Latest news with #Opens
New Straits Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
McIlroy got everything but the win out of Northern Ireland homecoming
PORTRUSH: Rory McIlroy said he had enjoyed an "awesome week" back in Northern Ireland, even if his charge to win the British Open for a second time fell short on Sunday. The Masters champion finished in a tie for seventh on 10 under par, seven shots adrift of world number one Scottie Scheffler, who romped to his first Claret Jug. McIlroy was supported wildly across the four days at Royal Portrush, which is just over 60 miles from where the world number two grew up. "It's been an awesome week. I've got everything I wanted out of this week apart from a Claret Jug, and that's just because one person was just a little bit better than the rest of us," said McIlroy. "I feel so thankful and just so lucky that I get to do this in front of this crowd. Hopefully I'll have one or two (British) Opens left here." McIlroy's Masters victory in April saw him become just the sixth man to win the career Grand Slam. It seems just a matter of time before Scheffler joins that list after he added the British Open to his two Masters and PGA Championship title from earlier this year. The American's spate of success in the last two years has sparked comparisons with the dominance of 15-time major winner Tiger Woods during his heyday. "None of us could hang with Scottie this week. He's an incredible player," added McIlroy. "He's been dominant for the last couple years. He is the bar that we're all trying to get to. "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. Incredibly impressive. "He's a very worthy winner. Also, he's a great person, and I think he's a wonderful ambassador for our game as well."--AFP
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Rory McIlroy falls short in bid to crown British Open homecoming with the claret jug
'It's been an awesome week,' McIlroy said after shooting 2-under 69 to tie for seventh at the British Open. 'I've gotten everything I wanted out of this week apart from a claret jug, and that's just because one person was just a little bit better than the rest of us.' That might be an understatement. McIlroy even acknowledged as much. Advertisement 'He's an incredible player,' he said of Scheffler. 'He's been dominant this week. Honestly, he's been dominant for the last couple years. He is the bar that we're all trying to get to.' As for Scheffler, he could only apologize for spoiling the McIlroy party. 'I know I wasn't the fan favorite today,' he said, grinning, in his post-round speech on No. 18, 'but I did hear a lot of USA and Dallas, Texas, chants.' Scheffler might have won two majors this year and asserted himself as the game's dominant player. Yet, for many, 2025 still belongs to McIlroy after Advertisement If McIlroy didn't quite deliver, then Royal Portrush — where he shot 61 as a 16-year-old for the course record — certainly did, gaining widespread rave reviews. Despite being well off Scottie Scheffler's pace, Rory McIlroy had a large contingent of fans following him throughout the week at Royal Portrush, where he set the course record as a 16-year-old amateur. Richard Heathcote/Getty When the Open returned to Portrush in 2019 for the first time in 68 years, McIlroy was so emotional he hit his opening drive out-of-bounds, shot 79 and missed the cut. He made amends six years later. 'I feel so thankful and just so lucky that I get to do this in front of this crowd,' McIlroy said. 'Hopefully I'll have one or two Opens left here, if the R&A decide to keep coming back — probably one while I'm still competitive and another one while I'm more gray than I already am.' McIlroy started Sunday six strokes back from Scheffler after a wild third-round 66, and needed a minor miracle to catch his big rival. He got up-and-down for birdie at the par-5 second hole but couldn't make a fast enough start. A bogey at No. 4, after missing the green with his approach, was a mistake he couldn't afford and he suddenly was eight shots adrift of Scheffler, who played as steady as ever. With a large throng of fans behind him, Rory McIlroy plays out of the rough on the 17th hole during the final round of the British Open at Royal Portrush. Jon Super/Associated Press A double at No. 10 ended his hopes. McIlroy couldn't reproduce his Saturday charge but at least played all four days this time. 'I tried as best as I could to keep my emotions in check, especially walking up the last there and that reception,' McIlroy said. Advertisement 'It's just been incredible to come back here and to play and at least feel like I had a chance today going out there. Just an awesome week.'
