British Open: How to watch, what's at stake, betting odds

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Golf's oldest championship is back at one of the newer links courses. New is relative in this case, because Royal Portrush was founded 137 years ago. But this is only its third time hosting the British Open, and the Northern Ireland links is certain to be high on the rotation.

The R&A is expecting 278,000 spectators for the week at the British Open, which would be the second-largest crowd in the 165-year history of the championship.

Irish eyes have been mostly on Rory McIlroy, the Masters champion and latest to win the career Grand Slam. He has been trying to embrace the expectation and occasion, unlike in 2019 when McIlroy was so emotional at the reception that he hit his first shot out of bounds and shot 79 to miss the cut.

Standing in his way, though, is world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who is leading after three rounds.

This is the final major of the year, and the most unusual of the four majors because of links golf, where funny bounces and pot bunkers and fickle weather can determine the winner.

Here's what you need to know about the British Open:

Scottie Scheffler, a three-time major champion, leads by four strokes on 14-under par after rounds of 68, 64 and 67 over the par-71 layout. He is bidding to win the British Open for the first time.

Li Haotong of China, the world No. 111, is alone in second place and defying pre-tournament predictions as he seeks his first major title.

Matt Fitzpatrick, a former U.S. Open champion, is in third place a further shot back. There's a four-way tie for fourth place containing Rory McIlroy, Chris Gotterup, Harris English and Tyrrell Hatton. They are on 8-under par.

The first round began on Thursday and play finishes Sunday, when the winner will collect a silver claret jug. Players were in the same three-man groups for the opening two days and are in two-man pairings over the weekend. Daylight is not an issue at the British Open because it doesn't get dark until about 10:30 p.m. Players in the last group don't even tee off until a little after 4 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler and Li Haotong are the final pairing and will go out at 2:30 p.m. local time (0930 EDT).

Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy are the next to-last pairing, teeing off at 2:20 p.m. (0920 EDT)

Before them, Chris Gotterup and Harris English go out at 2:10 p.m. (0910 EDT), and Tyrrell Hatton and Xander Schauffele at 2:00 p.m (0900 EDT).

There is wall-to-wall coverage, along with a five-hour time difference between Northern Ireland and the East Coast of the U.S. It will be broadcast from 4-7 a.m. on the USA Network and from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on NBC.

If you're living on the West Coast, the British Open will come on just before bedtime. For golf fans in Hawaii, it will start right after sunset on Waikiki.

Scottie Scheffler has been the favorite at every major this year, and the British Open has been no exception. Heading into the final round, he is listed as the odds-on favorite at 1-7 with BetMGM Sportsbook.

Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick are 18-1 and Li Haotong is the third favorite at 20-1.

Tyrrell Hatton is 33-1.

The British Open is the only major where Scheffler has not had a serious chance at winning on the back nine on Sunday. But he hasn't finished out of the top 10 since late March.

It was mixed weather over Thursday and Friday, fairly glorious on Saturday, and Sunday is forecast to have some sunny spells and a bit of rain. It looks the wind won't be strong, giving the opportunity for some low scores.

The winner gets a silver claret jug, the oldest trophy in golf. As part of a new tradition, Xander Schauffele had to return the jug to the R&A on Monday in a short ceremony. Then he has four days to win it back.

The winner also gets introduced as the “champion golfer of the year,” another tradition. He also will get a five-year exemption to the other three majors, an exemption into the British Open until age 55 (past winners could play until 60) and a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

Scottie Scheffler is No. 1 in the world and usually in contention no matter how he is playing. If Scheffler were to win, he would go to the U.S. Open next year for a chance at the Grand Slam.

Rory McIlroy is the big draw. There is pressure to perform, but he also is relieved of the burden from having not won a major in 11 years. He took care of that by winning the Masters and bringing home that green jacket.

Xander Schauffele is trying to become the first repeat winner since Padraig Harrington in 2007 and 2008. But the Californian was slowed by a rib injury early in the year, still hasn't won yet and is seven shots back.

