Rory McIlroy is aiming to add another major title at this week’s Open Championship held at Royal Portrush, presenting a compelling storyline for the tournament. After completing the career Grand Slam at The Masters earlier this year, McIlroy hopes to secure his first major victory on Northern Irish soil.
Royal Portrush has seen significant modifications since McIlroy set a course record there as a 16-year-old amateur in 2005. Despite his familiarity with the venue, McIlroy struggled in the last Open hosted here in 2019, when he began with a quadruple-bogey on the first hole and concluded with a triple-bogey, resulting in a missed cut after emotional rounds. Now ranked world No. 2, he enters this Open with renewed confidence following his Masters playoff win, having ended an 11-year major drought.
This season, McIlroy has claimed three PGA Tour victories and showed signs of regaining form with a runner-up finish at the Genesis Scottish Open. At 36, he expressed satisfaction with his current game ahead of returning to his homeland, where a win would tie him with Sir Nick Faldo’s record of six major championships. A victory here would make him arguably the most beloved champion this year.
The English Pursuit to End a Long Major Title Drought
England has not produced an Open champion since Sir Nick Faldo’s third victory in 1992, and no Englishman has captured a major since Matt Fitzpatrick won the 2022 US Open. Despite this, there are 21 English players in the field aiming to reverse that trend at Royal Portrush.
Matt Fitzpatrick recently tied for fourth in the Scottish Open, signaling a return to form, while Tommy Fleetwood, who was runner-up to Shane Lowry at Royal Portrush in 2019, nearly clinched his first PGA Tour win last month. Justin Rose, a former world No. 1, finished joint runner-up at Royal Troon last year and placed second to McIlroy at The Masters in April. Rose also secured sixth place at the recent Scottish Open and remains a strong contender for another major.
Also in the mix are players like Tyrrell Hatton, who impressed at the US Open and owns three Alfred Dunhill Links Championship titles. Aaron Rai and Lee Westwood, a former world No. 1, complete the group of English golfers who could challenge for The Open’s Claret Jug this week.
Scottie Scheffler’s Reign and Challenges at Royal Portrush
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler continues to be a formidable presence, having never finished worse than eighth in his last 10 worldwide tournaments. He stands as the favorite to secure a fourth major title within four years, though a lackluster putting performance recently cost him a closer finish at the Scottish Open, where he tied for eighth.
Scheffler has already won three times this season and finished tied seventh at Royal Troon last year, keeping a consistent record with top-25 performances at the Open. He now aims to emulate Xander Schauffele’s 2024 achievement of winning both the PGA Championship and The Open in the same season. Notably, no active world No. 1 has won The Open since Tiger Woods defended the title in 2006, but Scheffler has matched many of Woods’ PGA Tour records, raising questions about whether he can replicate that success.
Schauffele himself, the defending Open champion, tied eighth in Scotland recently and will attempt to become only the third player this century, after Woods and Padraig Harrington, to win consecutive Open Championships.
Impact of LIV Golf Players in This Year’s Open
A record 19 full-time LIV Golf players are set to compete this week, marking the largest LIV representation ever at a major championship. This group includes past Open champions Cameron Smith, Henrik Stenson, Phil Mickelson, and Louis Oosthuizen.
For the first time, a special entry category was created for LIV Golf participants. Sergio Garcia secured his qualification as the top-ranked player in the LIV Golf Individual standings not already exempt, while Tyrrell Hatton remains an influential contender among the LIV players. Other major winners like Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, and Dustin Johnson enter automatically based on achievements from the past five years. Joaquin Niemann and Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin qualify based on their DP World Tour Race to Dubai rankings.
Among the LIV contingent, Jon Rahm looks particularly poised to contend for the Claret Jug. Having achieved three top-eight finishes in his last four majors, Rahm consistently ranks in the top 10 on the LIV Golf leaderboard and is expected to challenge strongly over the weekend.
Ryder Cup Qualification Stakes at Royal Portrush
This Open marks the final major opportunity for players to gain Ryder Cup points ahead of the September tournament at Bethpage Black. With few events remaining on the schedule, every performance here could influence Team Europe and Team USA compositions.
Rory McIlroy is currently the only player guaranteed a spot on Team Europe, captained by Luke Donald. Other Europeans likely to participate include Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Bob MacIntyre, Shane Lowry, and Sepp Straka, all close to securing automatic qualification.
Players such as Rasmus Hojgaard, Thomas Detry, and Matt Wallace will attempt to earn their Ryder Cup debuts, while Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick, both members of Europe’s victorious 2023 team in Rome, continue their qualification quests.
For Team USA, Scottie Scheffler is safely qualified, with Xander Schauffele, JJ Spaun, Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau, and Justin Thomas occupying the current top six rankings. Captain Keegan Bradley, bolstered by a recent Travelers Championship win, is also expected to serve as a playing captain.
Weather Conditions Could Influence Play at the Causeway Coast
The weather at Royal Portrush is a crucial factor, as rough conditions have historically tested players’ skills during The Open. In 2019, heavy rain and strong winds made the final round especially demanding. However, early forecasts for this year indicate more favorable weather with light to moderate winds and temperatures slightly above average over the tournament days.
Some rain is expected, but widespread soaking seen during Shane Lowry’s 2019 win appears less likely, which should help both players and the estimated 275,000 spectators attending throughout the week.
How to Watch The Open Live on Sky Sports
Sky Sports once again holds exclusive rights to broadcast The Open, offering live coverage throughout tournament week. Starting with seven hours of live practice round coverage on Monday and Tuesday, Sky Sports Golf provides extensive programming ahead of the main competition.
Beginning Thursday, July 17, the channel delivers wall-to-wall live action from 6:30 a.m., continuing through all four tournament days. Additional feeds and coverage are accessible via Sky Sports+, providing golf fans with comprehensive viewing options throughout the Open.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is xander schauffele a smoker?
A. She served as a caddie for Schauffele during the Par 3 Contest at the 2024 Masters Tournament. Schauffele enjoys smoking cigars. His father introduced him to cigars when he was 10 years old. The Montecristo No. is his preferred cigar.
Q. Is Xander Schauffele a Liv player?
A. He has openly said that he once talked with LIV but decided against joining them. He criticized Tour commissioner Jay Monahan when the Tour began funding talks with the LIV’s supporter, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. He continues to compete on the PGA Tour and has maintained a top-five world ranking since 2017.
Q. Is Xander Schauffele on Liv?
A. Stefan mentioned that Xander received an offer of $150 to $200 million to join the LIV Golf tour, supported by Saudi Arabia, in 2022. The main reason Xander didn’t accept was because playing there wouldn’t earn him world ranking points. This could have made it difficult for him to participate in major championships.