A relentless Scottie Scheffler stormed to his maiden Open Championship title with a commanding four-shot victory, turning the final day into a procession at Royal Portrush on Sunday.
The 29-year-old American, ranked world number one, began the day with a four-stroke cushion and, bar a solitary hiccup, never relinquished his grip on the chasing field. His unflinching composure and clinical precision evoked memories of Tiger Woods in his prime, as Scheffler cemented his fourth major title with a composed final-round 68.
After tapping in for par at the packed 18th green, Scheffler’s steely focus finally gave way. Overcome with emotion, he tossed his white cap skyward and tearfully embraced his caddie Ted Scott, wife Meredith and young son Bennett.
“Thanks to the fans for all the support. I know I wasn’t the fan favourite today so I appreciate you guys coming out to support, overall it’s been a great week,” said the understated Scheffler, now the third consecutive American to lift the Claret Jug and the fourth in the last five years.
Remove the dominant Texan from the equation and the 153rd Open might have served up a thrilling finale, with the leaderboard in constant flux throughout the weekend.
Harris English emerged as the best of the rest, finishing on 13 under following an impressive 66, while fellow American Chris Gotterup—last week’s Scottish Open winner—was a further shot adrift.
Massive crowds lined the course all week, many arriving on a bright Sunday in hopes of witnessing a Rory McIlroy miracle. But Northern Ireland’s favourite son, who began six shots adrift of Scheffler, was unable to mount a meaningful challenge. He closed on 10 under, tied for seventh with 2024 champion Xander Schauffele and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre.
“I wish I had have been closer to Scottie going into today and been able to make a real push,” said McIlroy, who secured his career Grand Slam at this year’s Masters. “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.”
China’s Li Haotong, the first Chinese man to play in the final group of a major, finished tied fourth on 11 under alongside England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and American Wyndham Clark.
Scheffler now boasts three legs of the career Grand Slam and needs only the U.S. Open to complete the set. He is also the first golfer in over a century to win his first four majors by at least three strokes, and the first world number one to triumph at The Open since Tiger Woods in 2006.
“When you play against the best, they make it look easy and you can’t quite figure out why they are so good,” said England’s Justin Rose, who finished on seven under.
Those who expected Scheffler to falter on a notoriously treacherous layout—featuring holes ominously named Calamity Corner and Purgatory—were quickly proven wrong. On each of the last nine occasions Scheffler had led heading into the final round of a PGA Tour event, he went on to win. His three prior major titles also came after 54-hole leads.
A sense of anticipation brewed as the leading groups approached the first tee, but Scheffler immediately asserted himself with birdies at the 1st, 4th and 5th holes. The only brief sign of vulnerability came at the 8th, where a double bogey—his first dropped shots since Friday—cut his lead to four.
But hopes of a dramatic twist were quickly dashed as he responded with a birdie at the 9th and added another at the 12th, restoring calm and control.
Perhaps the only player who could have challenged Scheffler over the weekend was compatriot Bryson DeChambeau. He surged to a final-day 64, matching the tournament’s lowest round and finishing tied 10th on nine under—an extraordinary comeback after opening with a 78.
Scheffler now stands not only as the world’s best golfer, but one whose calm ruthlessness may define a new era at the summit of the game.