The Open: Holywood's Tom McKibbin tees off in first group as round one begins at Royal Portrush
Adam McKendry
Højgaard meets the fans
The Dane has pulled his drive into the rough to the left but, somewhat fortunately, he's pulled a good lie because it's landed on the area that's been trampled down by the spectators, who immediately whip out their phones for a picture.
Harrington and McKibbin are both safe down the middle, Pádraig just leaking into the first cut but catching a great lie.
11 minutes ago
Harrington leads The Open!
Tom McKibbin found an awkward lie in the left rough and was only able to hack it halfway up the fairway before chipping on. He has about 20 feet for par... misses it high. That's a bogey to start The Open for the 22-year-old, +1.
Pádraig, though, gives himself a nice look at birdie from about eight feet... and makes it! Lovely stroke and he's -1 and leading!
"Blow it up ref!" says a voice in the crowd.
20 minutes ago
Nerves? What nerves?
The first group is successfully off the first tee - and it was an iron for all three of them. Padraig Harrington had spoken yesterday of Darren Clarke's tale of taking a driver for that shot in 2019 due to the nerves and needing "the biggest club in the bag", but the two-time Open champion needed no such security today. A lovely shot, down the middle and followed by Nicolai Hojgaard, while local hope Tom McKibbin's own tee shot takes one hop into the thick left rough.
30 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Welcome to round one!
As the time approaches for Padraig Harrington to hit the opening tee shot, the queues are lengthening at the gate. The Open is here, proper.
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Yesterday 05:52 PM
Gareth Hanna
See you bright and early!
The practice is done, The Open is here. 6.35am start. Don't be late! (Or if you are, we'll have been here to let you catch up on what you've missed... that's the whole point!)
Belfast Telegraph on Instagram: "The Open Championship at Royal Portrush: What happened in 2019"
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Yesterday 05:28 PM
Gareth Hanna
Selected round one tee times
Here are our pick of tomorrow's groupings - Irish players in bold:
6.35am: Padraig Harrington, Tom McKibbin, Nicolai Hojgaard
7.19am: Phil Mickelson, Daniel Van Tonder, Ryan Peake
7.52am: Darren Clarke, Davis Riley, Lucas Herbert
8.14am: Thomas Detrey, Chris Gotterup, Lee Westwood
9.25am: Hideki Matsuyama, Ryan Fox, Matt Fitzpatrick
9.47am: Sam Burns, Aldrich Potgieter, Brooks Koepka
9.58am: Xander Schauffele, JJ Spaun, Jon Rahm
10.09am: Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler
2.48pm: Robert MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose
2.59pm: Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland
3.10pm: Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood
3.21pm: Harris English, Nick Taylor, Tony Finau
Yesterday 05:17 PM
Gareth Hanna
Rory's first tee struggles?
Emmmm, not to alarm anyone ahead of tomorrow but the reports of this quote aren't exactly what we want to hear. Remember, Rory teed off early on Monday and Tuesday and nobody saw him hitting those shots. He did, however, get it safely off the first tee today, hitting an iron down the right side, just short of the bunker. The context of all this, of course, is his tee-shot out of bounds left in the first round in 2019, which ultimately led to an opening quadruple bogey 8 and him missing the cut by a shot. So quite why his putting coach would say this is a bit of a mystery. Just pretend we didn't mention anything...
Jamie Kennedy on Twitter / X
Oh boy....Brad Faxon said on @GolfChannel's "Live From" that Rory hit it out-of-bounds on the first tee on Monday... and Tuesday this week."He hasn't hit that fairway in his first two practice rounds. He hit both tee shots out-of-bounds on Monday and Tuesday."(He famously… pic.twitter.com/dlCAf73PcE— Jamie Kennedy (@jamierkennedy) July 16, 2025
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Yesterday 04:45 PM
Gareth Hanna
Fan favourite: Bryson DeChambeau
It's hard to really appreciate the absolute totality of Bryson DeChambeau's 180 degree turn of public perception. The one-time villain of tour golf, he has been roared around the course this week by an adoring fanbase, and he's been in his element, interacting with the supporters at every turn. He tees off tomorrow at 2.48pm with Robert MacIntyre and Justin Rose. If he could do it this week, perhaps only Rory would be a more popular winner. Things you didn't think you'd be saying...
Golf Channel on Twitter / X
Bryson DeChambeau bonus driver by popular request from the Royal Portrush fans. 🫡🎥 @TheOpen pic.twitter.com/kxnUn3NvhW— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 16, 2025
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Yesterday 04:42 PM
Gareth Hanna
Padraig Harrington with the big line of the week
Paul Kelly on Twitter / X
We may have reached peak preview here - @kclairerogers @padraig_h on Open ice-creams #TheOpen "I will have to say, in my considered opinion, we do the best 99s here. I've tested a 99 at every Open venue, and these are definitely the biggest and the nicest so far. pic.twitter.com/MMhH1iG8bw— Paul Kelly (@KellyPrc) July 16, 2025
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Yesterday 04:26 PM
Gareth Hanna
Fancy some merch?
