Mark McGowan at Royal Portrush
It must’ve seemed like the longest three minutes of his life, but that’s how much time elapsed between Pádraig Harrington teeing his ball up and eventually being free to pull the trigger after the rapturous applause had died down following the two-time Claret Jug winner’s “on the tee” announcement.
It may have been just after 6:30 am, but there wasn’t a spare seat to be found in the first tee grandstand, and there must’ve been close to a thousand others lined up along the ropes – also the out-of-bounds lines – making the already narrow driving lane even more claustrophobic. The already stiffish breeze blowing into and off the right didn’t help.
Nerves? He wouldn’t be human if his stomach wasn’t filled with butterflies, but he knew that would be the case. When he spoke to the press after his Wednesday practise session, he hadn’t fully decided what club he was hitting, but he had 3-iron in his hand from the moment Ronan Flood had deposited his bag on the side of the tee box and he tried his best to stay loose as he waited for David Lancaster to call out the now iconic words.
The opening tee shot of The 153rd Open. pic.twitter.com/rRZokRqF8M
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025
The wait was over, and after taking his stance, he sent his ball soaring right down the middle, after which he cracked a wide grin, finally able to appreciate the moment and the honour for what it was.
Another 3-iron later, he sized up a 15-foot birdie putt and rolled it dead centre to record one of the most impressive birdies in what is now his 28th Open Championship campaign. And the beaming grin was back.
First tee shot. First birdie of the day.
Padraig Harrington is off to a strong start. pic.twitter.com/2KocjHdbcu
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025
The 153rd Open Championship was up-and-running, and Harrington had recorded its first birdie.
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