The hometown hero is back at Royal Portrush, but Rory McIlroy was poor off the tee again as the Open Championship rolls on.

Rain lashed from above, North Atlantic winds pummeled from the side, and thousands of excited, umbrella-wielding shapes swirled amongst it all, yet the man at the eye of the storm remained entirely unflustered.

The former U.S. Open champion felt like he hit rock bottom 122 days ago. But he has found a new coach, a new caddie and a groove.

The Open Championship's return to Royal Portrush left everyone — from the leaders to those booking flights home — thinking the same thing.

The Open Championship prize purse for 2025 will be the same as the 2024's, a total of $17 million. The winner will claim a significant portion of the total, $3.1 million, while the runner-up will claim $ 1.7 million and the third place finisher will take home $1.1 million.

DraftKings offers new users $150 in instant bonus bets with the newest DraftKings promo code, which you could use on the 2025 Open Championship

The first round of the 2025 Open Championship is officially in the books. What was the biggest surprise Thursday at Royal Portrush?

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