The Open Championship 2025
Overview
The 153rd Open returns to the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush for the first time since Shane Lowry’s emotional victory in 2019.
At 7,344 yards (par 71) the course still clings to the edge of the Atlantic, but a handful of subtle tweaks – extra back‑tees at 4, 7 and 15 plus new run‑off areas – mean it will ask even more of the modern player.
Expect dangers in the same places as six years ago: claustrophobic internal out‑of‑bounds on 1 and 18, yawning ravines on 5 and 16, and fairways that skate across rumpled dunes rather than running between them.
Weather & Wind Watch
Weather for Portrush
- Heat to start, fresher later: Practice days look unusually balmy (highs 25‑28 °C). Temperatures slip back to the high teens once the Championship begins.
- Passing showers: Light rain is most likely on Monday and Tuesday – ideal for softening the greens before round one.
- Breeze in the usual quarter: In July the prevailing flow here is west‑south‑west, averaging 19‑20 km h‑1.
- Downwind: 2, 5, 7, 12 offer extra run.
- Into the wind: The brutish 4, the long par‑4 11 and the infamous 16 (“Calamity”) all stiffen appreciably.
- Cross‑winds: Holes that dog‑leg north‑south (8, 15, 17) become awkward when gusts quarter across the line of play.
Holes Ranked by Difficulty (based on 2019 scoring)
| Rank | Hole | Par | 2019 Avg | Chance of Dropped Shot* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 – P.G. Stevenson’s | 4 | 4.352 | 40 % |
| 2 | 14 – Causeway | 4 | 4.349 | 38 % |
| 3 | 16 – Calamity Corner | 3 | 3.247 | 35 % |
| 4 | 18 – Babington’s | 4 | 4.229 | 32 % |
| 5 | 4 – Fred Daly’s | 4 | 4.201 | 30 % |
| 6 | 1 – Hughie’s | 4 | 4.192 | 28 % |
| 7 | 9 – Darren Clarke’s | 4 | 4.172 | 26 % |
| 8 | 15 – Skerries | 4 | 4.109 | 24 % |
| 9 | 8 – Dunluce | 4 | 4.107 | 22 % |
| 10 | 6 – Harry Colt’s | 3 | 3.085 | 20 % |
| 11 | 17 – Purgatory | 4 | 4.072 | 19 % |
| 12 | 13 – Feather Bed | 3 | 3.011 | 18 % |
| 13 | 10 – Himalayas | 4 | 3.983 | 17 % |
| 14 | 3 – Islay | 3 | 2.974 | 16 % |
| 15 | 5 – White Rocks | 4 | 3.882 | 15 % |
| 16 | 7 – Curran Point | 5 | 4.871 | 14 % |
| 17 | 2 – Giant’s Grave | 5 | 4.675 | 13 % |
| 18 | 12 – Dhu Varren | 5 | 4.664 | 12 % |
*Estimated probability of a bogey or worse, scaled from 2019 stroke‑averages.
Five Strategic Talking Points
1. The Brutal Stretch (10‑12)
A run of 450‑, 475‑ and 532‑yard holes that turns back into the wind. Surviving at level par is a genuine achievement, especially if conditions mimic 2019 when the average on 11 was +0.35.
2. Calamity – Still the Card‑Wrecker
Only 41 % of the field found the green in regulation here last time. Anything leaking right disappears 60 feet into a grassy abyss; bail‑out left brings a treacherous up‑and‑down from Bobby Locke’s Hollow.
3. Risk‑Reward on 5, 7 & 17
All three tempt the aggressive play but punish greed with dunes, bunkers and awkward stances. Downwind conditions could turn the 607‑yard 7th into a two‑shotter for the longest.
4. False Fronts Everywhere
Portrush isn’t a traditional “run‑it‑in” links; most greens sit on plateaux. Anything half a club short trickles 15‑30 yards back, particularly on 4, 11 and 14.
5. Internal Out‑of‑Bounds
An unusual links feature: the white posts on 1 and 18 sit inside the club’s perimeter. History shows the championship can be lost before it truly begins (Rory’s opening‑hole 8 in 2019) or on the final swing.
What to Expect This Week
- Winning score: Mid‑teens under par if winds stay moderate; closer to ‑10 if Sunday turns squally.
- Key skills: Trajectory control in cross‑winds, strategic patience, and nerveless long‑iron play into raised greens.
- Stat to remember: In 2019 players averaged 72.17 (+1.17) for the week – proof that Dunluce still bites in an age of 190 mph ball speeds.
With a stiffer layout and the Atlantic weather looking characteristically fickle, Portrush should once again deliver a classic Open – one where resilience matters as much as raw power.