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

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.

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.

Tyrrell Hatton: The LIV Golf member played well in the U.S. Open with a tie for fourth and he tied for sixth in the British Open at Royal Portrush in 2019. Hatton also had a solid Masters (tie for 14th) and will be a bulldog if he's close to the lead on Sunday.

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:

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.

Here's a capsule look at key anniversaries for the British Open this year. This is golf's oldest championship, so it dates back to the 19th century.

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.

Caddies will be responsible for the raking of the bunkers at the 2025 British Open, which they do every other week anyway.