The Open: Rory McIlroy one off the lead and meet the Buddhist monk who's also in contention
Meet the Buddhist monk who's one shot off the lead
Pivotal point in Rory's week already?
The Open Guinness tracker: Where's the cheapest pint in Portrush this week?
Darren Clarke on shooting a 75: 'Maybe I should have spent more time in the Harbour Bar!'
Round one tee times
one minute ago
Gareth Hanna
Hands across Hadrian's Wall
Scot Robert MacIntyre and English Justin Rose are having a nice battle in their group, both under par since the middle of their front nines. It's just gone advantage England as Rose holed for birdie on 11 to go to -2, one clear of MacIntyre who was forced to make a nice recovery for par. Solid.
6 minutes ago
BIRDIE!
The crowd go wild as this one drops for McIlroy and he's one shot off the lead at -3 after his third birdie in six holes!
9 minutes ago
Rory's roring again
The approach play over the last few holes in particular has been sublime from McIlroy and he's pulled another rabbit out of the hat on the par-four 10th, chopping it out of the rough to the left of the fairway and using the contours of the green to roll it up to six feet shy of the pin and another birdie chance.
It doesn't have to drop but, after the disappointment of the eighth, it would be a very timely one to see go in.
15 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
What about the adopted Ulsterman?
A huge hit with the fans this week but Bryson DeChambeau hasn't made a single birdie out there today at +3 through 10. A double at four, when he had trouble on the bank, did most of the damage. Also successfully birdie-free is Jordan Spieth in the afternoon's second featured group, and a shot worse off after a front nine 40. Ouch.
20 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Is there a hole there?
Three putts, three misses for Rory's group on nine which means par for McIlroy (-2), bogey for Fleetwood (+2) and double for Thomas (E).
'I thought I was going to black out': Estonian amateur Richard Teder, who chipped in in a Play-Off to qualify for the event and shot 74
His nerves over his first tee shot:"A bit crazy on the 1st hole. I thought I was going to black out. I told myself it's another golf shot. It's a 2-iron, my favourite club. The whole day was just unbelievable. The crowds, the fans. It was special."
Royal Portrush:"The course is very difficult. If you hit a bad shot, you're not in a good spot. Hit loads of great shots today, just my putter wasn't really working today, which just happens. It's golf, right? But I'm happy about today."
Can he make the cut?:"Just try to hang in there, to be honest. Make a lot of pars. Just couldn't make any putts, which 3-over is not that bad for not making anything. I'm happy."
34 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Mixed fortunes at nine
Iron off the tee for Rory and it's perfectly 259 yards down the middle, while Fleetwood and JT find the rough either side of the fairway.
Rory safely on in two while the other pair can only pitch out short. With his third, JT short-sides himself again and that's a very tough up and down just to save bogey. He could be on his way back to level par. Fleetwood gives himself a chance for par from 15 feet.
34 minutes ago
Anybody else want the lead?
It's now a SIX-way tie as Lucas Glover, who started birdie-eagle but had done nothing since, has taken advantage of the par-five seventh and he gets to -4 too! Will anybody actually bother to get to -5 or is that as good as it's going to get?
There's also a move from France's Romain Langasque, who has picked up three shots in two holes by birdieing the 11th and then eagling the 12th to get to -3!
42 minutes ago
Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.
Rory misses the birdie putt. Gave it too much break on the right-hand side and the six-footer stays above ground.
That would have been the one to light the touch paper. Instead he stays -2 and two back of the leading quintet.
Meanwhile, it ended up being a good hole for Justin Thomas as he chips in from short of the green for birdie and he's up to -2!
44 minutes ago
You Bez believe it again!
We have a five-way tie for the lead as Christiaan Bezuidenhout comes up with the goods on the par-five 12th, hitting the green in two and driving in the 27-foot eagle putt to move to -4!
46 minutes ago
Rory. McIlroy.
Fresh off nearly holing out for eagle on the seventh, Rory McIlroy nearly does the same thing on the par-four eighth as he follows up a 300-yard drive into the wind with a majestic wedge that carves through the air and lands an inch from the pin!
That'll be another short putt for birdie to go one shot off the lead!
49 minutes ago
Hot Harris
I haven't seen a single shot he has played today, even though he's in the group behind Rory McIlroy and is now tied for the lead, but Harris English moves to four-under-par with his fifth birdie in his opening seven holes! He's even had time to drop a shot and, amazingly, it was on the par-four fifth which is the easiest hole on the course!
This has to go down as a psycho scorecard.
54 minutes ago
He's in the zone
McIlroy. Eighth tee. Pulverised straight down the middle and the tee is out of the ground before the ball has even reached its apex.
We're cooking with gas now.
57 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Rory McIlroy - within two
Tap in putt secured and the crowd goes up another notch. They feel like it's on! Birdies all round - Fleetwood is having one of those days where every putt is a near miss. And such is the case for his eagle attempt.
After 7
McIlroy -2
Thomas -1
Fleetwood +1
57 minutes ago
Worth a few Bob
Robert MacIntyre is a links specialist and he's proven it once again with back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth to move to -3 and one shot off the lead! He's talked in the build-up to this tournament that he loves Royal Portrush - will the course give some love back to him this week?
Meanwhile, Tyrrell Hatton is still at -3 after finishing the ninth hole but only after draining a monster putt for par following a chip shot that went too long from right of the green. Those are momentum savers.