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
The Open: Scottie Scheffler thanks Royal Portrush fans after victory as Rory McIlroy falters: ‘I know I wasn't their favourite'
Scroll down for our blog, where we'll bring you updates across the week World number one Scottie Scheffler has won the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush. It was a golfing exhibition from the best there is as he carded a three-under Sunday 68 and in truth never looked like surrendering his four-shot 54-hole lead. Home favourite Rory McIlroy started six shots back, the same position from which he had produced a miracle comeback win over Scheffler at the 2022 Tour Championship. In truth, a repeat never looked likely from the off, as a cold putter on the front nine meant real momentum evaded McIlroy, despite three tap-in birdies. The only moment of jeopardy in the entire day came when Scheffler couldn't get his ball out of the fairway bunker on the 8th, but by the time Rory had his own struggles two holes later, the would-be champ had already bounced back from double with a birdie at nine. As that putt dropped, McIlroy was chunking a chip after going long at the tenth, and when he tapped in for double, he was eight shots back; his race run. McIlroy, to his credit, carded two more birdies to complete a two-under-par final round 69 and end the week -10 in a tie for seventh. Compared to six years ago when he missed the putt after a horror opening round, McIlroy has electrified the crowd this week. His Saturday eagle on 12 will live long in the memory as the moment Portrush believed. Afterwards, he looked forward to another opportunity to take the next step at Royal Portrush: 'I've got everything I wanted out of (this week) except the Claret Jug. I feel so thankful and lucky that I get to do this in front of this crowd. Hopefully I'll have one or two more Opens here, one while I'm competitive and one when I'm more grey even than I am now! It was nice to have a chance out there.' Scheffler led by seven at one stage during his cruise of a back nine, and while his US compatriots Chris Gotterup and Harris English almost halved that deficit, the Claret Jug was only ever being lifted by one man. It's the world number one's fourth major title, and means he now needs only a US Open to match Rory's achievement and complete a career grand slam. He said: "Thank you to the fans. I know I wasn't the fan-favourite today, but I did hear a lot of 'USA' chants so I appreciate that. It's been a great week, the support was tremendous. I played with Shane (Lowry) on the first two days and seeing you guys support him the way you did was great.' In the end, it wasn't to be for Rory. The week belonged to the world number one. Roll on next time. Follow along with all the week's action right here on our blog: Key updates Rory McIlroy and more are ready to return to Royal Portrush Rory McIlroy finishes -10: He made Portrush believe Jordan Spieth: Portrush fans are the best in the world What Shane Lowry said after finishing at -2 Watch: Sergio's snapped! 36 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Rory McIlroy and more are ready to return to Royal Portrush Rory McIlroy eyes up 'two more Opens' at Royal Portrush as players heap praise on course: 'One of the coolest views in golf' Home favourite Rory McIlroy has said he is looking forward to playing 'two more Open Championships' at Royal Portrush. Today 07:05 PM Adam McKendry Love from Bobby Mac The Scotsman finished in a share of seventh this week and shared his happiness on social media. Robert MacIntyre on Twitter / X I love you Portrush @theopen 💙 Robert MacIntyre (@robert1lefty) July 20, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. Today 06:58 PM Adam McKendry Q: Can you talk me through the minute after you won, where you went from being modest to throwing your hat in the air when you saw your family? "Every time I win a tournament, the first person I look for is my wife. Usually we walk off to the right and she wasn't there, so I wondered what happened, but then she was with my dad. She's my best friend. It takes a lot of work to be able to be good at this game and I wouldn't be able to do it without her support and her being able to give me the time to do that. It's not a lifestyle that other people want but we're grateful and it's a fun life for us. The whole team should have their names on the trophy because it takes a village. We have a great time and we love being able to practice to work and celebrate these things." Today 06:55 PM Gareth Hanna Q: As you came up to 18, your son was clapping. Has he started playing? "Bennett was clapping. Sometimes he claps when he hits a golf ball. I have one nephew who's completely obsessed with golf I was when I was a young age. He hits golf ball after golf ball and Bennett wanted to try. I set a ball down and he hit it. He likes it, but he doesn't know