Story of the Championship

Scottie Scheffler cemented his status as the dominant player in men’s golf with an emphatic victory in The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush.

The world number one triumphed by four shots with an aggregate score of 17-under-par, having put together rounds of 68, 64, 67 and 68 in a stellar display.

We take a look at how each day of a memorable Championship unfolded.

Round One

Scheffler was immediately in contention thanks to a three-under opening round in the company of Shane Lowry – the Champion Golfer of 2019 at Royal Portrush – and Collin Morikawa, but five players bettered that score by one on a day of wildly changeable conditions.

Harris English, Haotong Li, Matt Fitzpatrick, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Jacob Skov Olesen all shot 67 to share the lead, with Scheffler joined by Matthew Jordan, Tyrrell Hatton and Sadom Kaewkanjana in a share of sixth on a congested leaderboard.

Li, who tied for third at The Open at Royal Birkdale back in 2017, was the only one of the leading quintet to go bogey-free on Thursday as frequent squalls of wind and rain made life difficult for much of the day.

Scheffler went under the radar for most of his round, but a brilliant two on Royal Portrush’s signature hole – the par-3 16th named Calamity Corner – was followed by another birdie on 17 that moved the American into an ominous position.

Plenty of other big names could be satisfied with their opening day’s work; Brian Harman, the Champion Golfer of 2023, shot a two-under 69 that was matched by the likes of Justin Rose, Lee Westwood and Rickie Fowler, while Rory McIlroy, who received enormous support from his home crowd, went round in 70 to sit three off the pace alongside Lowry.

A bogey at the 1st represented a disappointing start for McIlroy, albeit a far less painful opening than his quadruple-bogey at the same juncture in 2019. A rollercoaster ride followed as four birdies were followed by three further dropped shots, but McIlroy finished strongly by getting back into red figures at the 17th.

The opening shot of the Championship was struck by Padraig Harrington, another much-adored figure on the island of Ireland, and the Champion Golfer of 2007 and 2008 raised plenty of cheers by not only finding the fairway but also making a birdie at the 1st.

Round one leaders

-4 – Bezuidenhout, English, Fitzpatrick, Li, Olesen
-3 – Hatton, Jordan, Kaewkanjana, Scheffler

Round Two

If the opening 18 holes provided few clear-cut clues as to who would be crowned Champion Golfer of the Year, with the top nine players separated by a single shot, the same certainly could not be said of day two.

Harman, Li and Fitzpatrick all made notable moves on Friday, only to be surpassed by the irrepressible Scheffler, who stormed to the top of the leaderboard with a majestic seven-under 64.

A heavy downpour greeted the start of Scheffler’s round and he also had to contend with a second dramatic burst of rain in the evening as conditions again varied significantly through the day.

Yet nothing could throw the three-time major winner off his stride as he once more closed his round superbly with birdies at 16 and 17 to get to 10-under for the Championship.

"Fortunately, it didn't pour the whole time,” said Scheffler. "We only had maybe four or five holes where it was really coming down, and I was able to take advantage of the holes where we had some good weather."

Fitzpatrick’s 66 to reach nine-under was similarly impressive, lifting the Englishman into Saturday’s final group and continuing a welcome return to form under new swing coach Mark Blackburn.

Harman and Li, meanwhile, posted scores of 65 and 67 respectively to share third on eight-under, three shots clear of five players in a tie for fifth.

McIlroy’s bid for the Claret Jug looked to be all but over after a 69 left him seven behind Scheffler on three-under, although there was still a glimmer of hope for the home favourite.

None of the nine amateurs in the field were able to make a cut that fell at one-over, meaning there would be no Silver Medal winner in 2025.

In only his second appearance at The Open in eight years, Justin Leonard – the Champion Golfer in 1997 - did make the weekend for the first time since he finished T13 at Muirfield in 2013.

