Latest news with #StAndrews
Times
19 hours ago
- Times
‘My favourite round of golf of all time'
'I could take out of my life everything except my experiences at St Andrews and I would still have a rich, full life,' Bobby Jones, the legendary American golfer once said. Standing in the window of Rusacks Hotel with the 18th green and first tee of the Old Course to my right and, below, waves crashing in on West Sands beach under the spring sunshine, it's not hard to see where Jones was coming from. I'm at the home of golf, the place where it all began, on the first day of my Marine & Lawn Grand Tour — a customisable experience that allows golfers to combine fine hotels and food with the most iconic courses across Scotland and Northern Ireland. On this there's no need to consider logistics — everything is arranged, from tee times to dinner reservations and transfers to caddies. The only thing I need to worry about is getting the ball around 18 challenging holes of links golf without being distracted by the natural beauty. The company offers six hotels and resorts to choose from, including Dornoch Station, Marine North Berwick and Slieve Donard. My playing partner and I visit three: Rusacks St Andrews and Marine Troon in Scotland and the newly opened Portrush Adelphi in Northern Ireland, a short stroll away from Royal Portrush Golf Club, the venue for July's Open Championship. Having never visited the Old Course on which the sport was born more than 600 years ago, St Andrews seemed like the perfect place to start our four-night adventure. Just an hour's drive from Edinburgh airport, the little coastal town is a delightful mix of traditional windswept stone buildings and natural beauty. It's also a temple to golf, with endless parades of golf shops, statues, pubs and plaques commemorating Tom Morris, the godfather of modern golf. At the heart of the town, a few feet from the final green of the Old Course, is our first stop-off: the outstanding Rusacks. First opened in 1887, the original towering townhouse mansion has been sympathetically extended to create a luxurious yet relaxed country-style boutique hotel. Interiors are rich with wood panelling and bookshelves, framed pictures of golfing adventures, chandeliers, intricate wooden floors and heavy-piled patterned rugs. Our room, at the front of the hotel, has views over the beach on which the opening scenes of Chariots of Fire were filmed, and is a wonderful place to rest and relax after a round of golf, with a big bathtub and walk-in shower. The staff, who genuinely seem to love the town, the hotel and its history, recommend lunch at One Under Bar, which feels like a cross between a traditional brick-walled pub and smart clubhouse — and serves a delicious Scottish charcuterie board. We're keen to get playing, though, so having picked up our Titleist rental clubs (we wanted to travel light — but you can take your own) and got instructions on where to pick up our caddies, we were off in our hire car. The Grand Tour organisers have matched our golfing abilities (an 18-20ish handicap) with courses that are both challenging and enjoyable. First stop, Dumbarnie Links, about 20 minutes away — a beautifully designed modern golf course that occupies 375 pretty acres overlooking the Firth of Forth. After a wee dram on the first tee with our caddies, we enjoy a testing but exhilarating 18 holes under the spring sun: a glorious introduction to links golf (please don't ask my score). Then it's time for a delicious seafood dinner at Rusacks, with sunset views over the Old Course. The next day it's time to play the famous St Andrews links. The New Course, designed by Tom Morris in 1895, is the oldest 'new' course in the world, and runs parallel to the hallowed turf where golf began. With the wind behind me I manage a birdie on the par-five 3rd. I'm Tiger Woods, I think, or Rory McIlroy. Alas no. I finish with 91, but will never forget that birdie. Things get even better at our next stop, Room 116 at Rusacks, an intimate lounge and bar that celebrates two of Scotland's greatest gifts to the world — golf and whisky. After a tasting experience of the Glendronach Highland Single Malt amid pictures of golfing legends, and seafood and steak at 18 Rooftop Restaurant, set high up above the golf links, we drive two and a half hours to Marine Troon. The light and airy hotel on the Ayrshire coast, with views over the Isle of Arran, is just feet away from the 18th fairway of the Royal Troon Golf Club, nine-time host of the Open. The building, originally a manor house from 1894, has plenty of period charm, with rich woods and chandeliers, floral wallpapers and deep carpets — and views from every window of the coast and the course. After a delicious lunch at the Seal Bar (named after the first hole at Troon), it's time to try Dunbonald Links, which has hosted the Scottish Women's Open and the final qualifying for the Open Championship. Here we are kept on our toes by