In Portrush, Northern Ireland, Scottie Scheffler stood on the 18th fairway, watching the group ahead finish their play. Above the horizon, behind the grandstands, a menacing gray cloud loomed. Although just moments before Scheffler had been playing under sunny skies, framed by a rainbow, the sun had now vanished, signaling more rain.
Such was a typical day at The Open Championship in Northern Ireland.
“Before tee-off, the weather forecast kept changing,” Scheffler shared. “It was super sunny at the driving range, it was warm, and I was even in a short-sleeved shirt. But as soon as we got to the first hole, the sky suddenly darkened, and it started pouring rain. I wondered how long it would last.”
However, neither the pouring rain, nor the wind, nor the sun affected Scheffler`s game. He birdied the very first hole, foreshadowing his subsequent successes.
Throughout the afternoon, the world`s best golfer once again demonstrated his inevitable path to victory. In his second round at Portrush, Scheffler maintained his lead in approach shots, sinking putts totaling over 40 meters, tallying eight birdies, and posting an impressively easy 64 to take the 36-hole lead at 10-under par.
“I felt like I hit more fairways than yesterday,” Scheffler stated, acknowledging the obvious. “I hit some really nice iron shots and managed to sink a few putts.”
Scheffler`s understated and matter-of-fact demeanor has become characteristic. This is precisely why the most accurate assessment of his greatness often comes not from him, but from the very people trying to defeat him.
On Friday, when a reporter asked Shane Lowry, who played alongside Scheffler, about his chances of contention, Lowry chuckled.
“Eight shots behind Scottie Scheffler isn`t `on the fringes of contention` with how he`s playing,” he replied.
Earlier in the day, Rory McIlroy completed his second round at 3-under par and made a point of emphasizing that he was only five shots behind the then-leaders, Brian Harman and Haotong Li (8-under par).
Whether it`s a one-shot deficit like Matt Fitzpatrick`s, or seven shots like McIlroy`s, any gap against Scheffler feels different. This is particularly true now, as he not only showcases his usual superpowers (ranking first in strokes gained: approach) but also appears to have unlocked a new strength in his putting game (ranking second in strokes gained: putting).
“He`s an exceptional player. He`s World No. 1,” said Fitzpatrick, who will partner Scheffler in the final group on Saturday. “We`re seeing Tiger-like stuff.”
When asked what it felt like to be in contention, Fitzpatrick enthusiastically described his feelings, but then realized that his main rival was probably already accustomed to such pressure.
He laughed, “It must be fantastic for Scottie.”
Even though Scheffler`s victory seems preordained, this is still The Open, and holding onto leads on courses that demand more than just precise hitting is a completely different challenge here.
Here, professional golf appears in its most unpredictable form. The ball rolls on uneven terrain, bunkers “swallow” it, gusty winds disorient, and hidden hazards instill dread. The formula for success seems simple only in theory, but endlessly complex in execution. Driving distance is no longer the sole or primary factor; strategy plays a key role. How far a golfer can hit the ball doesn`t determine their tournament success, but merely serves as a means to the ultimate goal: getting the ball into the hole.
Take Harman, for example. While players like Fitzpatrick have gained fame for speed training and increasing their distance despite their slight frames, the Georgia native, standing 5-foot-7, hits the ball approximately 250 meters off the tee and managed to win the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool simply by keeping the ball in front of him.
Harman is back in the game, and this time he has returned to The Open with the same proven recipe.
“I feel very comfortable here,” Harman stated. “Courses like this force you to be more creative. It`s not just about aerial distance. There are probably ten different types of clubs, irons, drivers, woods you can hit off the tee. There are various ways to approach the green, and almost always there`s a hill that can kill a shot approaching the green. I just enjoy the creativity and the challenge of thinking your way around. You`re not forced to hit specific shots. You can play your own way.”
The Open Betting Favorites
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Scottie Scheffler | -700 |
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Rory McIlroy | 18-1 |
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Matt Fitzpatrick | 25-1 |
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Haotong Li | 25-1 |
Precisely.
Aside from Scheffler, who is becoming an increasingly constant favorite regardless of the course type, there seems to be no one-size-fits-all approach to this tournament. Just look at the leaderboard: both McIlroy and 52-year-old Lee Westwood are just outside the top ten, seven shots behind Scheffler. One struggled with hitting fairways, while the other hit the most fairways in the field so far, even if he can`t hit as far as his competitors.
The field includes an experienced DP World Tour player, Li (8-under par), and two DP World Tour graduates, brothers Nicolai (4-under par) and Rasmus Højgaard (5-under par), who have the potential to become stars. Both are also within the top ten.
Among the contenders are Tyrrell Hatton, fresh off a strong performance at the U.S. Open, and Tony Finau, who hasn`t won a PGA Tour event in two years and missed the cut at the last two Open Championships. And, of course, Fitzpatrick, who, on paper, might be the most serious threat to Scheffler`s pursuit of the Claret Jug.
“I felt every aspect of my game was on point today,” stated Fitzpatrick, the winner of the 2022 U.S. Open at Brookline.
Undoubtedly, exceptional ball-striking is the foundation for any successful bid at Portrush — just consider that Robert MacIntyre and Harris English are also in the top ten. However, the reason why Scheffler`s fate isn`t sealed after 36 holes isn`t so much about his rivals, but rather about what this tournament can do to a player.
Dangers lurk at every turn. Here, a pot bunker; there, out-of-bounds; or menacing uneven lies that often appear closer to the fairways and greens than they actually are. As Scheffler experienced on Friday, the weather forecast is a gamble, and stepping onto any tee, you never know what kind of wind or rain you`ll encounter. It`s also impossible to predict what kind of winner the links course will crown. In 2023, no one expected Harman to win.
“I think the pressure is on him to win this golf tournament,” Fitzpatrick said. “I wouldn`t say I feel as much pressure. He`s going to have the expectation to go out and dominate.”
Fitzpatrick is right. But even though Scheffler will be pursued by many starting Saturday, his biggest rival might be the tournament itself. Of all the major championships, it`s the one where he has, relatively speaking, performed the worst, and due to its unique style, it will likely be the most challenging to maintain a lead in.
All eyes will be on Scheffler. If he holds on for the win, comparisons to Tiger Woods will become even more pronounced. The last player to win The Open after leading through 36 holes was Woods in 2006. At that time, Woods, like Scheffler now, was the world`s number one; at that time, his victory also seemed inevitable.
“We`ll see what the weekend brings,” Fitzpatrick said. “There`s still a very long way to go.”
