Portrush (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Scottie Scheffler romped to a magnificent four-shot victory to seal his first British Open title at Royal Portrush on Sunday, notching his fourth major success. The world number one eased to a three-under par final round of 68, finishing on 17-under for the tournament after shooting in the 60s on all four days.
“It’s a pretty special feeling. It was a tough week,” said Scheffler, after becoming the first player in over 100 years to win his first four major titles by three strokes or more. “I battled hard all weekend. It was a battle, but I played some really good golf and I’m fortunate to be standing here holding the trophy.”
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It was the 10th successive time Scheffler has converted a 54-hole lead into a win. His dominance over the past two years has been such that once he birdied the first hole, it seemed as though the chasing pack had already lost any belief of challenging. Scheffler, who took a lead he would never relinquish with a seven-under 64 on Friday, extended his run of successive top-10 finishes to 11 events. That streak now features four wins, including the PGA Championship and British Open titles.
The American, who led by four shots overnight, became only the second world number one to lift the Claret Jug after Tiger Woods, completing the third leg of a possible career Grand Slam. Harris English finished in a distant second place, ending the tournament on 13-under courtesy of a closing round of 66. Chris Gotterup completed a dream fortnight after last weekend’s Scottish Open triumph, carding a 67 to end a shot further behind in third.
Home favourite Rory McIlroy could not launch a serious charge, with his challenge finally snuffed out by a double-bogey on the 10th hole. He had to settle for a tie for seventh place on 10-under and a standing ovation from his thousands of fans surrounding the 18th green. “None of us could live with what he (Scheffler) had this week, but for me to be in front of everyone here at home and to get that reception up the last, absolutely incredible,” said Masters champion McIlroy.
– Scheffler’s slip-up –
Scheffler made three birdies in his first five holes to serenely reach 17-under for the tournament, opening up an eight-shot chasm. Gotterup climbed into second on minus 11, with a group of four players, including McIlroy, one shot further back. Scheffler holed long par putts on the sixth and seventh holes to stay in total control, but slipped up with a double-bogey on the eighth after it took him four shots to reach the green. It was the first time he had dropped shots since the 11th hole of his second round on Friday.
But he showed why he rarely lets 54-hole leads slip on the ninth, with a trademark precise iron shot setting up another birdie. From then on, it was a procession for the 29-year-old as he parred every hole on the back nine except for a routine birdie on the par-five 12th. Scheffler had raised eyebrows before the tournament when he suggested his pursuit of dominance on the course was an “unfulfilling life” that only provides fleeting moments of satisfaction. He tapped in on the 18th green to tick off another achievement on his seemingly unstoppable path to golfing greatness, raising his arms in celebration before embracing his wife and young son.
“I don’t think we thought the golfing world would see someone as dominant as Tiger come through so soon, and here’s Scottie sort of taking that throne of dominance,” said Xander Schauffele, whose title defence ended in a tie for seventh.
– McIlroy comes undone –
McIlroy hung on the fringes of contention with three birdies on the front nine, against a lone bogey on the par-four fourth. But he fired his approach shot from the rough on 10 through the back of the green and eventually made a six which effectively ended any hopes of lifting a second British Open title this weekend. English and Gotterup, playing together in the third-last group, battled it out for second place over the closing holes.
English, who also came second to Scheffler at this year’s PGA Championship, grabbed the runner-up honours again thanks to birdies on the 16th and 17th holes. Matthew Fitzpatrick finished tied-fourth as England’s wait for a first British Open winner since Nick Faldo in 1992 went on, alongside Wyndham Clark and Li Haotong of China.
© 2024 AFP
