The world’s top-ranked golfer is a shot off the first-round lead on a day with sunlight, rain, breezes and strong gusts at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

Royal Portrush showed its teeth on Thursday as the 2025 Open Championship field got the full links golf experience. The weather shifted and changed throughout the first round to create challenging scoring conditions,

Spieth entered Portrush with four straight top-25 Open finishes, so there should be plenty of confidence that he turns in a much better round on Friday. Making up a six-shot deficit will be tough, but if Spieth can get to even-par, or even one-under, he'll have a shot to get into the top 10 before the weekend.

HOME HERO: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland made a late birdie for a 70 and was three shots behind. The last time he played the British Open at Royal Portrush, he made an 8 on the first hole, shot 79 and wound up missing the cut.

Of the 20 LIV golfers in the field at the 2025 British Open, Phil Mickelson turned in perhaps the most surprising first round.

Names with a few more majors to their credit lurked not far behind. Scottie Scheffler, despite having little experience with links golf, is just a single stroke back at -3, along with Matthew Jordan, Tyrrell Hatton and Sadom Kaewkanjana, an ordained monk who’s bringing a bit of serenity to his golf game.

Five players opened with rounds of 4-under 67 at Royal Portrush and the SI Golf team debates whether the major champion in the group has an edge.

Jacob Skov Olesen is a surprise co-leader of the 153rd British Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club. The 26-year-old Dane bogeyed 18 but signed for 4-under 67, a score matched by China's Haotong Li,