what a ball is. He's either eating his golf club or hitting something with it. Sometimes other kids - we're working on it! "The game of golf has taught me a tremendous amount. It's a very special game. You call penalties on yourself and learn a lot of good life lessons. I hope he can play and enjoys it as much as I do." Today 06:53 PM Adam McKendry Q: Do you let your mind wander to the US Open and the final leg of the Grand Slam? "No. I just got off the golf course! That's one of those funny things, since Rory accomplished it earlier this year, it's what everybody is thinking about. It's really special for him to achieve that and I don't focus too much on that. I'll assess that when I get home and at the end of the year. I don't think about winning tournaments, I just think about playing the best I can." Gareth Hanna Q: It seems like one of your big priority is to maintain some semblance of normal family life... how did you know it was something you had to do and prepared for that? "I think that's a good description. My biggest priorities are my faith and my family. Golf is third in that order. Golf is not how I identify myself. I don't identify myself by winning tournaments or being famous. There are two chipotles that I go to. If I go to one of those, it would be difficult now, the other one; if I go there, nobody recognises me ever! I'm not going to tell you where that is! This week I was the best player in the world, next week we start at even par and the show goes on. I don't feel any different because I won a tournament. I'm very grateful for it. It's an amazing feel but, my faith and my family is what's most important to me. I feel like a normal guy. I have the same friends I had growing up." Today 06:50 PM Adam McKendry Q: Do you think about records, like your 54-hole lead win rate or how long you've been at the top of the rankings? "Not really. I've always felt I'm best when I can live in the present. Looking back on this week, if I just showed up in Memphis and thought I was best resting on my accomplishments, I probably won't play well, or thinking about my poor starts. I always think about my effort and going out and competing my hardest. I just try to get the most out of myself every day and compete as hard as I can when I'm inside the ropes." Today 06:48 PM Gareth Hanna Q: Tiger's first-fourth major wins and yours were both 1,197 days. What about those comparisons? "I think they're a bit silly. Tiger won 15 majors. This is my fourth. Tiger stands alone in golf. He was inspirational for me. I don't focus on those kinds of things. I have dreams and aspirations but at the end of the day, when I wake up to practice, what motivates me is to live out my dream. I feel like I'm called to do it to the best of my ability. Outside of that, I don't place much emphasis on winning tournaments or things that I can accomplish." Today 06:47 PM Adam McKendry Q: How pleased were you with your putting this week? "I feel like I've done a great work with Phil, he's a great guy to bounce off and we've made great work. I grew up being a great putter, I wasn't a great ball striker, so I grew up being good at my short game. I had acouple years on Tour where I wasn't great but I knew it was in there and Phil helped bring it out again and being confident in what I'm doing. The conversation on Monday and Tuesday was how did I feel last week and I felt pretty good, the ball wasn't going in, the only thing I wanted to check was whether I was lined up where I wanted to be and we went from there. I didn't put much thought to it and I putted nice." Today 06:45 PM Gareth Hanna Q: What was your first impression of the 16th? "It was raining and blowing out of the left. I hit it to 30 feet during the practice day and I thought it was an amazing shot. Sam Burns hit it to 20 and holed it! So I thought shoot, I've just lost the hole! "It's one of the great views in golf. There were rainbows and looking out over the course on the right. It's bounds and hills and the town's in the difference. It's a really good hole. I was fortunate to enjoy the walk with a putter in my hand. I'm very grateful for the tee shots this week." Today 06:44 PM Q: Easy to go back to that quote earlier in the week, is it going to be longer than a two-minute celebration? "I think we live now in a day and age where clickbait is what people look for and you can shorten a five minute answer to three words. I didn't do a good job at communicating what I wanted to say. I have a gratitude for being able to do this for a living and go out and compete. Winning an Open at Portrush is hard to describe. I'm achieving a dream - I was a kid growing up in Texas wanting to be a professional golfer. I wore pants because those guys wore pants. I don't know why I'm so lucky to live my dreams but I'm very grateful for it. If anybody wants to listen to me, listen to all of it. At the end of the day, having