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NBC Sports
13-07-2025
- Climate
- NBC Sports
The Open power rankings: All 156 players ranked for Royal Portrush
We've reached the final men's major championship of the year – and our final full-field ranking. The Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush this week for the first time since 2019, when Shane Lowry captured his first and still only major title in convincing fashion. The Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush is not your typical Open-rota layout in that it was designed much later than fellow Open hosts like St. Andrews, Muirfield and Royal Liverpool. Renowned Golden Age architect Harry Colt completely redesigned the layout in the early 1930s, though some significant changes have taken place since, including two new holes in 2015 ahead of the 2019 Open, which came 68 years after Portrush's first Open, in 1951. Portrush has the most undulating and challenging greens in the rota, so not only will good speed and strokes be rewarded but also finding the correct portions of the fairway to unlock good angles into the greens. Players who excel this week will be accurate and then can take advantage with good proximity, whether it be sticking it close or using the slopes and bumps expertly. Lowry hit more greens than anybody six years ago, thanks to his traditionally deft approach game but also because he drove it well. The par-71 course is listed at 7,381 yards. Interestingly, five of the 11 par-4s measure between 420 and 450 yards. Lowry hit eight 7- or 8-irons on Sunday in 2019. While past Open history is important, don't overvalue it because of Portrush's unique design, plus a forecasted lack of true Open conditions. Per the official championship weather forecast, 'generally light to moderate SW to SE winds' are expected, while there will be some rain, especially early, though not a ton as we near the finish. High temps in the mid-60s are anticipated as well. Things could change, of course, but as of now, it won't be a challenging weather week. As for the rankings, it's wise not to get too cute; world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler should be considered the favorite and first off the board in any drafts. After that? Let's take a look, starting with No. 156 and working our way down the list: Nos. 141-156 156. Darren Clarke 155. Justin Leonard 154. Justin Walters 153. George Bloor 152. Ryan Peake 151. K.J. Choi 150. a-Bryan Newman 149. a-Frazer Jones 148. Mikiya Akutsu 147. Sampson Zheng 146. Curtis Knipes 145. Darren Fichardt 144. Riki Kawamoto 143. a-Richard Teder 142. Curtis Luck 141. Jesper Sandborg Nos. 131-140 140. Ryggs Johnston 139. Younghan Song 138. Daniel Young 137. Lee Westwood 136. OJ Farrell 135. Sadom Kaewkanjana 134. Paul Waring 133. Justin Suh 132. Guido Migliozzi 131. Angel Hidalgo COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO - JUNE 27: Padraig Harrington of Ireland walks the 17th fairway during the second round of the U.S. Senior Open Championship 2025 at Broadmoor Golf Club on June 27, 2025 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo by) Getty Images Nos. 121-130 130. Matthieu Pavon 129. Dylan Naidoo 128. John Axelsen 127. Elvis Smylie 126. Henrik Stenson 125. a-Filip Jakubcik 124. Shugo Imahira 123. a-Justin Hastings 122. Padraig Harrington 121. Shaun Norris Nos. 111-120 120. Stewart Cink 119. Jacob Skov Olesen 118. Rikuya Hoshino 117. Julien Guerrier 116. Francesco Molinari 115. Daniel Van Tonder 114. Phil Mickelson 113. Sahith Theegala 112. a-Seb Cave 111. Romain Langasque Nos. 101-110 110. Nathan Kimsey 109. John Catlin 108. Sergio Garcia 107. Jesper Svensson 106. Takumi Kanaya 105. Daniel Hillier 104. Jason Kokrak 103. Aldrich Potgieter 102. Daniel Brown 101. Laurie Canter Jun 26, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Min Woo Lee plays his shot from the third tee during the first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Nos. 91-100 100. Dustin Johnson 99. Matti Schmid 98. Justin Rose 97. Wyndham Clark 96. a-Cameron Adam 95. Sebastian Soderberg 94. Adrian Saddier 93. Mackenzie Hughes 92. Louis Oosthuizen 91. Min Woo Lee Nos. 81-90 90. Marc Leishman 89. Nicolai Hojgaard 88. Matt Wallace 87. Oliver Lindell 86. Matthew Jordan 85. Matteo Manassero 84. Lucas Herbert 83. Jhonattan Vegas 82. a-Connor Graham 81. Matt McCarty Nos. 71-80 80. Thomas Detry 79. Rasmus Hojgaard 78. Ben An 77. John Parry 76. Thriston Lawrence 75. Brian Campbell 74. Chris Kirk 73. Zach Johnson 