Tommy Fleetwood fell victim to a series of bad breaks during his first round at The Open Championship, with a controversial R&A decision costing him at the fifth hole

McIlroy scrapped on Thursday to end -1 and three shots behind the leaders, with Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton just one stroke back heading into Friday’s second round

The Open returned to Royal Portrush in 2019 when Irishman Shane Lowry won his first major title, and the only one of his career thus far. His 15-under winning score was six strokes ahead of the runner-up, Tommy Fleetwood. Lowry became the second Irishman after Pádraig Harrington's two Open wins.

Rory McIlroy is grouped with Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Thomas for first two rounds at Royal Portrush. McIlroy has late-early draw as he hopes for victory on home-soil and another Open win. The world No 2 missed the cut when the tournament was last held at this venue in 2019 but golf fans can watch him tee off at 3.10pm this afternoon, July 17.

Apparently, someone must have been trying operate with some haste and neglected to rake a bunker at the par-4 fifth hole. Fleetwood’s drive found that unraked fairway bunker, and he was forced to play his bole in a footprint.

As Fleetwood gets ready to compete in another major title close to home, his relationship with wife Clare is back in the headlines. The two share a 22-year age gap, though neither seem to give it too much thought other than when the later claimed Fleetwood was a bit too young for her when they first met.

Fleetwood may be the best golfer in the world never to have won a major, let alone a single PGA Tour tournament.

Follow live text updates and radio commentary of the 153rd Open Championship from Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

Tommy Fleetwood, who took second in the 2019 The Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club, heads into the 2025 Open Championship with +2800 odds to win as he looks for another strong showing at this course.

Tommy Fleetwood, a seasoned golfer with nearly a decade of top-level experience, seeks his first major win at Royal Portrush, where he previously finished second in the 2019 Open. Despite earning over $30 million on the PGA Tour and consistently ranking among the world's best,

SportsLine golf expert Brady Kannon just locked in his PGA Tour best bets for the 2025 British Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club