Xander Schauffele is eager to defend his British Open title at Royal Portrush, although he acknowledges the unique challenges of the course. After a victory at Royal Troon, he is ready to adapt to the new test and draw on his previous experiences,

The British Open returns to Royal Portrush this week as the world's top golfers descend on Northern Ireland, all with designs on winning the coveted the Claret Jug. Defending champion Xander Schauffele returns to defend his crown,

Of the 16 back-to-back Open Championship winners, two have won three in a row (Jamie Anderson, Bob Ferguson) while one (Young Tom Morris) captured four straight. The longest drought between back-to-back winners came from 1983 to 2005, which saw 23 years of non-consecutive champions before Tiger Woods accomplished the feat in '05 and '06.

Xander Schauffele is super-excited at the prospect of trying to defend his British Open title at Royal Portrush this week but says he will have to come up with a different plan to the one that took him to victory 12 months ago.

Winning the Claret Jug and being the “Champion Golfer of the Year” has been an intoxicating feeling for 2024 British Open winner Xander Schauffele.

Golf's oldest championship returns to Royal Portrush. It's the third time the British Open has gone to the Northern Ireland links. Shane Lowry won in 2019.

McIlroy, despite his uneven performances in the P.G.A. Championship and U.S. Open, will be among the favorites this week in his native country, as will Xander Schauffele, the defending champion, and Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked golfer in the world. Here are five other players to watch.