scottie scheffler

Four of Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes will be in action at this week’s Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, headed by defending champion and three-time winner Tyrrell Hatton.

And you can bet your life they will get a much better reception from the fans than they did from the loud-mouthed yobs who hurled abuse at them at Bethpage Black.

Luke Donald’s team were certainly heroes as far as this column is concerned.

Tommy Fleetwood, another of the players teeing it up this week, was a 12-1 winner in the top points scorer market, and the 15-13 scoreline was also tipped here at 12-1

Justin Rose going out first in the singles, having been highlighted at 18-1, was the icing on the cake. Cameron Young also finished joint top in the USA points list with Xander Schauffele, having been advised at 25-1.

So the big question now is where do we “reinvest” the winnings, to try to keep the mood of celebration going?

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Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2025 betting tips

Hatton seems an obvious starting point, given his incredible record in this event. 

In his last seven starts here, he has posted a couple of runner-ups as well as his three victories. And his worst finish was a share of 15th. So 7-1 looks reasonable.

Hatton is second favourite behind world No 7 Fleetwood, who has finished second here twice, and was third 12 months ago.

He is a general 6-1, with European team-mates Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre next on the list at around 10-1 and 12-1 respectively.

But the Ryder Cup was such a draining experience that I am reluctant to side with any of that quartet at short prices. They have earned a bit of down time, and may not be quite as focused on this event as usual.

Marco Penge, who was a bit unlucky not to get a wild card for Bethpage after winning twice this year, looks attractively priced at 20-1.

Penge missed the cut here last year – but that was largely due to a calamitous opening round of 75 at Carnoustie, where he had a NINE and a seven on the back nine.

That can happen at the toughest course on the planet. And the big-hitting Englishman bounced back well with rounds of 69 and 70 at Kingsbarns and St Andrews.

He is a much more accomplished player now, and is second only to Rory McIlroy on the current DP World Tour money list. He could easily go one better than his runner-up finish at the hotly-contested Scottish Open three months ago.

I also like the chances of another monster hitter, Rasmus Neergard-Petersen, who is a best priced 25-1. He seemed to thrive on the links when finishing joint fourth last year.

Previous form in this event is invaluable, so 40-1 shot Haotong Li also comes into the reckoning. His share of seventh last year was his second top ten here, and a tie for fourth at this year’s Open confirmed his love of links golf.

Among the longshots, the 80-1 about Laurie Canter and Peter Uhlein deserves a second look, while improving Frenchman Tom Vaillant looks over-priced at 150-1. The same thing applies to 200-1 shot Brandon Robinson-Thompson.

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Sanderson Farms Championship betting tips

The only Ryder Cup golfer playing in the PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi is another European, Rasmus Hojgaard.

He had a tough debut at Bethpage, losing both his matches. So despite a couple of runner-up finishes in his last four starts, I’m not tempted by the 33-1 on offer.

But I am keen on the 33-1 available for Mackenzie Hughes. The Canadian won here in 2022, finished top ten last year, and arrives on the back of a share of seventh in the Procore, where ten of the US Ryder Cup team were in action. 

Emilian Grillo did even better at the Procore, finishing tied fourth. He also also played well in Jackson in the past. So he is another 33-1 shot on the shortlist.

Michael Thorbjornsen is starting to justify the hype after a stellar college career, and 25-1 looks fair. Do not get him confused with Thorbjorn Olesen – but 50-1 for the former Ryder Cup man means he might be worth backing too!

Beau Hossler is another 50-1 chance worth considering, and I haven’t lost faith completely in USPGA runner-up Davis Riley despite a bunch of missed cuts. 

At 150-1 he could be worth a small interest. David Lipsky was a big disappointment at the Procore, but two third places in his previous five starts suggests he is another 150-1 shot to think about.

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SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER admitted his torrid Ryder Cup was “one of the lowest moments of my career”.

The dominant world No1 arrived at Bethpage expected to lead the USA team by example.

