Latest news with #ClaretJug
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Scottie Scheffler in command despite double-bogey
A rare misjudgement from runaway Open leader Scottie Scheffler offered a glimmer of hope to the chasing pack but his advantage was still five shots as he entered the back nine at Royal Portrush. Birdies at the first, after a brilliant approach to a foot, the fourth and fifth had opened up a seven-shot gap and his procession to a first Claret Jug looked even more of a formality for the world number one. However, he got too greedy with a fairway bunker shot at the eighth and left the ball in the sand, resulting in a double-bogey six and his first dropped shot in 33 holes. But, typically, he responded with a birdie to get back to 16 under, which was still just about in range of last week's Scottish Open winner Chris Gotterup who had turned in a three-under 33. China's Haotong Li, who has been in the top three all week, was also at 11 under having battled his way to a front nine of 35. Rory McIlroy's hoped-for charged failed to materialise over the front nine as he did not get the fast start he had on Saturday, when he carded three birdies in four holes. He turned in 34, at 10 under, but having failed to gain any momentum he needed more unlikely Scheffler mistakes to stand a chance of a dream win in his home Open. However, the errors were coming from him and a mis-hit chip at the 10th cost him a double bogey and with that his chances were over. Matt Fitzpatrick also struggled over the front nine and was only able to advance his score by a shot, and was one ahead of his Ryder Cup team-mate at 10 under alongside American Harris English. Two-time major winner Bryson DeChambeau carded seven birdies in a 64 which propelled him to nine under and into a tie for sixth with Canadian Corey Conners, also in the clubhouse, and former US Open champion Wyndham Clark, who still had five holes to play.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Scottie Scheffler backed to follow in Tiger Woods' footsteps as 'weakness' claim made
Scottie Scheffler, 29, blew the rest of the field away to win his fourth major title last week and add the Claret Jug to his two Masters victories and win at the PGA Championship Ernie Els insists Scottie Scheffler is every bit as dominant as Tiger Woods was at his peak and has backed the Texan to become one of the all-time greats after winning The Open. Scheffler, 29, blew the rest of the field away to win his fourth major title last week and add the Claret Jug to his two Masters victories and win at the PGA Championship. It was a performance that had more than a trace of Woods at his very best. Scheffler is the first world No.1 to win The Open since Woods in 2006 and has now won all four of his majors having led after 54-holes - a trait Woods was famously known for after converting an overnight lead into a major title 14 times. Both men also took 1197 days to win their fourth major from the date of their first triumph, and the pair are two of only four players – the other two being Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player – to win the Masters, The Open and PGA Championship before the age of 30. And two-time Open Champion, and fellow four-time major winner, Els thinks as long as Scheffler continues to dominate, his name will carry on being mentioned alongside Woods'. 'There's always going to be similarities between Scottie Scheffler and Tiger because of the way he's performing and the way he's winning,' said Els, speaking at the launch of his new golf club, Els Club Vilamoura. 'It's very much the way Tiger did things. He takes leads and he doesn't relinquish those leads. He's not scared of winning anymore, he knows how to win. He's becoming ruthless in that manner. 'His game is awesome. He's got no real weakness. His putting is one of his strengths now, so all in all, he's very, very interesting to watch. I'd love to see what he does in the next five to 10 years.' Scheffler's triumph at The Open also continues the recent stronghold on the competition held by US players. The last three Claret Jugs have been lifted by those who hail from across the Atlantic thanks to Xander Schauffele and Brian Harman's wins in 2024 and 2023 respectively. For Els, it dispels the myth about Americans struggling on links courses. 'I think you adapt,' continued the South African, who won his first Open at Muirfield in 2002 before winning the Claret Jug 10 years later at Royal Lytham & St Annes. 'When you're a good ball striker, and you have to be a good ball striker on links land, if you can strike the ball out of the middle of a club, you will learn how to play on links. 'It's normally a good ball striker who will get himself to learn how to play. Scottie Scheffler has learned how to do that. David Duval did that, Phil Mickelson too. 'There are a lot of players that have done that and had success on links course] that have never really played links. 