success isn't what fulfils the desires of your heart. Is it great to win? Heck yeah and I can't wait to celebrate. But at the end of the day it doesn't fill the deepest desires of my heart. It's hard to describe when you haven't lived it. Just because you win a golf tournament, it doesn't make you happy. Maybe for a few days." Today 06:41 PM Gareth Hanna Q: When it was over, you went out with a pretty good yell. Can you explain that release? A: "It takes a high level of focus. I had a good size lead but it's a major. The golf course is challenging. I made a double. You just don't know. It doesn't feel like it's won until the ball is in the hole. Golf's a funny game. Seeing my game after is a special feeling. It's hard to describe but it's something I'm very grateful for." Today 06:40 PM Q: What was it like walking up 18? "Hard to tell. It's a very cool walk, it's a very special walk. Walking up 18, I wasn't sure I was going to get much support rom the crowd, I think they wanted someone else to win and I riled them. But I got a great reception and I heard a lot of support for me. It was a lot of fun. Walking up 18 with the tournament in your hands is hard to describe. I have a lot of gratitude for this, it takes a lot of patience and this was one of my best performances mentally, staying in it all week. To have only one mistake in the last 376 holes of a Major championship is how you're going to win these things. We were great at staying dialled in and holing some crucial putts. Today 06:38 PM Gareth Hanna Q: I've never seen anyone so happy to share the spotlight as you were with your son A: "He was trying to get up that hill on 18, he's never been up a hill that big before. That's part of the learning curve. It's very cool to have him here. He has no idea what's going on, he's just wants to spend some time with me. It's pretty cool." Sky Sports Golf on Twitter / X Now it's Bennett Scheffler's turn to get his hands on the Claret Jug ❤️🏆 Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) July 20, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. Today 06:38 PM Adam McKendry Q: His thoughts on winning "It's a very special feeling. It takes a lot of work to get to this point. It was a challenging week and the course was playing really tough. The only mistake I made was on eight but I played well. The PGA I struggled on the front nine but I pushed forward on the back nine. This one I built a lead, had the mistake on 8 and then pushed through again and won." Today 06:31 PM Gareth Hanna Stay with us Scottie Scheffler is on his way into the interview room for the winner's press conference. Today 06:13 PM Adam McKendry Baby Bennett There are few more wholesome scenes than a golfer celebrating a win with their child. Bennett Scheffler has come through and stolen the show on the 18th green! Sky Sports Golf on Twitter / X Now it's Bennett Scheffler's turn to get his hands on the Claret Jug ❤️🏆 Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) July 20, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. Today 06:01 PM Gareth Hanna Scottie Scheffler: 'I know I wasn't the fan-favourite' "Thank you to the fans. I know I wasn't the fan-favourite today, but I did hear a lot of 'USA' chants so I appreciate that. It's been a great week, the support was tremendous. I played with Shane (Lowry) on the first two days and seeing you guys support him the way you did was great. To my family, thank you so much for the support. I love you very much and I can't wait to get home and celebrate. "I've got the best support team I have so thank you all very much. Thank you to the R&A for putting on such a good event. You support the players and take care of us, making this week very easy and special for all of us. "Thank you to Royal Portrush and the town here. I wish I could have seen more of the town but it was a business week. It was a tremendous week and I look forward to hopefully bringing The Open back here." Today 06:00 PM Gareth Hanna What happens next? Having signed and submitted his card, Scottie Scheffler is back out on the 18th green for the presentation of the Claret Jug. Load more Live Blog Software
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Rory McIlroy eyes up ‘two more Opens' in NI as players heap praise on Portrush: ‘One of the coolest views in golf'