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But in harrowingly similar fashion to his 9&7 defeat with Brooks Koepka to Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland, he started Friday morning with a crushing 5&3 foursomes loss alongside Russell Henley to Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick.

And Scheffler, 29, became the first American to go 0-4 in the first four sessions in Ryder Cup history.

The reigning PGA Championship and Open champion, though, did beat Rory McIlroy in the singles to ensure he did not leave New York pointless.

Scheffler said: “I think it’s hard to put into words how much it hurt to lose all four matches. This week did not go how I anticipated it going for myself and I’m a little bit bummed.

“To have the trust of my captains and team-mates to go out there and play all four matches and lose all four, it’s really hard to put into words how much that stings and hurts.

“It was probably one of the lowest moments of my career, but it turned out to be one of the most special, just because I’ve got great friends in this room and I was really proud to be battling with these guys for three days.”

McIlroy and Scheffler spoke to each other on the course about their mental, physical and emotional exhaustion as both men played in all five sessions.

McIlroy said he was “running on empty” and described their match as a “pillow fight”.

Scheffler added: “Things just did not work out the way I anticipated, it was a difficult week for me personally but I was proud to be able to get a point.

“It’s tough, playing all five matches is a grind. I’m pretty tired.”

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RYDER CUP 2025 LIVE: FOLLOW ALL THE LATEST FROM BETHPAGE BLACK

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Europe painted Bethpage Black in blue scores Saturday with exquisite golf that demolished and disheartened the Americans, and proved to be the best response to a New York Ryder Cup crowd that was so hostile extra security was brought in to keep it from getting worse.

When a long, loud and obnoxious day ended, Europe set a record for the largest lead going into Sunday singles under the format that dates to 1979: Europe 11½, USA 4½.

“I didn’t imagine this,” European captain Luke Donald said. “Every time the Americans came at us, we came back. The resiliency and confidence they have is really, truly incredible.”

Rory McIlroy caught the brunt of verbal abuse and at one point turned to the spectators and said, “Shut the (expletive) up.” And then he stuffed his shot to five feet for birdie that closed out the foursomes match for another blue point.

It was like that all day. The louder the crowd, the better Europe played. And barring the greatest comeback — or collapse — in Ryder Cup history, the Europeans will be heading back across the Atlantic Ocean with that precious gold trophy.

“I’m seeing what looks like to be historical putting. They’re making everything,” U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said. “They’re a great team. They’re great players. They’re a tough team to beat.”

The previous record after the four sessions of team play was 11-5. No team has rallied from more than a four-point deficit on the last day. Europe needs to win only three of the 12 singles matches for the outright win.

Scottie Scheffler also made it into the Ryder Cup record book. The world’s No. 1 player is the first to go 0-4 under the current format.

Nothing summed up the week for the Americans quite like the 10th hole in fourballs. Tommy Fleetwood hit a wedge about two feet under the hole. Scheffler followed with a shot that hit the hole and the base of the pin, then caromed into the rough.

But it was far more than one shot. Europe holed putts everywhere, often getting shouted at by the spectators as they lined up the shots. Nothing stopped them.

The Americans had a lead in only three of the 70 holes played in fourballs Saturday afternoon. U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun hit it tight on the 17th and 18th for birdies as he and fellow San Diego State alum Xander Schauffele squeezed out one of only two U.S. points on the day.

The other belonged to Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Young in the opening foursomes match.

The New York fans didn’t turn on the Americans for their performance. They cranked up the noise against Europe, shouting at them in the moments before — but not during — their shots, booing at every turn.

“Look, in between shots, say whatever you want to me,” McIlroy said. “That’s totally fine. Give us the respect to let us hit shots, and give us the same chance that the Americans have.”

New York State police spokesman Beau Duffy said two fans were ejected. The PGA of America said it added security to the McIlroy match and the other three. It also posted a message on the large video boards on “Spectator Etiquette.”

“Attendees consuming alcohol should do so in a responsible manner. Overly intoxicated attendees will be removed from the premises.”

Fans booed when the message was displayed.

