rory mcilroy

Four of Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes will be in action at this week’s Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, headed by defending champion and three-time winner Tyrrell Hatton.

And you can bet your life they will get a much better reception from the fans than they did from the loud-mouthed yobs who hurled abuse at them at Bethpage Black.

Luke Donald’s team were certainly heroes as far as this column is concerned.

Tommy Fleetwood, another of the players teeing it up this week, was a 12-1 winner in the top points scorer market, and the 15-13 scoreline was also tipped here at 12-1

Justin Rose going out first in the singles, having been highlighted at 18-1, was the icing on the cake. Cameron Young also finished joint top in the USA points list with Xander Schauffele, having been advised at 25-1.

So the big question now is where do we “reinvest” the winnings, to try to keep the mood of celebration going?

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Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2025 betting tips

Hatton seems an obvious starting point, given his incredible record in this event. 

In his last seven starts here, he has posted a couple of runner-ups as well as his three victories. And his worst finish was a share of 15th. So 7-1 looks reasonable.

Hatton is second favourite behind world No 7 Fleetwood, who has finished second here twice, and was third 12 months ago.

He is a general 6-1, with European team-mates Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre next on the list at around 10-1 and 12-1 respectively.

But the Ryder Cup was such a draining experience that I am reluctant to side with any of that quartet at short prices. They have earned a bit of down time, and may not be quite as focused on this event as usual.

Marco Penge, who was a bit unlucky not to get a wild card for Bethpage after winning twice this year, looks attractively priced at 20-1.

Penge missed the cut here last year – but that was largely due to a calamitous opening round of 75 at Carnoustie, where he had a NINE and a seven on the back nine.

That can happen at the toughest course on the planet. And the big-hitting Englishman bounced back well with rounds of 69 and 70 at Kingsbarns and St Andrews.

He is a much more accomplished player now, and is second only to Rory McIlroy on the current DP World Tour money list. He could easily go one better than his runner-up finish at the hotly-contested Scottish Open three months ago.

I also like the chances of another monster hitter, Rasmus Neergard-Petersen, who is a best priced 25-1. He seemed to thrive on the links when finishing joint fourth last year.

Previous form in this event is invaluable, so 40-1 shot Haotong Li also comes into the reckoning. His share of seventh last year was his second top ten here, and a tie for fourth at this year’s Open confirmed his love of links golf.

Among the longshots, the 80-1 about Laurie Canter and Peter Uhlein deserves a second look, while improving Frenchman Tom Vaillant looks over-priced at 150-1. The same thing applies to 200-1 shot Brandon Robinson-Thompson.

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Sanderson Farms Championship betting tips

The only Ryder Cup golfer playing in the PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi is another European, Rasmus Hojgaard.

He had a tough debut at Bethpage, losing both his matches. So despite a couple of runner-up finishes in his last four starts, I’m not tempted by the 33-1 on offer.

But I am keen on the 33-1 available for Mackenzie Hughes. The Canadian won here in 2022, finished top ten last year, and arrives on the back of a share of seventh in the Procore, where ten of the US Ryder Cup team were in action. 

Emilian Grillo did even better at the Procore, finishing tied fourth. He also also played well in Jackson in the past. So he is another 33-1 shot on the shortlist.

Michael Thorbjornsen is starting to justify the hype after a stellar college career, and 25-1 looks fair. Do not get him confused with Thorbjorn Olesen – but 50-1 for the former Ryder Cup man means he might be worth backing too!

Beau Hossler is another 50-1 chance worth considering, and I haven’t lost faith completely in USPGA runner-up Davis Riley despite a bunch of missed cuts. 

At 150-1 he could be worth a small interest. David Lipsky was a big disappointment at the Procore, but two third places in his previous five starts suggests he is another 150-1 shot to think about.

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Rory McIlroy didn’t back down.

The Irish golf star had stood up for himself amid verbal abuse and other inappropriate behavior from some American fans during the Ryder Cup this weekend at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y.

After helping Team Europe fend off a massive U.S. rally for a 15-13 victory Sunday, McIlroy had plenty more to say about what he witnessed from fans during the three-day event.

“I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” McIlroy said during his team’s post-tournament press conference. “I think golf should be held to a higher standard than than what was was seen out there this week.

“Golf has the ability to unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons. It teaches you etiquette. It teaches you how to play by the rules. It teaches you how to respect people. And, you know, sometimes this week we didn’t see that.”

McIlroy went 3-1-1 during the event while enduring boisterous jeers and insults from members of the crowd who were doing their best to disrupt him while he lined up to swing or putt. At one point Saturday a cup of beer appeared to sail out of the crowd and hit the brim of a hat worn by McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, who was walking next to her husband.

The reigning Masters champion didn’t take such treatment quietly, clapping back at times with profanity or gestures of his own.

At one point during foursome play Saturday morning, McIlroy told some boisterous Americans to “shut the f— up.” He then proceeded to send his shot to within three feet of the hole, setting up Tommy Fleetwood‘s putt to clinch the European pair’s win.