Home favourite Rory McIlroy has said he is looking forward to playing 'two more Open Championships' at Royal Portrush. The Holywood hero finish in a tie for seventh after a thrilling week on the north coast, trailing winner Scottie Scheffler by seven shots. It was the third time to oldest major in golf has been played at Royal Portrush, with 2019 marking its long-awaited return to the Open rota after 68 years since it first hosted the tournament in 1951. The third visit following just six years after the second marked an unusually quick turnaround, with the expectation that it may take a little longer to roll round again next time, especially as Portmarnock in Dublin looks to be closing in on a place on the rota. In saying that, the R&A will no doubt be attracted by the record-breaking numbers of supporters, with 280,000 pouring through the gates this week – more than at any other Open outside St Andrew's. Fans explore 'The Shop' at The Open for official merchandise And it seems that Royal Portrush has also got the seal of approval from the world's leading golfers, including McIlroy, who are looking forward to the next edition of the tournament on Antrim's coastline. "Hopefully I'll have one or two more Opens here; one while I'm competitive and one when I'm more grey even than I am now,' smiled McIlroy, who had turned the atmosphere electric on Saturday when he converted to eagle to fuel believe he could win the trophy. "It was nice to have a chance out there. I think there's a lot of gratitude and a lot of pride that I am from these shores, and in part with the way I've played and advocated for this little country, The Open has returned here, and it's been an amazing venue. Hopefully the R&A keep coming back.' Shane Lowry said that his fellow players had been raving about 'how much they have loved this tournament and venue'. The man who did get his hands on the Claret Jug also had special praise for the course, with Scheffler labelling the signature hole 16 – Calamity Corner – as 'one of the coolest views that I've seen in the game of golf.' He added: 'Teddy (Scott – caddie) and I were standing there, I think it was on Friday, looking out. It was a day in which you had a bunch of rain and there was rainbows on the other side, and you're looking out over the golf course on the right, and you've got the huge bluffs by the ocean and it's just mounds and hills, and the town is in the distance. It's a really, really cool hole.' He also said he 'wished he could have seen more of the town' on what was a 'business week', while his compatriot and fan favourite Bryson DeChambeau labelled the Dunluce Links as 'a great Open venue' and looked forward to the competition's return. He added: 'There are a lot of tricky hole locations. I think it was a solid setup. It would be a lot of fun to come back. It's a great town.' And it wasn't just Americans who left with positive views of Portrush, as England's Aaron Rai said the course was 'extremely fair' and 'very well designed'. The fans, too, got saluted by the stars as Jordan Spieth labelled the Portrush patrons as 'the best in the world'. He said: 'The Open always has the best fans in the world. Most knowledgeable. This is one of the better viewing Open courses because of the dramatic topography. Some Opens would be very hard for a spectator to view if you're not in a grandstand, but here you had some great spots for people to see. This is one of my favourite Open venues, but in general, the crowds at any Open are typically the best in the world.' Tommy Fleetwood added that he enjoyed once again playing in the atmosphere with a home favourite, having been paired with McIlroy on Thursday and Friday this time out after being in Sunday's final pairing with winner Shane Lowry in 2019. It remains to be seen when The Open will be back at Royal Portrush, with only Royal Birkdale (2026) and St Andrew's (2027) confirmed for future years, and the R&A refusing to be drawn on a 2028 venue earlier this week. But when it does come back, it will be here with the back of some of the world's top golfers. Here's The 153rd Open Championship as it happened on our live blog across the week: 17 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Rory McIlroy and more are ready to return to Royal Portrush Rory McIlroy eyes up 'two more Opens' at Royal Portrush as players heap praise on course: 'One of the coolest views in golf' Home favourite Rory McIlroy has said he is looking forward to playing 'two more Open Championships' at Royal Portrush. 51 minutes ago Adam McKendry Love from Bobby Mac The Scotsman finished in a share of seventh this week and shared his happiness on social media. Robert MacIntyre on Twitter / X I love you Portrush @theopen 💙 Robert MacIntyre (@robert1lefty) July 20, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. 