Royal Portrush Delivers Drama as Unlikely Names Share the Lead While Golf’s Biggest Stars Lurk Just Behind

The 153rd Open Championship produced one of the most compelling first rounds in recent memory at Royal Portrush, with a historic five-way tie for the lead and several surprise names atop the leaderboard as golf’s final major of 2025 gets underway in spectacular fashion.

Five Players Share Historic Lead

Five players share the first-round lead at 4-under par after carding matching 67s: Matt Fitzpatrick, Jacob Skov Olesen, Haotong Li, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and Harris English. This marks only the second time in Open Championship history that five players have shared the first-round lead, with the last occurrence dating back to 1938 at Royal St. George’s.

The quintet navigated the challenging Royal Portrush layout with remarkable consistency, with none of the co-leaders recording more than two bogeys in their rounds. The most impressive performance came from Harris English, who started red-hot with five birdies, one par, and one bogey in his first seven holes.

Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen emerged as the day’s most surprising story, turning heads with his jump to the early lead at Royal Portrush. The relatively unknown Dane will look to maintain his position as he seeks his first major championship breakthrough.

Scheffler and McIlroy Positioned to Strike

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler sits in prime position just one shot behind the leaders after making a late surge with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to finish at 3-under for the round. The reigning Masters champion and Olympic gold medalist is now an even stronger favorite to win than he was coming into the tournament.

Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy, playing in front of his home crowd in Northern Ireland, managed to recover from early nerves to post a solid 2-under 69. McIlroy’s nerves were on display on the first hole, as he scratched out a bogey after tugging his tee shot left with an iron and then missed a short par putt. However, the 2014 Open champion steadied himself and managed to climb the leaderboard without his best stuff off the tee.

Royal Portrush Shows Its Teeth

The iconic Northern Ireland links proved a stern test for the 156-player field, with ever-changing weather conditions allowing the course to show off its strength against the best players in the world. Despite the challenging conditions, 31 players managed to get into red figures in the first round, though no one could take it particularly low with the lead standing at just 4-under.

With the winds stiffening throughout the day, it seemed like the advantage the early groups had was mostly gone, as Royal Portrush showed its teeth and kept anyone in the clubhouse at even par or better firmly in the mix.

LIV Golf Players Make Their Mark

The record 19 LIV Golf players in the field made their presence felt, with several positioning themselves well for the weekend. Tyrrell Hatton leads the LIV Golf contingent at 3-under par, with other notable LIV players including Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, and Joaquin Niemann all inside the top 20.

This strong showing validates the inclusion of LIV players and adds another layer of intrigue to what promises to be a fascinating championship.

Compressed Leaderboard Sets Up Weekend Drama

The first round has produced an incredibly compressed leaderboard that promises fireworks over the next three days. With 35 players under par and within three shots of the lead, including names like Scottie Scheffler (-3), Tyrrell Hatton (-3), Rory McIlroy (-2), Rickie Fowler (-2), and Jon Rahm (-1), virtually half the field remains in contention.

The congested leaderboard and sometimes unpredictable conditions on the Northern Ireland coast has the potential to give us a completely different list of leaders after 36 holes.

Looking Ahead to Round Two

As the players prepare for Friday’s second round, the stage is set for one of the most compelling Open Championships in recent memory. With defending champion Xander Schauffele still in the hunt and the world’s best players bunched together, Royal Portrush could deliver the kind of drama that makes The Open Championship golf’s most beloved major.

The five co-leaders face the challenge of backing up their stellar opening rounds, while Scheffler and McIlroy lurk ominously just one and two shots back, respectively. With Royal Portrush’s notoriously fickle weather conditions and the pressure of major championship golf intensifying, Friday’s second round promises to be unmissable.

The quest for the Claret Jug has rarely been more wide open, and with golf’s biggest names all within striking distance, the 153rd Open Championship is shaping up to be an instant classic.