Shane Lowry offers hope to chasing pack at Open with final-round 66
In reality Scheffler's rivals are going to have to shoot lower than that if they are to challenge the world number one, who did not have a bogey on Saturday in extending his lead to four strokes.
Matt Fitzpatrick, five back, and McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton, six behind, represent the biggest threat, albeit a small one.
Be ready for the spectacular.
It's Sunday at The Open. pic.twitter.com/9hkHCtI0z9
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 20, 2025
Lowry recovered from a bogey at the par-five second to dial in his seven-iron with a birdie at the short next and a hole-out from the fairway at the fourth.
Four more birdies followed and he almost finished in style but his attempted chip-in did not drop.
'The course is gettable today – but then that gives Scottie the chance to shoot three or four under and if he shoots three of four under he won't be caught I don't think,' said the Irishman.
England's Justin Rose was two under through three holes despite missing a seven-footer for birdie at the first but his move up to seven under still left him seven off the top.
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The National
32 minutes ago
- The National
Lottie Woad wins the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open
With another performance of purpose and poise over a testing, gusty Dundonald Links, the unflappable Woad marked her first event as a professional with victory in the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open. Over 72-holes, Woad leaked just three shots and her closing four-under 68 gave her a 21-under aggregate and a three-shot win over Hyo Joo Kim of Korea. After her six-shot victory as an amateur at the Women's Irish Open at the start of July, as well as a third-place finish in a major at the Evian Championship the following week, this was another significant statement of intent from a truly special talent. As she marched off the final green, having put the tin lid on another thrilling conquest, she was greeted with a triumphant skirl of the pipes. Perhaps a rehashing of a tune from the Beethoven collection would've been more appropriate. Woad to Joy, anyone? No, I thought not. A week ago at The Open, we were all waxing lyrical about the calm, composed feats of a man called Scottie. On Sunday at Dundonald, it was a Lottie that everybody was talking about after her serene march to glory. Leading by two heading into the final round, Woad staved off the menacing advances of Kim with a terrific display of frontrunning golf. Even when Kim drew level at the top for a spell, Woad remained unflustered and upped the ante with a clinical burst of back-to-back birdies as she neared the closing stretch. 'It's very special to win in my first event as a professional and it's quite hard to do that,' said the former world amateur No 1. 'Everyone was chasing me today, but I managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch. 'I'd played a lot of majors and pro events before this, so it wasn't all new. Those experiences helped.' The final day developed into a two-horse race as Woad and the experienced Kim separated themselves from the rest. Woad cemented her place at the top with a couple of birdies at the second and third while Kim, playing in the match ahead, made a telling thrust with four birdies in her opening seven holes to bolster her assault on the title. A major winner back in 2014, and a multiple champion on both the LPGA Tour and her native Korean circuit down the years, Kim tried her best to put the pressure on as she nibbled into Woad's advantage. Not that Woad paid much attention to her push, mind you. 'I didn't really know the score for most of the back nine,' admitted Woad. Having briefly manoeuvred her way into a share of the lead just after the turn, Kim's hopes suffered a damaging dunt as she stumbled to a brace of bogeys at 15 and 16. Woad's little flurry of birdies gave her a three-shot lead and despite spilling her only shot of the day on the 16th, the former Curtis Cup player didn't let that slip faze her. With a two-shot cushion playing the last, Woad plotted her way safely up the fairway then flicked a wedge into a couple of feet of the flag to set up a birdie which gilded the lily. 'I felt pretty good going down 18 because I knew I had a two-shot lead and just hit an 80-yard lay-up and an 80-yard shot,' she said of her stress-free meander up the closing par-5. 'I felt pretty confident coming down there.' During her shimmering summer, Woad has forfeited around £480,000 in prize money due to her amateur status. Now that she's a professional, she could finally shove a cheque into her pocket. 'I don't even know what the winner gets,' she said with a smile. How does £223,000 sound, Lottie? 'A lot of people have talked about me not winning any money,' she added. 'I knew going into all the events (as an amateur) that I wasn't going to win any money. It didn't make too much difference. 'I knew if I kept playing how I was, then it would all work out.' Kim's 68 gave her second place on 18-under, four shots ahead of Julia Lopez Ramirez and Sei Young Kim who shared third. Nelly Korda, the world No 1 who was making her first appearance in the Women's Scottish Open, signed off with a 71 for 13-under while Gemma Dryburgh, the only Scot to make the cut, finished down the field on seven-over. All roads now lead to Porthcawl for this week's AIG Women's Open, the final major of the season. Woad will hurtle into south Wales on the crest of a wave.
