Pádraig Harrington gets Open under way at Royal Portrush
With watery sunshine breaking through the clouds overhead and a stiff breeze blowing right-to-left and into his face the 53-year-old, who won back-to-back Claret Jugs in 2007 and 2008, was given the honour of hitting the opening shot at 6.35am.
Harrington took an iron and hit the middle of the fairway – which was more than Rory McIlroy did six years ago when the tournament returned to the Dunluce Links after finding out of bounds down the left on his first morning – and responded with a beaming smile.
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The opening tee shot of The 153rd Open. pic.twitter.com/rRZokRqF8M — The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025
Despite being given the honour Harrington, who won the US Senior Open a fortnight ago, is determined to compete as he bids to become the oldest winner of the Claret Jug.
'I still think I'm a player but I'm quite happy to take the ceremonial position of hitting the first shot. I have to create my own reality and in my reality I can win,' he said on Wednesday.
There was almost as much noise for 22-year-old Tom McKibbin, from McIlroy's Holywood club an hour down the road, whose tee shot crept into the left rough, while Ryder Cup winner Nicolai Hojgaard also found the fairway.
Harrington hit his approach to 18 feet and holed his birdie attempt, which was greeted by a loud roar and another broad grin from the Irishman, but McKibbin took three to get to the green for a bogey.
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