Rory McILroy will be cut in his homeland while the 153rd British Open will start at Royal Portrush on Thursday while the world number one Scottie Scheffler is looking for his first Clarret jug.
McILroy returns to Northern Ireland as masters champion, but determined to make amends to his disastrous departure in Portrush six years ago when a quadruple Bogey at the opening hole on the way to a 79 in the first round saw him miss the cup.
Advertisement
The world number two is the star attraction of nearly 280,000 spectators who will attend the four days of play at the last major of the year.
Scheffler, however, is the favorite despite having ever won the British Open before, while the reigning champion, Xander Schauffele, has only one year to put a frustrating year behind him.
McILroy, who is at 15.10 local hours (1410 GMT) alongside the Ryder Cup teammate, Tommy Fleetwood and the American rival Justin Thomas, may have to fight the worst aveur time for the opening round with thunderstorms scheduled for the start of the evening.
But the man who announced himself as a star of the future by breaking the course record in Portrush with a 61 like a 16 -year -old, 20 years ago, is confident after having ended his major 11 -year drought at the Masters in April.
Advertisement
“When I watched the calendar for 2025, it was the tournament that was probably surrounded even more than the masters for different reasons,” said McILroy, who finished second at Open Scottish last week.
“It’s nice to come here already with a major and everything that happened this year. I am excited where my game is.”
– scheffler not made –
The eighth place from Scheffler to Scottish Open extended his first 10 sequence to his last 10 tournaments, a race that includes three victories.
The American also added to his big transport this year by winning his third at the PGA championship.
Advertisement
However, Scheffler’s comments on the day before the tournament that his is “not a fulfilling life” drew attention.
“There are many people who arrive at what they thought were going to accomplish them in life, and you get there, you get to number one in the world, and they say to themselves:” What is the point? “” Said Scheffler.
“I feel like I work all your life to celebrate the victory of a tournament for a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes, this kind of euphoric feeling.”
Schauffele wants to gain a feeling after failing to reach the heights of its two big victories in 2024.
Advertisement
The world number three has not won a tournament since he raised the Claret Jug a year ago and did not even succeed in a top-five in 12 tournaments this year.
Shane Lowry is another former winner in the hope of recreating his career summit when he stormed the victory in the middle of an Irish flag sea in Portrush in 2019 – the first reception of the event on the island of Ireland for 68 years.
Lowry’s victory is now commemorated in a mural in the city of Portrush, but he joked that he is happy not to have it to pass it every day during his journey towards the course.
“When I won here in 2019, it was very special and it was an incredible day for the country and everyone around me, but that did not change me as a person,” said Lowry.
Advertisement
“When the wall was put on the wall, I did not think I was immortalized. I’m just myself, I just agree on golf and I was able to do what I did in sport.”
Ryder Cup’s places are also involved for most European and American players this week with only Scheffler and McILroy so far guaranteed their place in Bethpage, New York in September.
The double Padraig Harrington champion of Ireland will strike the opening blow at 6:35 am, playing with the young Irishman from North Tom McKibbin and Nicolai Hojgaard from Denmark.
KCA / JC