Today 04:22 PM
Gareth Hanna
It's getting going out here now
Super pitch nipped in and Rory has what looks like a kick in birdie from here. He should pitch out on every hole!
The fans are going for it now. That should be him up to -2 and they can sense a march is coming.
Eagle attempt up the hill coming for Fleetwood after a super second while JT is just out the back in two.
Today 04:14 PM
Gareth Hanna
Hold up on hole seven
A long wait as three groups are all on the par five seventh at once. Never does anybody any good, that. And Rory hits it left. It's thick and lying down with some thick stuff folding in around it. Won't be getting up in two but that did him a favour on the second.
Rory lucky enough with the second shot as it takes one hop in the thick stuff and comes back down into the semi rough. He can't see it from where he is and will be pleasantly surprised with that result.
Fleetwood and JT are all good off the tee so could go for it in two.
Today 04:10 PM
Meet the Buddhist monk who's one shot off the lead
Sadom Kaewkanjana is 262nd in the world rankings.
Sadom Kaewkanjana has never played at a level higher than the Asian Tour.
Sadom Kaewkanjana has played in just one event since May and missed the cut in it.
Sadom Kaewkanjana is an ordained Buddhist monk.
Sadom Kaewkanjana didn't have any luggage until 8pm on Wednesday because it got lost in transit from Thailand.
Sadom Kaewkanjana is currently one shot off the lead at The Open Championship after parring the last for a three-under-par 68, the same score as the World No.1.
Because golf.
Today 03:59 PM
Keep your Hatton
Tyrrell Hatton, who has finished in the top-10 of a Major twice in the last two years, is threatening again as he has an eagle putt on the par-five seventh to take a share of the lead... no. It stays short but it's a tap-in for birdie and the Englishman makes it another LIV player in the mix as he moves one shot back of the lead trio.
All of a sudden the leaderboard is becoming quite bunched, to the extent that -1 is tied-19th.
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Belfast Telegraph
3 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Rory McIlroy turns Portrush electric with stunning start at The Open as Scottie Scheffler is reeled in at the top
7 minutes ago 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 Schauffele moves up to 5th with his second eagle of the day. The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. 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. Live Blog Software
South Wales Guardian
3 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Rory McIlroy makes strong start on day three to climb The Open leaderboard
The Northern Irishman, from an hour down the road at Holyrood, promised he would be 'firing over the weekend' after making the cut on three under – which was more than he managed six years ago on his home Open here. He was true to his word with a brilliant 36-foot curling putt at the first, made possible by hitting the opening fairway for the first time this week, and his longest putt of the week produced a determined but understated clenched fist celebration. Rory's in red. He's away with a birdie on the 1st. — The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2025 The Masters champion has the power to reach the 575-yard second into the wind in two and duly did so with an approach to 27ft from the right rough. He could not hole his eagle attempt but settled for a birdie, with a brilliant approach to seven feet at the par-four fourth gaining him another shot to get within four of 10-under leader Scheffler, who had still to take to the course alongside England's Matt Fitzpatrick. Up ahead of him, Russell Henley was putting together a decent round with five birdies and an eagle, with only one bogey, through 12 holes to also get to six under. Magic on 13. It's a hole-in-one for John Parry. — The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2025 Former US Open champion Wyndham Clark shot a five-under-par 66 to get himself to five under. The highlight of Yorkshireman John Parry's day was holing a 199-yard eight iron for an ace at the 13th in a round of 67 which saw him finish three under.
The Independent
3 minutes ago
- The Independent
John Parry sinks first hole-in-one of The Open 2025 to move into contention
A hole-in-one for England's John Parry catapulted him onto the leaderboard on day three of The Open at Royal Portrush. The 38-year-old's tee shot at the 199-yard 13th took three bounces before disappearing into the hole. Parry, playing in only his second Open after a debut in 2022, started on the cut-mark at one over and was not really going anywhere in his round with just one birdie on the front nine getting him to level par. However, a birdie at the 532-yard 12th proved the spark he needed and his ace – the first of the tournament – at the next was followed by a 13-foot birdie at the 15th. That moved the Yorkshireman, a team-mate of Rory McIlroy at the 2007 Walker Cup, into the top 10 on four under. He was to drop a shot at the last but Parry was happy with his round. 'It was a great day and an experience I won't forget and making a hole in one,' he said of his sweetly-struck eight-iron. 'I think I've had about 10 (holes-in-one) but definitely the best, best one.' It came after McIlroy began his charge to reel in world number one Scottie Scheffler with three birdies in his first four holes on the third day. The Northern Irishman, from an hour down the road at Holyrood, promised he would be 'firing over the weekend' after making the cut on three under – which was more than he managed six years ago on his home Open here. He was true to his word with a brilliant 36-foot curling putt at the first, made possible by hitting the opening fairway for the first time this week, and his longest putt of the week produced a determined but understated clenched fist celebration. The Masters champion has the power to reach the 575-yard second into the wind in two and duly did so with an approach to 27ft from the right rough. He could not hole his eagle attempt but settled for a birdie, with a brilliant approach to seven feet at the par-four fourth gaining him another shot to get within four of 10-under leader Scheffler, who had still to take to the course alongside England's Matt Fitzpatrick.
