forgive him that and fancy his chances of adding fifth DP World Tour title to his resume.
Pick Two: Alex Fitzpatrick (+5500) To Win @ BetMGM
Alex Fitzpatrick has had a solid season this year, but is still coming into tournaments a little under the radar due to a lack of a maiden DP World Tour win.
That will come in 2026, I am pretty sure of that, but I can also see a world where it happens this week.
Over his last ten events, Fitzpatrick has gained strokes with his short game and putting - which will stand him in good stead at Royal Melbourne.
The Englishman might be a good one to consider in the top-10 finish market, after three solid rounds put him in contention at Royal Queensland last week, but I am going to be brave and take a punt on a juicy price for Alex Fitzpatrick to win.
Golf Monthly Betting Picks: Wins In 2025
Player |
Event |
Price |
GM Staff Member |
Richard Mansell |
Porsche Singapore Classic |
+6000 |
Matt Cradock |
Sami Valimaki |
RSM Classic |
+5500 |
Jonny Leighfield |
Eugenio Chacarra |
Hero Indian Open |
+3500 |
Elliott Heath |
Sergio Garcia |
LIV Golf Hong Kong |
+2200 |
Jonny Leighfield |
Ludvig Aberg |
Genesis Invitational |
+2200 |
Matt Cradock |
Laurie Canter |
Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship |
+2200 |
Jonny Leighfield/Matt Cradock |
Matt Fitzpatrick |
DP World Tour Championship |
+1600 |
Matt Cradock |
David Puig |
BMW Australian PGA Championship |
+1400 |
Jonny Leighfield |
Tommy Fleetwood |
Tour Championship |
+1200 |
Jonny Leighfield |
Ben Griffin |
World Wide Technology Championship |
+1200 |
Baz Plummer/Jonny Leighfield |
Joaquin Niemann |
LIV Golf UK |
+900 |
Matt Cradock |
Tyrrell Hatton |
Hero Dubai Desert Classic |
+900 |
Jonny Leighfield |
Joaquin Niemann |
LIV Golf Virginia |
+750 |
Jonny Leighfield |
Rory McIlroy |
The Masters |
+650 |
Baz Plummer |
Tommy Fleetwood |
DP World India Championship |
+650 |
Baz Plummer/Jonny Leighfield |
Scottie Scheffler |
PGA Championship |
+400 |
Matt Cradock/Elliott Heath |
Rory McIlroy |
Amgen Irish Open |
+400 |
Jonny Leighfield |
