A British Claret Jug Winner

Who’s in with a Shout at Royal Portrush this summer?
The 153rd Open will return to the beautiful Royal Portrush golf course on the weekend of July 17th – 20th. The world’s oldest golf Major always feels extra special, not least because it tends to herald the fact that we are truly in summertime. Nonetheless, it arguably just trails the Masters as the most prestigious tournament on the golf calendar, and every golfer dreams of lifting the Claret Jug on a Sunday evening.

Could it be a Brit again this year? There are reasons to be optimistic as many British players tend to do well on the links courses, and they will relish the challenge thrown at them by Royal Portrush. Moreover, some of Britain’s best hopes are carrying good form into the summer. Here are five that could – at the very least – do well over the 72 holes at Royal Portrush in July.

Rory McIlroy
McIlroy tends to sit on the fence about his Irish-Northern-Irish-British identity, but he won’t care a jot who claims him if he wins yet another Major. McIlroy has arguably been the most consistently great player over the last 15 years. Certainly, in terms of years spent near the top of the world rankings. There is also a sense that he will be playing with less pressure since he got that now infamous Major drought off his back by winning the Masters in April. While that Masters victory was special, McIlroy would love to do the business in Portrush, which is more or less a home tournament for him. He’ll be significantly backed in the golf odds to win a second Claret Jug.

Tommy Fleetwood
The affable Tommy Fleetwood would be a popular winner at Royal Portrush. He has shown over the years that he has the ability to mix it up with the world’s best, so it’s just about taking that next step to capture a Major. It shouldn’t be overlooked that his best-ever finish at The Open – in any Major – came in the 2019 event at Royal Portrush. If he plays to his full potential, there is good reason to believe he could be in contention once again.

Tyrell Hatton
Most of Hatton’s best performances in Majors have come at The Open. He was actually 6th when the Open was held in Portrush, which again backs up our theory about British (and Irish) players thriving there in July. Hatton is currently on the LIV Golf tour, so it can always be a bit unpredictable when those players return to mix it up with those on the PGA and European Tours. Nonetheless, he has it in him to get into contention.

Aaron Rai
The Englishman is not yet a household name, but he soon could be. Rai will be playing the Open for a fourth time in 2025, but he has really made little impression on any Major thus far. He has been consistently improving his world ranking over the past year (he is now inside the world’s top 25). He also has a PGA Tour win under his belt. Rai is a big outsider, but his career trajectory makes him an interesting candidate. One to watch and definitely one for the future.

Justin Rose
It will be a tall order for Justin Rose to roll back the years at Portrush, yet golf can deliver these magical moments where players who are perceived to be past their prime pull a rabbit from the hat – just look at Tiger Woods in 2019. Anyway, Rose showed at Augusta in April that he is still capable of taking on the world’s best. He’s a savvy player, and he could well be in the mix on the final day.




Article Author: D. Jefford, Freelance Writer.
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