The Open: NI star among the leading pack as Portrush causing problems for early starters in round one
Adam McKendry
How it stands
First group going along nicely. Keeping good pace, too.
9 minutes ago
The eagle lands!!
Lovely putt from McKibbin up and over the ridge, right to left, and in she drops! After a rocky start, he's now three-under for his last three holes and up to -1!
That would be a share of the lead if it wasn't for Nicolai Højgaard getting up and down from the left of the green for birdie and he's reassumed the solo lead at -2!
Harrington, meanwhile, scrambles for his par which is not a bad outcome after that drive. Still +1.
17 minutes ago
The roar carries
We could hear that roar for Phil's bunker shot all the way down on 7, where Tom McKibbin got a loud ovation after crushing his drive down the middle. He'll have a great chance to go for the green and maybe set up an eagle chance.
Pádraig Harrington has had to lay up after finding the fairway bunker.
Things are fun in this group - McKibbin and Højgaard in particular are having a good few laughs.
19 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
A beautiful noise
The Open on Twitter / X
First tee shot. First birdie of the day.Padraig Harrington is off to a strong start. pic.twitter.com/2KocjHdbcu— The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025
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21 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
He'd pay for that in my fourball...
Phil Mickelson won't be under par for long. His tee shot on the 176-yard par three third was plugged in the face of the front bunker, and he can't get it out of the trap. In my fourball, that would be 50p to every other player for not escaping the bunker.
OH BUT WAIT! He WILL be under par for long. He's only gone and holed his next bunker shot for a glorious par!!
He'd still owe 50p though...
The Open on Twitter / X
A short game masterclass.Mickelson holes out from the sand. pic.twitter.com/hEX1brav4i— The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025
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24 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Louis, Louis - oh baby!
Oosthuizen becomes the first man to drive the par four fifth green. It's 372 yards but all downhill. Get the line right and these boys can get it there. Super shot on what is the most picturesque point on the course. He misses the eagle try up the hill but it's a two-putt bird and he's back to level par.
Back at one, Darren Clarke has a two-putt par to get his Open off to a steady start.
(Kudos to those who recognised the Kinks reference in the title of this one.)
26 minutes ago
Pars all round
The sixth is going to be another really tricky hole with the wind blowing directly left to right across the green but the lead group navigate it well, all of them hitting the green with their tee shots and two putting from range.
Not much more to add - on to the seventh and a potential birdie chance!
27 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Mickelson in the red!
A birdie on the second gets the LIV Golf player into red figures, joining Nicolai Hojgaard and Jacob Skov Olesen at the top.
And Lucas Herbert who rallies in a long putt on the first. It smashed the back of the cup.
It could be this golf legend's last time playing in NI – why you should catch him while you still can
Phil Mickelson made scores of Northern Ireland kids happy on Tuesday.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
37 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
Birdie for McKibbin
The Newtownabbey man is on the board! A nice curling putt from right to left and he's back up to +1.
Harrington tidies up nicely for par to remain on the same score but Højgaard continues to look impressive as he leaves his first chip in the rough but then holes from 15 feet to save par after his second pitch shot.
38 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Darren feeling it?
He has spoken of changing his initial plan to hit iron of the first tee in 2019 due to last minute nerves. And it's the big stick again today - but it's ripped down the middle with a touch of draw just to send it out there an extra few yards. Fair play - and again the cheer goes up for the 2011 Champion Golfer, who now has a hole named after him on this course.
41 minutes ago
"Where is it again?"
Pádraig's struggles continue as he finds the thick rough left of the fifth fairway. In fact, it's so deep, he takes a couple of practice swings beside the ball and then has to ask caddy Ronan Flood where the ball is again because he can't see it!
The recovery shot is magnificent, though, and gives him an outside look at birdie, while Tom McKibbin chips up from short of the green and has around six feet for a first birdie of his own.
41 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
What's the weather forecast for the day?
Well, if the early starters are struggling, it's not looking likely the scoring will improve drastically later. The clouds are to close in as the morning progresses with storms most likely just after lunch-time. There's even a weather warning in place between 11am and 8pm. Rory McIlroy will be hoping the showers come and go before his 3.10pm tee time.