Asked Sunday how satisfying that particular set of events was, McIlroy replied, “Very f— satisfying.”

On Monday morning, U.S. golf legend Tom Watson congratulated the European team on their win in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The four-time Ryder Cup player and two-time captain also wrote: “More importantly, I’d like to apologize for the rude and mean-spirited behavior from our American crowd at Bethpage. As a former player, Captain and as an American, I am ashamed of what happened.”

In general, McIlroy said, “we shut them up by our performance and how we played. You know, I chirped back a few times because it got to me a few times. [But] we tried to handle everything that came our way with class and poise and for the most part I felt like we did that.”

The amount of security and police present at the tournament was increased as the weekend went on, a step McIlroy didn’t think was necessary.

“The police out there and the amount of the security presence was insane,” McIlroy said. “It’s not like — nothing was going to happen. There wasn’t really going to be any sort of physical altercation or anything like that. … There was a lot of language that was unacceptable and abusive behavior, but look, it’s a minority of the crowd. It’s not the majority. The majority of people here are true golf fans and are respectful and [hope] that both teams have the same chance to hit the shots and play a fair contest.”

McIlroy added that he hopes those respectful fans are the ones who show up at the next Ryder Cup, which will be held in his homeland.

“We will be making sure to say to our fans in Ireland in 2027 that what happened here this week is not acceptable.”

That said, McIlroy and his European teammates did appear to take part in a little playful taunting of their own after their win Sunday. President Trump posted a video on Truth Social that showed the group hoisting their trophy and singing, “Are you watching, Donald Trump?”

Trump, who attended the Ryder Cup on Friday, wrote in response: “Yes, I’m watching. Congratulations!”

RORY MCILROY said he wished the police “let the dogs off the leash” during the “unacceptable” fan behaviour at the Battle of Bethpage.

But he admitted it was “very f***ing satisfying” to stick it back to the abusers by walking away with 3.5 points and, more importantly, the Ryder Cup trophy in Europe’s grasp.

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McIlroy was abused all week long in New York but it boiled over during his wins on Saturday.

He swore back at the crowd for the incessant vitriol – telling one yob to “shut the f*** up” in the morning before declaring “I’m really f***ing good” later during his fiery fourballs victory with Shane Lowry.

And things got so out of control that the police stepped in with troopers lining the ropes and dogs on hand to restore order.

But while some idiots were ejected for their conduct, McIlroy would have liked to see them have to deal with the K9s.

Speaking in a jubilant winning press conference after a nervy 15-13 European win, he said: “I wish they had let the dogs off the leashes.

“The police out there and the amount of security presence was insane.

“Look, nothing was going to happen. There wasn’t going to be physical altercation [but] there was a lot of language that was unacceptable and abusive behaviour.

“We should ever accept that in golf.

“It was a rough week for all of us. But at the same time, we shut them up by our performance and how we played.

“I chirped back a few times because it got to me a few times, but we tried to handle everything that came our way with class and poise, and for the most part, I felt like we did that.”

McIlroy had to deal with shocking heckles about his personal life throughout the weekend – all within earshot of wife Erica.

And he heaped praise on her for showing “class, poise and dignity” after she was verbally and physically assaulted by the horrific New York crowds, including having a beer thrown at her on Saturday.

An emotionally drained McIlroy, who lost his “pillow fight” of a singles match to world No1 Scottie Scheffler, continued: “It should be off-limits, but obviously it wasn’t this week.

“Erica is fine. She’s a very, very strong woman.

“She handled everything this week with class, poise and dignity like she always has.

“I love her and we’re going to have a good time celebrating tonight.”

As applause broke out among the European players, close pal Lowry then added: “I was out there for two days with Erica McIlroy, and the amount of abuse that she received was astonishing.

“The way she was out there supporting her husband and supporting her team was unbelievable, and kudos to her for that.”

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RYDER CUP 2025 LIVE: FOLLOW ALL THE LATEST FROM BETHPAGE BLACK

RORY MCILROY has been involved in even more Ryder Cup fan drama over squeaky rubber ducks.

The Northern Irish ace has been one of the stars of the tournament so far as Team Europe look to keep hold of the famous trophy.

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RYDER CUP 2025 LIVE: FOLLOW ALL THE LATEST FROM BETHPAGE BLACK

McIlroy, 36, has been involved in clashes with the US fans on each day of the Ryder Cup.

And during the singles, it was no different as fans continuously tried to put him off with squeaky rubber ducks.

NBC has reported that the toys were handed out for free to fans who had bought a Cherry fizz drink on Sunday.

This led to the Bethpage Black Golf Course being filled with many of them, which were used to disrupt the play.

McIlroy had had enough of it by the time he tried to take his tee shot on the 10th hole during his match with Scottie Scheffler.

He could be seen asking security to remove fans who made the ducks squeak while he attempted to take his shot.

After speaking to the officials, McIlroy finally took his shot, but it ended up in the rough.

It is believed that the disruptive fans were kicked out by the staff.

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Fans watching from the comfort of their home have had a mixed reaction to the rubber ducks on social media.