58 minutes ago Adam McKendry Q: Can you talk me through the minute after you won, where you went from being modest to throwing your hat in the air when you saw your family? "Every time I win a tournament, the first person I look for is my wife. Usually we walk off to the right and she wasn't there, so I wondered what happened, but then she was with my dad. She's my best friend. It takes a lot of work to be able to be good at this game and I wouldn't be able to do it without her support and her being able to give me the time to do that. It's not a lifestyle that other people want but we're grateful and it's a fun life for us. The whole team should have their names on the trophy because it takes a village. We have a great time and we love being able to practice to work and celebrate these things." Today 06:55 PM Gareth Hanna Q: As you came up to 18, your son was clapping. Has he started playing? "Bennett was clapping. Sometimes he claps when he hits a golf ball. I have one nephew who's completely obsessed with golf I was when I was a young age. He hits golf ball after golf ball and Bennett wanted to try. I set a ball down and he hit it. He likes it, but he doesn't know what a ball is. He's either eating his golf club or hitting something with it. Sometimes other kids - we're working on it! "The game of golf has taught me a tremendous amount. It's a very special game. You call penalties on yourself and learn a lot of good life lessons. I hope he can play and enjoys it as much as I do." Today 06:53 PM Adam McKendry Q: Do you let your mind wander to the US Open and the final leg of the Grand Slam? "No. I just got off the golf course! That's one of those funny things, since Rory accomplished it earlier this year, it's what everybody is thinking about. It's really special for him to achieve that and I don't focus too much on that. I'll assess that when I get home and at the end of the year. I don't think about winning tournaments, I just think about playing the best I can." Today 06:52 PM Gareth Hanna Q: It seems like one of your big priority is to maintain some semblance of normal family life... how did you know it was something you had to do and prepared for that? "I think that's a good description. My biggest priorities are my faith and my family. Golf is third in that order. Golf is not how I identify myself. I don't identify myself by winning tournaments or being famous. There are two chipotles that I go to. If I go to one of those, it would be difficult now, the other one; if I go there, nobody recognises me ever! I'm not going to tell you where that is! This week I was the best player in the world, next week we start at even par and the show goes on. I don't feel any different because I won a tournament. I'm very grateful for it. It's an amazing feel but, my faith and my family is what's most important to me. I feel like a normal guy. I have the same friends I had growing up." Q: Do you think about records, like your 54-hole lead win rate or how long you've been at the top of the rankings? "Not really. I've always felt I'm best when I can live in the present. Looking back on this week, if I just showed up in Memphis and thought I was best resting on my accomplishments, I probably won't play well, or thinking about my poor starts. I always think about my effort and going out and competing my hardest. I just try to get the most out of myself every day and compete as hard as I can when I'm inside the ropes." Today 06:48 PM Gareth Hanna Q: Tiger's first-fourth major wins and yours were both 1,197 days. What about those comparisons? "I think they're a bit silly. Tiger won 15 majors. This is my fourth. Tiger stands alone in golf. He was inspirational for me. I don't focus on those kinds of things. I have dreams and aspirations but at the end of the day, when I wake up to practice, what motivates me is to live out my dream. I feel like I'm called to do it to the best of my ability. Outside of that, I don't place much emphasis on winning tournaments or things that I can accomplish." Today 06:47 PM Adam McKendry Q: How pleased were you with your putting this week? "I feel like I've done a great work with Phil, he's a great guy to bounce off and we've made great work. I grew up being a great putter, I wasn't a great ball striker, so I grew up being good at my short game. I had acouple years on Tour where I wasn't great but I knew it was in there and Phil helped bring it out again and being confident in what I'm doing. The conversation on Monday and Tuesday was how did I feel last week and I felt pretty good, the ball wasn't going in, the only thing I wanted to check was whether I was lined up where I wanted to be and we went from there. I didn't put much thought to it and I putted nice." Today 06:45 PM Gareth Hanna Q: What was your first impression of the 16th? "It was raining and blowing out of the left. I hit it to 30 feet during the practice day and I thought it was an amazing shot. Sam Burns hit it to 20 and holed it! So I thought shoot, I've just lost the hole! "It's one of the great views in golf. There were rainbows and looking out over the course on the right. It's bounds and hills and the town's in the difference. It's a really good hole. I was fortunate to enjoy the walk with a putter in my hand. I'm very grateful for the tee shots this week." Today 06:44 PM Adam McKendry Q: Easy to go back to that quote earlier in the week, is it going to be longer than a two-minute celebration? "I think we live now in a day and age where clickbait is what people look for and you can shorten a five