The Open offers extra Ryder Cup points, and the U.S. captain's second round at Royal Portrush put him in position to gobble up some.

Bookmark this play if Rory McIlroy is in the mix this weekend for the claret jug. McIlroy overcame a shaky driver to turn in a one-under 70 Thursday at Royal Portrush and opened his second round with a birdie.

Royal Portrush showed its teeth on Thursday as the 2025 Open Championship field got the full links golf experience. The weather shifted and changed throughout the first round to create challenging scoring conditions, and some handled it better than the rest as the first 18 holes concluded in Northern Ireland.

The season-ending event at East Lake doles out what the PGA Tour calls "bonus money" and is not counted towards a player's official earnings on the money list.

Golf fans will never (ever) be able to hit a golf ball like Rory McIlroy, but they can at least try to practice chipping like the five-time major champ this week. Well, the way he practiced long (long) before he was ever even a one-time major champ.

The world’s top-ranked golfer is a shot off the first-round lead on a day with sunlight, rain, breezes and strong gusts at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

According to BBC weather, Portrush is projected to have light rain and a gentle breeze. The rain is projected to start at 4 a.m. Eastern and ending around 4 p.m. If rain does fall, The Open is not expected to delay tee times or stop play on the course.

Nothing spooks pros more than white stakes, and the very first tee shot at Royal Portrush features two sets of them. Out of bounds down the left and right sides meant players see the lifespan of their 2025 Open Championship dreams flash before their eyes.