72. Niklas Norgaard 71. Sungjae Im Jun 13, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; Brooks Koepka plays his shot from the 12th tee during the second round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Nos. 61-70 70. a-Ethan Fang 69. Stephan Jaeger 68. Tom McKibbin 67. Christiaan Bezuidenhout 66. Tom Kim 65. Brooks Koepka 64. Nico Echavarria 63. Dean Burmester 62. Denny McCarthy 61. Bud Cauley Nos. 51-60 60. J.T. Poston 59. Max Greyserman 58. Michael Kim 57. Tom Hoge 56. Haotong Li 55. Brian Harman 54. Davis Thompson 53. Thorbjorn Olesen 52. Jordan Smith 51. Aaron Rai NORTH BERWICK, SCOTLAND - JULY 11: Chris Gotterup of the United States plays a shot on the 18th green on day two of the Genesis Scottish Open 2025 at The Renaissance Club on July 11, 2025 in North Berwick, Scotland. (Photo by) Nos. 41-50 50. Taylor Pendrith: Back to driving it at an elite level, and the putter had been solid, too. T-5 at PGA sparked a nice run. Solid week at Scottish is good sign entering Open debut. 49. Lucas Glover: Not a great Open resume, though he was T-10 at Portrush in 2019. Riding back-to-back top-10s. Ranks fifth in Tour in proximity. 48. Cameron Smith: The 2022 Open champ was T-20 at Portrush in 2019, and it's promising to see him crack the top 10 in Spain last week. But he's missed four straight major cuts for a reason. 47. Cameron Young: Has lost some momentum since back-to-back T-4's in Canada and at Oakmont. Strong Open record, though, with a second, T-8 and most recently T-31. 46. Maverick McNealy: Zero for two at The Open, but he's made all three major cuts this year. Well-rounded game, but has been especially strong off the tee lately. 45. Si Woo Kim: Popped up at Oakmont before a late-weekend slide. Gets in after Ernie Els' WD, and he could make a little noise again if he can putt better. Slower greens may help. 44. Andrew Novak: Has cooled off a tad entering his Open debut, but still comfortably top 50 in all but strokes gained off the tee in the past three months. 43. Rickie Fowler: Has started to sprinkle some good results in there. Good putter, especially in Opens, where he lags it well and avoids three-putts better than most. T-6 at Portrush in 2019. 42. Daniel Berger: No top-10s since Harbour Town, and it's been short game and putting that has cost him. The Scottish was a lot of the same. That said, he could bounce back in a big way as he's basically top 10 off the tee and on approach over the last three months. Also was T-8 in his last Open, in 2021. 41. Chris Gotterup: He'd been a top-25 machine long before his Scottish win, and he now has gone T-26 or better 10 times since March. Long, flusher, and now starting to putt around level – or like this week, better. Could see a top-20 this week, but I'll be conservative coming off an emotional Sunday. Jun 14, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; Adam Scott reacts on the 16th green during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Nos. 31-40 40. Antoine Rozner: Big Roz hasn't missed a cut since January and was T-20 last year at The Open. Strong approach player who will have plenty of birdie looks if he can give himself good angles off the tee, which isn't a lock. 39. Jason Day: Getting his rhythm back at The Open with a T-2 and T-13 in the last two years. Can still putt and chip the lights out, just needs the driver to cooperate a little more. 38. Kevin Yu: Around Top 10 in strokes gained off the tee and a solid approach putter who hits a lot of greens, just not super close. Will be his first Open. 37. Sam Burns: He contended until the very end at Oakmont, so he's got confidence from that. And he's not been as bad as you might think in Opens with a T-42 in 2022 and T-31 last year. Lack of wind may help him more than any top player. 36. Nick Taylor: Solo fourth at Memorial has kickstarted a nice run. Two straight MCs at Open, but that ends if he can find a few more fairways. Everything else has been good. 35. Akshay Bhatia: The young lefty has missed two straight major cuts, plus MC'd at Troon last summer. But he's seventh in strokes gained approach in the last three months, and I have a hard time believing his short game and putting can stay this bad much longer. 34. Carlos Ortiz: Was encouraged by that T-4 at the U.S. Open, but then he's finished 40th or worse in back-to-back LIV starts. The iron play will allow him to bounce back here, though just barely. 33. Marco Penge: Prolific driver of the golf ball popped up on the model even before he contended at the Scottish. 