water, cauldron bunkers and some spectacularly undulating greens, then soothed by Marine Troon's comfortable and relaxed restaurant, the Rabbit, where we feast on delicious fresh trout and pork belly. Sadly there's little time to visit the hotel's large pool and spa, because the next morning we have a half-hour flight to take from Glasgow to Belfast and an hour's road trip to the charming seaside town of Portrush. As we drive past Royal Portrush Golf Course, the stands have already been put up for this summer's Open Championships and the area is buzzing with activity. Our hotel, the Adelphi, converted from a grand townhouse, is a block away from the beach and, like the others, has dark polished woods and leather furniture to sink into and a plethora of golfing and nautical touches to remind you where you are. Although the room is spacious and comfortable, the sunshine and nearby seashore lure us out — as does more golf. Our final 18 holes are 15 minutes' away, along the coast road, at Portstewart Golf Club, host of the Irish Open and rated one of the top 100 golf courses by Golf Digest. We've been told the views are impressive, but nothing can prepare us for the majesty of the opening nine holes. Framed by the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean, the moody sky, rolling dunes and tricky manicured greens, this is a course that assaults the senses (in a very good way). It is also extremely challenging. Without our incredibly patient caddies, we might still be on the course. But after Guinness on tap at the halfway house, and a back nine offering us a few more chances for par, we make the final hole before dark. Afterwards, on the clubhouse balcony overlooking the beach, we agree: this is our favourite round of golf — not just on the tour, but of all time. Hosted by the Adelphi's friendly, chatty staff, we celebrate with more excellent seafood (ranging from cured sea bass and crab linguine to risotto di mare) and a cocktail in the bar. I did get around Portstewart in double digits — and that has to be worth celebrating. As we drive back to Belfast the following morning, I reflect on the lessons I've learnt. I probably need to have some golf lessons in a bunker. Apparently it's not always 25C and sunny on these links courses. But, most of all, the Grand Tour is most worthy of its name. A four-night golf trip with Marine & Lawn costs from £5,000 per person, including accommodation, golf and transfers (but not flights and food),
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Scottie Scheffler vs. Everybody: The Open Champion is making his case among the greats
As Tiger Woods wrapped up his eight-shot Open Championship victory at St. Andrews in 2000, his second-straight blowout major championship, a collective exasperation overcame the entirety of golf's competitive body. 'He's the best who ever played,' Mark Calcavecchia said that Sunday, 'and he's 24.' 'He is the best player in the world by a long, long way and we have got to raise our standards to join his,' Colin Montgomerie said. 'We have got to go up to his and we are all trying. We are all failing, but we are all trying.' 'He's got to leave a few for his friends, doesn't he?' Jean Van de Velde said. 'He can't have them all.' 'If you put Old Tom Morris with Tiger Woods,' Ernie Els said, '(Woods) would probably beat him by 80 shots right now. The guy is unbelievable, man. I'm running out of words. Give me a break.' Advertisement Oh, how eerily similar those sentiments sound in the aftermath of Scottie Scheffler's four-shot domination — that was at one point as large as eight shots — at Royal Portrush for his fourth major championship in four years and third in eight starts. Even if it was already understood, this Open Championship was the final confirmation that Scheffler is not just the current best player in the world. He's the type of supreme conqueror any given sport might find once every few decades. 'Scottie Scheffler is — it's inevitable,' Rory McIlroy said. 'Four shots behind, kind of like playing for second,' Haotong Li said. 'When you see his name up on the leaderboard, it sucks for us,' defending champ Xander Schauffele conceded. 'If Scottie's feet stayed stable and his swing looked like Adam Scott's, we'd be talking about him in the same words as Tiger Woods,' Shane Lowry said. It is time to truly have the conversation about where Scottie Scheffler belongs in golf history. First, it was only the best ball striking since Tiger. Then it was the best individual season since Tiger. But this is no longer simply a nice run, or a great peak. We're now at four, steady, undeniable years of golf so much better than any peer. Scheffler is not only the best of his era. He's among the greatest to ever play the sport. With his fourth major championship, Scheffler earned the third leg of the career Grand Slam. But he's just the fourth golfer to win the Masters, the PGA Championship and the Open Championship all before the age of 30. His company? Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Per Justin Ray, Scheffler is one of three players since the creation of the Masters in 1934 to win four or more major titles by at least three strokes. The others are Woods (seven wins) and Nicklaus (six). DataGolf created a metric called DG Points that interweaves underlying advanced strokes gained stats with tangible accomplishments to rank the best golf seasons since 1983. Scheffler's last four all rank in the top 20. Of the last 42 years in golf, 12 of the 20 best seasons are owned by Woods or Scheffler. Nobody else has more than two. Advertisement Scheffler's career in totality can't be properly judged until it's all over. His current run may be far greater than any peak in Phil Mickelson's career, but we can't argue against six majors, 45 PGA Tour wins and 21 1/2 Ryder Cup points. At least not yet. The pain and beauty of golf reside in the understood vulnerability that it could all end at any moment. Woods' career is primarily broken down between two all-time three-year runs with relative lulls in between. Rory McIlroy won four majors in four years. Brooks Koepka won four in three. Jordan Spieth won three in three. All of them experienced dramatic dips shortly after. Look at the timeline comparing McIlroy's and Scheffler's pace to winning four majors. McIlroy was four years younger, but the pace is identical in terms of major starts. It's a reminder that what feels inevitable rarely is. It took another 39 major starts for McIlroy to win his fifth. Amazing graphic here. Wow. — Kyle Porter (@KylePorterNS) July 20, 2025 With that said, there's zero indication that Scheffler's pace will slow. If anything, we thought it was happening this winter when Scheffler cut his hand in a freak cooking accident and needed surgery. It led to a 'slow start' as he 'only' finished top 25 each week instead of winning. That's in the past. He's won four of his last eight tournaments — including two majors — and hasn't been worse than eighth since March. In reality, none of the great peaks of Scheffler's contemporaries come close to the comprehensive significance of what Scheffler is doing. He is no longer competing with the greats of this era. He's competing with the greatest of all time. It can be unfortunate when we reduce golf greatness down to major championships. It's the most important test of that greatness, absolutely, but it does not paint the entire picture. Advertisement McIlroy's peak came the closest, winning four majors from 2011 to 2014. He won 12 times worldwide, and his 2012 and 2014 seasons rank in the DG Points top 20. At the height of his 2014 peak, though, he was gaining 2.40 strokes on the field per round. Impressive, but Adam Scott, Jim Furyk and Justin Rose were right behind him at 2.23, 2.23 and 2.05, respectively. Scheffler is gaining 3.10 strokes on the field. Next best is McIlroy at 2.10, followed by Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. That's an average, with recency weighed heavier, across the last 150 rounds. So nearly the past two years of golf. These four years, Scheffler has won 20 times worldwide, and counting. McIlroy finished top five 37 times in those four years. Scheffler has finished there 48 times (and it's just July). Those who hyperfixate on majors will then throw Koepka's (incredible) career in. But that's not even really a conversation. Koepka won four majors in three years, but he was always a strange, wonderful golf anomaly. He was not a dominant week-to-week golfer like the other names mentioned. During that three-year run of greatness, he won just two other PGA Tour events. Not that DataGolf is some end-all, be-all, but it does paint an extremely helpful picture of overall play. Koepka never actually ranked higher than No. 4 at any point in his career. Mickelson's longevity is his superpower, but he never had a single season rank in the DG top 30. His career peak was averaging 2.41 strokes gained on the field in 2000. Scheffler has been above that for three years straight. No, the actual comparisons for Scheffler's four-year transcendence are the names you're never supposed to compare anyone to. Tom Watson won five majors from 1980 to 1983, easily the best run of anyone between Nicklaus and Woods. Watson finished in the top 10 an absurd 11 times in those 16 starts. Since the start of 2022, Scheffler has four wins with 12 top 10s. If we avoid going too deep into the quality of competition argument, those are remarkably similar runs. Watson finished with eight majors across nine years. Advertisement Lee Trevino won four majors in four years from 1971 to 1974 (despite skipping two Masters), but he only had seven top-10 finishes and plenty where he missed the cut or was outside the top 30. What will be interesting to follow, though, is Watson's best four-year run came smack dab in the middle of an overall nine-year prime. He won majors before and after that