Rory McIlroy turns Portrush electric with stunning start at The Open as Scottie Scheffler is reeled in at the top
33
That's how many strokes it's taken Rory McIlroy to play the front nine as he two-putts for his par and turns at -6, four back.
Needs to get something going on the back nine.
Jordan Smith took 37 for his outward nine, he's back at -2.
9 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Big bird for Bob?
The Scotsman is on the par five seventh in two - and he's inside seven feet for eagle. roll that and he catapults his way to -7 alongside his national champion Chris Gotterup.
Edit: It's in! Robert MacIntyre is just three back.
9 minutes ago
Another long putt
Rory tried to use the slope behind the ninth green to bring the ball back down to the hole, chopping it out of the rough and onto the fringe, but it doesn't come back as he'd like and he's left with 35 feet down the hill for the birdie.
The hot start has very much cooled down now.
11 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Double eagle for Xander
No, dear Americans, I don't mean an albatross. Because that's called an albatross. I mean that Xander has two eagles today! He did it at the par five seventh and he's added another at the par five 12th to hit four-under for the day and -6 overall.
The Open on Twitter / X
It's called moving day for a reason.Xander Schauffele moves up to 5th with his second eagle of the day. pic.twitter.com/edDOg0ZYhr— The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2025
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14 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Shane Lowry (+3) on a Saturday 74: 'I should have enjoyed it more'
The 2019 champ was 11 shots worse off today than R3 six years ago, when he hit his course record 63. However, he explained afterwards that he's fallen victim to a virus that's rampaged through his house. Add that to last night's two-shot penalty and it's been a rough 24-hours.
He said:"I didn't enjoy today as much as I would have liked. Saturday at The Open in your home country, I should enjoy it a lot more than I did, just because of how I felt. Hopefully I get out tomorrow morning and try and enjoy it as best I can, try to shoot the best score I can, and then have a couple weeks off before the playoffs. For me, my big mindset for the next few months is about the Ryder Cup and trying to win that. That's where all my work is going to go towards over the next while."
On the two-shot penalty: "I'm not too keen to talk on it too much. I think we said enough about it last night. Quite supportive, I would say, from the other players. They all feel bad for me that two shots is a lot to give up. Yeah, I don't really have much else to say actually."
On the afternoon outlook:"There's a score out there. Tough pins, but there's a score. You can see there's a few good scores. You see Rory is off to a hot start. This golf course isn't playing easier than it is today. Firm fairways, the greens are receptive."
16 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
"You're my hero!"
Some of the cries from the fans out here are hilarious as Rory looks tentatively after his drive on the par-four ninth, but the claps further down the fairway suggest that he's okay - although once he gets there he discovers the lie is a little choppy.
It's not going to be an easy birdie here, the pin is tucked into the back right of this green, but he's in a good position to attack if he wants to try.
20 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Scheffler not making ground
At risk of jinxing this (from a Rory perspective), Scheffler is a long way away for birdie on the fourth. Providing he doesn't railroad that into the cup, McIlroy will have made up three shots on the overnight leader across the opening four holes as Scheffler starts with level pars. Fitzpatrick is a little closer but again it's only an outside chance to make it to -11.
Edit: Correct. Pars for both.
Very impressive
I don't want to keep harping on about the crowds but the people following Rory are about ten deep around the eighth green. The pull he has us simply unparalleled, especially on home soil.
His putts aren't bad either as he gives the birdie attempt on the eighth from 40-feet a chance, just missing low, and then cleans up for the par to stay at -6.
He could really do with a birdie soon, though. The longer he keeps parring, the more difficult it will be to put a red number on the card again.
28 minutes ago
There she blows
The wind, I mean. Rory teed off in benign conditions but up on the par-four eighth fairway, which he has found the middle of with a fine tee shot, it's starting to get quite strong, it must be said. That might be a factor in the late afternoon scores.
It wasn't a factor on his approach, though. Not a great swing and he's left himself 40 feet for birdie.