32. Adam Scott: The ultimate major grinder was on full display at Oakmont. He's recently been around 90th in strokes gained approach and putting, but the driver is still a big weapon and he always finds a way,evidenced by two Open top-15s in the last three years. 31. Kristoffer Reitan: Has been one of the best putters in the world this year and has two top-4s since winning the Soudal Open in May. May 17, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; J.J. Spaun takes a shot on the second hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Nos. 21-30 30. Tony Finau: Owns just one top-10 finish all season and has missed his last two Open cuts. But he was third here in 2019 and has had success at some similar layouts per Data Golf, including Memorial Park. Has been almost a top-30 approach guy in last three months, too, so there's hope. 29. Martin Couvra: The Frenchman has a win and four other top-5s on the DPWT this year. Ranks among the best players in the world on approach. 28. Ludvig Åberg: It's been a frustrating last few months for the Swede, who MC'd at both the PGA and U.S. Open. Short game, putting, too many bogeys. Luckily, he was much improved in at least two of those areas at Scottish. With the way he drives the ball, he can overcome average approach play. 27. Harry Hall: The Englishman rattled off his seventh straight top-25 finish at the Scottish, largely thanks to being one of the world's best putters in the last three months. Also ranks top five in three-putt avoidance on Tour. 26. Harris English: Nothing better than T-46 in his last four Open starts, but he's been on a solid run that has included a T-2 at the PGA and T-4 at Travelers. Top 30 in both strokes gained putting and approach. Will not have his regular caddie, though. 25. Matt Fitzpatrick: Watch out as Fitzy has found a spark with back-to-back top-10s. The ball-striking is trending, and his short game and putting have been so good lately. T-20 here in 2019 and two other finishes of T-26 or better since. 24. Corey Conners: Has been solid but not spectacular in recent Opens. Was good to see him get back in action at the Scottish after withdrawing from the U.S. Open with a wrist injury. That said, the approach play was really rusty. He needs that back in a hurry. 23. J.J. Spaun: The tradeoff with Spaun is newfound major confidence but major exhaustion from his Oakmont triumph. He missed the cut at the Scottish ahead of this Open debut. Don't see the putting being as stellar this time, though ball-striking wise, he's one of the best. 22. Hideki Matsuyama: Seemed to find a sliver of something during his T-13 in Detroit. He's been a top-10 approach player in recent months, so that's not an issue. Neither is his short game, historically one of the best. Open record isn't great, but he was T-13 two years ago. 21. Keegan Bradley: For as hot as he's been of late, he ranks outside the top 50 in strokes gained approach worldwide in the past three months. He's also missed five straight Open cuts. Call this a shot in the dark, as he's second around the greens recently and top 10 in approach putting on Tour. PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 14: Ryan Fox of New Zealand looks on from the tenth green during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 14, 2024 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Nos. 11-20 20. Ben Griffin: Starting to get the hang of this major thing with back-to-back top-10s. Two MCs so far at The Open, but he's basically top 30 everywhere except around the greens. Also a good lag putter. 19. Robert MacIntyre: Bumped him up a little from where the model had him, even with a so-so Scottish showing. Was T-6 here in 2019 and he's a guarantee to make the cut at least. 18. Joaquin Niemann: For as great as his game is right now, particularly with the irons, it's hard to ignore the Open record – two MCs, nothing better than T-53 in five starts. 17. Ryan Fox: My highest ranked sleeper of sorts. Let's start with 2019, when Fox was T-16 at Portrush. Also had a win and four straight top-20s before Scottish. Balanced across the strokes-gained stats, and top 10 on Tour in three-putt avoidance. 16. Bryson DeChambeau: I'm not sure how much Bryson can overpower Portrush. Maybe a little. But his Open record is not good, and his only top 10 came at St. Andrews, which is so different a test than Portrush. He'll be around, though, thanks to his top form and great putting. 