'When you find your way around links, you're going to have success, and that's what's going on.' Els played a nine-hole exhibition to open the Els Club Vilamoura alongside Scottish legend Colin Montgomerie and 2001 Open Champion David Duval. The Algarve course is a championship-standard 18-hole golf course that features a luxury clubhouse and signature amenities such as the 261 Bar, and was built on the redesigned Victoria course, which hosted the Portugal Masters from 2007 to 2022. It will host the new PGA Champions Tour event, the Portugal Invitational, after signing a five-year deal. The first edition of the event is set to be held between 31 July to 2 August 2026. Els said: 'Golf is in the pretty sweet spot at the moment and [creating this course] has been a really nice venture. We want the conditions to be absolutely perfect and for people to have a great experience and good food.' Montgomerie added: 'The golf course is superb, and the clubhouse is fantastic. It's not just a course for the present; it's a course for the future as well.' PGA TOUR Champions announces the Portugal Invitational to be held at The Els Club Vilamoura on course designed by Ernie Els. PGA TOUR Champions, Arrow Global Group, Turismo de Portugal, and Turismo de Algarve will deliver a five-year partnership and will debut the week of July 27, 2026, and will feature a field of 78 players. For more information visit
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Lando Norris praises Scottie Scheffler after The Open winner's 'unfulfilled' comment
The Open Championship winner Scottie Scheffler caused a stir at Royal Portrush by claiming he is 'unfulfilled' by his extraordinary level of success at the top of the golf world Formula 1 title contender Lando Norris has spoken out in support of Scottie Scheffler after the golf superstar's eye-catching comments made at last weekend's The Open Championship. The American lifted the Claret Jug for the first time with a comfortable victory at Royal Portrush, winning by four strokes over nearest challenger Harris English. It was Scheffler's fourth Major win and 22nd professional tournament success, having dominated golf since his breakout year in 2022. He has now spent 150 consecutive weeks as the number one ranked golfer on the planet and is almost 300 points ahead of second-placed Rory McIlroy in the Official World Golf Ranking. Aged 29, Scheffler is already fourth on the list of all-time top earners from the PGA Tour, having won £67,725,863 in prize money alone during his relatively short career to date, and his trajectory has been compared to that of megastar Tiger Woods. Still, he made it clear when speaking to reporters at The Open that he feels there is something missing. Scheffler caught the eye by saying: "Look at this week, for example. What's the best-case scenario? I win this golf tournament, and then I'm going to show up in Memphis, and it's like, 'Okay, listen, you won two Majors this year, what are you going to do this week?' Sign up to our free weekly F1 newsletter, Pit Lane Chronicle, by entering your email address below so that every new edition lands straight in your inbox! "If I come in second this week or if I finish dead last, no matter what happens, we're always on to the next week. The show goes on. Sometimes the feeling of winning only lasts a few seconds. You work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling. "To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I'm not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I'm not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world because what's the point? This is not a fulfilling life. It's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart." While those comments drew surprised reactions from many, they resonated with Norris. The McLaren racer is also a keen golfer in his spare time and, like Scheffler, has been open about his mental health ever since he first burst onto the scene in F1 back in 2019. "I quite liked what Scottie said," said the Brit, reflecting on his own short-lived high after winning his home race, the British Grand Prix, for the first time two weeks ago. "I respect that he's quite honest about his whole feelings about everything. It's just honest about what he wants. Not everyone has to say what everyone believes in and what everyone thinks should be correct or not correct. "I'm happy that someone that high up, achieving what he's done, he's performing to the same level that Tiger did in many circumstances. And that's pretty amazing to see him come out and say something like that. So I respect that a lot. And I related to a lot of it in many ways, which is cool. "It's not a bad attitude, it's just his own way of achieving what he achieved. And I think you have to respect something like that. I found it, I admired that kind of thing. I love golf... I still support Rory more than anyone, the Brits. I thought it was fascinating and cool to see someone performing at such an incredibly high level come out and just say what he did."