British hopes lie with Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick, who are in the top four.

Royal Portrush is in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. The official title is The Open Championship or simply The Open. The Associated Press, along with several U.S. newspapers, have referred it to as the British Open for more than 100 years to distinguish it from other national opens like the U.S. Open and Australian Open.

The R&A once referred to it as the “British Open” in official films in the 1950s.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Harris English of the United States plays off the 13th hole during the first round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Scottie Scheffler of the United States plays off the 6th tee during the first round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after putting on the 18th green during the first round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Shane Lowry of Ireland watches the flight of his ball on the 16th hole during a practice round for the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Scottie Scheffler of the United States keeps warm after putting on the 9th green during a practice round for the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Xander Schauffele of the United States, left, winner of the 2024 British Open, hands back the Claret Jug trophy to the R&A CEO Mark Darbon ahead of the 2025 British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fransisco Seco)

Spectators take cover under an umbrellas as play is suspended due to a thunderstorm waring during a practice round for the 2025 British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland listens to a question from the media at a press conference ahead of the 2025 British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Li Haotong of China taps hands with members of the public as he walks to the 18th tee during the third round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Saturday, July 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland acknowledges the crowd the crowd on the 16th green during the third round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Saturday, July 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Scottie Scheffler of the United States lines up his putt on the 18th green during the third round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Saturday, July 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Harris English of the United States plays off the 13th hole during the first round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Scottie Scheffler of the United States plays off the 6th tee during the first round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after putting on the 18th green during the first round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Shane Lowry of Ireland watches the flight of his ball on the 16th hole during a practice round for the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Scottie Scheffler of the United States keeps warm after putting on the 9th green during a practice round for the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Xander Schauffele of the United States, left, winner of the 2024 British Open, hands back the Claret Jug trophy to the R&A CEO Mark Darbon ahead of the 2025 British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fransisco Seco)

Spectators take cover under an umbrellas as play is suspended due to a thunderstorm waring during a practice round for the 2025 British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland listens to a question from the media at a press conference ahead of the 2025 British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

The fatal shooting of a woman by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday has thrust a long-running and deeply contested question back into the national spotlight: When is a law enforcement officer justified in using lethal force against someone in a moving vehicle?

The killing, captured on cellphone video, has exposed sharp divisions between federal authorities who quickly defended the agent's actions and local leaders who called the shooting unjustified. It has also renewed scrutiny of use-of-force rules that many police departments adopted decades ago to reduce the risk to bystanders or drivers losing control after being shot.

At the center of the debate are policies that for years have limited when officers may fire at vehicles, generally barring gunfire at fleeing cars unless the driver poses an imminent threat of deadly force beyond the vehicle itself. Those restrictions, embraced by many police departments and reflected in federal guidance, were intended to curb what experts long warned was among the most dangerous and unpredictable uses of lethal force.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described Wednesday's episode as an “act of domestic terrorism” and said the agent acted in self defense and to protect fellow officers.

Here's a look at why police agencies moved to restrict shootings at moving vehicles, what those policies typically require, how they are enforced, and how recent incidents, including the Minneapolis case, have tested rules meant to balance officer safety with public risk.

For decades, police departments across the U.S. have limited when officers are allowed to fire at moving vehicles, citing the danger to bystanders and the risk that a driver who is shot will lose control.

The New York City Police Department was among the first to adopt those limits. The department barred officers from firing at or from moving vehicles after a 1972 shooting killed a 10-year-old passenger in a stolen car and sparked protests.

Researchers in the late 1970s and early 1980s later found that the policy, along with other use-of-force restrictions, helped reduce bystanders being struck by police gunfire and led to fewer deaths in police shootings.

Over the years, many law enforcement agencies followed New York’s lead. Policing organizations such as the Police Executive Research Forum and the International Association of Chiefs of Police have recommended similar limits, warning that shooting at vehicles creates serious risks from stray gunfire or from a vehicle crashing if the driver is hit.

