HARRINGTON HITS OPENING TEE SHOT OF 153rd OPEN
Ireland’s Pádraig Harrington hits the opening tee shot of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. (Photo by Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
July 17, 2025
Two-time Open champion Pádraig Harrington had the honour of hitting the opening tee shot of The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush after the starter announced the Dubliner onto the tee at 6.35am.
In overcast conditions, Harrington made the ideal start by hitting the fairway with his driving iron before finding the green and rolling in his birdie putt from some 20 feet. He was playing alongside Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard and Northern Ireland favourite Tom McKibbin.
Defending champion Xander Schauffele, who won at Royal Troon in 2024, will set off at 9.58 alongside this year’s US Open champion JJ Spaun from America and Spaniard Jon Rahm.
World number one Scottie Scheffler is in the following group at 10.09 and will play alongside fellow American Collin Morikawa and Ireland's Shane Lowry, who famously won the 2019 Open when last played at Portrush
Rory McIlroy is an afternoon starter and gets his campaign underway at 15.10 alongside England's Tommy Fleetwood, who finished runner-up to Lowry in 2019 and American Justin Thomas. McIlroy competed the Grand Slam after winning the Master in April and is bidding for his second Claret Jug.
Home favourite Darren Clarke was another early starter, setting off at 7.52 alongside American Davis Riley and Lucas Herbert from Australia.