The Open Championship 2025
JULY 17-20, ROYAL PORTRUSH, COUNTY ANTRIM

The 153rd Open Championship, the world’s oldest golf tournament,
returns to the challenging, undulating, windswept links
of Royal Portrush for the first time since 2019

GUIDE TO LINKS GOLF

Location: Traditionally played on coastal courses, harnessing topography of undulating dunes 

Terrain: Typically sandy soil,
leading to firm, fast-paced fairways

Gameplay: Natural features and native grasses
replace heavily manicured landscapes

Weather: Strong,
unpredictable winds
require skillful
shotmaking and
adaptability

Hazards: Deep pot bunkers
provide tough challenge
to escape, and dense
gorse bushes test
recovery strokes

Open venues

Championship currently hosted at 10 courses in rotation, and total of 14 over its history

Host courses 
Discontinued

Carnoustie 
Championships hosted: 8

St Andrews (30)
Muirfield (16)
Musselburgh (6)
Royal Troon (10) 
Royal Portrush (3) including 2025
Prestwick (24)
Turnberry (4)
Royal Lytham & St Annes (11)
Royal Birkdale (10)
Royal Liverpool (13)
Royal St George’s (15)
Prince’s (1) 
Royal Cinque Ports (2)

Links courses are
considered by
many as purest
form of golf

Five-time major winner
Rory McIlroy
Triumphed at Hoylake
at 2014 Open. Ended
11-year drought for
major title at U.S.
Masters – achieving
golfing immortality
by becoming only
sixth man to win
all four majors

Xander
Schauffele
2024 champion,
at Royal Troon

Champion Golfers

Jersey-born Harry Vardon stands alone
with six titles, followed by many of golf’s most
famous names. Max Faulkner (1951)
and Shane Lowry (2019) are only
winners at Royal Portrush to date

6 Harry Vardon JEY 	1896, 98, 99, 1903, 11, 14
5 Peter Thomson AUS 	1954, 55, 56, 58, 65
5 Tom Watson USA 	1975, 77, 80, 82, 83
4 Walter Hagen USA 	1922, 24, 28, 29
3 Jack Nicklaus USA 	1966, 70, 78
3 Tiger Woods USA	2000, 05, 06

*Selected players only

RECENT CHAMPIONS 		Score
2024 Xander Schauffele USA	-9
2023 Brian Harman USA		-13
2022 Cameron Smith AUS 		-20
2021 Collin Morikawa USA 		-15
2020 Tournament cancelled 
2019 Shane Lowry IRE 		-15
2018 Francesco Molinari ITA 	-8
2017 Jordan Spieth USA 		-12
2016 Henrik Stenson SWE 		-20
2015 Zach Johnson USA 		-15
2014 Rory McIlroy NIR		-17

Claret Jug
Edinburgh silver, 20 3⁄4 inches tall. Introduced in 1872 after Young Tom Morris won Challenge Belt outright with third Open victory

OPEN CHAMPIONS BY COUNTRY: Inaugural 1860 tournament contested by eight
professional golfers at Prestwick. Champion Willie Park Sr received Challenge Belt,
bought from Edinburgh silversmith for £25 (around £3,890 / $4,970 today)

United States			48
Scotland 			41 
England (including Jersey)	28
South Africa			10
Australia			10
Other countries			6
Spain, N. Ireland, Ireland	3
 
Total 90 winners

Hole-by-hole scorecard
2019
statistics

		Hughies		Giant’s 		Islay		Fred		White		Harry
				Grave				Daly’s 		Rocks		Colt’s
		(1st) Par 4	(2nd) Par 5	(3rd) Par 3	(4th) Par 4	(5th) Par 4	(6th) Par 3
Distance*	420yrds		575yrds		176yrds		502yrds		372yrds		193yrds
Average		4.19		4.68		2.97		4.20		3.88		3.09
Birdies+		41		186		71		40		115		48
Pars		316		235		329		304		297		330
Bogeys+		101		37		58		114		46		80
Fairways hit	71.6%		53.1%		–		71.2%		42.1%		–

		Curran		Dunluce		Tavern		Himalayas	PG		Dhu
		Point								Stevenson's	Varren
		(7th) Par 5	(8th) Par 4	(9th) Par 4	(10th) Par 4	(11th) Par 4	(12th) Par 5
Distance*	607yrds		434yrds		432yrds		450yrds		475yrds		532yrds
Average		4.87		4.11		4.17		3.98		4.35		4.66
Birdies+		139		62		43		81		41		196
Pars		242		297		303		311		249		216
Bogeys+		77		99		112		66		168		46
Fairways hit	61.4%		68.3%		52.0%		59.2%		46.7%		52.8%

		Feather		Causeway		Skerries		Calamity		Purgatory		Babington’s
		Bed						Corner				
		(13th) Par 3	(14th) Par 4	(15th) Par 4	(16th) Par 3	(17th) Par 4	(18th) Par 4
Distance*	199yrds		466yrds		429yrds		236yrds		409yrds		474yrds
Average		3.01		4.35		4.11		3.25		4.07		4.23
Birdies+		66		34		69		24		71		44
Pars		324		255		281		305		302		284
Bogeys+		68		169		108		129		85		130
Fairways hit	–		60.0%		67.5%		–		38.4%		70.4%


Driving distance leaders (average, 2025):
Aldrich Potgieter, 325.4yds
Rory McIlroy, 320.6yds

Total course length
7,381yds

Portrush Course
Course at record length
in 2025, with changes
made at 4th and 7th
holes – increasing
overall length
by 37 yards

Clubhouse

© GRAPHIC NEWS
Pictures: Getty Images
Source: R&A Championships