Air Of Inevitability Blows In As Scottie Scheffler Seizes Control Of The Open

Scottie Scheffler still had 20 holes of this Open Championship still to play. History tells america leads tin evaporate successful conscionable one. Dense rough, links bunkers, nan standard of unit attached to nan oldest major. Open calamity is written successful folklore. The shade of Jean van de Velde still lingers. And yet, nan bookmakers had Scheffler astatine only 1-8 to assistance nan Claret Jug. The fat woman had cleared her throat. Twenty holes. What sporting satellite is this?

It is imaginable to tally retired of adjectives for Scheffler. Unflappable, remarkable, relentless. Nobody will ever lucifer nan effect of Tiger Woods connected play but it really is nary exaggeration to propose Scheffler tin beryllium likewise dominant. Come Sunday evening connected nan Causeway Coast, Scheffler will surely beryllium a four-time awesome victor and three-quarters of nan measurement towards a profession expansive slam. This is only his 24th awesome commencement arsenic a professional. In 1 of them, his pursuit of glory was undermined by being thrown into a constabulary cell.

Immediately earlier nan pandemic, cipher beyond play geeks knew who Scottie Scheffler was. Confidence – aliases certainty – attached to what happens adjacent is backed up by Scheffler winning connected nan past 9 erstwhile occasions erstwhile he has held a 54-hole lead. He is successful pursuit of a 12th triumph since outpouring of 2024.

This advantage is to nan tune of 4 shots. Li Haotong’s 69 intends he is nan closest to Scheffler’s 14 nether par. Li will play successful nan last group of a awesome for nan first clip successful an up-and-down career. Scheffler; 68, 64, 67. He has hardly surgery sweat.

Second-placed Li Haotong of China will play successful nan last group of a awesome for nan first clip connected Sunday. Photograph: Stuart Kerr/R&A/Getty Images

Saturday’s dream of a tussle was a little one, arsenic Matt Fitzpatrick chipped successful for an eagle astatine nan 3rd to necktie nan lead. Scheffler jabbed backmost by collecting 2 shots of his ain astatine nan 7th but Fitzpatrick’s birdie astatine nan aforesaid spread kept matters interesting. Scheffler reached 13 nether par by picking up a changeable astatine nan 8th.

On nan backmost 9 location were 2 ridiculous par saves from Scheffler, astatine nan 11th and 14th aft uncovering heavy foliage. The 16th is called Calamity for a reason; Scheffler made a insult of its estimation courtesy of a birdie two. Fitzpatrick had erred astatine nan short 13th, pinch his birdie 2 holes later offset by different correction connected nan penultimate hole. The Yorkshireman closed connected 9 nether aft his level-par 71.

Scheffler has promised not to overthink his position. This seems his finest attribute, a mindset that does not move limited connected leaderboards. “I for illustration being retired present competing,” Scheffler said. “This is why we activity truthful hard, to person opportunities for illustration this and I’m excited for nan situation of tomorrow. Winning awesome championships is not an easy task and I’ve put myself successful a bully position.

“Going into tomorrow I’m going to measurement up location connected nan 1st tee and I’m going to beryllium trying to get nan shot successful nan fairway. When I get to nan 2nd changeable I’m going to beryllium trying to get that shot connected nan green. There’s not really excessively overmuch other going on.” Simple, truthful blissfully simple. Try telling that to mediocre Matti Schmid, who changeable 79.

Matt Fitzpatrick is starring nan British situation successful third, 5 shots down Scheffler, successful spite of a bad time connected nan greens. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Fitzpatrick bemoaned problems connected nan greens. What was nan rumor pinch putts, Matt? “They conscionable wouldn’t spell in,” he replied pinch admirable candour. Fitzpatrick added: “Let’s beryllium realistic, he’s 5 ahead. It’s not easy. But if you get disconnected to a bully start, past evidently put a spot of unit connected early doors and dream for nan champion ... You get 3 nether done six, for illustration immoderate of nan guys today, nan 7th nan par 5 and each of a abrupt you’re benignant of correct backmost successful it, you would hope. It’s clear what I person to do tomorrow.”

The tourney minus Scheffler is simply a decent one. Rory McIlroy reached 8 nether par pinch a melodramatic 66, his lowest people of nan week, earlier awesome crowds. McIlroy’s homecoming has been already been everything he could person imagined. The Belfast boy has Chris Gotterup, Harris English and Tyrrell Hatton for scoring company.

On a time erstwhile chances were aplenty, nan defending champion, Xander Schauffele, posted 5 nether par to move to minus seven. Lee Westwood is retired of winning contention astatine minus 5 but a backmost 9 of 29 successful glorious sunshine proved hugely enjoyable for nan veteran. Westwood credited his woman and caddie, Helen, pinch triggering nan tally by providing nan erstwhile world No1 pinch a tuna sandwich connected nan 10th tee.

Bob MacIntyre, who is now 8 shots adrift, summed up nan hopelessness of it each for specified mortals. At nan commencement of 2025, MacIntyre asked his caddie to measure really acold down nan world’s top-ranked subordinate he was successful various statistics. Said container man gave up nan process aft swiftly realising MacIntyre, past 16th successful nan rankings, was person successful each departments to No 2 than No 2 was to No 1. It is not nan oversea aerial dominating successful Portrush. Instead, an aerial of inevitability.