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Padraig Harrington steps up bid to complete rare Claret Jug double
Irishman holds two-shot lead in ISPS HANDA Senior Open at Sunningdale Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Padraig Harrington takes a two-shot lead into the final round of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open as he bids to become just the fifth Open champion to win both Claret Jug events. The Irishman, who held a one-stroke lead at the halfway lead at the Berkshire venue, doubled his advantage after carding a second successive 65 to sit on 13 under par. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Padraig Harrington in action during the third round of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open 2025 at Sunningdale |American Justin Leonard, who is also bidding to complete the rare double, leads the chase after a third-round 65, with Thomas Bjorn a further shot back in third spot. 'I still wasn't comfortable,' declared Harrington, who is bidding to make it back-to-back over-50s' major wins after landing last month's US Senior Open. 'But I don't think I rode my luck as much today. I wasn't out of position but I certainly didn't play much better than yesterday. Maybe a little bit more cautious today.' Harrington would join Bob Charles, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Darren Clarke in the record books if he can complete the double. 'The goal is to try and keep making the birdies,' said the 2007 and 2008 Open champion. 'There will be a few mistakes, but, hopefully, I'll make enough birdies to counteract that.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Leonard, who won The Open in 1997 at Royal Troon, signed for seven birdies in his bid to etch his name in history. Just enjoying this golf course, and it's kind of firming up a little bit, which I kind of like,' said the American.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Scottie Scheffler's classy gesture to Bryson DeChambeau and PGA Tour rival on private jet
Scottie Scheffler won The Open Championship by four shots on Sunday, but his celebrations were typically understated, and he even had a thought for rival Bryson DeChambeau Scottie Scheffler once again showcased his trademark class and humility after securing victory at The Open. The 29-year-old golfer claimed his fourth major title at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, winning by an impressive four-shot margin. It marked a strong rebound from an underwhelming performance at last month's US Open. But instead of indulging in flashy celebrations or soaking up media attention, Scheffler opted for a more modest acknowledgment of his win, true to his nature. Remarkably, he even paused post-round festivities to be considerate of fellow competitors Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau, with whom he was sharing a return flight to the States. "I did not bring it [the Claret Jug] on the plane," Scheffler explained on the Pardon My Take podcast. "It went underneath the plane. We were with Bryson [DeChambeau] and Tony Finau, so it didn't really feel right for me to bring the trophy on the plane." When asked if he'd followed tradition by drinking from the famed trophy, Scheffler said: "I haven't drunk anything out of the Claret Jug yet. We have a celebration planned this Friday with a bunch of our friends here at home, so that will be the time to celebrate." His celebration was brief, as he had to travel to New York for the premiere of Happy Gilmore 2. In the film, Scheffler makes a brief appearance as a fictional version of himself, along with cameos from DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, and Brooks Koepka. "We got done late Sunday night," he said. "We actually had to catch a flight to New York to get to the Happy Gilmore [2] premiere. We had planned on that all along, everything was scheduled, we had to get out of town pretty quick so we didn't have much time to celebrate." This modest reaction to such a significant win reflects the core of Scheffler's personality - he regularly chooses humility and kindness over attention. Following his 2022 Masters win - his first major - Scheffler was quick to shift the spotlight to those who supported him, like his caddie Ted Scott and his loved ones, rather than relishing in the personal acclaim. "I don't think I'd be here without them," he remarked during a post-round interview, placing emphasis on his team rather than himself. Likewise, after his 2023 Players Championship triumph, Scheffler's character was evident again as he spoke about the level of competition rather than his own dominance. He acknowledged his fellow contenders by saying: "The leaderboard was stacked with so many great players. It's an honour to compete against them." These examples underscore the kind of athlete Scheffler is - one who puts relationships, gratitude, and sportsmanship above accolades. Whether it's going out of his way to ensure a peer feels respected or lifting up those around him, his integrity outshines any piece of hardware.