One posted: “Squeaky ducks! Now we’re talking. That is the Ryder Cup.”

A second wrote: “Rubber Duck-gate was not on my bingo card for the Ryder Cup but here we are.”

A third commented: “Wonder what toy the Europeans will give the fans in Ireland in 2027.”

A fourth said: “It is such a stupid idea.”

The moment came just a day after McIlrou told the crowd to “shut the f*** up”.

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The blast came as he was being jeered while lining up a shot.

McIlroy’s wife Erica has also been the target of abuse as she was hit by a drink thrown from the stands.

She was left in tears as she was walked off the course.

McIlroy also refused to play at one point due to the amount of abuse he was subjected to on Saturday evening.

McIlroy is not the only golfer to lose his cool as Shane Lowry shouted expletives at a heckler.

For the uninitiated, the Ryder Cup is not something from which you drink coffee in your rental truck. As a matter of fact, 15 years ago, this golfing classic was proclaimed by the locals to be the biggest sporting event ever in the country of Wales.

The newest edition of the Ryder Cup will find your TV screen Friday through Monday. It will be contested on Long Island on a torture-chamber called Bethpage Black. They played the U.S. Open there in 2009 and it rained so hard and so often that there were rumors Noah was getting another Ark ready. Lucas Glover didn’t win that one. He survived it.

To be clear, this will not be the biggest sporting event in the New York area. Thursday afternoon Mets’ games create more stomach aches and fist pumps.

But it should not be dismissed or greeted by yawns.

U.S. Ryder Cup golf team captain Keegan Bradley, left, and Team Europe captain Luke Donald, right, will face off this week.

(Heather Khalifa / Associated Press)

This every-other-year, alternating-home-course event that matches the best golfers in the United States against the best in Europe, creates as much emotion as you can find in a sport that preaches controlling that.

Recently, British golfer Matt Wallace shed tears on camera after falling just short of qualifying. “I will never give up on the Ryder Cup,” he sobbed.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, one of the best players ever in the sport, made the mistake years ago of calling the Ryder Cup “mostly an exhibition.” He has been apologizing for that ever since.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia, a former Masters champion and an emotional leader of many past European teams, pulled out of a European tournament immediately after he learned he would not be on this year’s Ryder Cup team. He said he needed to get away for a while.

Keegan Bradley was on U.S. teams that lost both the 2012 and 2014 Cups, and he has spoken of the still-unpacked and logoed Ryder Cup backpack that he brought back after 2012. He has vowed to never unpack it until he is part of a winning Ryder Cup team.

If you think that golf and its top players are the living definition of a sports metronome (tick-tock boring), it is not so with the Ryder Cup.

The event keeps sneaking up on people. McIlroy was right, just not up to date. By 2010, the U.S. had started to lose Ryder Cup matches, and that suddenly made them important. U.S. sports fans like a little agony and drama before celebrating winning moments. Losing is not acceptable. From 1959 through 1983, the U.S. had won every Ryder Cup. Then, in 1985, Europe won and held the cup for eight of the next 11 meetings.

Now, it was game on.

Europe’s Rory McIlroy celebrates after winning his singles match against American Sam Burns at the Ryder Cup played at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Guidonia Montecelio, Italy, on Oct. 1, 2023.

(Gregorio Borgia / Associated Press)

The U.S. won in 2008, but this time, for 2010, the Europeans were ready. They even had a special course built, clearly with one thing in mind. It was in Newport, Wales, the club was named Celtic Manor and the course was called the Twenty Ten.

They held a huge pre-celebration dinner and by the time it started, they had sold out the six-day package (three practice rounds and three competition rounds) to 45,000 people at $660 each. That $29.7 million paid nicely for the big party.

Big profits haven’t seemed to be the driving force yet in the Ryder Cup, but like everything else in sports, that is likely to change. This year’s Ryder Cup will be its most extensively televised one to date in the U.S.

Bradley, the guy with a 13-year-old unpacked suitcase, will be the U.S. captain. He has played on two Ryder Cup teams, both defeats, and lost the deciding match to Jamie Donaldson in 2014 in Scotland. The suitcase remains unpacked.

He is still one of the top players in golf, good enough to be a player on this year’s team, but chose not to choose himself and will be a traditional non-playing captain. He was also high enough in the rankings to be considered for a spot on the ’23 U.S. team that lost in Rome. He later said that, when ’23 U.S. captain Zack Johnson passed him over, “It broke my heart.”

Luke Donald of England, who played his golf at Northwestern, was good enough to be No. 1 on the PGA Tour for 56 weeks and was the first golfer to top season money-winning lists on the PGA and European tours in the same year, will be the European captain. He has played on four Ryder Cup teams, all European victories. He was also the captain in Rome.

Donald was a member of that 2010 team in Wales. The U.S. lost by a point and Donald won three of the Europeans 14½.

Celtic Manor was more than just a European win. It was a rub-your-face-in-it win, a remember-who-invented-this-game moment. It was more than winner-take-all. It was winner-celebrate-all-night and-be-smug-about-it-all-next-year.

