If you’ve ever refreshed a leaderboard page during a major, you know the tension of watching red numbers pile up. The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush delivered exactly that drama, with Scottie Scheffler (-17) cruising to a four-stroke victory.

4 related posts

2025 Champion: Scottie Scheffler (-17) ·
Venue: Royal Portrush Golf Club ·
Tournament: The Open Championship (153rd) ·
Year: 2025

Why this matters

Scheffler’s second-round 64 was the lowest round of the tournament and set up a commanding lead that never slipped below four strokes.

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Scottie Scheffler won the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush with a score of -17 (ESPN leaderboard)
  • He finished 4 strokes ahead of runner-up Harris English (ESPN)
  • The venue was Royal Portrush Golf Club, par-71, 7,381 yards (ESPN)
  • Total purse was $17,000,000 (ESPN)
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
  • 2024 Open at Royal Liverpool (The Open leaderboard archive)
  • July 2025: 153rd Open at Royal Portrush – Scottie Scheffler wins (ESPN)
  • 2026 Open: venue and dates TBD (The Open official website)
4What’s next
  • The 2026 Open Championship venue and dates will be announced later this year (The Open official website)
  • Player qualification updates for future majors are released by the R&A and PGA TOUR (PGA TOUR)

Six key details about the 153rd Open: one champion, one venue, one dominant performance.

Tournament The Open Championship
Edition 153rd
Date July 17-20, 2025
Venue Royal Portrush Golf Club
Winner Scottie Scheffler
Winning Score -17 (267)

Data from ESPN leaderboard and The Open official site.

Who won the 2025 Open?

Scottie Scheffler’s winning performance

  • Scheffler shot rounds of 68, 64, 67, and 68 for a total of 267 (ESPN)
  • His 17-under par was four strokes clear of the field (ESPN)
  • He earned $3,100,000 and 750 FedExCup points (PGA TOUR)

The implication: Scheffler’s round-two 64 turned the tournament. After that surge, he never relinquished the lead.

Final leaderboard top 10

  • Harris English finished second at -13 (271) (ESPN)
  • Chris Gotterup finished third at -12 (272) (ESPN)
  • Wyndham Clark, Robert MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy, and Xander Schauffele were tied at -10 (PGA TOUR)
  • Matt Fitzpatrick finished at -9 after round two but final details on GolfMagic

What this means: The top of the board featured both established stars (McIlroy, Schauffele) and breakout names like Chris Gotterup, showing the depth of the field.

What was the leaderboard for The Open 2024?

2024 champion and key scores

The 2024 Open was held at Royal Liverpool. The full leaderboard is available on The Open leaderboard archive. While the winner is not detailed here, the 2024 event serves as a historical baseline for comparing scoring trends at different links courses.

How 2024 compares to 2025

  • Royal Liverpool is a par-72 course; Royal Portrush is par-71.
  • Winning scores: 2025 Scheffler -17; 2024 winner score available on The Open archive (The Open)
  • Portrush’s shorter yardage (7,381 yards) contributed to lower scores compared to Hoylake’s 7,383 yards.

The pattern: Royal Portrush consistently yields lower winning scores due to its more exposed links layout and receptive greens.

What are the tee times for The Open 2025?

Round 1 and 2 tee times

Tee times for the 153rd Open are typically announced one week before the tournament. Round 1 starts at 6:30 AM BST. The official tee-time page (The Open tee times) will publish the schedule once released.

Marquee groupings

Groupings are determined by the R&A based on world ranking and past results. For 2025, notable groups likely include Scheffler, McIlroy, and Schauffele. Exact pairings will be announced alongside tee times.

The catch

Tee times are subject to change due to weather—Royal Portrush’s coastal conditions can shift quickly, prompting early or late starts.

What is the U.S. Open leaderboard 2025?

Key differences between The Open and U.S. Open leaderboards

The U.S. Open is a separate major conducted by the USGA. Its 2025 leaderboard is not yet available as the tournament is scheduled for June 2026 (the 2025 event was already held). For live scoring during the U.S. Open, visit the official USGA site.

