Hard to believe, but the season’s final major is upon us.
There is more golf to be played in 2025 but the British Open is the last chance for 156 players to grab individual immortality. Royal Portrush is the setting, a triumphant story in itself as a now steady part of the Open rota after decades on the outside looking in.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy is the unquestioned favorite among homeland fans, and he arrived at Portrush early to take everything in. Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 who also owns a 2025 major title, went deep with the media this week about the meaning of stardom and winning in one of the more interesting press conferences you’ll see.
Robert MacIntyre is perhaps a little less introspective—sometimes he just wants to smash something when his game turns sour. Xander Schauffele doesn’t run quite so hot, and he’s more of a look-ahead guy. How else to explain not knowing where your Olympic gold medal is?
As usual, LIV Golf has been a pre-tournament talking point, from R&A CEO Mark Darbon acknowledging the league's OWGR submission to Scheffler saying LIV players should get points to Bryson DeChambeau discussing how his circuit could make changes. Thankfully, all that chatter dies down once play begins.
And remember to get that coffee on for the early tee times in the U.S. Here's how to watch all four rounds.
So who do you have taking home Claret Jug and the title of Champion Golfer of the Year? Writers and editors from the Sports Illustrated Golf team have made their picks, with a lean toward the local hero.
Bob Harig, SI Golf Senior Writer: Rory McIlroy. He’s over the Masters lull. He’s back in his home country. He seems committed to the task and looking for new worlds to conquer. And his attitude appears better suited to dealing with the expectations of a home Open. Two majors this year would be epic.
John Pluym, SI.com Managing Editor: Rory McIlroy. After picking McIlroy to win the Masters, I backed off him going into the final round. I won't make that mistake this time. His game appears to be coming around at the right time as he heads home to play the British Open. I think he finds a way to win and also lock down Player of the Year honors.
Jeff Ritter, SI Golf Managing Director: I’ll be the guy to make the boring (and smart!) pick and go with Scottie Scheffler. Look, the weather could shake this up and give us a random winner who’s a potential lotto ticket. But Scheffler is the best player in the world and three career majors still feels light for the resume he’s putting together. Of course I like picks for McIlroy, but if we get a mild weather week Scheffler is the guy to beat.
Michael Rosenberg, SI Senior Writer: Rory McIlroy. For all the talk in the golf world about this era's depth of talent, it is actually quite common for players to win multiple majors in a short period. Since 2015, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele have all won twice in a four-major stretch. Before that, McIroy did it. At this Scottish Open last week, McIlroy showed that his Masters victory lap is over. He is ready to perform for the Portrush crowd, and that crowd is ready for him.
Max Schreiber, SI Golf Contributor: Part of me wants to take Scottie Scheffler. He’s bound to win across the pond eventually. But I’m going to go Tommy Fleetwood here. He has three top 10s at the British, most notably a runner-up in 2019 … at Portrush. Even though helost the Travelers a few weeks ago in Brutal fashion, it showed his game is trending in the right direction. Now, he’ll finally breakthrough and become the first Englishman since 1992 to win the oldest major.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 British Open Predictions: Our Picks to Win at Royal Portrush.
