Five Share Lead After First Round at British Open

The opening round of the 2025 British Open at Royal Portrush ended with a historic five-way tie for the lead at 4-under 67, shared by Harris English, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jacob Skov Olesen, Haotong Li, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, the largest first-round logjam since 1938. Harris English played with a substitute caddie after his regular caddie faced visa issues, while Matt Fitzpatrick chipped in for birdie at the difficult 'Calamity Corner.' World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, hampered by hitting just three of 14 fairways in the challenging weather, finished one shot back at 68, maintaining his streak of top-10 finishes. Rory McIlroy, cheered by a home crowd, finished at 1-under 70 after a steady round in tough conditions. Wind and rain contributed to slow play and limited low scores throughout the field. The second round is set to begin early Friday as top contenders remain tightly grouped on the leaderboard.