On a different level

Qatar Tribune

20-07-2025

Rory McIlroy expressed his admiration for Scottie Scheffler after the world number one denied him the chance of an emotional win in his home Open with a runaway victory at Royal Portrush. The Northern Irishman began Sunday's final round six off the lead and he probably knew it was a bridge too far to reel in the in-form American, who had already won the US PGA this year to add to his two Masters titles. It would have required a fast start and shooting something close to the 61 McIlroy shot on this course as a 16-year-old - virtually impossible in a major setting. "I wish I had have been closer to Scottie going into today and been able to make a real push but he's been on a different level all week and he's been on a different level for the last two years to the rest of us," he said after his rival won the third leg of the career Grand Slam which McIlroy completed at Augusta in April. "None of us could live with what he had this week. He is the bar that we're all trying to get to at this point, so hats off to him. "I think all you can do is admire what he does and how he does it. I think what he does is one thing, but how he does it is another. He just goes about his business, doesn't do anything overly flamboyant, but he's the best at executing in the game right now. In a historical context, you could argue that there's only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run, the one that Scottie's been on here for the last 24 to 36 months." (PA Media/DPA)