The implication: Scheffler’s four-stroke margin was the widest of any major in 2025.

Player Score (to par) Total Strokes Earnings ($)
Scottie Scheffler -17 267 3,100,000
Harris English -13 271 1,500,000
Chris Gotterup -12 272 1,000,000
Wyndham Clark -10 274 750,000
Robert MacIntyre -10 274 750,000

Data from ESPN and PGA TOUR.

The catch: While earnings reflect performance, they don’t show the margin—Scheffler’s $1.6M gap over English is larger than the average major gap, indicating a dominant win.

How does The Open leaderboard work?

Scoring format: stroke play

  • The Open uses stroke play: total strokes over 72 holes minus par determines the winner (The Open official site)
  • Players play 18 holes per day, with a cut after 36 holes to the top 70 and ties
  • The leaderboard shows: position, player, to par, today’s score, total, round scores

Reading the leaderboard columns

  • To par: the player’s score relative to the course par (e.g., -17 means 17 strokes under par)
  • Today: the score from the current round
  • Total: cumulative strokes across all completed rounds
  • Red numbers = under par; black = over par

Why this matters: Negatives are good in golf—the leaderboard uses red to highlight players gaining on the field.

Bottom line: The Open leaderboard is updated in real-time on the official website. For casual viewers, the “to par” column is the most important—lower is better. For fantasy players, tracking “today’s score” shows momentum shifts.

Timeline of The Open Championship

  • 2024: The 152nd Open at Royal Liverpool (winner available on The Open archive)
  • July 2025: 153rd Open at Royal Portrush – Scottie Scheffler wins with -17 (ESPN)
  • 2026: The 154th Open – venue and dates TBD (The Open official website)

What we know and what’s still uncertain

Confirmed facts

  • Scottie Scheffler won the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush with -17 (ESPN)
  • Harris English finished runner-up at -13 (ESPN)
  • Course: Royal Portrush, par-71, 7,381 yards (ESPN)
  • Total prize purse: $17,000,000 (ESPN)

What’s unclear

  • Exact tee times for 2025 Open (not yet published)
  • Winner of the 2026 Open (future event)
  • Venue for the 2026 Open (expected but unconfirmed)
  • 2024 Open winner not detailed here (see The Open archive)

Expert perspectives

“Keep up to date with the latest scores here on The Open website!”

— The Open official site (tier-1 source)

“During the second round, Scottie Scheffler surged to the top of the leaderboard after shooting a 7-under 64.”

— GolfMagic (gear and tournament analysis)

For golf fans who follow the leaderboard, the lesson is clear: rely on official sources like The Open website for real-time updates, not social media, to avoid missing the dramatic shifts that happen during a round. The catch: even the best leaderboard can’t capture the wind and rain that make Royal Portrush one of the toughest links courses in the world. For fantasy league players, the choice is clear: track “to par” and “today” separately to spot players who are charging on moving day.

Additional sources

theopen.com

For a detailed breakdown of prize money and final standings, see The Open 2025 leaderboard and payouts at Royal Portrush.

Don't miss these

Frequently asked questions

How often is the Open leaderboard updated?

The official leaderboard is updated in real-time, typically every few minutes during play, and after each hole for the featured groups (The Open).

What does ‘to par’ mean on the leaderboard?

It shows the player’s score relative to the course par. For example, -17 means 17 strokes under par. Lower numbers are better (The Open).

Can I follow the Open leaderboard on mobile?

Yes, the official website and the Open app offer mobile-friendly leaderboards with live updates.

How many players make the cut at The Open?

The cut after 36 holes is to the top 70 players and ties (The Open rules).

What is the prize money distribution for The Open 2025?

The total purse was $17,000,000. The winner earned $3,100,000, with the runner-up receiving $1,500,000 (PGA TOUR).

Who holds the record for the lowest Open score?

The record for the lowest 72-hole score is 264 by Collin Morikawa at Royal St George’s in 2021 (The Open).

Is the Open leaderboard free to access?

Yes, the official leaderboard on theopen.com is free and does not require a subscription.