run. This Scheffler four-year run is just the beginning. We don't even know if these will be his best four years. That's the thing about Scheffler. He's continued to get better, and better and better. His 2023 season was the greatest strokes gained approach season since Woods. The next two years have been far better. For much of his rise, he was a below-average putter. He's now top 10 in the world on the greens. His 2024 season was rightfully called one of the four or five best seasons in golf history, winning nine times worldwide. Well, Scheffler may only have four wins so far this year, but he has two majors. In the past eight starts as he recovered from his hand surgery, he's gaining 3.82 strokes per round. That's the best run of his career. That's just inches from 2000 Tiger territory (4.01). So, yes, at this moment in time, Scheffler feels inevitable in a way that truly only compares to Woods and Nicklaus at their best. Arnold Palmer never had a run this good. Neither did Gary Player. No, this isn't saying Scheffler is in the Woods or Nicklaus conversation. Not yet. Even if we only went on their best four-year runs, Nicklaus from 1972 to 1975 won four majors with 15 top 10s. From 1962 to 1965, he won five majors with 11 top 10s. Woods from 2005 to 2008 had six majors and 12 top 10s. Preposterous. And we all know he won four straight majors in 2000 and 2001 with seven total majors from 1999 to 2002. But the point of this is all to say: Scheffler is no longer just comparing himself to his peers. His greatness has only the absolute pantheon left to chase. (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; Photos: David Cannon, David Madison, Alex Pantling / Getty Images)
Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Times
Open win is child's play for Scottie Scheffler in his era of greatness
If golf does not fill the 'deepest wants and desires' of Scottie Scheffler's heart, it at least enabled him to fill his boots and then the Claret Jug with a celebratory tipple. This was a parade bereft of drama or uncertainty, but as an appreciation of a master of his art, and science, it was breathtakingly good. An Open and shut case, we are edging into an era of all-time greatness. Tiger Woods's modern record victory margin at the Open is eight at St Andrews in 2000. Scheffler briefly threatened that but a round of 68, a score of 17 under par and a four-shot gap to Harris English were more than enough. The only real stumble from Scheffler's camp came when young son Bennett fell while exploring the green during the presentation. It says much about Scheffler's priorities that the emotion only morphed into a victory salute and tossed cap when he saw his wife and son. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Bennett's dad has become a golfing phenomenon. Since the start of last year, Scheffler has now won 13 times, including triumphs at three different majors and an Olympic Games. It took Rory McIlroy 11 attempts to complete the career grand slam after getting to the three-quarter stage. Nobody expects it to take Scheffler as long to add the US Open and become the seventh man of that celebrated club. Of only 25 majors played, he has won four, been runner-up twice and had 16 top-ten finishes. These are dizzying numbers. He started the day four shots clear of Haotong Li, with Matt Fitzpatrick another shot behind and McIlroy trying to cross a six-stroke divide. In truth, Evel Knievel had a more realistic chance of crossing Snake River Canyon in his old home-made space rocket, but at least McIlroy's parachute opened after a troubled post-Augusta period. The uneven nature of golf's calendar means he must retain his major mojo for almost ten months until his Masters defence. Credit English for chipping away, again finishing runner-up to Scheffler, as he did at the US PGA, but the world No1 was never in the remotest danger. The Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup was five adrift, followed by a resurgent Fitzpatrick, Li and Wyndham Clark. McIlroy was feted by febrile crowds, but in a land of mythical giants, fated to finish in this one's wake. Bob MacIntyre also made the top ten to underline his impressive progress this summer, but it was a solo show by the seaside. Two years ago, Golf Digest harshly declared the Open 'a dud' when Brian Harman romped home at Hoylake. It was undoubtedly a day drained of excitement, but if that was again the case here, the crowd knew they were witnessing a generational talent at the peak of his powers. Being brilliant can never be convincingly boring. And this week Scheffler has been far from dull, causing a stir with a media address in which he said golf was not fulfilling and wondered why he cared so much. 