SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY

AT THE 2019 OPEN AT ROYAL PORTRUSH, HOMETOWN HERO SHANE LOWRY WON BY SIX STROKES. HE DID IT BY CRUSHING THE COURSE'S SIX EASIEST HOLES AND BARELY HOLDING ON AT ITS SIX HARDEST. THIS YEAR, AS THE PROS RETURN-LET'S JUST SAY THEY'VE BEEN WARNED.

- BY JOSH SENS

THE OPEN PREVIEW/2025 ROYAL PORTRUSH

AS A GOLF CLUB, ROYAL PORTRUSH is as venerable as it gets, with a rich pedigree and roots that reach back to 1888. But as an Open rota stop, it's a relative newbie. The oldest golf championship in the world didn't come to Portrush until 1951, nearly a century into the tournament's life, and it didn't make it back for another 68 years. By the time the event returned for a splendid four-day showcase that culminated with the Irishman Shane Lowry chugging champagne from the Claret Jug, the Harry Colt-designed Dunluce Links at Portrush had long been ranked among the top 20 courses on the planet. Yet to many fans in the U.S. and beyond, the 2019 Open counted as a revelation—a first up-close look at a wildly artful layout, draped across high dunes along the Irish Sea. In advance of that year’s competition, the British architect Martin Ebert was enlisted to ready the course for a modern major by updating its infrastructure and shotmaking demands without changing the essence of Colt’s design. The success of those revisions helped ensure that the Open would return to Portrush in 2025. On a links without a weak link, every stroke matters. But some demands on the Dunluce are stouter than others. Here’s a look at the six holes that played the hardest in 2019, along with insights from Ebert on what makes them so demanding.

1 HUGHIE'S 420 YARDS / PAR 4

SCORING AVG. AT THE

2019 OPEN: 4.195

DIFFICULTY RANK: 5TH