Only four rounds of major championship golf remain in 2025. Before you know it, once the Ryder Cup passes in September, the countdown to April and the 2026 Masters will commence and a dark seventh-month period will engulf golf fans seeking a sense of direction and a sense of purpose.
So, cherish the 2025 Open Championship. Cherish the carnage which Royal Portrush may unleash on the world’s best golfer. Cherish the weather, which may wreak havoc, and the smell of fresh coffee in the pot as those of you in North America wake up to a random name atop the leaderboard Thursday morning.
There is nothing quite like The Open, especially one set in Northern Ireland – a true rarity in the history of this championship. There is nothing like watching players battle internal and external elements with those inside often presenting more danger than the wind and rain they trudge through. There is nothing like this championship in this setting in this field at this time. And there will never be another like it.

Expectations were high then, and they may be even higher now, but the 36-year-old is much better equipped, too. He’s battered down the demons of the past already this season, so who says he can’t do it again? Rejuvenated and refreshed, Rory rolls into Royal Portrush with the wind of his home nation in his sails.

There are others, of course, as a major championship can not be discussed without mentioning of the top player in the sport. That is still Scottie Scheffler for those you wondering at home. The world No. 1 has not finished outside the top 10 in a golf tournament since early March, and he is not far off from figuring out the nuances of links golf.
Winning two majors in the same season would certainly suffice, and The Open -- despite the perception -- may well be a great chance for him to do just that. It would elevate his count to four and push his name past players like Jordan Spieth and Vijay Singh.