15. Russell Henley: Ranks top 5 on Tour in proximity and has been nearly top 10 on approach and second around the greens in last three months. Was solo fifth last year to end his Open rut, too, and has been trending after a little bit of a midseason slump. He's probably the last guy on this list who I wouldn't be surprised to see win. 14. Shane Lowry: Will be a popular pick considering what happened here in 2019, but he's missed two straight major cuts, and the putter has been really poor. However, he's still a top-10 approach player, so if he gets remotely hot on the greens, he could bounce back. 13. Justin Thomas: No Open top-30s since his T-11 at Portrush in 2019. But statistically, he's been so balanced this year. He's also around the top 10 in approach putting and three-putt avoidance on Tour. Missing fairways could be his downfall, though. 12. Tommy Fleetwood: The driver cost him at Oakmont, where he missed the cut. Was runner-up at Portrush in 2019 and has two other Open top-10s since. Has recently been one of the best in the world around the greens. 11. Xander Schauffele: The ball-striking continues to trend upward, and his T-12 at the U.S. Open proved he's almost fully back. He probably should be higher, especially after a nice week at the Scottish. FLOURTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 11: Sepp Straka of Austria reacts on the 15th green during the final round of the Truist Championship 2025 at The Wissahickon at Philadelphia Cricket Club on May 11, 2025 in Flourtown, Pennsylvania. (Photo by) Nos. 1-10 10. Patrick Cantlay: This is surprising, I know, especially considering his back-to-back MCs in majors. But he's been great on approach all year and is second on Tour in approach putting. And his Open record isn't terrible. He was T-8 in 2022 and has been T-33, T-25 in two years since. 9. Tyrrell Hatton: Gained everywhere in T-4 at Oakmont, and I expect more of the same. Has sandwiched two top-20s with MCs in Opens since his T-6 at Portrush in 2019. 8. Rory McIlroy: Before the Scottish T-2, McIlroy would've been ranked in the teens here. But I've seen enough from the driver and iron play – and the attitude – to suggest that McIlroy has finally gotten out of this post-Masters funk and redeem himself after his MC at Portrush in 2019. 7. Patrick Reed: Maybe I'm giving too much credit to his LIV Dallas win. But he was solo 10th at Portrush in 2019 and has been gaining a bunch with his approach play this year. We know what he can do around the greens. Was third at Masters, T-23 at U.S. Open. He's still a major factor. 6. Jordan Spieth: The neck issue seems to be fine. He's such a force at The Open with a win, four other top-10s and nothing outside the top 25 since 2016, when he was T-30. The iron play was spectacular at Oakmont. Also second on Tour in approach putting. Would rank a 100% healthy Spieth third. 5. Collin Morikawa: Has gone MC, MC, T-16 since winning at St. George's. Ball-striking wise, he's one of the best – top 3 in proximity on Tour and recent strokes gained approach worldwide. Hopefully Week 2 with Billy Foster on the bag will be better than the first (MC at Scottish). 4. Sepp Straka: Been up and down of late with a win at the Truist and third at Memorial but also MCs at the PGA and U.S. Open. He bounced back at the Scottish, and that was with losing strokes off the tee and on approach, which is very unlike him. He's the Tour's leader in GIR%. Expect a big week, much like his T-2 two years ago at Liverpool. 3. Viktor Hovland: The driver was a little better at the Scottish, though Hovland, who was third at Oakmont and owns three top-15 Open finishes, led the field in strokes gained approach. If he can find fairways, he's going to hit a ton of greens and have a say in who wins. 2. Jon Rahm: Almost edged Scottie Scheffler for No. 1. Second in strokes gained off the tee in the last three months. Combine that with solid iron play and top-10s in two straight majors, and Rahm is poised to contend again. He's been T-7 or better in three of his last four Opens. 1. Scottie Scheffler: Coming off his best Open finish, a T-7 last year at Troon. This setup should lend itself more to Scheffler's game, too. We know the drill. He's tops in the world in strokes gained approach, and nearly top 10 around the green. There's more, though: He's just outside the top 10 in strokes gained putting these last three months.
USA Today
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
We ask pros and celebs: Name the course you've never played that you most want to play?
