David Bieleski first met Rory McIlroy when they were both 16. When they met again at Portrush almost two decades later, it completed a remarkable tale of redemption.

Rory McIlroy shot 1-under 70 in the first round of the British Open at Royal Portrush that is also serving as a homecoming for the Northern Irish star.

Rory McIlroy hopes to pull off an audacious comeback at The Open 2025 with Scottie Scheffler holding a commanding lead heading into Sunday’s fourth round at Royal Portrush. The world No 1 is four shots clear of Haotong Li,

So here is our final major big board of the year, ranking the top 30 golfers in the field. This is not simply the 30 best golfers in a vacuum. These are the 30 golfers that our crack team of Gabby Herzig, Hugh Kellenberger and Brody Miller believe are best suited to win this week at Royal Portrush.

It was a return six years in the making, and it was a return that perfectly encapsulated Rory McIlroy. Making the trek back to Royal Portrush for The Open Championship -- now as a career grand slam winner -- the Northern Irishman experienced a topsy-turvy day as the hard stuff came easy and the easy stuff came hard.

Rory McIlroy shot 1 under Thursday at Royal Portrush, a better start than the first time he played the British Open at the Northern Ireland course near home.

Six years ago at Royal Portrush, McIlroy, who grew up less than an hour away, hit his opening shot out of bounds on the par-4 first on his way to a quadruple-bogey 8 and a 79. He pulled his tee shot again, this time around, but it settled safely in the left rough.

Rory McIlroy attended the Association of Golf Writers dinner on Tuesday evening and was decked out in green — Masters green.