The field for The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush is set, with 156 players competing for the chance to hoist the Claret Jug. While much of the spotlight will naturally fall on household names like Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm, this year’s Open also brings together an intriguing mix of rising stars and lesser-known players whose stories deserve just as much attention.
In this preview, I wanted to take a different approach. Instead of retelling what you already know about the favourites, I’ve picked out five names you may not be familiar with—each bringing a unique journey, an unconventional backstory or a moment of personal triumph that’s earned them a place in golf’s oldest major.
Embed from Getty ImagesTom McKibbin
Comparisons to Rory McIlroy have become inevitable for Tom McKibbin. Born in December 2002 in Newtownabbey, just outside Belfast, McKibbin honed his game at Holywood Golf Club — the same place McIlroy’s remarkable journey began.
After turning professional in 2021, McKibbin climbed the ranks quickly, graduating from the Challenge Tour to the DP World Tour by finishing 10th in the Road to Mallorca standings. He became the youngest player from the island of Ireland to win on the DP World Tour since McIlroy himself, lifting the 2023 Porsche European Open trophy on just his 26th start. In Hamburg, he held off the home hopes of Max Kieffer and Marcel Siem to win by two strokes.
Embed from Getty ImagesHis consistent performances secured him a PGA Tour card for the 2025 season after a top-10 finish in the Race to Dubai. However, McKibbin turned heads by declining that opportunity in favour of signing with LIV Golf, joining Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team following a reported $5 million offer.
While a first individual win on LIV Golf still eludes him, McKibbin has impressed with four top-10 finishes so far this year and has been instrumental in Legion XIII’s three team victories — helping them sit atop the LIV Golf team standings.
A homegrown favourite, McKibbin has honed his game alongside stars like Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton on LIV Golf, while drawing inspiration from his local hero Rory McIlroy. His decision to turn down a PGA Tour card and take the risk of joining LIV shows a fearless mindset that matches his game. With his bold approach and undoubted talent, McKibbin certainly has what it takes to make an impact at Royal Portrush this week.
Ethan Fang (Amateur)
Currently ranked fourth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, the reigning Amateur Champion arrives at this year’s Open on the back of a superb triumph at Royal St George’s last month.
The American has played 35 elite amateur events — 34 of them in the U.S. — with his sole overseas appearance producing that impressive Amateur Championship win. Links golf is an entirely different challenge to what he faces back home, but Fang showed how quickly he can adapt, mastering Royal Cinque Ports during stroke play qualifying before conquering Royal St George’s, where he edged out Gavin Tiernan on a dramatic final hole after an intense 36-hole battle on the Kent coast.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe 20-year-old Oklahoma State University student booked his place at Royal Portrush by becoming only the second American since 1979 to lift the Amateur Championship trophy. Standing 6ft tall and born in Plano, Texas, Fang was also part of the OSU team that captured the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship.
Royal Portrush will certainly pose another step up and a stern test for the young American, but he showed at Royal St George’s that he can stay calm, composed, and unfazed by the moment, even when faced with setbacks — qualities he’ll need to draw on again this week if he’s to contend for the Silver Medal.
Richard Teder (Amateur)
This year’s Open is the 153rd edition of golf’s oldest major — and for the first time ever, Estonia will have a player in the field. That history-making moment belongs to Richard Teder.
Teder’s journey to Royal Portrush is remarkable in every sense. Fourteen years ago, he first picked up a golf club by chance after his aunt won free golf vouchers in a tennis competition. Now, at just 20 years old, he’s set to become Estonia’s first Open Championship competitor — a proud milestone for a country with only seven golf courses and around 4,000 registered players.
Embed from Getty ImagesBy the age of 14, Teder was already playing off scratch. He’s no stranger to links golf either, having cut his teeth in junior events across Scotland and competing in three Amateur Championships at classic coastal venues — Royal St George’s, Ballyliffin and Hillside.
But it was a moment of brilliance at Final Qualifying that earned Teder global attention. Needing something special, he holed a stunning 70-yard chip shot in a playoff at West Lancashire to book his place at Portrush — a shot that went viral and secured his place in golfing folklore back home.
Now, he arrives in Northern Ireland with nothing to lose and everything to gain. If his fearless approach so far is any guide, he’ll be aiming to challenge fellow amateur Ethan Fang for the Silver Medal — and test himself against the best players in the world on the biggest stage of all.
Ryan Peake
Back in March, Ryan Peake booked his ticket to The Open Championship in dramatic fashion, winning the 104th New Zealand Open by a single stroke. The 31-year-old from Western Australia held his nerve, rolling in an eight-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to dodge a four-way playoff with compatriot Jack Thompson, South Africa’s Ian Snyman and Japan’s Kazuki Higi.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhat makes Peake’s story truly remarkable is what came before this moment. Once a promising junior golfer and former teammate of Cameron Smith, Peake’s life took a dark turn when, at 21, he was convicted of assault and spent five years behind bars. He was then a member of the outlawed Rebels motorcycle gang in Australia — a far cry from fairways and greens.
After leaving prison, Peake turned his life around. With the unwavering support of his family and guidance from top coach Richie Smith, he rebuilt his golf career step by step. Coming into the New Zealand Open ranked 1,215th in the world, he knew only one coveted Open spot was available through The Open Qualifying Series — and he grabbed it with both hands.
Peake’s resurgence didn’t stop there. This March, he also secured full playing rights on the DP World Tour after finishing second to Elvis Smylie on the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit. Now ranked 466th in the world, Peake arrives at Royal Portrush not just as one of the most inspiring comeback stories in golf, but as a player ready to prove he belongs at this level — no matter how unlikely his journey has been.
OJ Farrell
OJ Farrell’s path to Royal Portrush has been built on both persistence and a willingness to refine every part of his game. The 28-year-old, based in Worcester, booked his place at this year’s Open by claiming the fifth and final qualifying spot at Burnham and Berrow.
Farrell fired back-to-back rounds of 68 to finish six under par over 36 holes, edging out seasoned names like Anirban Lahiri, a two-time DP World Tour winner and former PGA Championship top finisher.
Embed from Getty ImagesRanked 1,480th in the world going into Final Qualifying, Farrell has been playing solely on the third-tier Clutch Tour this season, where he has already racked up four wins since turning professional in 2020 after attending Marquette University in Wisconsin.
Key to his recent breakthrough has been a renewed focus on the mental side of the game. Working with a new sports psychologist this year, Farrell carefully targeted specific events—including Final Qualifying—and prepared strategically.
Another significant boost came when coach Andy Gorman introduced Farrell to the ScorZone. By learning to read greens with more clinical precision and trusting more break than he previously accepted, Farrell started to see putts drop and scores fall.
Small changes, made subtly while he fought to keep his playing rights on the HotelPlanner Tour, are now paying off when it matters most. With the unique slopes and subtle borrows of links greens, improved green reading could prove crucial this week at Royal Portrush.
Embed from Getty ImagesAs the world’s best get ready to take on Royal Portrush, it’s players like these who add real depth to The Open Championship. They might not grab the headlines right now, but they each bring their own story, determination and fresh perspective to golf’s oldest major.
However they perform this week, it’s worth keeping an eye on them — you never know which name might surprise everyone and make their mark on one of the game’s greatest stages.
Cover image: The 153rd Open – Previews
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 16: A general view of the 18th hole grandstand prior to The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 16, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Tom Shaw/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
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