We're back for another round of asking pros, athletes and celebrities to name the course they've never played that they most want to play and why? Here's the latest responses: Padraig Harrington Well, if there is a golf course I really wanted to go play, I would go and do it, but there are a few golf courses I have not played that are startling. I haven't played Old Head Golf Links at Kinsale. It was built after I turned pro or just about the time, so I had no reason to go there. There wasn't an amateur event obviously because it wasn't there and then there was no pro event. It's a good distance from me (in Cork), but I haven't gone. I do have to go. Probably the other one is Cypress Point. You can imagine how many times I've been to Pebble Beach and I have friends who are members at Cypress Point so I've had many invites to play, but I'm always focused on the tournament I'm playing. I'm too busy. I'm always like, I've got to go play my practice round and be disciplined and all that. That's my personality coming through and the way I have run my career. Yeah, I can see I should have played Cypress Point, yes, and I really should play the Old Head. Chris Berman I've played Augusta once and St. Andrews once. Seminole is one I'd like to do. I've never played Pine Valley, which is in the northeast, so I should really get there. Pebble Beach is my favorite. That's where God waits for a tee time. I've told them this for a while, but I used to say when I completely retire, I'd like to own the concession and drive the beverage cart at Pebble Beach. That would be fun. Zac Blair Swinley Forest in England. When I took a big trip to play the great heathland courses in England, I found out the day I was going to the airport that my passport had expired. I had to do a Hail Mary trip to Dallas and the passport agency there. I only missed a day and a half of the trip but the first day was Swinley Forest. It was by far the one I wanted to see most. Keegan Bradley I'd really like to play Cypress Point. That's probably the only course on my list that I'd actively go try to play. Roger Clemens I've been fortunate to play so many of the great courses but I haven't played in Ireland yet. Everyone says that I have to go there and play Royal County Down, Royal Portrush and I hear you can't go wrong at any of the courses there. That's on my bucket list. Trevor Immelman Pine Valley. I'll get there. Gary Woodland I just played Cypress Point this year. I'm not sure I have one anymore. Maybe Muirfield. It is the only Open rota course I haven't played. Want more? Last year, we posed this question to the likes of Rory McIlroy, Lee Trevino and Paul Azinger. You can read those answers here.
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Business Standard
30-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Escape Trump era: Why foreign students are flocking back to UK universities
For the past 15 years, Don McMillan, a college-admissions consultant, has worked just down the road from Harvard University, one of the most prestigious schools targeted by his clients from the US and around the globe. This month, he expanded his business 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) and an ocean away to tap into what's becoming a rapidly growing line of work: Advising the students who are souring on America and looking to go to college in the UK instead. 'There's more of an interest now for US students to study in the UK,' said McMillan. 'In the past our American students might only apply to Oxbridge and St. Andrews. Now they will look at a broader range.' The shift is an early indication that President Donald Trump's unprecedented effort to reshape higher education around his America-first politics may turn into a boon for UK universities, whose prestige and English-language curricula make them a natural alternative to those in the US. The main deadline for UK undergraduate admission was at the end of January, too early for the impact of Trump's recent policies to have had an effect. But interest has since surged as his administration started slashing funding, revoking the visas of foreign students and trying to block Harvard's overseas students from entering the US, escalating a clash with the university that's been playing out in court. Studyportals, a platform widely used to research colleges, said that foreign students' searches of British universities rose 10% in the year through May, with the number of those looking at American schools falling by a similar amount. Among Americans, the focus on UK schools was up 12%. An influx would be a welcome shift for UK universities whose finances have been squeezed in recent years as domestic tuition failed to keep pace with rising costs and international enrollment fell short of expectations. Over 40% had deficits in 2024, according to a report last month by the Office for Students, which warned that the pressure could continue if fees from foreign students don't rise as much as expected in the years ahead. The British Council, which promotes UK cultural institutions abroad, said earlier this year that Trump's return to the White House — along with heightened restrictions on studying in Canada and Australia — could increase the number of those opting to come the UK. At Bayes Business School in London, Andre Spicer, the executive dean, has already started trying to recruit them. His school recently hosted its first alumni networking event in Manhattan since the pandemic and he has been utilizing US-educated faculty members in a push to market the school to Americans. One selling point: It costs £50,400 ($69,200) to earn a Master of Business Administration degree in 12 months, less than the cost of the typical two-year programs in the US. 'And you can escape the Trump years,' he said. