It was a return six years in the making, and it was a return that perfectly encapsulated Rory McIlroy. Making the trek back to Royal Portrush for The Open Championship -- now as a career grand slam winner -- the Northern Irishman experienced a topsy-turvy day as the hard stuff came easy and the easy stuff came hard.

In pursuit of his second major of the year, former Texas Longhorns golfer Scottie Scheffler is one behind the leaders at the 153rd British Open.

The world's top pro golfers compete at the 2025 season's final major tournament at Royal Portrush Golf Club's Dunluce Course in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. That includes the event's favorites Scottie Scheffler and this year's Masters champion Rory McIlroy, as well as the Open's defending champion Xander Schauffele.

The PGA Tour's Open Championship begins on Thursday in Scotland, where the top players on tour will compete at the Royal Portrush Golf Club's Dunluce Course.

The first round of the 2025 Open Championship is officially in the books. What was the biggest surprise Thursday at Royal Portrush?

SportsLine's model simulated the 2025 British Open 10,000 times and revealed its PGA Tour golf picks for Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and others from Royal Portrush

The Open Championship prize purse for 2025 will be the same as the 2024's, a total of $17 million. The winner will claim a significant portion of the total, $3.1 million, while the runner-up will claim $ 1.7 million and the third place finisher will take home $1.1 million.