2025 Open Championship in Portrush

[golfingonly4fun]

It will be hard to top the 148th with Shane Lowry's brilliant win, but the course is ready for great play, and record crowds. Obviously Rory is a favorite, given his Masters victory and history there on the Dunluce Links. Morikowa just signed Billy Foster to loop, that is an ace in the hole for any player. Tommy had great form here last time, and Bob Mac sure loves this kind of golf. 

 

Can't wait!!

 

[Duct Tape]

Thanks for the post. Good info too, but I’m going to wait for @MattyO1984’s intro of his national championship …

 

 

Edit:  first “his” national championship the Scottish Open, then of course the Open. 
 

 

Edited July 7 by Duct Tape

[TiScape]

15 minutes ago, Duct Tape said:

Thanks for the post. Good info too, but I’m going to wait for @MattyO1984’s intro of his national championship …

Yeah, definitely don’t reply ‘til Matty puts up his thread… Smart DT 

 

 

🤣

[TiScape]

Since I’m here.

British Open. I typically miss it as it falls on my GFs bday and I always take her on a beach holiday. 
 

*I did watch ~10min of Harman’s ‘23 win on my phone last year tho. That was nice 😊

[Titleist99]

I'll take this opportunity to talk about one of the cardinal sins in professional golf. IMO

 

It was executed by Rory McIlroy in 2019. If you recall, Rory had a bad first round at Portrush; he really stunk up the place. Near the end of that round, Rory swiped at the ball from about a foot and missed the putt. In the second round, Rory played lights out, and it came down to the last hole, and he missed the cut by one shot.

 

That swipe turned out to make the difference.

 

*PS/ I know, had he taken his time and made that putt, things could have turned out differently, but I hope you get the gist.

 

Maybe redemption for the guy in 2025.

 

~satire

[golfingonly4fun]

52 minutes ago, Duct Tape said:

Thanks for the post. Good info too, but I’m going to wait for @MattyO1984’s intro of his national championship …

I was unaware of a traditional Open thread but would be happy to delete this one if and when that appears, I'll always defer to the locals!

 

[rblmp32]

1 minute ago, golfingonly4fun said:

I was unaware of a traditional Open thread but would be happy to delete this one if and when that appears, I'll always defer to the locals!

 

 

No harm no foul.  But Matty intro's all the big tournaments.  And some of the not so big ones too.  

[Titleist99]

5 minutes ago, golfingonly4fun said:

I was unaware of a traditional Open thread but would be happy to delete this one if and when that appears, I'll always defer to the locals!

 

 

*On this board, no good deed goes unpunished.  🤣

[Titleist99]

Added to the field 2025:

 

Potgieter

Campbell

Thompson

[rblmp32]

13 minutes ago, Titleist99 said:

 

*On this board, no good deed goes unpunished.  🤣

 

Aint that the truth

[TiScape]

17 minutes ago, rblmp32 said:

 

No harm no foul.  But Matty intro's all the big tournaments.  And some of the not so big ones too.  

After not making a thread for the ‘Deere, and at this time still not providing a note excusing his absence… Let’s just say his future in that capacity is up in thr air 
 

[rblmp32]

2 minutes ago, TiScape said:

After not making a thread for the ‘Deere, and at this time still not providing a note excusing his absence… Let’s just say his future in that capacity is up in thr air 
 

 

@MattyO1984 you have been called out.... 😄

[golfingonly4fun]

Just now, TiScape said:

After not making a thread for the ‘Deere, and at this time still not providing a note excusing his absence… Let’s just say his future in that capacity is up in thr air 
 

I sent him a PM offering to step this one aside if he'd like to start one...

 

This will be my 4th trip to Portrush, first in 2016, with over six weeks in town so far. I've been so fortunate to play the Royal 7 times and the Valley over 15. Played the original 17/18, with 'big Nellie' bunker on 17; sadly have never played the new 7 or 8 as I have always visited in November, and they were working on them.

 

I'm over the moon to go back for the Open, so a wee bit impatient to see a thread on it lol...

[Duct Tape]

32 minutes ago, TiScape said:

After not making a thread for the ‘Deere, and at this time still not providing a note excusing his absence… Let’s just say his future in that capacity is up in thr air 
 

Not a chance!   

[Duct Tape]

18 hours ago, golfingonly4fun said:

I sent him a PM offering to step this one aside if he'd like to start one...

 

This will be my 4th trip to Portrush, first in 2016, with over six weeks in town so far. I've been so fortunate to play the Royal 7 times and the Valley over 15. Played the original 17/18, with 'big Nellie' bunker on 17; sadly have never played the new 7 or 8 as I have always visited in November, and they were working on them.

 

I'm over the moon to go back for the Open, so a wee bit impatient to see a thread on it lol...

Sounds good and definitely share your excitement. Love the course. 
 

im guessing Matty will start with his own national Scottish open first, then follow with his always excellent Open intro.   Ready for some good golf!

 

 

Edited July 8 by Duct Tape

[Titleist99]

For those that don't know, Royal Portrush has out of bounds stakes on the first hole.

 

You can rack up a big number on the first shot of the tournament.

 

So, no whining. 🤣

[golfingonly4fun]

13 minutes ago, Titleist99 said:

For those that don't know, Royal Portrush has out of bounds stakes on the first hole.

 

You can rack up a big number on the first shot of the tournament.