The setting helps to understand all this.

American Phil Mickelson plays a shot from the rough during the 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort on Oct. 1, 2010, in Newport, Wales.

(Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images)

The Twenty Ten course was surprisingly not a classic European links course. Much was made of that in the run-up. Why give the Americans a golf course type that they were used to — soft, grassy fairways and smooth-rolling greens — when the links courses usually drove them nuts. Then it started to rain and seemed as if it would never stop. Twenty Ten became Twenty Thousand Puddles. It was so bad that the final day of concluding singles match-play was contested on a Monday, a first for a Ryder Cup. The U.S. team was ready, with nicely logoed rain suits. Except they leaked.

Amid one particularly drenching downpour, U.S. star Phil Mickelson spotted a reporter he knew walking the sidelines. He sauntered over, soaked and dripping, eyed the reporter’s rain gear and said, “Wanna trade?”

The next day, the U.S. team got replacement rain gear from the same gift shop that the reporter had purchased his.

Such nuances are the responsibility of team captains. The Europeans, whose rain suits stayed sealed, were led by longtime tour pro Colin Montgomerie, a great player who never won a major and who many feel was the model for the Pillsbury Dough Boy. The U.S. captain was Corey Pavin, who not only won a U.S. Open in 1995 with his famous four-wood to the green on No. 18, but also was a Gutty Little Bruin, a pride of UCLA golf.

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin holds a flag stick during a practice round prior in 2010 at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales.

(Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

The match, eventually won by Europe, came down to the final singles pairing on Monday. Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, who had won that year’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, was matched by Montgomerie against Pavin’s Hunter Mahan, a Texan who had been the No. 2 Ryder Cup qualifier behind Mickelson.

McDowell took a two-up lead on No. 16, making a sliding, curling 15-foot downhill putt for birdie that left him two up with two holes to play. Then, on the par three 17th — Mahan had to win this hole and the next to keep the U.S. hopes alive — Mahan chunked his second shot, a chip, short of the green. The Euro fans went wild. Mahan walked to McDowell, whose ball rested in easy two-putt, par territory, and shook his hand in concession.

Europe had won, 14½-13½, and the champagne began to flow.

The Celtic Manor clubhouse was on a hill, with a long balcony overlooking the 18th green. Within minutes, the European players were up there, shaking huge bottles of champagne and spraying them all over each other and the thousands of fans below. It went on and on. It was a post-Super Bowl-in- Philadelphia celebration, minus the bent traffic lights; a post-Lakers-win-the-NBA-title-at Staples celebration, minus the burning police cars. It produced photos that dominated every major European newspaper and TV broadcast for the next several days.

Eventually, the U.S. team shuffled into an interview room. There was not a smile to be found. All were there, a unit to the end, sitting at a long table. Quickly, a question went to Mahan about his gagged chip shot. He looked like a man who had just watched his dog get hit by a car. Before he could conjure up much of an answer, two of the three main veterans on the team ran interference. Both Mickelson and Jim Furyk jumped in to answer, saying basically, that none of the people asking the questions could have any idea of the pressure involved in a Ryder Cup situation like that. Of course, none of the people asking the questions had ever aspired to that pressure.

Tiger Woods remained silent.

American Tiger Woods attends a tense news conference after Europe’s 14.5 to 13.5 victory over the U.S. at the 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales.

(Sam Greenwood / Getty Images)

At a press gathering before the event, he had fielded a question from a member of the British press. If there was a moment that set a tone of animosity for the event, it was right there.

Reporter: “You don’t win majors any more, you don’t win regular tournaments. Where is the Ryder Cup on your agenda, now that you are an ordinary golfer?”

Woods, the ordinary golfer: “I hope you are having a good week.”

The captains’ comparisons are fun, but probably not meaningful. Bradley has won a major, the 2011 PGA, and was ranked as high as No. 7 in the world. His Ryder Cup playing record is 4-3-0. Donald never won a major, but was World No. 1. His Ryder Cup record is 10-4-1. He was Ryder Cup captain in 2023 in Paris. He has never been on a losing Ryder Cup team, as a player or captain. Bradley’s Ryder team record is 0-2.

The only playing returnee from 2010 at Celtic Manor — Donald was also on the team — is McIlroy, who once called this whole thing an “exhibition.” That was before he stood on a balcony in Wales, 15 years ago, and looked below to a mass of idolizing golf fans, begging to be sprayed with champagne.

In that moment, the Ryder Cup became a huge deal for McIlroy. The rest of the sports world now follows.

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Scottie Scheffler moved within one round of claiming the third leg of the Grand Slam on Saturday when he made an eagle and two big par saves for a four-under 67 in the British Open that gave him a four-shot lead at Royal Portrush.

The roars belonged to Rory McIlroy, who had seemingly all of Northern Ireland on his side, the most raucous cheer coming when he made a 55-foot eagle putt.

But this championship is now in the hands of Scheffler, who has won his last 10 times when he had the 54-hole lead and didn’t show anything on a stunning day at Royal Portrush to indicate he was going to come back to his challengers.

