World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler produced yet another commanding display as he claimed the Claret Jug for the first time with a four-shot victory at the 153rd Open Championship.
The 29-year-old came into the final round at Royal Portrush with a four-shot advantage and went onto stretch his lead to seven shots thanks to a run of three birdies in his first five holes. As the day went on, it became increasingly clear that Scheffler would get his hands on the Claret Jug and the question turned to if he could match or overhaul Tiger Woods’ record of an eight-shot victory which the 15-time major winner achieved in 2000 at St Andrews.
In the end, none of the chasing pack, which included the likes of Rory McIlroy, could put any pressure on Scheffler in a tournament which he either led or co-led all 72 holes, playing four straight rounds in the 60s as he cruised the back nine with two birdies in his final 10 holes to give him a 17 under total, secure his fourth major title, and edge closer to a career Grand Slam.
He becomes only the third player, alongside Woods and Jack Nicklaus, to have won four majors by the age of 30 with a margin of three shots or more.
“It [winning] is a pretty special feeling, it was a tough week, I battled hard,” Scheffler said speaking to Sky Sports. “I played some really good golf and am fortunate to be holding the trophy.
“I used to wake up early to watch this tournament on TV, hoping and dreaming that I would get a chance to play in it. To be here with the trophy, it is hard to put into words.”
He went on to thank the fans for their support during the week.
“I know I wasn’t the fan favourite so I appreciate you guys coming out to support,” said Scheffler, referring to local hero Rory McIlroy.
“Overall it was a really fun week to be able to play in front of such a great crowd.”
Victory means that he is only a U.S. Open victory away from joining the exclusive list of players to achieve the career Grand Slam.
In what was a congested chasing pack, Harris English finished runner-up for the second time in a major this year thanks to his final-round 66 while last week’s Genesis Scottish Open winner Chris Gotterup made it an all-American top three with a fine final round display to finish a shot further back.
China’s Haotong Li, who came into the Sunday in second, sealed an impressive showing to finish in a tie for fourth with America’s Wyndham Clark and England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick, a result which cements his spot in next year’s Masters.
“It’s pretty good. Like I said, I didn’t expect anything like this. But I’m super happy to finish top 4 and get in the Masters again, and I’m just looking forward to getting back there again,” he said.
Home favorite McIlroy, who was bidding to earn a historic triumph and his second major of the season, ended the tournament in a tie for seventh alongside defending champion Xander Schauffele and Scotland’s Robert MacIntrye.
“I’m really pleased with my week,” McIlroy said speaking to Sky Sports. “I wish I had have been closer to Scottie going into today and been able to make a real push. But he’s been on a different level all week and he’s been on a different level for the last two years to the rest of us.
“He is the bar that we’re all trying to get to at this point, so hats off to him. He’s an unbelievable player, an incredible champion and a great person too.”
When is the next major?
The next major will be the first of the 2026 men’s calendar which is the PLAYERS Championship taking place between 12-15 March at TPC Sawgrass in Florida.