You better be ready to queue. The snake to get into the shop is only getting longer - and you'd imagine it'll be at least this length constantly during the tournament days.
Will you sign my armband?
Firstly, if you're out and about this week, say hello and thank you to the friendly marshals around the course who are helping keep you safe at The Open. They're doing a great job.
People like Evangelina Hastings of Royal Portrush, for instance, who was delighted when she asked two-time Major champion Justin Thomas for a selfie on the 18th and not only did he agree but he signed her armband, too!
Gareth Hanna
Almost an ace on Calamity
Spieth hopped the rope from 8 to reach 16, where he hit two rather contrasting tee shots. The first one was one that will have looked familiar to many - weak, right and down the slope. The second, however, was absolutely perfect. And judging by the 'ooooh' from the fans at the green, was very close to going in.
Yesterday 03:42 PM
Gareth Hanna
The Open Camping Village
For those looking for a bit of shelter at night, The Open Camping Village at Ulster University's Coleraine campus is one option.
Tourism NI said around 4,800 guests will stay at the site this – the equivalent of an Open record 11,500 total bed nights. That surpasses the previous highest number of 10,000 at St Andrews in 2022.
Around 3,500 free bed nights for under 25s have been booked, while adult camping is priced from £55 per person per night.
Yesterday 03:39 PM
Does he Hov a chance?
Norway's Viktor Hovland has had his fair share of ups and downs over the last couple of years but has shown signs of a mini-resurgence over the last few months, rising to 12th in the Data Golf Rankings, and he has been lapping up the support of the fans around Royal Portrush today. The 27-year-old has finished in the top-15 in three of his four Open appearances - including a tied-fourth in 2022 - but missed the cut at Royal Troon last year.
Yesterday 03:35 PM
Gareth Hanna
Drive for show…
Spieth's putting display is my 'low-key impressive' moment of the week. He hit three putt from around 40 feet and stopped them all within a foot or two of each other. Not as easy as it looks!
Yesterday 03:32 PM
Gareth Hanna
How do you solve a problem like the fifth?
It will be interesting to see how many players take the driver at the picturesque fifth hole as it winds downhill towards the green. Spieth tried out both driver a three wood. The driver was A1 and the wood was also in good position, just taking the bunkers out of play a little further back. It seems like the more sensible play when it comes to tomorrow - especially after Rory's lost ball episode round the green yesterday.
Yesterday 02:53 PM
Adam McKendry
What it's like to follow Rory McIlroy: 'Only for Tiger'
On the eighth hole while following Rory McIlroy, I turned to the Sunday Independent 's Paul Kimmage, walking along beside me, and asked had he ever seen as big a crowd for a practice round ever before.
"Only for Tiger," he replied.
That is the magnitude of what is happening at Royal Portrush this week. For the last two days, McIlroy has snuck out before the gates opened and got the bulk of his preparation done with minimal fuss. Today, he embraced the fans and let them all enjoy him for nine holes, and boy they did.
At points on the course they were three deep. When he and Christiaan Bezuidenhout came to the ninth hole, not only was that grandstand behind the green full but so was the neighbouring 11th's. Both sides of the fairway were rammed.
At every part of the course, fans clamoured for selfies and autographs, eager to have a memento of their time watching the Grand Slam hero up close, ignoring McIlroy's pleas to wait until he was done with his nine holes - which was a completely fair request given the number of people wanting something signed.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder and that is clear to see that Northern Ireland have missed the Masters champion and it's not much of a surprise to see him command most of the support. Can he carry that weight of expectation when the action gets under way for real tomorrow? We'll see.
As for the golf? McIlroy birdied the second, fifth, seventh and eighth. Do that tomorrow and he'll be flying.
Yesterday 02:51 PM
Gareth Hanna
'It's 275 - should carry it'
If ever we needed a reminder that these guys are playing a different game. Into the breeze on 4, Spieth assesses the danger of the first bunker and how he can take it out of play.
In the end he faded it off the bunker into absolutely perfect place. Good job too, because he wouldn't have carried it.
Yesterday 02:45 PM
Gareth Hanna
Friends of a star
Emily Hannaway and Lawrence Dunn are from Atlanta, Georgia, and are here in memory of a golfer in their family - and also to see their friend from home, competitor Stewart Cink. The 2009 Open champion is set to begin his first round at 11.26am tomorrow alongside Matteo Manassero and Marc Leishman.
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