“I’m just trying to execute, not overthinking things,” Scheffler said. “I feel like I’ve been doing the right thing so far, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of tomorrow.”

Tied with Matt Fitzpatrick for the lead, Scheffler judged six-iron perfectly and hit it to within 10 feet for eagle on the par-five seventh hole. In deep trouble behind the 11th green, he hacked out to within 10 feet to save par, then saved another par from the deep grass left of the 14th fairway.

Royal Portrush has a nasty par-three hole at No. 16 known as “Calamity Corner.” Scheffler made birdie for the third straight day, this time hitting a three-iron that settled 15 feet below the cup.

Each shot helped him pull away from the field. Each shot moved him closer to the claret jug, to go along with the PGA Championship he won in May and the two Masters green jackets he has won the last four years.

Scheffler was at 14-under 199, four shots clear of Li Haotong of China (69) and five ahead of Fitzpatrick, who missed two short par putts during a round of 71.

McIlroy, who revved up the enormous crowd with three birdies in four holes at the start, had the most bizarre moment of the championship when he went to gouge out a shot from the rough right of the 11th fairway and a second ball emerged from the turf.

“It’s never happened to me before,” McIlroy said after his 66. “It could never on any other course but a links course.”

It led to his lone bogey. He responded with that eagle putt that elicited a roar that rocked Royal Portrush. But he was six shots behind, and likely needing a round even better on Sunday.

“Scottie is … it’s inevitable,” McIlroy said. “Even when he doesn’t have his best stuff, he’s become a complete player. Yeah, it’s going to be tough to catch him tomorrow if he keeps playing the way he does. But if I can get out tomorrow and get off to a similar start to what I did today, get the crowd going … you never know.”

This is what McIlroy noticed last year, when Scheffler won nine times around the world. What impressed him was that Scheffler played so many bogey-free rounds.

Scheffler picked a great time for another one. He led by one shot to start the day and couldn’t seem to get anything going — his first three-putt of the championship on the par-five second to settle for par and a 10-foot par save on the par-three third.

Fitzpatrick, who missed a short par putt on the first hole and made bogey, atoned for that quickly by chipping in for eagle on the next hole. He did his best to keep pace even after Scheffler went eagle-birdie toward the end of the back nine.

But Fitzpatrick missed a four-foot par putt on the 13th, got a bad bounce on the 17th that led to another bogey and wound up five shots behind.

“Just didn’t make any putts. I didn’t hit it close enough,” Fitzpatrick said. “Drove it well enough, didn’t hit it close enough. Just made way less putts than Scottie.”

Scheffler will be paired in the last group with Li, who made history in 2020 at the PGA Championship when he held the 36-hole lead, the first player from China to lead in a major. Li didn’t make his first bogey Saturday until the 13th hole, and he dropped another shot on the 18th after driving into a pot bunker.

Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup, in his first appearance in the British Open, had a 68 and joined the group at eight-under 205 that included McIlroy, Harris English (68) and Tyrrell Hatton (68).

This is Scheffler’s largest 54-hole lead in a major — he was up by three shots at the PGA Championship and three shots in the 2022 Masters.

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — The rain pounded Royal Portrush right when Scottie Scheffler poured in a birdie putt on his first hole Friday in the British Open. No matter. Nothing stopped the world’s No. 1 player on his way to a seven-under 64 to build a one-shot lead going into the weekend.

Scheffler made eight birdies on another wild afternoon of weather at Royal Portrush, and his 15-foot birdie attempt on the 18th stopped inches short for another.

The result was a one-shot lead over former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who made four straight birdies to start the back nine until he cooled on the home stretch and had to settle for a 66.

The rain was heavy at times but never lasted long. The wind was breezy but never at strength that can cause fits. The scoring was lower, nearly two shots easier than the opening round.

Except for a few chasers, Scheffler made it look like it wasn’t enough.

He was at 10-under 132 as he chases the third leg of the career Grand Slam, having won the PGA Championship by five shots in May.

Brian Harman got the best of the weather — surprising sunshine — and took dead aim in his hunt for another claret jug. Harman played bogey-free for a 64 that left him only two shots behind, along with Li Haotong of China, who had a 67.

Everyone else was five shots behind or more.

That includes Rory McIlroy, who went around Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland with plenty of cheers but only a few roars. McIlroy had a 69 but lost a lot of ground because of Scheffler, Fitzpatrick and Harman.

He started the second round just three shots behind. He goes into the weekend seven shots behind the top-ranked player in the world.

Fitzpatrick was at his lowest point just four months ago when he changed his caddie and coach and began pulling himself up. And now he takes that into the weekend against Scheffler.

“He’s going to have the expectation to go out and dominate. He’s an exceptional player. He’s world No. 1, and we’re seeing Tiger-like stuff,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think the pressure is for him to win the golf tournament. For me, obviously I hope I’m going to have some more home support than him, but it’s an exciting position for me to be in given where I was earlier this year.”

