Scheffler cruises towards British Open title despite slip-up
Scheffler will take some catching on the back nine, having converted his last nine 54-hole leads into victories.
He arrived in Northern Ireland on a run of 10 successive top-10 finishes, featuring three wins including the PGA Championship, his third major title.
The American could become only the second world number one to win the British Open after Tiger Woods, which would complete the third leg of a possible career Grand Slam.
Scheffler's playing partner Li Haotong was at 11-under in second place, tied with Chris Gotterup and Harris English.
Home favourite Rory McIlroy reached minus 10 for the tournament through the front nine, but his challenge stalled with a sloppy double bogey on the par-four 10th.
Scheffler made three birdies in his first five holes to serenely reach 17-under par for the tournament, with his closest challengers at that point nine-under.
Last week's Scottish Open champion 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 first time he had dropped shots since the 11th hole of his second-round 64 on Friday.
But when leading at the 54-hole stage, Scheffler has won his last nine tournaments and he showed why on the ninth with a trademark precise iron shot setting up another birdie.
Li also birdied to keep his tilt at becoming the first Chinese man to win a major alive.
McIlroy comes undone
McIlroy hung on the fringes of contention with three birdies on the way out, 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 a lifting second British Open title this weekend.
His playing partner Matthew Fitzpatrick, bidding to become the first English winner of the tournament since Nick Faldo in 1992, was 10-under after 11 holes, six shots behind.
Bryson DeChambeau soared up the leaderboard with a seven-under 64, the joint-best round of the championship, to finish on nine-under and will be left to rue a first-round 78.
"What I did for the past three days, I said, every time is go time, like you've got to come back from five, six back," said the two-time US Open champion.
"That's the mentality I had."
Shane Lowry, who won the title when the British Open returned to Portrush after a 68-year absence in 2019, ended with a 66 to finish on two-under.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
5 hours ago
- France 24
Hamilton suffers unprecedented spinning knockout in Belgian GP sprint qualifying
But the gloomy seven-time world champion was cleared of blame by veteran commentator and former F1 driver Martin Brundle, who said the rear axle of Hamilton's Ferrari "broke up under braking". Brundle said it was "highly unusual", adding: "I don't think there's anyone more surprised at that than Lewis Hamilton. "It looks like a technical issue. Nobody will be more surprised than Lewis. It's almost like the engine sort of stalled out and every time he pulled another shift, it's just locked the rear axle." Hamilton ended up qualifying 18th on the 20-car grid just 24 hours after his highly-charged comments about winning a championship at Ferrari and not suffering the plight of fellow former multiple champions Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. He struggled throughout the day at the sprawling and majestic Spa-Francorchamps circuit -- one of his favourites -- and ran wide at Stavelot early in SQ1 before his spin at the chicane. Hamilton said he had never experienced that kind of spin before. Facing reporters later, he was asked what had gone wrong and responded: "I spun." He added that it was "the first time, I think, in my career" that he had spun in that way. "There's not really a lot to say," he added. "Obviously, I'm massively frustrated. "A lot of work has gone in and to be there is not really great. So hopefully tomorrow will be better." © 2025 AFP
France 24
6 hours ago
- France 24
Root climbs to second on all-time Test list as England dominate India
Ben Stokes' team, 2-1 up in the five-match series, were 544-7 at stumps on the third day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, 186 runs ahead of the toiling tourists on first innings. Root made an imperious score of exactly 150, with only retired India great Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 Test runs) now having made more than the 34-year-old Englishman's tally of 13,409. Earlier, Ollie Pope (71) put on 144 for the third wicket with Root before he was dismissed by Washington Sundar, who also removed Harry Brook cheaply to give India renewed hope. But skipper Stokes, who ended the day 77 not out after briefly retiring hurt with cramp, ensured England regained the initiative. And it was Stokes who celebrated at the other end as Root, his predecessor as England captain, reached 13,379 runs with a single to move one ahead of Australian Ricky Ponting's figure. "Magnificent from Root, this is a great moment in history," former Australia captain Ponting said on Sky Sports as the Manchester crowd stood to applaud and chant the Yorkshireman's name. "The way his career his gone, there is absolutely no reason why he will not go past Tendulkar." Root's 38th Test century also drew him level with Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara in fourth place on the list of