When is The Open 2025? Schedule, dates, tee times, prize money, BBC TV coverage from Royal Portrush

World number one Scottie Scheffler arrives in Northern Ireland in a rich vein of form, having won three of his past nine tournaments – including his third major at May’s US PGA Championship – and finished in the top 10 in the other six.

The start to his season was disrupted by a cut hand that required an operation. The accident occurred on Christmas Day when the upturned wine glass he was using to cut pasta shapes broke and the stem punctured his hand.

He had his best Open finish last year at Royal Troon, ending joint seventh.

Xander Schauffele comes in as the defending champion but accepts his form has been poor after he suffered a rib injury at the start of the season – although he finished alongside Scheffler on nine-under par at last week’s Scottish Open.

On seeing the location of a photo of himself in the media tent at the Renaissance Club, the American world number three joked: “It was nice to see my photo out by the toilet. That was heart-warming. It summed up how I feel about what’s going on right now.”

His fellow American Justin Thomas has climbed from 22nd at the start of the year to world number four on the back of a victory at the RBC Heritage in April and three runners-up finishes this year. He is yet to shine at an Open, although his best finish of joint 11th came at Portrush in 2019.

Unheralded American Chris Gotterup sealed one of the three final places on offer by winning the Scottish Open but British fans should be buoyed.

England’s Marco Penge, who had already qualified, finished alongside McIlroy at the Renaissance Club, two shots back.

Rose, who was runner-up at Royal Troon last year and at this year’s Masters, hit a seven-under 63 to leap up the leaderboard and end one shot behind Matt Fitzpatrick, who had four rounds in the 60s as he tied for fourth on 12 under.

In 2019, Tommy Fleetwood showed he had the game to tackle Portrush but finished a distant second to Shane Lowry.

He warmed up with four solid rounds at the Scottish Open in East Lothian and while he missed the cut at last year’s Open, he has had three top-10s in the previous four.

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre is aiming to become the first Scot to win the title since Paul Lawrie in 1999. He finished joint sixth on his Open debut at Portrush in 2019.

Rising European Ludvig Aberg is emerging as an all-or-nothing player in the majors. In seven previous starts he has four missed cuts but in two Masters appearances he has finished second and seventh. This is only his second Open and he missed the cut last year.

Ryder Cup player Sepp Straka, who was seventh at the Scottish Open, has a best of joint second at Hoylake in 2023 but has missed the cut in all three previous majors in 2025.