Fitzpatrick was rolling along until a pair of short putts he missed, from five feet for par on the 14th and from three feet for birdie on the 17th. Even so, he holed a 25-foot par putt on the final hole and assured him being in the last group at nine-under 133.

Scheffler was sharp from the start. He hit eight of the 14 fairways — compared with three in the opening round — though his misses never left him too badly out of position. But he is seeing the breaks on smoother Portrush greens, and he looks confident as ever.

None of his eight birdies were closer than seven feet. Five of them were in the 10-foot range and then he threw in a 35-foot birdie on the sixth. His lone bogey came on a drive into deep grass on the 11th that kept him from reaching the green.

The statistics led to a shrug.

“Overall, I’m hitting the ball solid,” Scheffler said. “The tournament is only halfway done. I got off to a good start.”

Harman was called the “Butcher of Hoylake” when he won the claret jug at Royal Liverpool two years ago because the British media were fascinated by the Georgia native’s love for hunting. Now it’s about his golf, and it was superb.

Harman played bogey-free, only once having to stress for par as Royal Portrush allowed for some good scoring in weather that again did not live up to its expectation.

Not that anyone was complaining. Temperatures were warm, at least by Irish standards. The breeze was noticeable without being overly punishing.

“They’re very different golf courses, but the golf is similar,” Harman said. “You’ve got to be able to flight your golf ball. You’ve got to know how far everything’s going. Then you can’t get frustrated. You’re going to end up in funny spots where it doesn’t seem fair, and you just have to kind of outlast that stuff.”

The group at five-under 137 included Harris English (70), Harman’s former teammate at Georgia; Tyrrell Hatton of England (69) and Chris Gotterup (65), who wasn’t even planning to be at Royal Portrush until winning the Scottish Open last week.

Also still around is Bryson DeChambeau, who made a 13-shot improvement from the first round with a 65. Still, he was 11 shots behind.

McIlroy wasn’t at his best in the opening round and was pleased to be only three behind. Now he has a real mountain to climb. But at least he’s still playing, unlike in 2019 at Royal Portrush when he shot 79 and then had a terrific rally only to miss the cut by one shot.

“I didn’t have this opportunity six years ago, so to play an extra two days in this atmosphere in front of these crowds, I’m very excited for that,” McIlroy said. “I feel like my game’s definitely good enough to make a run.”

That was before Scheffler began to run away from so many except a small collection of challengers. But this is links golf. And this is the Emerald Isle, where the weather seems to have a mind of its own.

Still, Scheffler has gone 10 tournaments without finishing out of the top 10 and would appear to present a challenge every bit as daunting as Royal Portrush.

Ferguson writes for the Associated Press.

THE Open is set to return to Royal Portrush THIS WEEK for the 153rd edition of the iconic golf tournament.

Some huge names will feature in Northern Ireland, including home hero Rory McIlroy.

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McIlroy is eyeing another Major title after he ended his 11-year drought by winning the Masters in April.

The golf icon failed to make the cut in 2019 when The Open was last hosted at Portrush.

Shane Lowry was victorious when the tournament was last played on the prestigious Northern Irish course.

To this day, it’s Lowry’s only Major win, and he will be looking to repeat history this week.

Some huge names feature in the star-studded 156-player field – but is Tiger Woods one of them?

Is Tiger Woods playing at The Open 2025?

Tiger Woods will NOT feature at the 153rd Open as he continues to recover from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

His absence means the three-time Claret Jug winner will have missed all four of the annual Major tournaments.

Woods last competed in a PGA Tour event 12 months ago, when The Open was held at Royal Troon.

The 15-time Major champion missed the cut in his last outing.

How to watch The Open 2025

In the UK, The Open will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf throughout the tournament.

Sky Sports customers can live stream all the action via the NOW/Sky Sports app.

In the US, the tournament will be aired on USA, NBC Sports and Peacock.

OAKMONT, Pa. — J.J. Spaun is still new enough to the U.S. Open, and a newcomer to the brute that is Oakmont, that he was prepared for anything Thursday. He wound up with a clean card and a one-shot lead on an opening day that delivered just about everything.

Scottie Scheffler had more bogeys in one round than he had the entire tournament when he won the Memorial. He shot a 73, his highest start ever in a U.S. Open, four shots worse than when he made his Open debut at Oakmont as a 19-year-old at Texas.

Patrick Reed made the first albatross in 11 years at the U.S. Open when he holed out a 3-wood from 286 yards on the par-five fourth. He finished with a triple bogey.

Bryson DeChambeau was 39 yards from the hole at the par-five 12th and took four shots from the rough to get to the green.

Si Woo Kim shot a 68 and had no idea how.

“Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m doing on the course,” Kim said. “Kind of hitting good but feel like this course is too hard for me.”

Through it all, Spaun played a steady hand in only his second U.S. Open. He played bogey-free and finished with 10 straight pars for a four-under 66 on America’s toughest course hosting the major known as the toughest test in golf.

