There are nine golfers within a stroke of the leader after the first round of The Open Championship. The second round tees of Friday.

The British Open is underway at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Two-time champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland had the honor of the opening tee shot. Xander Schauffele of the United States is trying to become the first player since Harrington in 2007-08 to win the Open in successive years.

After starting his Thursday with an eagle on the second hole en route to a first-round 67, Matt Fitzpatrick is right at the top of the British Open leaderboard. A four-under start at Royal Portrush is nothing to sneeze at,

There's a five-way tie for the lead after the first round of the 153rd Open Championship. Jacob Skov Olesen, Haotong Li, Matt Fitzpatrick, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Harris English all shot 4-under 67 to set the pace in Northern Ireland. Here's how things stand after the opening round at Royal Portrush:

That distinction belongs to world No. 1 and reigning PGA champion Scottie Scheffler. Masters — and Grand Slam — champ McIlroy is a clear second choice, with Jon Rahm, who has three top-10s in his last four Open starts, third.

The Open has had 28 different winners aged 38 or older all-time, the same number as the Masters and U.S. Open combined.

In 2019, it was the first-ever sold-out Open. It was a hugely significant moment for Northern Ireland after a troubled past.

As the best players in the world prepare for this 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush, it’s important to note just how different Irish golf – and particularly this one – is from those classic Scottish or English rota courses.

Rory McIlroy shot 1-under 70 in the first round of the British Open at Royal Portrush that is also serving as a homecoming for the Northern Irish star.

Let's take a look at the weather forecast for the 2025 Open Championship. Thursday will be the windiest day of the week, according to forecasters, who are calling for cloudy conditions with winds at 15-25 mph from the southeast. Expect temperatures in the upper 60s and rain showers for most of the day.