most hundreds in a Test career. "It has been a privilege to watch him knock off those milestones," former England skipper Michael Atherton said on Sky. "It has also been a privilege to see his career unfold." Root's 'awesome hunger' Root did not attend the post-play press conference as he was receiving treatment for cramp. Instead England vice-captain Pope, asked what he admired most about his fellow top-order batsman, replied: "Just his hunger and his drive, you look at all the batters here and everyone's picked up something from Joe." The 27-year-old added: "His hunger for it is awesome. He's an annoyingly good bloke, the way he is with the fans and as a role model for the next generation is awesome. "There's a lot to learn from him." India's attack had few answers to Root's latest century, with bowling coach Morne Morkel -- the former South Africa quick -- saying: "There's not a lot of weaknesses in his game. That's why he's scored 13,000 plus runs." England earlier resumed on 225-2 following a blistering opening partnership of 166 in 32 overs between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett on day two, with Pope 20 not out and Root on 11. On 21, the former England skipper walked a long away across his stumps only to miss an intended glance off Mohammed Siraj. India reviewed for lbw after Ahsan Raza ruled in Root's favour but replays upheld the Pakistani umpire's decision, indicating the ball would have missed leg stump. There was another scare when Root, on 22, was nearly run out but Ravindra Jadeja's shy at the stumps missed. Root, who started the day fifth in Test cricket's list of leading run-scorers, then leapfrogged India's Rahul Dravid and South Africa's Jacques Kallis into third place. Spin, however, eventually paid dividends for India where pace had failed, with both Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj appearing to tire in the absence of the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy. Pope had added just one run to his lunchtime score of 70 when, beaten by the drift from off-spinner Sundar, he edged a flicked front-foot drive to KL Rahul at slip. England were soon 349-4 when Brook, on three, was stumped off Sundar by Dhruv Jurel, deputising for injured India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Stokes, however, prevented further collapse with his first fifty of the series and the left-handed batsman was in fine touch until succumbing to cramp in his left leg. Root reached his century in 178 balls with a glanced four off ineffective debutant paceman Anshul Kamboj. He serenely continued to 150 before he was beaten by a turning delivery from left-arm spinner Jadeja that bounced steeply, with Jurel completing a sharp stumping. And when Chris Woakes was bowled by a Siraj ball that kept low -- a worrying sign for India's batsmen -- England were still well-placed at 528-7. That was the cue for all-rounder Stokes, arguably England's best bowler this series, to resume his innings and he carried on from where he left off with a well-timed cover-drive off Bumrah.
France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
RB's Permane returns as team boss at Belgian GP two years after sacking
Appointed two weeks ago, in the wake of Laurent Mekies' departure to take charge of sister team Red Bull, following the dismissal of Christian Horner, Permane was congratulated by friends up and down the pitlane. He was happy too to reflect on his dramatic change of fortunes after being told by Alpine, in 2023, that the Belgian race was to be his last as their sporting director after a 34-year career with the Enstone-based outfit. "It's been quite a journey, that's for sure," he said. "Two years ago, here, it was a very sad day for me, but I'm just eternally grateful to the Red Bull family for what they've done for me." Permane, 58, had been a permanent part of the team and the paddock for decades, earning respect and admiration as he worked his way up from early experience as a mechanic with the Benetton test team. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff described him as a "a rock of F1" and someone "with a lot of knowledge". But as Alpine, the team that followed previous outfits Benetton, Renault and Lotus in running their operation from Enstone, lurched from one crisis towards another, he was dumped. Facing an uncertain future, he was delighted when his phone rang and it was friend and colleague Mekies at the other end, offering him a job as Racing Director at Racing Bulls. He accepted and now, with Mekies' promotion, has the Frenchman to thank again for recommending him as his successor. "I am so proud to be given this opportunity to lead this team," said Permane. "I am looking forward to it. It's been a busy two weeks, that's for sure, but it has been exciting. "For me, it's quite a change. I'm a trackside guy. I've spent my life at the race track. There you manage teams of 60 to 100 people, but now it's another step up... I'm looking forward to it." Ironically, he will now rub shoulders with other team bosses including Alpine's consultant executive Flavio Briatore who was one of the first to send congratulations, having been his boss at Enstone during their Benetton days.