He matched the low opening round in U.S. Opens at Oakmont — Andrew Landry also shot 66 the last time here in 2016 — and it was no mystery. Good putting never fails at any U.S. Open, and Spaun holed five par putts ranging from 7 feet to 16 feet to go along with four birdies.

“I didn’t really feel like I’m going to show a bogey-free round 4 under. I didn’t really know what to expect especially since I’ve never played here,” said Spaun, playing in only his second U.S. Open. “But yeah, maybe sometimes not having expectations is the best thing, so I’ll take it.”

Oakmont lived up to its reputation with a scoring average of about 74.6 despite a course still relatively soft from rain and moderate wind that didn’t stick around for long.

And oh, that rough.

Just ask Rory McIlroy, although he chose not to speak for the fifth straight competitive round at a major since his Masters victory. He had to hack out three times on the fourth hole to get it back to the fairway, and then he holed a 30-foot putt for a most unlikely bogey. He shot 74.

“Even for a guy like me, I can’t get out of it some of the times, depending on the lie,” DeChambeau said after a 73. “It was tough. It was a brutal test of golf.”

The start of the round included Maxwell Moldovan holing out for eagle on the 484-yard opening hole. Toward the end, Tony Finau hit an approach just over the green, off a sprinkler head and into the grandstand, his Titleist marked by green paint of the sprinkler. He saved par.

When the first round ended more than 13 hours after it started, only 10 players managed to break par. That’s one fewer than the opening round in 2016.

Scheffler, the heavy favorite as the No. 1 player in the world who had won three of his last four tournaments by a combined 17 shots, made a 6-foot birdie putt on his second hole. Then he found the Church Pew bunkers on the third and fourth holes, made bogey on both and was never under the rest of the day.

“I made some silly mistakes out there, but at the same time, I made some key putts and some good momentum saves in my round,” Scheffler said. “But overall just need to be a little sharper.“

Spaun, who started his round by chipping in from ankle-deep rough just right of the 10th green, was walking down the 18th fairway when a spectator looked at the group’s scoreboard and said, “J.J. Spaun. He’s four under?”

The emphasis was on the number, not the name.

But some of the names were surprising, starting with Spaun. He lost in a playoff at The Players Championship to McIlroy that helped move him to No. 25 in the world, meaning he didn’t have to go through U.S. Open qualifying for the first time.

Thriston Lawrence of South Africa, who contended at Royal Troon last summer, had six birdies in a round of 67.

And perhaps Brooks Koepka can count as a surprise because the five-time major champion has not contended in a major since winning the PGA Championship in 2023, and he missed the cut in the Masters and PGA Championship this year.

He looked like the Koepka of old, muscling way around Oakmont, limiting mistakes and closing with two birdies for a 68 that left him in a group with the South Korea duo of Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im.

“It’s nice to put a good round together. It’s been a while,” Koepka said. “It’s been so far off … but now it’s starting to click. Unfortunately, we’re about halfway through the season, so that’s not ideal, but we’re learning.”

Another shot back at 69 was a group that included two-time major champion Jon Rahm, who went 11 holes before making a birdie, and followed that with an eagle.

“I played some incredible golf to shoot one under, which we don’t usually say, right?” Rahm said.

The course allowed plenty of birdies, plenty of excitement, and doled out plenty of punishment.

McIlroy also was bogey-free, at least on his opening nine. Then he three-putted for bogey on No. 1 and wound up with a 41 on the front nine for a 74. Sam Burns was one shot out of the lead until playing the last four holes in five over for a 72 that felt a lot worse.

Spaun was not immune from this. He just made everything, particularly five par putts from seven feet or longer.

“I think today was one of my best maybe putting days I’ve had maybe all year,” Spaun said. “Converting those putts … that’s huge for momentum and keeping a round going, and that’s kind of what happens here at U.S. Opens.”

Spaun wouldn’t know that from experience. This is only his second U.S. Open, and his ninth major since his first one in 2018. He didn’t have to qualify, moving to No. 25 in the world on the strength of his playoff loss to McIlroy at The Players Championship.

“I haven’t played in too many,” Spaun said “I knew it was going to be tough. I did my best just to grind through it all.”

It was every bit of a grind, from the rough and on the fast greens. Three more days.

Ferguson writes for the Associated Press.

THE second golf Major of the season is here with the PGA Championship from the stunning Quail Hollow.

Having completed the Career Gland Slam at Augusta in the previous big one, Rory McIlroy will arrive at his most fruitful venue on the PGA Tour, surely in the best condition he’s ever been and with an ability to swing free.

He’s still not the pick of the bookmakers though, with Scottie Scheffler heading an ultra-competitive field in the betting markets and a host of top golfers on their tails.

SunSport’s betting experts have taken a closer look at the tournament to provide you with the best bets, exclusive offers, bonus deals and amazing price boosts.

The 7 best sign-up offers for the PGA Championship 2025

William Hill

Offer: Bet £10, Get £30 in free bets and bonuses

William Hill are marking golf’s second Major of the season with a fabulous offer for new customers, rewarding brand new punters the opportunity to claim £30 in free bets and bonuses.