McIlroy ultimately got the last laugh. He has won all four of his matches and can become the first European to go 5-0 on the road.

Whatever chances the Americans had might have ended on the final hole of the final match. Patrick Cantlay holed a few more big putts to keep them in the game, and a win on the 18th hole would have cut the deficit to five points.

Matt Fitzpatrick hit out of a bunker to two feet. Tyrrell Hatton, a last-minute sub for Viktor Hovland and his sore neck, hit wedge that nicked his teammate’s ball. It was another example of Europe’s superior play.

Cantlay’s shot spun back against the thick collar of the rough, and Sam Burns could only manage a shot to about 20 feet. Both missed. The throaty cheers of “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole” returned, and the few American fans who stuck around that long were on their way home.

It got a little testy inside the ropes, too.

Fleetwood and Rose had a three-up lead on the 15th over Scheffler and DeChambeau. Rose was first to putt from about 15 feet. But he felt DeChambeau’s caddie was in his space as he was lining up his putt and he told him so.

Rose made the putt, and DeChambeau matched him from 12 feet. DeChambeau barked at them going to the 16th tee and soon the caddies were involved.

There was warm handshakes a hole later when Europe won.

“I didn’t feel like that space was being honored,” Rose said. “I made my feelings known — asked him to move, maybe not as politely as I could have done, but in the scenario, it’s coming down the stretch. We both have a lot on our minds and it’s intense out there.

“I said to them, ‘If I should have done it a different way, I apologize.’ But other than that, I had to step up and hit a huge putt with a lot going on.”

Bradley was asked what message he would give to his team to keep hopes alive, and the New England native pointed to the Patriots’ stunning comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in 2017.

“Twenty-eight to three. I was at that Super Bowl,” Bradley said. “I watched it. What a cool thing to have witnessed live in person.”

The way this Ryder Cup has played out, 11½ to 4 ½ feels much bigger.

Ferguson writes for the Associated Press.

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — No. 1 in the world is 0-2 at this Ryder Cup, and Scottie Scheffler had the worst first day by a top-ranked player since Tiger Woods.

Scheffler lost again in foursomes — and as always in that format at the Ryder Cup, lost badly — in the morning with Russell Henley, then went back out with U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun for a loss in fourballs in the afternoon.

By himself, Scheffler is winning more often than anyone in golf. But his teams were behind nearly throughout both his matches Friday, and with Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau, their two biggest stars, both going 0-2, the Americans trailed Europe 5½ to 2½ overall.

Scheffler finally seemed to find his game late in the afternoon match, with three birdies in the final four holes of the match. But he didn’t have any until the 13th hole as Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka built a comfortable lead, and the European duo went on to a 3-and-2 victory.

“We gave ourselves plenty of opportunities,” Scheffler said. “It really just came down to me not holing enough putts. We put up a good fight at the end.”

He fell to 0-4-2 in his last six Ryder Cup matches, becoming the first No. 1 player in the world to go 0-2 on the opening day since Woods in 2002. Woods also did that in 1999; Ian Woosnam in 1991 is the only other top-ranked player to do it.

Scheffler and Henley were defeated 5 and 3 by Europe’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Åberg in the morning, Scheffler’s third blowout loss in three career foursome matches in the Ryder Cup.

Two years after being left in tears when Åberg and Viktor Hovland routed Scheffler and Brooks Koepka 9 and 7 in Rome in the shortest foursomes match in Ryder Cup history, Scheffler watched Fitzpatrick and Åberg make seven birdies in 15 holes.

Scheffler has trailed by at least four holes in all three of his Ryder Cup foursomes matches.

“We just didn’t hole enough putts early,” Scheffler said. “We had some chances. I think the putts just didn’t fall.”

The afternoon match seemed to swing when one of his didn’t on No. 8.

He and Spaun were 1 down and Scheffler hit his tee shot on the par three to about eight feet. Rahm made his putt from about twice as long and Scheffler missed, turning the Americans’ hopes of evening the match into a 2-up lead for Europe.