minute answer to three words. I didn't do a good job at communicating what I wanted to say. I have a gratitude for being able to do this for a living and go out and compete. Winning an Open at Portrush is hard to describe. I'm achieving a dream - I was a kid growing up in Texas wanting to be a professional golfer. I wore pants because those guys wore pants. I don't know why I'm so lucky to live my dreams but I'm very grateful for it. If anybody wants to listen to me, listen to all of it. At the end of the day, having success isn't what fulfils the desires of your heart. Is it great to win? Heck yeah and I can't wait to celebrate. But at the end of the day it doesn't fill the deepest desires of my heart. It's hard to describe when you haven't lived it. Just because you win a golf tournament, it doesn't make you happy. Maybe for a few days." Today 06:41 PM Gareth Hanna Q: When it was over, you went out with a pretty good yell. Can you explain that release? A: "It takes a high level of focus. I had a good size lead but it's a major. The golf course is challenging. I made a double. You just don't know. It doesn't feel like it's won until the ball is in the hole. Golf's a funny game. Seeing my game after is a special feeling. It's hard to describe but it's something I'm very grateful for." Today 06:40 PM Q: What was it like walking up 18? "Hard to tell. It's a very cool walk, it's a very special walk. Walking up 18, I wasn't sure I was going to get much support rom the crowd, I think they wanted someone else to win and I riled them. But I got a great reception and I heard a lot of support for me. It was a lot of fun. Walking up 18 with the tournament in your hands is hard to describe. I have a lot of gratitude for this, it takes a lot of patience and this was one of my best performances mentally, staying in it all week. To have only one mistake in the last 376 holes of a Major championship is how you're going to win these things. We were great at staying dialled in and holing some crucial putts. Today 06:38 PM Gareth Hanna Q: I've never seen anyone so happy to share the spotlight as you were with your son A: "He was trying to get up that hill on 18, he's never been up a hill that big before. That's part of the learning curve. It's very cool to have him here. He has no idea what's going on, he's just wants to spend some time with me. It's pretty cool." Sky Sports Golf on Twitter / X Now it's Bennett Scheffler's turn to get his hands on the Claret Jug ❤️🏆 Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) July 20, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. Today 06:38 PM Adam McKendry Q: His thoughts on winning "It's a very special feeling. It takes a lot of work to get to this point. It was a challenging week and the course was playing really tough. The only mistake I made was on eight but I played well. The PGA I struggled on the front nine but I pushed forward on the back nine. This one I built a lead, had the mistake on 8 and then pushed through again and won." Today 06:31 PM Gareth Hanna Stay with us Scottie Scheffler is on his way into the interview room for the winner's press conference. Today 06:13 PM Adam McKendry Baby Bennett There are few more wholesome scenes than a golfer celebrating a win with their child. Bennett Scheffler has come through and stolen the show on the 18th green! Sky Sports Golf on Twitter / X Now it's Bennett Scheffler's turn to get his hands on the Claret Jug ❤️🏆 Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) July 20, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. Today 06:01 PM Gareth Hanna Scottie Scheffler: 'I know I wasn't the fan-favourite' "Thank you to the fans. I know I wasn't the fan-favourite today, but I did hear a lot of 'USA' chants so I appreciate that. It's been a great week, the support was tremendous. I played with Shane (Lowry) on the first two days and seeing you guys support him the way you did was great. To my family, thank you so much for the support. I love you very much and I can't wait to get home and celebrate. "I've got the best support team I have so thank you all very much. Thank you to the R&A for putting on such a good event. You support the players and take care of us, making this week very easy and special for all of us. "Thank you to Royal Portrush and the town here. I wish I could have seen more of the town but it was a business week. It was a tremendous week and I look forward to hopefully bringing The Open back here." Today 06:00 PM Gareth Hanna What happens next? Having signed and submitted his card, Scottie Scheffler is back out on the 18th green for the presentation of the Claret Jug.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Scottie Scheffler resembles peak Tiger Woods as Rory McIlroy and Co nowhere close with eerie stat ominous for his rivals
