Flawless Scheffler leads at The Open after day 3 but McIlroy threat remains

Qatar Tribune

19-07-2025

PA Media/DPA
London
Relentless Scottie Scheffler kept his head as others around him were losing theirs, but while his main rivals fell away, the spectre of Rory McIlroy loomed in the distance.
However, the Northern Irishman's six-shot deficit may be too far back even for someone who completed the career Grand Slam at the Masters earlier this year, considering the quality of his quarry.
McIlroy's description of Scheffler as 'inevitable' summed up the situation perfectly, as while the American was not as spectacular as he was on Friday in assuming the lead, his progress to a 67 and a four-shot advantage was serene.
Matt Fitzpatrick, who began the day one behind, briefly drew level after an eagle at the second but he was never able to edge himself in front, and every time he slipped up he was punished by his playing partner, either by moving another shot away or saving an unlikely par.
McIlroy, six groups ahead, rode the wave of home support hyped by three birdies in his first four holes, and while his momentum stalled it was reignited by a monster 56-foot eagle putt - his longest of the week - at the 12th which produced the loudest roar of the tournament.
It was important as he had bogeyed the previous hole in a bizarre incident when his shot from the rough dislodged a previously buried ball.
But it was a stroke of good luck at the 15th which brought his final birdie of the day as, coming out hot from the rough, it bounced against the flagstick and dropped four feet from the hole.
McIlroy mania reached its peak at the 17th. With his burnt orange shirt appearing red on television screens, the sight of him marching out of the packed gallery surrounded by thousands of fans was reminiscent of Tiger Woods.
The crowd were so ramped they went wild as he pitched 33 feet past the hole, offering little chance of birdie, but they believed - as they will continue to do on Sunday.
The Masters champion, however, is a little more realistic.
'Scottie Scheffler, he is inevitable. Even when he doesn't have his best stuff he has become a complete player,' said McIlroy.
'It's going to be tough to catch him tomorrow if he keeps playing the way he does, but if I can get a similar start to today and get the crowd going, hopefully he feels that behind me - and you never know.'
Scheffler looks unshakeable, though. Already with a three-shot lead, he birdied the difficult Calamity Corner 16th for the third successive day and the gap was looking as big as the chasm in front of the par three.
DeChambeau feels timing players in each round
would tackle slow play
Bryson DeChambeau believes the solution to tackling slow play is to time every individual player in every round.
Pace of play has been an issue during The Open at Royal Portrush all week, with three-balls on the first two days taking almost six hours.
The big-hitting DeChambeau, who is not short of an idea for improving the game, was put on the clock with two holes to go.
'We were struggling with pace the whole day,' said the American two-time major winner who continued moving in the right direction with a 68 to lift him to two under.
'We just kept losing time. Unfortunately on the 16-17 exchange, you've got a downhill driveable hole you can play pretty quick if you get in the right spot – they did that, and we just lost more time to the group in front of us.
'The solution? It's very simple. You eventually time everybody for their entire round.
'Nobody wants to do it because people are too scared to get exposed, which I am an advocate for. I'd love to be timed and I have no problem with that.
'I think it would be more fair towards everybody. If somebody is playing slower, the guy can go up to him and say 'Hey, man, you're over par with your time'.
'You start/stop on him the whole entire thing. It's not rocket science.'