Round 2 leaders

-10 – Scheffler
-9 – Fitzpatrick
-8 – Harman, Li
-5 – English, Gotterup, Hatton, R Hojgaard, MacIntyre

Round 3

Day three of The 153rd Open was all about two men, as Scheffler tightened his grip on the Claret Jug and McIlroy electrified the Royal Portrush crowd with a thrilling charge.

By the time play concluded, Scheffler was four shots clear of Li on 14-under after a bogey-free 67 and the heaviest of favourites going into the final 18 holes.

After a slow start to his round, the overnight leader put his foot on the gas with an eagle at the par-5 7th and a birdie at the 8th, before making a two at the challenging par-3 16th for a remarkable third day in succession.

Given Scheffler had converted each of his three previous 54-hole leads at majors into emphatic wins, the prospects of anyone else prevailing now looked highly unlikely at best.

Yet although Scheffler ultimately seized control on Saturday, this was also a day that saw McIlroy keep his slim hopes of victory alive in the most thrilling fashion.

Birdies at three of the first four holes from the Northern Irishman set Portrush abuzz with anticipation and excitement.

Six successive pars followed before a painful bogey at 11, but McIlroy garnered the biggest roar of the day – and perhaps the week – at the 12th when he drained a huge putt for eagle.

“It was an incredible atmosphere out there, said McIlroy, who moved up to a tie for fourth on eight-under, six behind Scheffler. “I feel like I've at least given myself half a chance tomorrow.”

McIlroy was joined in fourth by English, Hatton and Chris Gotterup, the previous week’s Genesis Scottish Open winner continuing to excel at links golf, while Fitzpatrick sat one shot better off on nine-under and Xander Schauffele moved up to seven-under in an impressive defence of the Claret Jug he secured at Royal Troon 12 months earlier.

Another loud cheer was heard at the par-3 13th earlier in the day as John Parry produced the only hole-in-one of the week.

Round 3 leaders

-14 – Scheffler
-10 – Li
-9 – Fitzpatrick
-8 – English, Gotterup, Hatton, McIlroy
-7 - Schauffele

Final Round

Was it ever in doubt? Perhaps not.

Scheffler sauntered to victory on Sunday, securing the much-sought-after title of Champion Golfer of the Year and his fourth major in as many years.

After he burst out of the gates with a spectacular birdie on the 1st, where his approach shot came to rest 16 inches from the hole, and further gains at the 4th and 5th, the only question seemed to concern Scheffler’s margin of victory, with Tiger Woods’ modern-day record of eight strokes at St Andrews in 2000 seemingly under serious threat.

An unexpected double-bogey at the 8th brought Scheffler back towards the pack, but he responded in typically authoritative fashion with a birdie at the next, before cruising home on the back nine with eight pars and a four at the par-5 12th.

The fast-finishing English ensured Scheffler’s advantage stood at four come the close of play, but this was truly the most comfortable of major successes, with the world number one keeping his nearest rivals at a significant distance throughout Sunday.

Scheffler could therefore enjoy the greatest walk in golf – a contented stroll to the 18th green surrounded by a grandstand of appreciative fans – knowing his success was secure. Upon holing the winning putt, the newest Champion Golfer initially kept his emotions in check before showing his unbridled delight as he greeted his wife Meredith and son Bennett, who went on to play a starring role at the end of the prize-giving ceremony.

Americans took the top three places on the final leaderboard, with Scheffler and English’s names followed by that of the in-form Gotterup.

Wyndham Clark climbed up to tied-fourth, alongside Li and Fitzpatrick, with a Sunday 65, while there was the warmest of receptions for McIlroy as he completed a 69 to share seventh with Schauffele and Robert MacIntyre.

Bryson DeChambeau, meanwhile, deserved huge credit for finishing in a share of 10th as he followed a seven-over 78 in round one with scores of 65, 68 and a best-of-the-day 64 on Sunday.

Final leaderboard

-17 - Scheffler
-13 – English
-12 – Gotterup
-11 – Clark, Fitzpatrick, Li
-10 – MacIntyre, McIlroy, Schauffele
-9 – Conners, DeChambeau, Harman, Henley