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Never in doubt. Never remotely in doubt. What might Rory McIlroy have to shoot to win his second Open, they asked. The answer turned out to be: Scottie Scheffler.
Anybody hoping for a keenly contested Open Sunday was to be sorely disappointed. Make that 10 times Scheffler has held a 54-hole lead and 10 times he has converted. Scheffler tugged his opening tee shot into the rough, triggering some sharp intakes of breath. The new champion’s next act was to fire an iron to within a foot of the cup. Scheffler enjoyed a sun-kissed procession on the Dunluce Links. Had the R&A been so minded, it could have broken with tradition and handed over the Claret Jug on the 5th tee. By that point, he was seven strokes clear.
Scheffler does not bother with major jousting. Direct combat? No thanks. He four-putted the 72nd green at Augusta National in 2022 and still won by three. The 2024 Masters was claimed by four, the 2025 US PGA Championship by five. This triumph was by a quartet of shots when in reality it felt like so much more. Late on Sunday afternoon, the Old Tom Morris record from 1862 – he saw off a distraught Willie Park by 13 shots at Prestwick – appeared to be under threat. Scheffler missed back-nine chance after back-nine chance when it barely mattered. A 68, Scheffler’s joint highest score of the competition, meant 17 under par as an aggregate. His family surrounded him on the 18th green, in the latest reminder that the world No 1 does not particularly prioritise golf. His understated brilliance and shunning of the spotlight is intriguing. Scheffler recognises he is excellent at golf but he is unwilling to be defined by that.
The record books will show Harris English finished second and he is due high praise. It is just that Scheffler’s imperious frontrunning distorted the tournament. English never had any prospect of winning. Chris Gotterup was not in the Open when arriving in North Berwick for its Scottish equivalent. Gotterup duly won there last Sunday and reached 12 under par to secure third in Northern Ireland. What a wonderful sporting fairytale.
Scheffler does not need help. He received some courtesy of the fact this was another benign Portrush occasion. With that, the capacity for huge errors was limited. Scoring was noticeably low across the field. Scheffler played his first five in three under. He whacked a bunker shot at the 8th into the face of the sand trap; a double bogey there was partly repaired with a straightforward birdie at the 9th. Those beneath him were scaling an ice wall in slippers. The R&A’s engraver could get to work long before Scheffler reached his 72nd hole. There was an inevitability about the outcome which could only raise parallels with peak Tiger Woods.
What a weird week for Wyndham Clark. It began with Oakmont Country Club informing members that Clark had been banned from the premises after he inflicted grievous bodily harm on some lockers at last month’s US Open. Presumably others were ducking for cover as Clark shot a 76 on Thursday. His response, however, was admirable; Clark signed off with a 65 for 11 under and a fourth-placed finish. He had Matt Fitzpatrick and Li Haotong for scoreboard company. Li made a fourth round 70 as Scheffler’s partner. “I asked if there is any time I can practise with him on the PGA Tour,” said Li. “He said yes. I said: ‘ When I text you, you better reply to me.’ He goes: ‘Haotong who?’”
Clark does sound genuinely remorseful about events at Oakmont. If he has a lingering gripe, it relates to his sanction from the club entering the public domain. “We were hoping it was going to be private,” Clark said. “I did something awful and I’m really sorry for it. Hopefully they have it in their heart to forgive me and maybe in the future I’ll be able to play there.”
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McIlroy had reached 10 under before a double bogey at the 10th. It seems incredible to think that his next round in a major will be the start of his Masters defence in April. The esteem he was held in by vast galleries over four competitive days in Portrush really was quite the sight and sound. McIlroy’s focus will now turn towards the Ryder Cup and hopes of a rare European win on American soil. He shared seventh in Northern Ireland with Xander Schauffele and Bob MacIntyre. “None of us could live with what Scottie had this week,” McIlroy said. “ But for me to be in front of everyone here at home and to get that reception up the last, absolutely incredible. I’ll remember that for a long time.”
Bryson DeChambeau blasted through the field to post a 64 and a nine-under aggregate. DeChambeau opened this major with a 78 and ended up finishing tied 10th. Insert joke about LIV golfers and 54-hole tournaments. Sergio García broke his driver on the 2nd hole in a fit of pique, rendering a 68 somewhat decent. García was asked post-round for his thoughts on September’s Ryder Cup, an event in which he is at present about as likely to feature as the aforementioned Old Tom.
Scheffler will be there, having swept up half the year’s major crowns. Next year’s US Open – which concludes on Scheffler’s 30th birthday – will feature him attempting to complete a career grand slam. We are firmly in the midst of one of the greatest golfing careers of all time.
