Scottie Scheffler reigns supreme, wins his first Open title

The US world No.1 clinches win by 4 shots for his fourth major, and second of the year, at Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland

Portrush: Sunday at the 153rd Open Championship turned into golf’s version of a walkover. Nobody showed up to trouble Scottie Scheffler’s victory march as the world No.1 sauntered to a maiden Open title and his fourth career major win.

Scottie Scheffler kisses the Claret Jug after winning the British Open golf championship on Sunday. (AP)

At Royal Portrush Golf Club, the American started his final round four shots ahead of China’s Haotong Li, and even though he made a few uncharacteristic mistakes on the front nine, the field was too far behind to capitalise on them.

The twice Masters (2022 and 2024) and the reigning PGA champion, Scheffler’s 68 – his fourth successive round in the 60s – gave him a 17-under par total of 267.

“I felt good amount of peace today, very much in control. Even though I had a hiccup on the eighth hole, I bounced back…Every day is a battle and I did well,” a beaming Scheffler said in a greenside interview after his win.

American Harris English, who finished runner-up to Scheffler at this year’s PGA Championship, was the bridesmaid again. The 35-year-old Georgian closed with a round of 66 that included an eagle and four birdies. He finished one ahead of compatriot Chris Gotterup (67), who rounded off a remarkable first trip to the UK by winning last week’s Genesis Scottish Open, followed by third in his maiden Open appearance.

There have been better winning margins (Old Tom Morris holds the record of 13 strokes in 1862), but the largest since 1913 in Tiger Woods’ eight-shot win in the 2000 edition at St Andrews. And the lowest winning total is 264 by Henrik Stenson (2016) and Cameron Smith (2022). Both records were in danger of being obliterated.

However, Scheffler could only make pars on the two pars 5s on the front nine – the second and the seventh – which were both averaging well below their par. He then hit his second shot on the eighth hole into the wall of the fairway bunker and he ended up making his only double bogey since coming to the UK this year.

Xander Schauffele, the man who lost his Open crown to Scheffler, paid tribute to the incredible dominance of his good friend.

“He’s incredible. He really is,” said Schauffele, who closed with a 68 and was tied seventh.

“I don’t think we thought the golfing world would see someone as dominant as Tiger (Woods) come through so soon, and here’s Scottie sort of taking that throne of dominance. You can’t even say he’s on a run. He’s just been killing it for over two years now.

“He’s a tough man to beat, and when you see his name up on the leaderboard, it sucks for the rest of us.”

Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau completed a remarkable turnaround with his best round of the tournament – a seven-under 64 – which moved him inside/just outside the Top 10. Seven-over after Thursday’s opening round, the LIV Golf star shot 65, 68 and 64 to finish on nine-under total.

After a rapturous reception from the fans on the cavernous 18th grandstand, DeChambeau said:

“I was really proud of the way I turned it around and gave myself some hope in the third round, after I was 3-under,” said the Captain of the Crushers GC, which also features India’s Anirban Lahiri.

“I said to myself, I’m going to do something different this time. I’ve been working on myself and how I am and how I act in situations. I transitioned my brain to say, no matter what happens, I am going to go full force, attack like it’s Sunday of a major championship, and that’s what I did.”