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government has stopped short of actively encouraging such efforts, in contrast to the European Union, which recently announced a €500 million ($586 million) plan to lure research scientists after the Trump administration started slashing such funding. In fact, facing political pressure from Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party, whose popularity has surged in opinion polls to overtake his own Labour Party, Starmer has been weighing steps that could discourage international enrollment. His government is considering imposing a 6% levy on university income from tuition fees from such students, as well as cutting the amount of time that students can stay in the country after graduating to 18 months from two years. Yet those are fairly small disincentives compared with the steps taken by the Trump administration. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who earlier this year moved to expel some foreign students who were engaged in anti-Israel demonstrations — said last month that the government is planning to 'aggressively' rescind the visas of Chinese students who have ties to the Communist Party or are studying in 'critical fields.' He also instructed embassies worldwide to stop scheduling interviews for student visas ahead of the US government's decision to implement stricter reviews of applicants' social-media profiles. Amer Mourad, the London-based chief executive officer of Global Study UK, said that has been particularly worrisome to students in the Middle East. Last month, he was contacted by the mother of an Egyptian student who was trying to make fallback plans, worried the US would block his enrollment due to politically oriented social-media posts. Mourad has recently seen other prospective students from countries in the region switching their focus to UK universities instead of those in the US. 'Clearly there is fear,' he said. Ewen Nemeth, an 18-year-old from Chester, in northwest England, was accepted to Edinburgh and Warwick universities but had planned to take a gap year and apply to Harvard, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania for the next year. Now, he's opting for a backup plan — taking an offer from Warwick to start this fall at the school in Coventry, about 95 miles northwest of London. He'll avoid the hassle of working on US applications, and skip the uncertainty of heightened visa scrutiny. 'I would have to devote my entire summer to it and then maybe be rejected because of my social media — that's insane to me,' he said. For Americans, interest in the UK had already been on the rise, with US undergraduate applications up 12% by the January deadline for the upcoming academic year. City St. George's, in London, has been among the beneficiaries. Mattias Frey, deputy dean and department head of media, culture and creative industries, said the number of US graduate students applying to its creative writing program more than tripled in 2025 and he's expanding staff to accommodate them. He said the students haven't been directly citing US politics as a driver of their decisions 'but there's something in the air about it.' 'I would call it a safe space that maybe they're not feeling right now in the United States,' he said. McMillan, the Boston admissions consultant, said he's been picking up on that, too. He said roughly half of the Middle Eastern students he has been advising are planning to apply to an English-speaking university outside the US in the next application cycle, a sharp in increase from just one in five in previous years. For his American clients — who were almost always focused on US schools — it has shot up to 15%. 'I expect this number to rise,' he said. Since Trump's return to the White House, McMillan has spent more time researching and visiting campuses in Europe, where his company already has consultants in Italy and France. This month, the 18-person firm hired someone in the UK for the first time, anticipating it will become a more prominent destination. 'There's a real gap between the administration and the vast majority of Americans who value and understand the importance of this intellectual richness that's coming to the US,' McMillan said. 'We're concerned about the brain drain.'
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Business Standard
27-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Donald Trump's anti-Harvard campaign fuels interest in UK universities
For the past 15 years, Don McMillan, a college-admissions consultant, has worked just down the road from Harvard University, one of the most prestigious schools targeted by his clients from the US and around the globe. This month, he expanded his business 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) and an ocean away to tap into what's becoming a rapidly growing line of work: Advising the students who are souring on America and looking to go to college in the UK instead. 'There's more of an interest now for US students to study in the UK,' said McMillan. 'In the past our American students might only apply to Oxbridge and St. Andrews. Now they will look at a broader range.' The main deadline for UK undergraduate admission was at the end of January, too early for the impact of Trump's recent policies to have had an effect. But interest has since surged as his administration started slashing funding, revoking the visas of foreign students and trying to block Harvard's overseas students from entering the US, escalating a clash with the university that's been playing out in court. Studyportals, a platform widely used to research colleges, said that foreign students' searches of British universities rose 10 per cent in the year through May, with the number of those looking at American schools falling by a similar amount. Among Americans, the focus on UK schools was up 12 per cent. An influx would be a welcome shift for UK universities whose finances have been squeezed in recent years as domestic tuition failed to keep pace with rising costs and international enrollment