If we were feeling especially dramatic, that might be the way we'd describe the scene on the first tee Thursday afternoon at around 3:10 p.m. British Standard Time, when Rory McIlroy hit what can be reasonably described as the most anticipated first tee shot of 2025.

RORY McIlroy says winning The Open on his ‘home turf’ to crown an unforgettable year would be the “stuff that dreams are made of”. The Holywood hotshot guaranteed 2025 is a year to remember after