Irish Open 2026 

The Irish Open heads to a brand-new venue this week, with Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg hosting the event for the first time. It’s a spectacular Atlantic links measuring around 7,000 yards, with wide fairways but plenty of exposed holes, five par-threes and five par-fives. The obvious unknown is how the course will play under tournament conditions, particularly if the wind gets up, but this looks like the type of venue where strong ball-striking, scrambling and experience of links golf should be rewarded. 

It’s an excellent field, headed by defending champion Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton and Brooks Koepka, but I’m looking further down the market for my selections. I’ve gone with five each-way plays; all five have either excellent current form, previous Irish Open form or a profile that should translate particularly well to Doonbeg.

Oliver Lindell — 2pts EW 35/1 (10 places, Paddy Power)

Lindell is my strongest selection of the week and one I’m happy to make my biggest stake. The Finn has quietly put together an excellent 2026 season and comes into the Irish Open sitting 10th in the Race to Dubai, with his world ranking also at a career-high 109. Even more impressive, he has made the cut in all 21 of his starts this season, while recording six top-10 finishes and two runner-up finishes. He also has a very useful piece of Irish Open form, finishing 7th last year, and has shown previously that links golf suits his game. 

His recent form is another major positive, with a second-place finish in his last few weeks and a 15th at the British Masters immediately before that. The stats back up what we're seeing on the leaderboard too, with Lindell ranking highly for his overall ball-striking this season. At 35/1 with ten places, I think we're getting a very fair price about a player who has been remarkably consistent all year. The new venue obviously removes the benefit of course form, but that arguably makes Lindell's consistency even more appealing. He's my main bet of the five.

Jacob Skov Olesen — 1.5pts EW 30/1  (10 places, bet365)

Jacob Skov Olesen is another player I really like at the prices, and he's actually received plenty of attention from other tipsters this week for good reason. The Dane arrives in excellent form, having finished 6th, 9th, 16th and 2nd in his last four DP World Tour starts. The runner-up finish came at the British Masters, while he also has a 16th at the Nexo Championship and a 9th at the Danish Golf Championship during that run. 

There’s also some very interesting Irish Open and links form. He finished 8th at the Irish Open last year, while he has previously shown an ability to perform on links courses, including a strong showing at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and a memorable start to the 2025 Open Championship at Portrush. His putting has been one of the stronger parts of his game this season, which is another positive on a links course where converting chances is going to be vital. With four straight top-16 finishes coming into the week, he's one of the players in this field who simply looks ready to contend. 30/1 with ten places looks very attractive. 

Bernd Wiesberger — 1pt EW @ 50/1  (10 places, Paddy Power)

There’s a lot to like about Wiesberger at 50/1, particularly given his history in this tournament. The Austrian has finished runner-up twice in the Irish Open, losing in a playoff at Royal County Down in 2015 before finishing second behind Jon Rahm at Lahinch in 2019. Those performances are particularly relevant this week because both came on links courses, so we already know he can produce his best golf in precisely the sort of conditions he is likely to face in Doonbeg.

More importantly, he arrives here in excellent form. Wiesberger finished 4th at last week's Omega European Masters, and his recent run includes a 4th, 37th and 39th before that, following a third-place finish earlier in the season. He's also currently high enough in the Race to Dubai standings to show that his game remains very competitive at this level. There is a slight concern that his very best days are behind him, but at 50/1 with ten places we're being paid to take that risk. If the wind blows, I wouldn't be surprised to see Wiesberger's links experience become a major asset.

Thorbjorn Olesen — 1pt EW @ 55/1  (10 places, bet365)

Thorbjørn Olesen is probably the most obvious bounce-back selection of the five, but I think 55/1 is big enough to warrant taking a chance. His recent form isn't as convincing as Lindell or Skov Olesen, with a 9th at the British Masters his best recent result, but there is plenty of evidence that he remains capable of producing a big performance. His record over the years on links courses is strong, and he's the sort of player who can suddenly find himself near the top of a leaderboard when conditions become difficult. 

The Dane has plenty of experience at this level and has played in some of Europe's biggest events throughout his career, while the fact that he is back playing the Irish Open after regularly competing in the United States is significant. The recent 9th shows that the game isn't far away, and if his iron play and putting click together, 55/1 could look very big by Sunday. There's obviously more risk here than with my first two selections, but with ten places available, I think he's worth including as a smaller each-way play.

Rafa Cabrera Bello — 1pt EW @ 250/1  (10 places, Paddy Power)

This is the big one. 250/1 is an enormous price, and obviously there's a reason for it, but I couldn't resist having a small each-way interest given Cabrera Bello's history in this event and his ability to perform on links courses. He finished third at the Irish Open last year, behind Rory McIlroy and Joakim Lagergren, so we know he can handle the occasion and has already shown that he can contend in this particular tournament. 

The obvious issue is that his current form isn't anywhere near as compelling as Lindell or Skov Olesen, so I'm not pretending this is a selection based purely on current numbers. It's a big-price, course/conditions and tournament-profile play. He's an experienced player who has spent much of his career competing at the highest level, and if Doonbeg becomes a genuine test of links golf rather than simply a birdie-fest, his experience could count for plenty. At 250/1 with ten places, we don't need to be expecting him to win; we just need him to reproduce something close to last year's Irish Open performance. But for the sake of a couple of points, I’m very happy to take that chance.