MCILROY RETURNS TO PORTRUSH AS SCHAUFFELE TO DEFEND OPEN CROWN

Northern Irishman will be heralded by an expected crowd of 200,000 across four days

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A raucous reception will greet Rory McIlroy as the British Open returns to Royal Portrush and Northern Ireland today for the first time since Shane Lowry’s 2019 triumph.

McIlroy will be heralded by an expected crowd of 200,000 across the four days after ending his 11-year wait to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters in April.

But a long list of contenders, including world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and reigning champion Xander Schauffele, stand between the hometown hero and a second Claret Jug. "When I was looking at the calendar for 2025, this was the tournament that was probably circled even more so than the Masters for different reasons," he told reporters after a practice round on Monday.

"It's lovely to be coming in here already with a major and everything else that's happened this year. I'm excited with where my game is."