The Open storylines to follow: Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, English hopes and more at Royal Portrush

Who will claim major glory at The Open this week? Six storylines to follow at Royal Portrush, including Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, English hopes and more...

Can McIlroy deliver home major win?

Just over three months on from completing the career Grand Slam at The Masters, Rory McIlroy has the chance to add to his major tally with what would be a fairy-tale win on home soil.

Royal Portrush has undergone significant changes since McIlroy fired a course-record there as a 16-year-old amateur in 2005, with the 'home venue' one he has played dozens of times - but where he failed to deliver as pre-tournament favourite when The Open was last here in 2019.

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McIlroy fired a quadruple-bogey eight on the first hole and triple-bogeyed the par-four last during an opening-round 79 that year, then was reduced to tears after a second-round 65 left him missing the cut by a shot.

The pressure for him to end his major drought has since been lifted, with that 11-year wait over after play-off victory at Augusta National in April. The world No 2 is now setting his sights on winning in Northern Ireland for the first time in his professional career.

McIlroy's victory at The Masters was his third of the PGA Tour season, while the dip in sharpness since Grand Slam success seems to be over after a runner-up finish at the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday.

The 36-year-old said he was 'really happy' with his game ahead of his return to his homeland, where victory would see him match Sir Nick Faldo's record of six major titles. Should McIlroy lift the Claret Jug on Sunday, there would arguably be no more popular winner.

Will the wait end for an English champion?

While the island of Ireland has taken home five Claret Jugs over the past 20 years, there has not been a Scottish winner this century and England has only produced one Champion Golfer since the 1969 contest.

No Englishman was won The Open since Sir Nick Faldo claimed the Claret Jug for a third time in 1992, but - as of July 14 - there are 21 players in the field looking to end that run and become the first male English major champion since Matt Fitzpatrick's 2022 US Open success.

Fitzpatrick showed signs of a return to form with a tied-fourth finish in Scotland on Sunday, while Tommy Fleetwood was runner-up to Shane Lowry here in 2019 and narrowly missed out on a maiden PGA Tour title at the Travelers Championship last month.

Justin Rose was joint runner-up at Royal Troon last year and finished second to McIlroy at The Masters earlier this year, with the former world No 1 finishing sixth in Scotland and is another contender to push for a second major title.

Tyrrell Hatton impressed at the US Open last month and is a three-time winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship - with Aaron Rai and former world No 1 Lee Westwood others who could go well.

Is Scheffler the man to beat at Royal Portrush?

Scottie Scheffler's dominance shows little sign of stopping, with the world No 1 finishing no worse than eighth in his last 10 worldwide starts and the favourite to claim a fourth major title in as many years.

Only a cold putter over the weekend prevented him from being closer to champion Chris Gotterup in Scotland, where Scheffler had to settle for tied-eighth, although he has won three times already this season and is fully expected to contend once again.

Scheffler was tied-seventh at Royal Troon last year and has top-25 finishes in every appearance at this event, with the American now looking to match what Xander Schauffele did in 2024 by winning the PGA Championship and The Open in the same season.

No active world No 1 has won The Open since Tiger Woods successfully defended the Claret Jug in 2006, but Scheffler has already matched plenty of Woods' records over recent seasons on the PGA Tour. Can he do it again?

Schauffele also ended tied-eighth in Scotland and will target a successful title defence at The Open, something that only Woods and Padraig Harrington have managed this century.

Will a LIV Golf player win The Open?

There are a record 19 full-time LIV Golf players scheduled to tee it up in this week's field - the most in any major since the circuit launched, with Cameron Smith (2022), Henrik Stenson (2016), Phil Mickelson (2013) and Louis Oosthuizen (2010) qualifying as past champions.

This year was the first time a special category was created for LIV Golf players, with Sergio Garcia securing his spot as the highest-ranked player - not already exempt - in the LIV Golf Individual standings, while Hatton is another LIV Golf player who could impress.

Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson all hold automatic spots as major winners over the past five years, with Joaquin Niemann and Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin exempt because of their positions in last year's Race to Dubai standings on the DP World Tour.

Rahm would appear the most likely to challenge for the Claret Jug from that contingent, having posted three top-eights in his last four majors, and he continues to be a top-10 machine on LIV Golf. It would be no surprise to see the Spaniard high up the leaderboard on Sunday.

Who can make a late Ryder Cup statement?

This week's event is the last major in the race to qualify for the Ryder Cup this September at Bethpage Black, with just a handful of tournaments left to earn points to feature for Team Europe or Team USA.

McIlroy is the only player mathematically confirmed in Luke Donald's European team, although Fleetwood, Hatton, Bob MacIntyre, Lowry and Sepp Straka - currently rounding off the automatic spots - will all likely feature in New York.

Rasmus Hojgaard, Thomas Detry and Matt Wallace will be among those trying to stake their claim for Ryder Cup debuts, while Rose and Fitzpatrick are two members of the victorious team in Rome still chasing a Ryder Cup place.

Scheffler is safely in for Team USA, with Schauffele, JJ Spaun, Russell Henley, DeChambeau and Justin Thomas the current top six for captain Keegan Bradley - who appears increasingly likely to feature as a player after his Travelers Championship win last month.

How much will the weather impact The Open?

Heavy rain and strong winds led to brutal conditions for the final round of The Open in 2019, although - as things stand - the early forecast suggests slightly better weather on the Causeway Coast this time around.

Three of the last four Opens have had at least one day of poor weather, adding to the challenge of links golf, but the current outlook suggests "light to moderate winds" and "slightly above average" temperatures over the four tournament days.

Rain is in the forecast, although it seems like the shots of saturated players - and fans - we witnessed during Lowry's victory are currently less likely. With over 275,000 spectators attending across tournament week, that will be welcomed.

How can I watch The Open live on Sky Sports?

Sky Sports is once again the exclusive home of The Open, with live coverage from all seven days of tournament week and round-the-clock coverage of the final men's major of the year.

There are seven hours of live coverage on the Monday and Tuesday practice days at Royal Portrush before a bumper nine hours of live programming on Wednesday, starting at 9am each morning.

Wall-to-wall coverage of The Open then begins at 6.30am on Thursday July 17 on Sky Sports Golf, with live action available for all four tournament days and a host of extra feeds also available on Sky Sports+.

Who will win The Open? Watch the final men's major of the year throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday from 6.30am on Sky Sports Golf. Stream The Open and more top sport with no contract.

(c) Sky Sports 2025: The Open storylines to follow: Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, English hopes and more at Royal Portrush