fell short of expectations. Over 40 per cent had deficits in 2024, according to a report last month by the Office for Students, which warned that the pressure could continue if fees from foreign students don't rise as much as expected in the years ahead. The British Council, which promotes UK cultural institutions abroad, said earlier this year that Trump's return to the White House — along with heightened restrictions on studying in Canada and Australia — could increase the number of those opting to come the UK. At Bayes Business School in London, Andre Spicer, the executive dean, has already started trying to recruit them. His school recently hosted its first alumni networking event in Manhattan since the pandemic and he has been utilizing US-educated faculty members in a push to market the school to Americans. One selling point: It costs £50,400 ($69,200) to earn a Master of Business Administration degree in 12 months, less than the cost of the typical two-year programs in the US. 'And you can escape the Trump years,' he said. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government has stopped short of actively encouraging such efforts, in contrast to the European Union, which recently announced a €500 million ($586 million) plan to lure research scientists after the Trump administration started slashing such funding. In fact, facing political pressure from Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party, whose popularity has surged in opinion polls to overtake his own Labour Party, Starmer has been weighing steps that could discourage international enrollment. His government is considering imposing a 6 per cent levy on university income from tuition fees from such students, as well as cutting the amount of time that students can stay in the country after graduating to 18 months from two years. Yet those are fairly small disincentives compared with the steps taken by the Trump administration. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who earlier this year moved to expel some foreign students who were engaged in anti-Israel demonstrations — said last month that the government is planning to 'aggressively' rescind the visas of Chinese students who have ties to the Communist Party or are studying in 'critical fields.' He also instructed embassies worldwide to stop scheduling interviews for student visas ahead of the US government's decision to implement stricter reviews of applicants' social-media profiles. Amer Mourad, the London-based chief executive officer of Global Study UK, said that has been particularly worrisome to students in the Middle East. Last month, he was contacted by the mother of an Egyptian student who was trying to make fallback plans, worried the US would block his enrollment due to politically oriented social-media posts. Mourad has recently seen other prospective students from countries in the region switching their focus to UK universities instead of those in the US. 'Clearly there is fear,' he said. Ewen Nemeth, an 18-year-old from Chester, in northwest England, was accepted to Edinburgh and Warwick universities but had planned to take a gap year and apply to Harvard, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania for the next year. Now, he's opting for a backup plan — taking an offer from Warwick to start this fall at the school in Coventry, about 95 miles northwest of London. He'll avoid the hassle of working on US applications, and skip the uncertainty of heightened visa scrutiny. For Americans, interest in the UK had already been on the rise, with US undergraduate applications up 12 per cent by the January deadline for the upcoming academic year. City St. George's, in London, has been among the beneficiaries. Mattias Frey, deputy dean and department head of media, culture and creative industries, said the number of US graduate students applying to its creative writing program more than tripled in 2025 and he's expanding staff to accommodate them. He said the students haven't been directly citing US politics as a driver of their decisions 'but there's something in the air about it.' 'I would call it a safe space that maybe they're not feeling right now in the United States,' he said. McMillan, the Boston admissions consultant, said he's been picking up on that, too. He said roughly half of the Middle Eastern students he has been advising are planning to apply to an English-speaking university outside the US in the next application cycle, a sharp in increase from just one in five in previous years. For his American clients — who were almost always focused on US schools — it has shot up to 15 per cent. 'I expect this number to rise,' he said. Since Trump's return to the White House, McMillan has spent more time researching and visiting campuses in Europe, where his company already has consultants in Italy and France. This month, the 18-person firm hired someone in the UK for the first time, anticipating it will become a more prominent destination. 'There's a real gap between the administration and the vast majority of Americans who value and understand the importance of this intellectual richness that's coming to the US,' McMillan said. 'We're concerned about the brain drain.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MHSAA Track & Field for 2A / 4A
The final day of the MHSAA Track & Field State championship featured 2A and 4A schools. Some of the local athletes who are state champs include Maddi Bryd from Pisgah for shot put and discus. In girls pole vaulting for 2A Morgan Lee won first place and Georgia Paduda received second, both from St. Andrews. St. Andrews took home many awards today dominating the 2A division. In 4A Lanier showed out and had winners in shot put, 300-meter, 100 meters for the girl's division. There were multiple winners from Lanier in 4A boys as well as winners from Pass Christian, Mccomb and more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