BetMGM

Offer: Get £40 in free bets when you stake £10

BetMGM are rewarding new customers with £40 in free bets when staking £10 on the action from Quail Hollow! Those free bets can be used on specific bets in the BetMGM sportsbook!

talkSPORT BET

Offer: Get £30 in free bets when you place a £10 bet

Ahead of the PGA Championship, talkSPORT BET have a terrific new customer offer. New punters who sign-up and stake a tenner on any sports – including any golf market – will receive £30 in free bets.

Betfred

Offer: Get £50 in free bets if you bet £10

Betfred’s new customer offer has always been popular and in the golf world it’s no different! They are offering all brand new customers a massive £50 in free bets if you sign-up and stake just £10 on sports.

Tote

Offer: Bet £10, Get £40 in bonuses

Tote have a generous welcome bonus for new customers with a massive £40 in free bets and bonuses up for grabs when new customers place a £10 bet on the PGA Championship.

bet365

Offer: Get £30 in free bets when you bet £10

The ever-popular bet365 are giving brand new customers to a tasty £30 in free bets to spend on the upcoming PGA Championship when they register an account and stake £10 on anything!

SBK

Offer: Bet £10, Get £30 in free bets

Joining SBK now will give brand new customers £30 in free bets to spend on any sport market – including the golf Majors- when you place £10.

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PGA Championship 2025 price boosts

William Hill

Money back if Rory McIlroy wins the PGA Championship

Punters will receive their stake back as a free bet – up to a maximum of £50 – if their selection loses and Rory McIlroy WINS the PGA Championship.

The promotion applies to the first bet placed on the PGA Championship and must be placed before 6pm UK time on Thursday 15th May 2025.

talkSPORT BET

Rory McIlroy to win the PGA Championship – was 9/2 NOW 5/1

talkSPORT BET have boosted the odds on Rory McIlroy to win the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow!

The usual price of 9/2 has gone and the bookmaker is offering super boosted odds of 5/1 for the Northern Irishman to back up his Masters win with another here!

PGA Championship 2025 latest odds

Latest odds

• Scottie Scheffler – 4/1
• Rory McIlroy – 9/2
• Bryson DeChambeau – 9/1
• Jon Rahm – 18/1
• Justin Thomas – 20/1
• Xander Schauffele – 22/1
• Collin Morikawa – 22/1
• Ludvig Aberg – 25/1
• Joaquin Niemann – 33/1
• Patrick Cantlay – 40/1
• Tommy Fleetwood – 40/1
• Brooks Koepka – 45/1
• Hideki Matsuyama – 45/1
• Tyrrell Hatton – 45/1
• Viktor Hovland  – 55/1
• Shane Lowry – 55/1
• Jordan Spieth – 60/1
• Russell Henley – 70/1
• Sepp Straka – 70/1
• Corey Conners – 70/1
• Jason Day – 80/1
• Patrick Reed – 80/1
• Min Woo Lee – 90/1
• Sungjae Im – 100/1
• Daniel Berger – 100/1
• Wyndham Clark – 110/1
• Justin Rose – 110/1
• Tony Finau – 110/1
• Cameron Smith – 125/1
• Sergio Garcia – 125/1
• Dustin Johnson -125/1
• Robert MacIntyre – 125/1
• Maverick McNealy – 125/1
• Sam Burns – 125/1
• Keegan Bradley – 125/1
• Will Zalatoris – 125/1
• Si-Woo Kim – 125/1
• Keith Mitchell – 125/1
• Byeong-Hun An – 150/1
• Akhshay Bhatia – 150/1
• J.J. Spaun – 150/1
• David Puig – 150/1
• Aaron Rai – 150/1

Odds from Betfred

Terms and conditions

*BetMGM: New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 football, 1 x £10 horse racing & 2 x £10 Bet Builders. Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non UK/IE horse racing. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. Full T&Cs apply.

*talkSPORT BET: 18+ New customers only. Opt in via mobile or app and bet £10 on any sports market (odds of 2.00+) within 7 days of registration. Get 3x£10 Free Bets on selected sports markets, which expire in 7 days. Scroll for T&Cs. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly

*William Hill: 18+. Play Safe. From 00:01 on 18.10.2022. £30 bonus. New customers only. Minimum £10 stake on odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on sportsbook (excluding Virtual markets). Further terms apply.

*Betfred: New customers only. Register (excl 05/04/25), deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply.

*Tote: New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. £10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £20 Tote Credit, £10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org .Full T&Cs apply.

*bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

*SBK. New UK customers. Min £10 first deposit. Place a bet of £10 at min odds of 2.0 and get £30 in Free Bets within 48 hours. Restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply, 18+. BeGambleAware.org.

*William Hill price boost. Available 08:00 12/05 – 18:00 15/05. First cash single only on Tournament winner (excl. McIlroy or Price Boosts). FB equal to qualifying stake. Online: Max 1 FB up to £50 (Exp 25/05). Full T&Cs apply. 18+ GambleAware.Org.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware – GambleAware.org

Read our guide on responsible gambling practices.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.