The Open Championship had a little bit of everything Thursday, from sunshine to rain, a breeze to strong gusts. And no surprise, it had Scottie Scheffler right in the mix.

Matt Fitzpatrick was among five co-leaders through Thursday's first round of the 2025 British Open, while No. 1 Scottie Scheffler lurks at Royal Portrush.

Two days after the eye-opening deep riff on the meaning of life that world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler delivered in his pre-tournament press conference, he posted a 3-under-par 68 in the first round of the British Open Thursday at Portrush.

In a now-viral speech, Scottie Scheffler questioned the fulfillment of winning tournaments and why it matters at Royal Portrush Golf Club ahead of the British Open.

HOME HERO: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland made a late birdie for a 70 and was three shots behind. The last time he played the British Open at Royal Portrush, he made an 8 on the first hole, shot 79 and wound up missing the cut.

Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player who has not finished out of the top 10 in the last four months, a stretch that includes another major among three wins.

The World No. 1 opened with a 3-under 68 despite hitting just three fairways in sometimes-sideways rain at Royal Portrush.

Spieth entered Portrush with four straight top-25 Open finishes, so there should be plenty of confidence that he turns in a much better round on Friday. Making up a six-shot deficit will be tough, but if Spieth can get to even-par, or even one-under, he'll have a shot to get into the top 10 before the weekend.

Scheffler, the top-ranked player in the world, has three wins on Tour this year, including a major victory at the 2025 PGA Championship. Scheffler finished tied for seventh in last month's U.S. Open and has finished in the top 10 in nine consecutive tournaments.