The Open: Scottie Scheffler cruises to main win and strikes nearer to profession Grand Slam with large victory at Royal Portrush

Scottie Scheffler claimed a fourth main title and accomplished a 3rd leg of the profession Grand Slam by cruising to a dominant four-shot victory at The Open.

The world No 1 took a four-shot lead into the ultimate day at Royal Portrush and shortly asserted additional management by making three birdies in his first 5 holes, with Scheffler reaching the flip 5 forward regardless of a double-bogey on the par-four eighth.

Scheffler added another birdie to shut out a three-under 68 and finish the week on 17 beneath, together with his victory – following his PGA Championship success in Could – now giving him the prospect to finish the profession Grand Slam subsequent June on the US Open.

The 29-year-old completed comfortably forward of Harris English, who carded his second main runner-up end of the season after a final-round 66, with final week’s Genesis Scottish Open winner Chris Gotterup an additional shot again in third.

Wyndham Clark shared fourth place alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Haotong Li, as Rory McIlroy’s bid for a historic victory on residence soil led to a share of seventh with defending champion Xander Schauffele and Robert MacIntyre.

How Scheffler closed out one other dominant main victory

Scheffler fired his method from the left tough to tap-in vary and matched Li’s birdie on the par-four first, whereas a par on the par-five subsequent was sufficient to extend his result in 5 when his taking part in companion made bogey.

Li discovered a fairway bunker off the tee and bogeyed the par-four fourth, the place Scheffler transformed from seven ft to go seven clear, with each gamers selecting up a shot on the subsequent to place the chasing pack additional behind.

Scheffler holed a 15-foot birdie on the fifth and transformed from related distances for par over his subsequent two holes, holding him six clear, solely to provide the sphere a lifeline when he took two makes an attempt out of a fairway bunker on his manner a double-bogey on the eighth.

It briefly reduce Scheffler’s result in 4 after Gotterup made three birdies on his approach to attain the flip in 33, however the world No 1 replied with a five-foot birdie on the ninth to achieve the flip with a five-stroke buffer.

That turned six when Li bogeyed the tenth, whereas Gotterup cancelled out a dropped shot on the eleventh with back-to-back birdies to reclaim solo second, as Scheffler responded to a missed birdie probability on the tenth by making an eight-foot birdie on the twelfth.

Scheffler squandered 10-foot birdie possibilities on the thirteenth and sixteenth nevertheless it made little influence on the outcome, even when English adopted a long-range eagle on the twelfth by birdieing two of his three holes and leaping to 13 beneath.

The pre-tournament favorite safely negotiated the ultimate two holes in pars to shut out one other thrilling victory, the place he turned the primary world No 1 to win The Open since Tiger Woods defended his title in 2006.

It’s the tenth consecutive that Scheffler has closed out a 54-hole lead and is his seventeenth PGA Tour title in simply over three and a half years, with Scheffler now having the prospect to finish the profession Grand Slam – on his thirtieth birthday – subsequent June on the US Open.

McIlroy – additionally chasing a second main win of the season – reached the flip in 34 however noticed his hopes derailed with a double-bogey on the par-four tenth, with the world No 2 including two birdies late in his spherical to finish the week seven photographs behind Scheffler.

Bryson DeChambeau carded a round-of-the-day 64 to share tenth spot with Corey Conners, Russell Henley and 2023 champion Brian Harman, whereas English quarter Tommy Fleetwood, John Parry, Justin Rose and Tyrrell Hatton had been a part of a share of sixteenth place on seven beneath.

McIlroy leads tributes to ‘totally different stage’ Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler (-17), chatting with Sky Sports activities: “It [winning] is a pretty special feeling, it was a tough week, I battled hard. I played some really good golf and am fortunate to be holding the trophy.

“I used to get up early to look at this event on TV, hoping and dreaming that I might get an opportunity to play in it. To be right here with the trophy, it’s exhausting to place into phrases.”

Rory McIlroy (-10), speaking to Sky Sports: “I am actually happy with my week. I want I had have been nearer to Scottie going into in the present day and been capable of make an actual push. However he is been on a special stage all week and he is been on a special stage for the final two years to the remainder of us.

He’s the bar that we’re all making an attempt to get to at this level, so hats off to him. He is an unbelievable participant, an unimaginable champion and an incredible particular person too.”

Extra to comply with..

What’s subsequent?

The PGA Tour heads to Minnesota for the 3M Open, beginning on Thursday at TPC Twin Cities, whereas the subsequent DP World Tour occasion is the Nero Championship in Scotland from August 7-10.

The Senior Open begins on Thursday at Sunningdale, earlier than the ladies’s main season concludes with the AIG Ladies’s Open from July 31-August 3 at Royal Porthcawl. Stream the PGA Tour, majors and extra prime sport with no contract.

Get one of the best costs and guide a spherical at considered one of 1,700 programs throughout the UK & Eire