The best golf players in the world are eyeing glory when there are just a handful of days before the official start of the British Open Championship, one of the most prestigious tournaments to take part in. In Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland, everything is ready for the 4 days of competition (17th to 20th July) and the Claret Jug, the historical trophy awarded to the winner, is already on its way to the court.
The 2025 edition will be the 153rd of this glorious tournament and the players will have to defeat the clock, before challenging their opponents. During the first two days, play will get going at 6.35 am. Over the weekend the golfers can sleep more, because they will begin competing at 7.30. The field will be made up of 156 players, professionals and amateurs (such are the rules of an Open tournament: everyone can play), before the cut on Friday night, which will separate the boys from the men and give the best challengers their chance to shine.
The Favourites to Win
As poetic as it may be, no amateur player could win the Open. The difference in talent, preparation and star power is too steep and the pros are pros for a reason. The winner will certainly be one of the top players.
Scottie Scheffler is considered – by far – the favourite to win his first title at the Open, having already captured PGA Championship and the Masters in 2025. As evidenced by the latest Open Championship odds, from the major players in the market, which see him ahead of both Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau, nobody comes close to him or his chances. A lot of bettors, however, could try their luck on McIlroy, the homeland hero, or last year’s champion, the American Xander Schauffele. DeChambeau’s odds aren’t bad, but he is not trusted a lot among bettors, at this very moment.
Last Year’s Lesson
In 2024, at Royal Troon, Schauffele put together a sensational comeback before winning the Open with a birdie masterclass that held off Billy Horschel and Justin Rose. Last year, Schauffele was unstoppable. He led the Americans in a sweep of the Majors, something the Yankees never achieved after 1982, and showed what a difference maker he is. This year, though, things have been way more difficult for him. The opponents took their counter measures and limited Schauffele. Scheffler, on the other hand, is on fire and seems eager to triumph in Northern Ireland.
The Organization of the Open
The British Open is pretty popular in the United Kingdom. The 2025 event will be the third played in Royal Portrush. The tournament was played here also in 1951 and 2019. The Open is a major championship acknowledged by the PGA Tour, European Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
The rules are pretty much the same as ever, since the event is pretty conservative, in order to preserve its legacy. Even if the Open accepted the new 2025 rulebook, the tournament is still rooted in its traditions. The challenge will be a 72-hole stroke play, divided in four rounds. Each day, the players play 18 holes. In the first two days, the challengers play in groups of three, in the last two they will be in couples.
Groupings for the opening two days are chosen by the organizers while in the last two the players will tee off in reverse order of aggregate score. The leaders will play last. After 36 holes, or 2 days, there will be a cut. Only the top 70 will play from Saturday onwards. To determine the final winner it is possible to play a three-hole playoff, in the event of a tie for the lowest score after four rounds. If the tie persists, players will go to sudden death extra-holes until a winner emerges.