46 minutes ago
Here's Darren!
We can hear the cheers from inside the media centre and it can only be one thing - Darren Clarke walking onto the first tee.
49 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Dustin does it
That's the best tee shot of the day so far on 1, from American Dustin Johnson. The perfect shape - a cut into the wind - holds it against the breeze and sends it bounding up the centre of the fairway. No messing.
His playing partner Jordan Smith, however, finds that thick, thick rough on the left and has to pitch out sideways.
49 minutes ago
Putter has gone cold
Harrington drops back-to-back shots as he three putts for the second consecutive hole, this time from 53 feet on the fourth, to drop back to +1.
A par apiece for tournament leader Højgaard, who gets up and down, and McKibbin and they stay -1 and +2 respectively.
54 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Royal Portrush takes the upper hand
There are 15 players on the course.
Two of them are under par.
Nine of them are over par.
Perks of the job
The impressive Dunluce Lodge flanks the fourth fairway, and a few of the employees have nipped out to catch our lead group playing through.
Harrington and McKibbin both hit the fairway and then the green, so they have outside looks at birdie, but Højgaard finds trouble down the left again and hits his approach into the mound short left of the green, so he's got another tough up and down to navigate.
Today 06:28 AM
Gareth Hanna
What about that first hole!?
Now eight of the first 12 players have made bogey (or worse) at the first. It's playing into the wind, which is also coaxing the players towards the out of bounds on the left.
Phil Mickelson is out there now, and he managed to get his tee shot away OK, into the semi round before chasing his second on to the right edge of the green.
Early frustrations
Pádraig Harrington no longer shares the lead as he leaves his first putt a good five feet short of the hole and then can't hole his second either, so that's a three-putt bogey at the third and he's back to level-par.
Tom McKibbin also drops another shot, his second in three holes as his chip from the front of the green leaves him about four feet for par but it burns the edge and stays up. +2 for the Newtownabbey man.
Højgaard gets the job done, though, bumping a nice chip up the green to three feet and sinking the putt to stay -1.
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'I didn't have this opportunity six years ago, so to play an extra two days in this atmosphere in front of these crowds, I'm very excited for that. 'I feel like my game's definitely good enough to make a run. I don't know if you can ever flow around here. 'This golf course is very demanding. It's quite visually intimidating off the tee. You know the holes you have to make par, you know the holes you have to make birdie. If you have one of those out of the blue days and you can get it going…' McIlroy conjured one of those days 20 years ago. Now, he is 36 years old and there is some grey in his hair and he needs to conjure another one. ROYAL PORTRUSH TEE ROOM BY JAMES SHARPE Rain won't rattle Westy Lee Westwood was playing the final hole of his second round when a torrential downpour struck Royal Portrush. The 52-year-old knows all about the challenges this great course can provide after tying for fourth place here in 2019, and the old timer sunk a 27ft putt to save par and sit at three under. 'Links golf is all about adapting,' said Westwood. Imperfect 10 for Norris… Poor Shaun Norris. After the South African (right) put his tee shot on the fourth hole out of bounds, he stuck his second in a fairway bunker, took four shots to get out, then pulled his approach into the rough before getting up and down for a 10. And he still birdied the fifth! Par-anormal activity! Justin Thomas tried to summon his own version of golfing magic. His superb 29ft birdie putt on the par-three third looked destined for the hole only to curl around the back of it and dangle over the lip. When it wouldn't drop, two-time major winner Thomas pointed at the ball as if casting a spell and shouted: 'Go!' Sadly, his powers failed. Bradley's Ryder Cup solution US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley faces the awkward decision of whether to pick himself as a wildcard for the clash with Europe. But the issue could soon be taken out of his own hands. Bradley would become the first playing captain since 1963 and, following a round of 67 to go three under, he is playing himself into contention for one of the six automatic spots. 'We have a plan,' said Bradley. 'We have a "for instance" that could happen.'
