The 153rd edition of the British Open is underway at Royal Portrush. Padraig Harrington of Ireland had the honor of the opening tee shot. That was a fitting choice.

The simplest one is to wager on the in-form golfers, a list led by Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. McIlroy may get the nod over Scheffler in some circles this week because he's playing on home soil at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

Padraig Harrington struck the first tee shot as the 153rd British Open started in cloudy conditions at Royal Portrush on Thursday.

Harry Vardon has won the British Open the most items, with six wins. Below is a list of all the players who have won more than one Open Championship:

And that's exactly what Bryson DeChambeau did on Tuesday at Royal Portrush. The two-time U.S. Open champ would love to add a British Open title to his major collection this week. But even if he isn't crowned the "Champion Golfer of the Year" on Sunday,

McIlroy, despite his uneven performances in the P.G.A. Championship and U.S. Open, will be among the favorites this week in his native country, as will Xander Schauffele, the defending champion, and Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked golfer in the world. Here are five other players to watch.

The winner of the 2025 British Open will make the same as last year's champ but more than $1 million more than the last time it was at Royal Portrush.

Rory McIlroy will be roared on in his homeland as the 153rd British Open gets underway at Royal Portrush on Thursday as world number one Scottie Scheffler seeks his first Claret Jug.The world number three has not won a tournament since lifting the Claret Jug a year ago and has not even managed a top-five finish in 12 tournaments this year.

A half century has passed since Tom Watson captured the first of his five British Opens, defeating Jack Newton by one in an 18-hole playoff at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland.