British Open has 5-way tie for the
lead in fickle weather with Scottie Scheffler in the mix
[July 18, 2025]
By DOUG FERGUSON
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Sunlight streaked through a few
low-hanging clouds when Padraig Harrington opened the British Open
with a piercing 3-iron into the wind. Darkness began covering Royal
Portrush nearly 16 hours later Thursday night when the final group
trudged off the 18th green.
One of the longest days was also among the more fickle in the 165
years of this major.
Five players from five countries tied for the lead at 4-under 67,
the biggest logjam in this championship since 1938. There was sun
and there was rain, a wee breeze and big gusts, and the Open wasn't
even three hours old.
The one predictable part Thursday: Scottie Scheffler right in the
mix.
And what make the massive throng at Royal Portrush tolerate rounds
that approached six hours was seeing their favorite son, Rory
McIlroy, birdie the 17th to recover from a bad patch on the back
nine and join the 31 players who broke par.
Former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick of England handled the
notorious “Calamity Corner” par-3 16th by chipping in for birdie.
Harris English, the unflappable American whose longtime caddie
couldn't get a travel visa for the UK because of prison time served
20 years ago, put his short-game coach on the bag and made seven
birdies.
They were joined by Li Haotong of China, Christiaan Bezuidenhout of
South Africa and Jacob Skov Olesen of Denmark.
One shot behind was Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player who has not
finished out of the top 10 in the last four months, a stretch that
includes another major among three wins.
McIlroy made bogey on the opening hole with an entire country behind
him — that was still three shots better than his start in 2019 — and
overcame three bogeys in a four-hole stretch with a key birdie on
No. 17 that allowed him to break par at 70.
“Certainly dealt with it better than I did six years ago,” said
McIlroy, who hit only two fairways. “I was just happy to get off to
a good start and get myself into the tournament.”
Scheffler only hit three fairways in his round of 68.
It's not that golf's best were necessary wild off the tee. There was
that small matter of weather, often the greatest defense of links
golf, which brought the occasional rain, the constant wind and
rounds that nearly last six hours.
That's why Scheffler seemed perplexed about so much attention on his
accuracy off the tee.
“You're the second guy that's mentioned that to me,” Scheffler said.
"I actually thought I drove it pretty good. I don't know what you
guys are seeing. When it's raining sideways, believe it or not
(it's) not that easy to get the ball in the fairway.
“Really only had one swing I wasn't too happy with on the second
hole,” he said. “But outside that, I felt like I hit a lot of good
tee shots, hit the ball really solid, so definitely a good bit of
confidence for the next couple of rounds.”
There also was his 4-iron to 3 feet on the 16th for birdie, the
start of birdie-birdie-par finish.
But no one could go extremely low.
Olesen, the British Amateur champion last year, was the first player
to get to 5 under until a bogey at the last. Bezuidenhout was the
only player from the afternoon wave to join the crowd at the top.
Fitzpatrick reached a low point in his game at The Players
Championship and appears to be back on track, particularly with what
he called a well-rounded game in tough conditions on these links. He
is coming off a tie for fourth last week in the Scottish Open.
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Matt Fitzpatrick of England plays off the 1st hole during the first
round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush
Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon
Super)
The chip-in was his highlight, from well below the
green to the right, into the cup on the fly.
“A bit of luck, obviously,” Fitzpatrick said. “Sometimes you need
that. It just came out a little bit harder than I anticipated and on
the perfect line.”
Li might have had the most impressive round, keeping bogeys off his
card, by holing a 10-foot par putt on the final hole.
Another bogey-free round belonged to 44-year-old Justin Rose, in the
group at 69 that included 52-year-old Lee Westwood, former Open
champion Brian Harman and Lucas Glover, who was tied for the lead
until a pair of bogeys early on the back nine.
Harris walked along with Ramon Bescansa, a former player, occasional
caddie and mostly known for teaching putt and chipping.
Eric Larson, who has caddied for English the last eight years, was
denied a new travel visa required for the UK. Among the red flags is
anyone serving more than 12 months in prison. Larson served 10 years
for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, a case of knowing friends in
the Midwest who wanted it and people in south Florida who had it.
Bescansa caddies for Abraham Ancer on LIV Golf, who didn't qualify
for the Open. English is in a crucial stretch of the season as he
tries to make the Ryder Cup team. The lanky Georgian isn't bothered
by much, and he's handled the disruption with ease.
The golf has been pretty steady, too
“Was looking forward to coming to this week, and immediately after
playing the course, I really liked it,” said English, who didn't
qualify for the Open when it was at Portrush in 2019. “I loved how
it frames the tee shots and you get to see a lot more trouble than
you would on a normal links course.”
For everyone, the hardest part was staying dressed for the occasion.
There were sweaters and then rain suits, and some finished their
round in short-sleeved shirts. This is what is meant by “mixed”
conditions in the forecast.
Defending champion Xander Schauffele had a mixture of birdies and
bogeys that added to an even-par 71. Shane Lowry, the last Open
champion at Royal Portrush in 2019, had the nerves of someone
hitting the opening tee shot. He handled that beautifully, along
with most other shots in the worst of the weather in his round of
70.
And this might just be the start.
“We're going to get challenging conditions over the next few days,”
Lowry said. “Today, for example, the 11th hole was like the worst
hole to get the weather we got in. ... I think there’s going to be
certain times in the tournament where that’s going to happen, and
you just need to kind of put your head down and battle through it
and see where it leaves you.”
Padraig Harrington, a two-time Open champion, had the honor of the
opening tee shot for the 153rd edition of this championship. He made
birdie. And then he shot 74.
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