The final major of the golf season is underway. Is it too soon? That’s the question Jay Busbee asked earlier this week, but regardless, it’s here in the form of the 153rd British Open.
This year’s host is Royal Portrush, the only course in all of Ireland to ever host The Open. That instantly made Rory McIlroy the overwhelming favorite for fans outside the ropes. The last time Portrush hosted the event, in 2019, McIlroy famously hit his drive on the very first hole out of bounds, leading to a quadruple bogey eight and, eventually, an early exit from the tournament before the weekend began.
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Fellow countryman Shane Lowry went on to win the tournament, so Ireland did get to celebrate.
Now McIlroy is back, as the second favorite behind only world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Scheffler started in the early wave and, despite a few early hiccups, has put himself smack in contention thanks to two birdies in his final three holes. A 3-under 68 put him just one shot back of the leaders when he hit the clubhouse. But, as the afternoon wave got going, the group at the top ballooned to six.
We’ve made our picks to win, which you can find here. You can watch the tournament on USA Network, where coverage goes from 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET.
Follow along right here as Yahoo Sports covers Round 1:
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