Royal Portrush is hosting the final major of the year, welcoming the world's top players to Northern Ireland for the 2025 Open Championship. The first round begins on Thursday morning with the new champion golfer of the year being crowned on Sunday afternoon.

Scottie Scheffler is the pre-tournament favourite at The Open, where Rory McIlroy looks to impress on home soil and claim a sixth major title; Jon Rahm and 2019 champion Shane Lowry among the other contenders at Royal Portrush;

McIlroy, who hails from just over 60 miles away in Holywood, County Down, endured a torrid time when The Open was last held at the Northern Irish course

A mural of Shane Lowry holding aloft the claret jug adorns the side wall of a house just across the road from Royal Portrush.

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

It is a strong test for elite golfers, and a very difficult one for amateurs and the average golfer. It was found as the County Club in 1888 and became the Royal County Club in 1892. In 1895 it became Royal Portrush.

Missing the cut at the past two majors hasn't dimmed Shane Lowry's confidence as the Irishman returns to the scene of his greatest triumph this week.

Lowry feels “rejuvenated” and as prepared as he could be in his bid to become the first player to win consecutive British Opens at the same course since Tiger Woods at St. Andrews in 2000 and ’05.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results and Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry are prepared to turn the clock back to zero as they chase home glory in The Open at Royal Portrush.McIlroy infamously quadruple-bogeyed the first and triple-bogeyed the 18th en route to a title-wrecking opening 79 when Portrush last hosted the event in 2019.