Bookmark this play if Rory McIlroy is in the mix this weekend for the claret jug. McIlroy overcame a shaky driver to turn in a one-under 70 Thursday at Royal Portrush and opened his second round with a birdie.

How many golfers make the cut at The Open Championship? Here's what to know about the cut line rules for the British Open.

Royal Portrush showed its teeth on Thursday as the 2025 Open Championship field got the full links golf experience. The weather shifted and changed throughout the first round to create challenging scoring conditions, and some handled it better than the rest as the first 18 holes concluded in Northern Ireland.

The top-ranked golfer in the world posted an early 3-under 68 and entered the clubhouse at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland just a shot off the lead. By the end of the day, though, there were five golfers — Jacob Skov, Olesen, Haotong Li, Matt Fitzpartick, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Harris English — tied for the lead at 4-under.

The season-ending event at East Lake doles out what the PGA Tour calls "bonus money" and is not counted towards a player's official earnings on the money list.

A brief look at the opening round of the British Open at Royal Portrush. It features a five-way tie for the lead, with 31 players under par, and a longer day than usual.

The "Golden Bear" and 18-time major winner won the first of his three Opens and completed the first of his three career grand slams along the southeastern Scottish coast in 1966, then called the par-71 layout "the best golf course in Britain."

The R&A posted its local rules and added a second document for "additional local rules" at the 2025 British Open, one of which pertains to Spidercam.

Five players opened with rounds of 4-under 67 at Royal Portrush and the SI Golf team debates whether the major champion in the group has an edge.