The Herald Scotland
43 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Lottie Woad wins the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open
Over 72-holes, Woad leaked just three shots and her closing four-under 68 gave her a 21-under aggregate and a three-shot win over Hyo Joo Kim of Korea. After her six-shot victory as an amateur at the Women's Irish Open at the start of July, as well as a third-place finish in a major at the Evian Championship the following week, this was another significant statement of intent from a truly special talent. As she marched off the final green, having put the tin lid on another thrilling conquest, she was greeted with a triumphant skirl of the pipes. Perhaps a rehashing of a tune from the Beethoven collection would've been more appropriate. Woad to Joy, anyone? No, I thought not. A week ago at The Open, we were all waxing lyrical about the calm, composed feats of a man called Scottie. On Sunday at Dundonald, it was a Lottie that everybody was talking about after her serene march to glory. Leading by two heading into the final round, Woad staved off the menacing advances of Kim with a terrific display of frontrunning golf. Even when Kim drew level at the top for a spell, Woad remained unflustered and upped the ante with a clinical burst of back-to-back birdies as she neared the closing stretch. 'It's very special to win in my first event as a professional and it's quite hard to do that,' said the former world amateur No 1. 'Everyone was chasing me today, but I managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch. 'I'd played a lot of majors and pro events before this, so it wasn't all new. Those experiences helped.' The final day developed into a two-horse race as Woad and the experienced Kim separated themselves from the rest. Woad cemented her place at the top with a couple of birdies at the second and third while Kim, playing in the match ahead, made a telling thrust with four birdies in her opening seven holes to bolster her assault on the title. A major winner back in 2014, and a multiple champion on both the LPGA Tour and her native Korean circuit down the years, Kim tried her best to put the pressure on as she nibbled into Woad's advantage. Not that Woad paid much attention to her push, mind you. 'I didn't really know the score for most of the back nine,' admitted Woad. Having briefly manoeuvred her way into a share of the lead just after the turn, Kim's hopes suffered a damaging dunt as she stumbled to a brace of bogeys at 15 and 16. Woad's little flurry of birdies gave her a three-shot lead and despite spilling her only shot of the day on the 16th, the former Curtis Cup player didn't let that slip faze her. With a two-shot cushion playing the last, Woad plotted her way safely up the fairway then flicked a wedge into a couple of feet of the flag to set up a birdie which gilded the lily. 'I felt pretty good going down 18 because I knew I had a two-shot lead and just hit an 80-yard lay-up and an 80-yard shot,' she said of her stress-free meander up the closing par-5. 'I felt pretty confident coming down there.' During her shimmering summer, Woad has forfeited around £480,000 in prize money due to her amateur status. Now that she's a professional, she could finally shove a cheque into her pocket. 'I don't even know what the winner gets,' she said with a smile. How does £223,000 sound, Lottie? 'A lot of people have talked about me not winning any money,' she added. 'I knew going into all the events (as an amateur) that I wasn't going to win any money. It didn't make too much difference. 'I knew if I kept playing how I was, then it would all work out.' Kim's 68 gave her second place on 18-under, four shots ahead of Julia Lopez Ramirez and Sei Young Kim who shared third. Nelly Korda, the world No 1 who was making her first appearance in the Women's Scottish Open, signed off with a 71 for 13-under while Gemma Dryburgh, the only Scot to make the cut, finished down the field on seven-over. All roads now lead to Porthcawl for this week's AIG Women's Open, the final major of the season. Woad will hurtle into south Wales on the crest of a wave.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Golf legend and LIV hero Lee Westwood reveals one thing he will never do
English star is enjoying a resurgence in form and made one thing crystal clear after his opening round at LIV UK Evergreen Lee Westwood insists he'll never walk away from a golfing fight. The English star is in a rich vein of form and maintained his excellent work of The Open at Royal Portrush with a flying start to LIV UK. Westwood opened with a five-under round at JCB Golf and Country Club in Staffordshire and is revelling in current displays, which included a record-equalling back-nine score of 29 on his third round in last week's Major. The 52-year-old has endured massive highs and lows in his career, but has kept working and battling. Westwood said: 'I've never given in in my career. I've had slumps and I've bounced back. I've been at No. 4 in the world and then nearly 300 and then bounced back to No. 1. So that tells you that Lee Westwood doesn't toss it in on a golf course or in his career. I was brought up to keep trying hard and grinding it out. 'It's a continuation of going right back to Washington really when I shot 62 in the final round. I had been playing well leading up to there. Golf is the type of game where you feel like you've finally got it and it doesn't give you the score that you think you should do, right? It never quite lets you. 'But then that final round there, I shot nine-under, I think, and that was kind of the trigger to give me some confidence that the good stuff I was working on on the range and on the putting green and on the short game area was paying off score-wise now. Then the last few weeks I've played a lot better without really seeing dramatic results. 'But I've felt good play and hopefully good scores coming. I've been driving the ball well, driving it longer, so yeah, it's all moving in the right direction. Just clarity really, clarity on things I want to work on in my swing and short game, Just play one round at a time, narrow it down to that, and whatever happens happens.' Westwood and his colleagues are savouring the atmosphere at England's LIV event and and the former Ryder Cup hero is enjoying the adaption and change in tempo from the 153rd Championship in Northern Ireland last week. The occasions and the atmospheres are very different, but Westwood insists variety is important going forward in the current landscape of the sporting world. He said: 'Am I comfortable with it? Yeah, I don't mind change and adapting. It's people in general that don't like change and adapting. People are used to the traditions and staying in their ways, their comfort. But all sports have to adapt and change. I think golf is doing a great job of it through LIV, yeah.'