THERE is, perhaps, one glimmer of hope for every other professional golfer on the planet. And that is the possibility that Scottie Scheffler might once more encounter an overzealous traffic policeman and be led away from a Major championship in handcuffs. Advertisement 6 Scottie Scheffler cruised to The Open victory by four shots Credit: AP 6 Tiger Woods won three Opens as world No1 and dominated golf Credit: Getty 6 Scheffler was famously arrested during the PGA Championship at Valhalla last year Credit: EPA Little else, it seems, will stop the man who Scheffler has now won 22 tournaments in three-and-a-half years and has finished inside the top ten at ten of the last 12 Majors, winning three of his last eight big ones. That extraordinary run includes last year's PGA Championship at Valhalla, when The world No1 had his wrists shackled in irons, was dressed in orange for a police mugshot and yet still returned to the course and finished the tournament in eighth. Advertisement READ MORE ON GOLF Louisville's Department of Corrections eventually dropped all charges against Scheffler - a Save for his ability to spoil people's weekends by turning golf tournaments into processions. Woods took 1,197 days to win his fourth Major after he'd clinched his first. Advertisement Most read in Golf CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Scheffler did it in exactly the same timescale. Which sounds pretty damned ominous for everybody else. Next year, the two-time Masters winner and reigning USPGA champion will Bryson DeChambeau reveals he used to beat Scottie Scheffler for fun as world No1 chases Open glory Rory McIlroy, who became only the sixth man to win a Grand Slam at Augusta in April, played pretty well at Portrush - especially during his 66 on Saturday - and yet the world No2 could never even lay a glove on the world No1, finishing seven shots back. Advertisement There had been an inevitability about Scheffler since he started sharking his way up the leaderboard as a late starter on Friday, as menacing as a dorsal fin in a paddling pool. Between the 11th hole on Friday and the eighth on Sunday afternoon, Scheffler played 32 holes without dropping a single shot. Seven strokes clear of the field after seven holes of his final round, the Texan then took two attempts to escape from a fairway bunker and double-bogeyed. For a few feverish minutes, it felt as if there might be an outside chance of something genuinely interesting happening - especially as last week's Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup had just carded a birdie to bring him within four of the lead. Advertisement But ever since he won his first pro tournament in February 2022, Scheffler has proved he is no choker. He birdied the ninth and the procession continued. They might as well have carried him shoulder-high around these Dunluce links in a sedan chair. Leading by four heading into the final round, Scheffler drove left into the rough on the opening hole but, using his wedge like some kind of a wand, he landed the ball 16 inches from the hole. Around the first green there was barely a ripple of applause. Advertisement None of them were close... this fella Scheffler is simply too damned good Perhaps they were all supreme optimists still believing in the possibility of a McIlroy miracle or perhaps they have seen enough of Scheffler to simply imagine that this kind of thing was somehow normal. After tapping in for birdie, Scheffler continued on his serene way, save for his scrape in the sandpit at eight. As soon as he had smoked his tee shot up the fourth fairway, one of Scheffler's fellow Americans yelled out "what's the point, Scoddie?" It referenced the philosophical pre-tournament press conference during which Advertisement It had felt like the late voice of darts, Sid Waddell, evoking Alexander the Great shedding tears of salt because, by the age of 33, he had no more worlds to conquer. Scheffler is only 29. This turned out to be a 26th American triumph in the last 34 Majors and an 18th in the last 30 Opens. These Yanks, they come over here, complain about our weather, try to convince us that our conditions are alien to them, and then they carry off our Claret Jug, time after time after time. This ended up as an American one-two-three with Harris English four strokes behind Scheffler on 13-under and one ahead of Gotterup. Advertisement Matt Fitzpatrick - the last man to lead this tournament before Scheffler seized the lead on Friday evening - was tied for fourth place with another American, Wyndham Clark, and China's Haotong Li. But, in truth, none of them were close. This fella Scheffler is simply too damned good. They'd better call up Officer Dibble. 6 The American was led away in handcuffs and put in a cell Credit: AP Advertisement 6 Scheffler celebrated with wife Meredith and son Bennett on the 18th green Credit: PA 6 Scheffler's blip was a double bogey in the final round when he needed two shots to get out of a bunker Credit: Getty