Rahm and Straka would never let the U.S. back into it, making five birdies in the final six holes.

“The guys just really turned it on on the back nine, but it really came down to us not taking advantage of the holes early in the match that we needed to,” Scheffler said. “But overall it was a good fight at the end, and we’ll come back out tomorrow.”

Scheffler has won six times this year, four more than anyone else on the PGA Tour, with two major championships. He has played himself back into tournaments after slow starts before, and maybe his performance on the final few holes gives him some momentum going into Saturday.

U.S. captain Keegan Bradley sent Scheffler and Henley out second, after DeChambeau and Justin Thomas. While the leadoff duo was the high-profile match of the morning, the one after might’ve appeared to be the best U.S. team.

Henley is No. 3 in the world ranking, and he and Scheffler went 2-1 together last year in the Presidents Cup in Montreal.

Scheffler pumped his fist after rolling in a birdie putt on No. 2 to quickly tie the match after Fitzpatrick and Åberg had won the opener, but there wouldn’t be much more to celebrate for the Americans. The Europeans ran off three straight birdies to win Nos. 4-6 to build a 3-up lead that ballooned to 5 up, and won it when the U.S. made bogey on No. 15.

“They played great, gave themselves a lot of chances and just was a little sloppy,” Henley said. “Didn’t make the putts I needed to and didn’t really keep the momentum going with the ball-striking on the back nine, either. Hung in there as best I could, but they played great.”

Scheffler also lost 4 and 3 with Sam Burns against Rahm and Tyrell Hatton in his other foursomes match in 2023, when he went 0-2-2. He didn’t play in either match in his Ryder Cup debut in 2021, when he went 2-0-1.

Mahoney writes for the Associated Press.

ATLANTA — Tommy Fleetwood of England ended a summer of heartache with the richest prize on the PGA Tour, winning the Tour Championship on Sunday for his first tour title to capture the FedEx Cup and its $10-million reward.

Fleetwood got plenty of help at the start when Patrick Cantlay began bogey-double bogey and could never catch up. Scottie Scheffler hit his opening tee shot out-of-bounds and still was a threat until a tee shot into the water ended his hopes on the 15th.

Through it all, Fleetwood held his nerve. He closed with a two-under 68 for a three-shot victory over Cantlay (71) and Russell Henley (69).

“I’ve been a PGA Tour winner for a long time, it’s just always been in my mind,” Fleetwood said. “A lot of close calls, but I’ve always enjoyed the challenge.”

His first PGA Tour victory came with two trophies — the FedEx Cup and the “Calamity Jane” replica putter for the Tour Championship.

Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley was within one shot of the lead on the front nine but wound up with a 70 to tie for seventh. He said he was “dead tired,” and now has to decide whether to use one of his six captain’s picks on himself. He announces his picks Wednesday.

“The only thing I care about is on Sunday of the Ryder Cup, that we win the Ryder Cup. Then I’ll know I made the right decision,” he said. “Until then, I won’t know. It’s going to be pretty wild.”

But this day, this moment, belonged to Fleetwood, enormously popular around the world for coping with so many close calls with a refreshing perspective and joy for those who beat him.

An eight-time winner around the world, no stranger to big stages at the Ryder Cup or his silver medal at the Olympics last summer, Fleetwood was constantly reminded about his failure to win on golf’s strongest circuit.

He saw a one-shot lead turn into a one-shot loss at the Travelers when he took three putts from the front of the green and Bradley made birdie. Fleetwood let a two-shot lead with three holes left get away from him at the FedEx St. Jude Championship to start the postseason.

For all the hurt, he never lost hope.

“Tomorrow might be my time, it might not,” he said Saturday evening before his third try going into the final round with no one in front of him. “But I’ll still have a great time doing it.”

It was his time, and he had a blast.

Thousands of fans surrounded the 18th green at East Lake to watch the 34-year-old from England, all of them chanting, “Tommy! Tommy! Tommy!” Justin Rose, who rallied past him to win two weeks ago, and Shane Lowry stuck around to share in his big moment.