'Sometimes, I just don't understand the point,' he said. That honesty was elevated by the fact Scheffler rarely says much beyond the practical, but the remarks were a reflection of his deep faith and belief in a greater purpose. He cares and suffers, but he knows this is only the important fluff of life. A rounded player with a consistent game and level mind, his bad days are average and the good ones are stellar. Ten consecutive wins from 54-hole leads shows front-running is another arrow in his quiver. And for greater historical perspective, it is worth noting that nobody has won their four first majors by at least three shots since 1909. It was not flawless. In a fairway bunker on the 8th he needed two attempts to get out. That double bogey, allied to Gotterup's charge, reduced the lead to four. The intimations of mortality welcomed down the field. Scheffler's response? A 335-yard drive, wedge and easy birdie. In the group up ahead, McIlroy was over a hill and, after failing to mount a grassy bank with his chip, far away. That double bogey left the local hero eight shots adrift. He has likened winning the Masters to climbing Everest, but when it comes to scaling mountains you would really want Scheffler as your guide. Others left with a raft of what-ifs. Bryson DeChambeau was down and almost out after an opening 78, but was 16 under for the remaining holes. It is too easy to suggest he had figured out the vagaries of links golf, though. 'I still have to crack the code when it's raining and windy,' he said. Indeed, the weekend has been positively balmy, but Scheffler showed that he is a man for all seasons by surviving Thursday. DeChambeau's take on Scheffler? 'Scottie's in a league of his own right now,' he said. 'I played with him a lot in college and he was not that good so he's figured out a lot of stuff since then.' He certainly has. One of the remarkable things about Scheffler is that he was pushing 26 before he won his first professional tournament. By that age, McIlroy had four majors while Jordan Spieth's purple patch came at 22. Scheffler, though, has entered into a period of superiority that we have not seen since Woods. Part of the credit for this should go to Phil Kenyon, the quiet putting guru of Southport, who has helped Scheffler in his one area of vague weakness. 'Phil has been tremendous for me,' he said. 'He is a great guy to be able to bounce stuff off and I feel like we've made some great progress.' In turn, Kenyon says teaching Scheffler is easier than dealing with 20-handicappers who think they know it all. After doing the same major double in 2014, McIlroy said he did not need another year like the one he had enjoyed. 'I need another ten,' he explained before talking of 'Messi, Federer and LeBron' and how star power drove sport. He had an 11-year wait for another. All the other Open champions since 2014 have not won another major since, but we should expect that curse to be lifted soon. As for Royal Portrush, McIlroy was right when saying it has quickly established itself as one of the top two or three Open stages, with a stunning vista and terrific sequencing of holes, and so it was fitting that this championship produced such a fine winner. 'Phenomenal player,' Tommy Fleetwood said. 'If he keeps going the way he is then we're going to look back and talk about him in the same breath as some of the all-time greats — and he's played in our generation.' Scheffler just said he thought comparisons with Woods were 'a bit silly' and that he did his best 'by living in the present'. It is a good policy and sensible perspective. He is the man of the dazzling moment. Rory McIlroy described Scottie Scheffler's run of success as 'historical', conceding that the rest of the field were unable to come close to Scheffler in such sparkling form (John Westerby writes). 'There's only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on the run that Scottie's been on for the past 24 to 36 months,' McIlroy said. 'I wish I had been closer to Scottie going into today but he's been on a different level all week and he's been on a different level for the past two years. What he's doing is historical. None of us could live with what he had this week.' Scheffler now needs only a US Open victory to complete the career grand slam, which McIlroy finally achieved with his victory at the Masters in April. Scheffler had spoken before the tournament of how golf was not ultimately fulfilling, that he was a 'sicko' for working so hard at his game and that the pleasure of victory was 'awesome for two minutes'. Scheffler was asked whether he would enjoy his Open triumph for longer than two minutes. 'It's one of the greatest joys of my life to compete out here,' he said. 'But at the end of the day, having success in life, whether it be in golf, work, whatever, that's not what fulfils the deepest desires of your heart. My greatest priorities are my faith and my family. Golf is third. 'I try to live as normal of a life as possible because I feel like a normal guy. I have the same friends I had growing up. I don't think that I'm anything special just because some weeks I'm better at shooting a lower score than other guys are.'
Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Times
Child's play for Scottie Scheffler as he threatens era of greatness
If golf does not fill the 'deepest wants and desires' of Scottie Scheffler's heart, it at least enabled him to fill his boots and then the Claret Jug with a celebratory tipple. This was a parade bereft of drama or uncertainty, but as an appreciation of a master of his art, and science, it was breathtakingly good. An Open and shut case, we are edging into an era of all-time greatness. Tiger Woods's modern record victory margin at the Open is eight at St Andrews in 2000. Scheffler briefly threatened that but a round of 68, a score of 17 under par and a four-shot gap to Harris English were more than enough. The only real stumble from Scheffler's camp came when young son Bennett fell while exploring the green during the presentation. It says much about Scheffler's priorities that the emotion only morphed into a victory salute and tossed cap when he saw his wife and son. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Bennett's dad has become a golfing phenomenon. Since the start of last year, Scheffler has now won 13 times, including triumphs at three different majors and an Olympic Games. It took Rory McIlroy 11 attempts to complete the career grand slam after getting to the three-quarter stage. Nobody expects it to take Scheffler as long to add the US Open and become the seventh man of that celebrated club. Of only 25 majors played, he has won four, been runner-up twice and had 16 top-ten finishes. These are dizzying numbers. He started the day four shots clear of Haotong Li, with Matt Fitzpatrick another shot behind and McIlroy trying to cross a six-stroke divide. In truth, Evel Knievel had a more realistic chance of crossing Snake River Canyon in his old home-made space rocket, but at least McIlroy's parachute opened after a troubled post-Augusta period. The uneven nature of golf's calendar means he must retain his major mojo for almost ten months until his Masters defence. Credit English for chipping away, again finishing runner-up to Scheffler, as he did at the US PGA, but the world No1 was never in the remotest danger. The Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup was five adrift, followed by a resurgent Fitzpatrick, Li and Wyndham Clark. McIlroy was feted by febrile crowds, but in a land of mythical giants, fated to finish in this one's wake. Bob MacIntyre also made the top ten to underline his impressive progress this summer, but it was a solo show by the seaside. Two years ago, Golf Digest harshly declared the Open 'a dud' when Brian Harman romped home at Hoylake. It was undoubtedly a day drained of excitement, but if that was again the case here, the crowd knew they were witnessing a generational talent at the peak of his powers. Being brilliant can never be convincingly boring. And this week Scheffler has been far from dull, causing a stir with a media address in which he said golf was not fulfilling and wondered why he cared so much. 'Sometimes, I just don't understand the point,' he said. That honesty was elevated by the fact Scheffler rarely says much beyond the practical, but the remarks were a reflection of his deep faith and belief in a greater purpose. He cares and suffers, but he knows this is only the important fluff of life. A rounded player with a consistent game and level mind, his bad days are average and the good ones are stellar. Ten consecutive wins from 54-hole leads shows front-running is another arrow in his quiver. And for greater historical perspective, it is worth noting that nobody has won their four first majors by at least three shots since 1909. It was not flawless. In a fairway bunker on the 8th he needed two attempts to get out. That double bogey, allied to Gotterup's charge, reduced the lead to four. The intimations of mortality welcomed down the field. Scheffler's response? A 335-yard drive, wedge and easy birdie. In the group up ahead, McIlroy was over a hill and, after failing to mount a grassy bank with his chip, far away. That double bogey left the local hero eight shots adrift. He has likened winning the Masters to climbing Everest, but when it comes to scaling mountains you would really want Scheffler as your guide. Others left with a raft of what-ifs. Bryson DeChambeau was down and almost out after an opening 78, but was 16 under for the remaining holes. It is too easy to suggest he had figured out the vagaries of links golf, though. 'I still have to crack the code when it's raining and windy,' he said. Indeed, the weekend has been positively balmy, but Scheffler showed that he is a man for all seasons by surviving Thursday. DeChambeau's take on Scheffler? 'Scottie's in a league of his own right now,' he said. 'I played with him a lot in college and he was not that good so he's figured out a lot of stuff since then.' He certainly has. One of the remarkable things about Scheffler is that he was pushing 26 before he won his first professional tournament. By that age, McIlroy had four majors while Jordan Spieth's purple patch came at 22. Scheffler, though, has entered into a period of superiority that we have not seen since Woods. Part of the credit for this should go to Phil Kenyon, the quiet putting guru of Southport, who has helped Scheffler in his one area of vague weakness. 'Phil has been tremendous for me,' he said. 'He is a great guy to be able to bounce stuff off and I feel like we've made some great progress.' In turn, Kenyon says teaching Scheffler is easier than dealing with 20-handicappers who think they know it all. After doing the same major double in 2014, McIlroy said he did not need another year like the one he had enjoyed. 'I need another ten,' he explained before talking of 'Messi, Federer and LeBron' and how star power drove sport. He had an 11-year wait for another. All the other Open champions since 2014 have not won another major since, but we should expect that curse to be lifted soon. As for Royal Portrush, McIlroy was right when saying it has quickly established itself as one of the top two or three Open stages, with a stunning vista and terrific sequencing of holes, and so it was fitting that this championship produced such a fine winner. 'Phenomenal player,' Tommy Fleetwood said. 'If he keeps going the way he is then we're going to look back and talk about him in the same breath as some of the all-time greats — and he's played in our generation.' Scheffler just said he thought comparisons with Woods were 'a bit silly' and that he did his best 'by living in the present'. It is a good policy and sensible perspective. He is the man of the dazzling moment.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hatton holes out to vault up The Open leaderboard
Tyrrell Hatton isn't always happy on the golf course, but there are exceptions. This hole-out eagle on moving day to climb into the top 4 at The 153rd Open Championship is one.