 

So, no whining. 🤣

Internal OB at that, which also runs along the left side of 18/old 16. Used to be where the horses that pulled the mowers were stabled. One of the legendary shots in Open history took place there during Round 3 of the 80th in 1951, when the eventual winner, Max Faulkner, pulled his drive right next to the barbed wire fence. He had no angle to the green without hitting the fence with his backswing. Although it was only a 7-iron in distance, he chose 4w, and as a former trick shot artist smashed it between the wires with a massive cut, moving right some 30-40 yards, to within 15' and made the putt for a 4. 

 

The next day his opponent Cerda hit a similar drive and had to deal with the fence. He took a 6, and Faulkner ended up winning by 2.

[Hawkeye77]

2 hours ago, golfingonly4fun said:

I was unaware of a traditional Open thread but would be happy to delete this one if and when that appears, I'll always defer to the locals!

 

Maybe delete it now since the other thread will appear in a timely fashion - no need to PM anybody.

 

Scottish Open and other events on the agenda this coming week - no need to detract from them.

Edited July 7 by Hawkeye77

[Titleist99]

10 minutes ago, golfingonly4fun said:

One of the legendary shots in Open history took place there during Round 3 of the 80th in 1951, when the eventual winner, Max Faulkner, pulled his drive right next to the barbed wire fence. He had no angle to the green without hitting the fence with his backswing. Although it was only a 7-iron in distance, he chose 4w, and as a former trick shot artist smashed it between the wires with a massive cut, moving right some 30-40 yards, to within 15' and made the putt for a 4. 

 

The next day his opponent Cerda hit a similar drive and had to deal with the fence. He took a 6, and Faulkner ended up winning by 2.

"Internal OB at that, which also runs along the left side of 18/old 16. Used to be where the horses that pulled the mowers were stabled."

 

LOL! ...I intentionally left out that part because GWRXers call interior OB, tricking up the course, and should not be used as a defense. Most are sensitive about adding rough, penalty area, etc,,, 🙂

[philly2kuk]

2 hours ago, TiScape said:

 

*I did watch ~10min of Harman’s ‘23 win on my phone last year tho. That was nice 😊

10 mins? Even at highlight speed that’s only two shots for Harman 😉

[notsohard]

2 hours ago, TiScape said:

Since I’m here.

THE OPEN. I typically miss it as it falls on my GFs bday and I always take her on a beach holiday. 
 

*I did watch ~10min of Harman’s ‘23 win on my phone last year tho. That was nice 😊

Fixed.

Edited July 7 by notsohard

[bcjim]

2 hours ago, TiScape said:

After not making a thread for the ‘Deere, and at this time still not providing a note excusing his absence… Let’s just say his future in that capacity is up in thr air 
 

Whoa, whoa, whoa, there sir. Let's not be too hasty.  Though I'm a bit surprised there is not yet a Scottish Open thread...

 

[iBanesto]

17 hours ago, TiScape said:

Yeah, definitely don’t reply ‘til Matty puts up his thread… Smart DT 

 

 

🤣

 

[Hawkeye77]

15 hours ago, notsohard said:

Fixed.

 

Hate to add to this thread again but . . . even the Brits were calling it the British Open way back when and not as far back as one might think - the whole emphasizing "The Open Championship" is historically a relatively recent thing.  

[iBanesto]

1 minute ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

Hate to add to this thread again but . . . even the Brits were calling it the British Open way back when and not as far back as one might think - the whole emphasizing "The Open Championship" is historically a relatively recent thing.  

 

It's called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Open Championship.

 

[Ferguson]

22 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

Hate to add to this thread again but . . . even the Brits were calling it the British Open way back when and not as far back as one might think - the whole emphasizing "The Open Championship" is historically a relatively recent 

 

It's very recent and very British. 

It's the British Open. 

 

 

[Mr.Cleeks]

9 hours ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

Hate to add to this thread again but . . . even the Brits were calling it the British Open way back when and not as far back as one might think - the whole emphasizing "The Open Championship" is historically a relatively recent thing.  

A decent chunk of the European press refers to the Masters as "The US Masters". "The current reigning champion is American golfer Scottie Scheffler, who won his second US Masters in 2024 after his first victory in 2022." If they can call it "The US Masters", saying "The British Open" is fine.

 

 

https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/04/10/looking-good-in-green-a-short-history-of-the-us-masters-green-jacket?

[Dave230]

9 hours ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

Hate to add to this thread again but . . . even the Brits were calling it the British Open way back when and not as far back as one might think - the whole emphasizing "The Open Championship" is historically a relatively recent thing.  

It's a bit like the soccer v football debate, when the British actually came up with the word soccer. When I grew up it was always the British Open alright, even in Ireland.

 

But I do understand the move towards just the Open partly because Portrush isn't technically in Britain, Northern Ireland is only in the United Kingdom, so British Open is a bit more of an issue when it's there, half the population don't consider themselves British. If as is reported they eventually go to Portmarnock in Dublin then calling it the British Open will be very problematic for obvious reasons.

Edited July 8 by Dave230

[jimecherry]

1 hour ago, Dave230 said:

It's a bit like the soccer v football debate, when the British actually came up with the word soccer. When I grew up it was always the British Open alright, even in Ireland.

 

But I do understand the move towards just the Open partly because Portrush isn't technically in Britain, Northern Ireland is only in the United Kingdom, so British Open is a bit more of an issue when it's there, half the population don't consider themselves British. If as is reported they eventually go to Portmarnock in Dublin then calling it the British Open will be very problematic for obvious reasons.

Personally i prefer the more colloquial Almost United Kingdom Open

[StoutKing]

When I was down under even the Aussies called it the British Open.