Every tournament pumps out a magnitude of sizzle and hype. It can be related to an inaugural event on the PGA TOUR or a first-ever appearance of a budding star in a professional competition. Then, and of course, there are the majors that the entire world is watching.

Not that The Open Championship needed any help in that department – this is the 153rd edition after all – but the return to Royal Portrush hits different. That’s in part due to its unique location (for this tournament) in Northern Ireland and the fact that, when it hosted in 2019, it was the first-ever sellout in Open history.

But that’s not all. Rising to the occasion for his first win in a major was Shane Lowry. It’s a coincidence, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s Irish, but his full-of-life personality positions him atop the list of hangs with whom you’d want to celebrate even if he weren’t The Open champion. But he was, and he’s back.

Lowry leads 156 in the field at Royal Portrush for the final major of 2025. Details on how he got the job done, what Royal Portrush requires, what’s new, and much more are below.

When The R&A originally announced that it was taking The Open back to Royal Portrush, thus ending an extended hiatus from its only prior duty as the host in 1951, it added the promise of two more Opens by 2040. Well, after the bonanza of 2019, it was only two years later when The R&A officially circled 2025 for the third chapter in Open history for the Harry Colt design. To accommodate the demand of fans who want to attend, another 30% of the property has been reserved for the mingle. Sláinte!

The course itself does not need to expand commensurately. At 7,381 yards, it’s only 37 yards longer than it tested from the tips six years ago. The bulk of the bump is courtesy of a new tee on the par-4 fourth hole that now reaches 502 yards, reflective of a 20-yard increase. Overall par remains 71.

Royal Portrush consists of two 18-hole tracks, but only Dunluce Links is used for tournament play. Ahead of the 2019 Open, two holes on Valley Links were replaced by designers Martin Ebert and Tom Mackenzie to create a new par-5 seventh hole and par-4 eighth on Dunluce. The field averaged 72.175 for the tournament, and that included a final-round split of almost 2.25 strokes over par in wind and rain.

As there is for every major, there are hills to climb, a reference both metaphorically to the challenge and literally as it concerns the undulating landscape that yields stunning views of land and sea from Royal Portrush. As it concerns the former, the par-4 11th and 14th holes both averaged approximately 0.35 strokes over par and landed inside the top-10 hardest of 882 holes played throughout the 2018-19 PGA TOUR season. It’s on holes like those on which every golfer, regardless of success and experience, must remember to take what the course gives, but try not to give what the course wants to take. It’s links golf. Embracing good fortune no matter a strike is the mindset. So is accepting misfortune following the purest of contact. Luckier than good plays in these parts.

Somewhere, Lowry is nodding in favor of that, although he’s the outlier, having prevailed by six strokes at 15-under 269. He kept himself out of most trouble off the tee (particularly the gnarly marram grass that helps frame the routing) in ranking T22 in fairways hit, but he missed a field-low 15 greens in regulation across 72 holes, and he ranked third in scrambling when he was wayward. Fescue greens should measure upwards of 11 using the Stimpmeter.

As of midday Monday, 80 golfers in the field tuned up for the test at the Genesis Scottish Open. They’re not only acclimated to the touches on approach and with the putter but also with the time zone. Like The Renaissance Club, Royal Portrush is also on British Summer Time, which is five hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time in the United States.

Fifty-two participants of the 2019 Open are committed this week, including nine of the top-10 finishers. They got a taste for a relatively benign Royal Portrush as well as the version that bit back in the finale. While the disclaimer for expecting or even preparing for weather more than, say, five minutes from now should just be the default thinking for all, the early baseline includes a reasonable chance for rain every day throughout the tournament. The guarantee is that the wind will blow often.

In addition to the usual perks reserved for every champion, the buffet of benefits for The Open champion is first rate. Once the claret jug is his, he’s exempt into The Open through the age of 60. He’ll also lock up spots in the other three majors through 2030, which is also through which his PGA TOUR membership will be extended if eligible. The top four finishers will earn an exemption into the 2026 Masters, while the top 10 can begin their travel plans for the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.COM’s Rob Bolton previews and recaps every tournament. Refer to the timing of his contributions below. He’s also active as @RobBoltonGolf on X where you can connect with him.

• MONDAY: Power Rankings (Open Championship)
• TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (Barracuda Championship); Fantasy Insider
• SUNDAY: Points and Payouts (Open Championship); Points and Payouts (Barracuda Championship); Qualifiers

* Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by PGA TOUR Superstore, which also publishes on Tuesday.