In Wednesday's shooting, the vehicle can be seen in videos crashing into two parked cars before coming to a stop. It was unclear from the video if the vehicle made contact with the officer before he steps to the side.

Federal law enforcement officers operate under similar guidance.

The Department of Justice says in its Justice Manual that firearms should not be used simply to disable a moving vehicle. The policy allows deadly force only in limited circumstances, such as when someone in the vehicle is threatening another person with deadly force, or when the vehicle itself is being used in a way that poses an imminent risk and no reasonable alternative exists, including moving out of the vehicle’s path.

At a news conference Wednesday, Noem said any death is a tragedy, but that the shooting was justified.

“Our officer followed his training, did exactly what he’s been taught to do in that situation, and took actions to defend himself and defend his fellow law enforcement officers,” Noem said.

She alleged the woman who was killed was using her vehicle to block officers, had been harassing them through the day and “attempted to run a law enforcement officer over” before she was shot. The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting, she said.

Geoffrey Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina, said officials should take a step back before making any pronouncements.

“There needs to be two thorough parallel investigations,” he said. “First ICE officials should investigate administratively whether this agent violated policy or training. And then state officials should be conducting a thorough criminal investigation as well.”

He said determining whether the use-of-force was justified or criminal is going to depend on many details that have not been disclosed publicly.

The shooting of the woman, identified by family members as Renee Nicole Good, 37, occurred as Homeland Security escalates immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota by deploying 2,000 agents and officers. It’s the latest in a growing number of violent encounters between ICE agents and community members, and at least the fifth fatality.

In October, a Chicago woman was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in a similar incident involving a vehicle. Marimar Martinez, 30, survived, and was almost immediately labeled a “domestic terrorist” by Homeland Security officials, who said she had “ambushed” and “rammed” agents with her vehicle.

She was charged with assaulting a federal officer, but federal prosecutors later dismissed the case after security camera video and body camera footage emerged showing a Border Patrol agent steering his vehicle into Martinez's truck.

The debate over shooting at moving vehicles has been sharpened by high-profile cases, including a 2023 shooting in Ohio in which an officer fired through the windshield of a car in a grocery store parking lot while investigating a shoplifting allegation. The pregnant driver was killed; the officer was later charged and acquitted.

John P. Gross, a professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Law who has written extensively about officers shooting at moving vehicles, said while more departments have added explicit policies regarding use-of-force and moving vehicles, officer training also needs to improve.

“If this woman was blocking the street and a law enforcement operation, they are entitled to arrest her. What they are not entitled to do is to use deadly force to arrest her,” Gross said. “From just watching the video, this seems like an egregious example.”

He said officers need to consider the totality of a situation, the crime or allegation being made against someone, whether they can be found at a later date or whether they are an actual danger.

Gross noted that Minnesota passed a revision to its use-of-force statutes that require clearly identified and immediate threats and also make it easier for prosecutors to file state charges for excessive force.

It is far too early to know whether the ICE officer who fired the fatal shot could face criminal charges. Multiple investigations are ongoing, including by the FBI, and prosecutors have said no decisions will be made until those inquiries are complete.

Federal law enforcement officers have broad legal protections when acting in the course of their official duties, and the Justice Department has taken a hard line against state efforts to arrest or prosecute federal agents. Late last year, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said arrests of federal officers performing their duties would be “illegal and futile,” citing the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and federal law.

Legal experts say those protections are significant but not absolute. The Supremacy Clause does not provide blanket immunity, and federal agents can still face criminal liability if prosecutors determine they acted unlawfully or outside their authority.

Local prosecutors said they have jurisdiction but stressed the process is ongoing. Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, said investigators are still gathering facts and that charging decisions would come later, if at all. “The bottom line is yes, we have jurisdiction,” he said.

A bullet hole is seen in the windshield as law enforcement officers work the scene of a shooting involving federal law enforcement agents, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Tom Baker)