The collapse of plans to host matches in football's Euro 2028 tournament in Belfast damaged Northern Ireland's reputation in the world of sport. The spectacular pictures and smooth running of The Open at Royal Portrush have helped to regain some of the reputational ground which was lost.

So here is our final major big board of the year, ranking the top 30 golfers in the field. This is not simply the 30 best golfers in a vacuum. These are the 30 golfers that our crack team of Gabby Herzig, Hugh Kellenberger and Brody Miller believe are best suited to win this week at Royal Portrush.

How to watch every single shot from the biggest names in golf throughout Round 4 at the 2025 Open Championship

While Rory McIlroy’s Northern Ireland homecoming didn’t have the fairytale finish of winning a second Claret Jug at Royal Portrush, the atmosphere surrounding his return was still the highlight of an unforgettable Open Championship.

HOLYWOOD, Northern Ireland — Two decades before Rory McIlroy’s career-defining triumph, when he finally conquered his Masters demons with an emotional rollercoaster of a win at Augusta National, he did, in fact, already own a green jacket.

By the time Rory McIlroy finished his first practice round for the British Open at Royal Portrush, a big crowd that weathered rain and sunshine was waiting to see him finish.

Five facts about Rory McIlroy and his family, from his modest beginnings to world-renowned golf champion and family fan

Erica Stoll was born in New York in 1987. The pair first met in the 2012 Ryder Cup when a sleepy McIlroy got his tee times mixed up and was late for his tee time. Stoll, a PGA Tour of America employee, was on hand to help McIlroy get up and to the golf course.