The Open Championship 2025: Schedule, Field, Weather, Course Preview
When and where is The Open 2025 taking place?
The 153rd Open Championship will be held from July 17 to July 20, 2025, at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Play for round one is scheduled to begin around 06:30 BST (11:00 AM IST), with specific tee times confirmed on July 15.
What is the history of Royal Portrush hosting The Open Championship?
Royal Portrush, established in 1888, is hosting The Open Championship for the third time. Its Dunluce Links course, designed by Harry Colt, is considered his finest work and opened in 1933. It first hosted The Open in 1951, marking the first time golf’s oldest Major was held outside Great Britain, with Max Faulkner winning. The course underwent further modifications, including new seventh and eighth holes, before it last hosted the championship in 2019, where Shane Lowry was victorious.
What are some of the notable holes at Royal Portrush?
Royal Portrush features several distinctive holes. The 372-yard par-four fifth, known as White Rocks, offers breathtaking views from an elevated tee, with a green reachable for long hitters but danger from cliffs to the beach. Curran Point, the 590-yard par-five seventh, is one of two new holes added for the 2019 Championship, blending seamlessly with its surroundings and featuring towering dunes and a winding fairway. The par-three 16th, called Calamity Corner, plays 236 yards and is famous for its deep drop-off to the right, earning the dip short of the green the name Locke’s Hollow after Bobby Locke’s strategic play in 1951.
How much prize money is awarded at The Open?
The total prize fund for The Open 2025 will be announced during Open week. In 2024, defending champion Xander Schauffele received a record $3.1 million from a total prize fund of $17 million.
The winner of The Open Championship is awarded the iconic Claret Jug, officially known as the Golf Champion Trophy. First presented in 1873, the original trophy has been handed to each champion since 1928, with winners keeping it for a year before returning it and receiving a replica to keep permanently.
Which prominent players are participating, and who is absent?
World number two Rory McIlroy, a 2014 Open champion and recent Masters winner (completing his career Grand Slam), is set to play in his 16th Open Championship in his home country. World number one Scottie Scheffler, who has won three of his last nine tournaments including the US PGA Championship, is also a strong contender. Defending champion Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, and Chris Gotterup, who won the Scottish Open, are among other notable Americans. English players Marco Penge, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Lee Westwood, and Tyrrell Hatton are also in the field. LIV players, including Westwood, Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, Louis Oosthuizen, and Henrik Stenson, will be competing.
Three-time winner Tiger Woods will not be playing as he continues to recover from a ruptured Achilles tendon, missing all four annual majors.
What is the cut rule and playoff format for The Open?
After the first two rounds, a halfway cut is applied, allowing the top 70 players and ties to advance to rounds three and four. If there’s a tie at the top after all 72 holes, a three-hole play-off will occur on holes one, 13, and 18, with the lowest aggregate score determining the winner. If the tie persists after these three holes, the winner will be decided via a sudden-death play-off.
What is the expected weather forecast for The Open 2025 at Royal Portrush?
Generally dry and sunny week. There is a slight chance of occasional showers, with temperatures expected to reach up to 20°C.