32 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Knee-knocker for Scottie
His approach to the par three third is off the back and he opts to putt back onto the green, but it's too heavy and rolls the best part of 10 feet past. After a three-putt at two, that'll cause more than a few nerves for par.
It hasn't exactly been a rock solid start with the flat-stick, considering he raced his birdie attempt past on one, as well.
In the side door. If that had slipped out, it would certainly have livened things up. Stays -10 alongside Fitzpatrick, who taps in for par.
35 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
"F**k"
It's very loud and fortunately it's from the crowd and not from Rory McIlroy, which draws a few laughs.
There are none from McIlroy, though. His birdie putt on the seventh slides inches wide on the low side and the putter slams against his leg in frustration. He knows that's a big chance gone and it does feel like parring both the fifth and seventh has killed his momentum.
35 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
All rise
Moves are being made. Haotog Li gets a two at the second to climb to within one of the lead.
Up to -6 are playing partners Tony Finau and Chris Gotterup after they both birdied the driveable par four fifth.
Further on in the course, Justin Rose birdied five of six holes from 2-7 but his progress was stunted by bogeys either side. He's at -5 on the ninth.
38 minutes ago
Heavy metal
After a stunning drive, Rory McIlroy has made a bit of mess of the seventh as he left his second shot 24 yards short and has been very heavy on the chip shot, running it a good 20 feet past. Still a chance for a birdie but not the tap-in he would have been expecting.
44 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Par five battle
While Rory booms one down the middle on seven, Scheffler is on the green in two back at the second. He has over 50 feet to the pin, so he's only looking at the remotest chance of eagle, but it looks like the world number one is going to -11 and maybe even three clear. Ominous.
Eagle for Fitzy!
Errrr... scratch that! Just as Fitzpatrick short-sides himself into two and looks like it'll be an impressive up-and-down just for birdie, he's only gone and canned it for eagle! Bounce-back big bird and the Englishman goes to -10. Game on.
And Scheffler three-putts
And Scheffler three-rolls! What a swing. Now it's all tied at the top at 10 under. And it means, comparing their opening two holes, Rory has officially got one of the seven back on the overnight leader.
47 minutes ago
Recoil on Rory
That actually look like it could have hurt as Rory McIlroy absolutely unloads into his drive on the par-five seventh and the club snaps back on his shoulder - he has corked one 370-yards down there, to the extent that from where I'm standing I can't actually see it. All we know is it is on the fairway and he will absolutely be going for this in two.
I don't want to speak too soon but an eagle would lift the metaphorical roof off this place and then some.
53 minutes ago
No dramas
Brilliant lag putt from Rory and that's a safe par on the sixth. Now he will set his sights on picking up at least one shot on the downwind, very gettable par-five seventh.
Jordan Smith, meanwhile, has seemingly gotten stuck in the Shane Lowry mould of just not being able to get anything going. He bogeyed the second and now just dropped another at the sixth, so he's back to -1.
57 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Scare for Scottie
The leader's birdie attempt races five foot past on the first. There's golf left in that, yet.
Makes it. As if... as if he wouldn't. Stays -10.
And that means he stretches his lead to two as his playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick starts with a three-putt to drop alongside Haotong Li to -8 as the only players within four.
58 minutes ago
"Ah, sit"
Rory immediately doesn't like his tee shot on the par-three sixth either as he tries to power it through the wind towards this back right pin position, but it holds left and releases to the back centre instead, leaving him 47-feet for birdie.
The crowd again try to will him on after that swing but it's another one he's not happy with. Par here wouldn't be a terrible outcome, though.
Today 02:41 PM
Adam McKendry
To his knees
The putt doesn't drop for McIlroy and he is gutted it doesn't.
It's a dramatic right to lefter down the slope for the birdie on five and he thinks he has it as it gets closer to the hole... but it dives left one more time right at the end and misses low.
Stays -6.
Today 02:41 PM
Gareth Hanna
New leaders in the clubhouse!
Wyndham Clark pars the last to get in at -5, and he's soon joined by Dustin Johnson! Remember him? The man who missed the cut in all of the year's first three majors has matched Clark's impressive five-under 66.
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