Justin Ray reminded bettors that Scottie Scheffler’s major-championship floor is historically elite. Since 2020 Scheffler is a jaw-dropping 94 strokes under par across all majors—38 shots clear of second-place Xander Schauffele and 53 better than Rory McIlroy. Ray views that gap as the simplest proof Scheffler is golf’s safest investment regardless of venue. Even if the putter acts up, Scheffler’s tee-to-green dominance should again produce a top-20 finish at worst, making him a cornerstone for DFS builds and a justified short number in placement props. Ray’s takeaway: ignore sticker shock on Scheffler odds; his consistency in majors makes the price fair.

Justin Ray highlighted a staggering stat: of more than 450 players with 20+ Open rounds since World War II, Xander Schauffele is the ONLY one carrying a scoring average below 70. Ray acknowledged Schauffele’s driving numbers have slipped since returning from an intercostal strain, but stressed his links resume is too strong to ignore—top-25s galore, two wins last season, and the second-best cumulative score to par in majors since 2020. Ray suggested leaning into Schauffele for top-10/top-20 and DFS cash-game builds, while still sprinkling outrights because Portrush’s emphasis on ball-flight control and scrambling dovetails with Xander’s strengths if the driver stabilizes even slightly.

Justin Ray warned that Bryson DeChambeau’s flat stick turns ice-cold whenever he crosses the Atlantic. Since the start of 2022 DeChambeau is hemorrhaging 0.93 strokes putting per round at the Open, nearly a full shot worse than field average, while gaining roughly 0.30 strokes per round on the greens in the other three majors. Ray said the slower, wind-blown fescue surfaces and lag-putt emphasis at Portrush amplify Bryson’s weakness, and his approach numbers at past Opens are also slightly below his major baseline. With DeChambeau himself admitting he hasn’t “figured out links golf when it’s not warm and not windy,” Ray advised steering clear of outright tickets and considering miss-cut or head-to-head fades until Bryson proves he can handle these greens.

Justin Ray said Jon Rahm checks every trend he tracks for Open champions. Rahm is the only player with three top-10 finishes in the last four Opens, leads the entire field in bogey avoidance over that stretch, and owns the best career scoring average in Open history among players with 30+ rounds who have yet to lift the Claret Jug. Ray added that Rahm arrives in form—he has a top-20 in every 2025 major and is winning regularly on LIV—putting him in the same elite consistency bucket as Scottie Scheffler. With Portrush rewarding patient, mistake-free golf and windy conditions forecast, Ray framed Rahm as a must-bet in outright and placement markets rather than fading him because of his LIV schedule.

Justin Ray said he expects Scottie Scheffler to finish fifth or better at the CJ Cup at Byron Nelson. Ray dug into the numbers and found that although Scheffler’s elite ball-striking has slipped only slightly—strokes-gained off-the-tee is down two-tenths of a shot per round but still ranks sixth, and his approach play is down roughly three-tenths yet still fourth—his flatstick has leveled up. Scheffler’s percentage of total strokes gained that comes via the putter has climbed from 25–26 % two seasons ago to over 34 % last year and sits at 33 % this season. More importantly, his make-rate from 4-8 feet has jumped from 63 % to 74 %. Ray argued that the steadier putter, paired with still-top-tier tee-to-green stats, gives Scheffler an ultra-high floor on the birdie-friendly TPC Craig Ranch layout and makes a top-5 finish the most likely outcome. For bettors and DFS players, Ray framed it as a near sure thing rather than a ceiling call.