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.

Five players tied for the lead at 4-under 67, the largest logjam after 18 holes of the British Open since there was a six-way tie in 1938.

McIlroy, playing with Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood, is one of the early starters in Friday’s second round and sits just three shots behind the leaders overnight, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler,

Scottie Scheffler settled, settled and settled until he surged through the finish line of his opening 18 holes at the 2025 Open Championship. Signing for a first-round 68 to position himself one stroke behind the early co-leaders of Matt Fitzpatrick,

Honesty always has been in Scottie Scheffler's bag, as the headlines before the start of The Open underscored, and he was wringing truth once more Thursday after firing a 3-under par at Royal Portrush.

Scottie Scheffler hit one of the shots of the day at The Open Championship Wednesday, and almost simultaneously, a spectator unleashed the fart of the year.

Another major championship means another opportunity for Scottie Scheffler, but success at the Open Championship and golf in general isn’t what fulfills the American.

Scottie Scheffler raised more than a few eyebrows with an unexpected admission ahead of The Open this week. With 16 PGA Tour victories, three major triumphs, 148 consecutive weeks as world No.1 and enough riches to last him a lifetime, the 29-year-old has just about everything he has ever wanted.