Fleetwood removed his cap when he tapped in for par, looked to the cloudy sky and let those long locks flow as he let out a yell.

Finally, Fleetwood.

“This wasn’t the most comfortable I’ve been,” Fleetwood said with a smile. “I feel like I’ve had a great attitude throughout it all. … I’m so happy I got it done.”

He started the final round tied for the lead with Cantlay, the FedEx Cup champion from 2021 searching for his first win in three years. Cantlay made bogey on the first, three-putted for double bogey on the second and suddenly was four behind.

Cantlay never went away, however, and a two-shot swing on the 10th — Fleetwood made bogey from the left rough, Cantlay made a five-foot birdie — narrowed the gap to one shot. The next three holes were pivotal.

Cantlay failed to get on the green from a bunker on the par-three 11th and made bogey. Fleetwood birdied the next two holes with wedges to the six-foot range, and Cantlay could only match one of them.

The last big hurdle was the 218-yard 15th to a peninsula green, where Fleetwood went in the water Saturday and made double bogey. This time he managed a bogey and didn’t miss a step the rest of the way in finishing at 18-under 262.

Cantlay was two back with three to play when he missed the 16th fairway and made bogey.

“It’s always good to have a chance on Sunday and to be right there. I’ve been there plenty of times, and any time you get in that spot, it’s a real pleasure,” he said.

Henley went 13 straight holes without a birdie and couldn’t put any serious pressure on him.

Scheffler’s start was even more shocking. His tee shot went left and disappeared under a fence, out-of-bounds. Then, he got up-and-down from 201 yards to salvage a bogey. He ran off three birdies in four holes to finish the turn, making a 40-foot birdie putt on the par-three ninth.

But he missed a five-foot birdie on the 10th, and his hopes ended with a five-iron that went into the water on the 15th for double bogey. He closed with a 68.

There’s no doubting the best this year. Scheffler won five times, including two majors. He finished the season with 21 consecutive rounds in the 60s, and he has gone five straight months finishing no worse than fifth. He was trying to become the first back-to-back FedEx Cup champion.

“I battled all week to give myself a chance. I wasn’t as sharp as I would have hoped to have,” Scheffler said. “I had a good first round, but outside of that didn’t really play my best the first few days. Still gave myself a shot. Just needed a few better swings.”

Cameron Young also lingered for much of the final round and shot 66 to tie for fourth with Scheffler and Corey Conners (62), strengthening his bid to make his first Ryder Cup team before home fans in New York.

This is a story about a movie that saved a sport. OK, that’s a stretch, but only a little one.

Scottie Scheffler is the No. 1 golfer in the world. Has been for a couple of years. He has won two Masters titles, one PGA Championship and the recent British Open, as well as an Olympic gold medal. He is so good that somebody ought to check his golf balls for tiny magnets that hook up to the cups on the greens. So far this year, by slapping a little white dimpled ball around in the grass, he has won $19.2 million. He has yet to turn 30, but his overall income, just from golf tournaments, is around $90 million.

This guy is so good that his caddie, Ted Scott, is estimated, at the normal 10% of winnings, to have pocketed about $5 million. For carrying a bag.

So, what’s the problem?

Scheffler is so good that he might also be sparking a trend called remote remorse. You really want to watch, but once he gets ahead by a couple of shots, there is nothing left. No drama, no possible twist and turn, no chance of any excitement. Other players in those tense, title-on-the-line final holes, dunk a shot into the water or bury one so deep in the sand that their only choice of club is a shovel.

Not Scheffler. He is a 6-foot-3 human robot whose veins circulate ice water. When the going gets tough, Scheffler yawns.

Scottie Scheffler, right, and wife Meredith Scudder attend the premiere of Netflix’s “Happy Gilmore 2” on July 21 in New York.

(Evan Agostini / Evan Agostini/invision/ap)

So, you see this and you know what is coming next — final putt, arms raised in satisfaction, a hug for his multi-millionaire caddie, the mandatory TV interview with the apparently mandatory British-accent female sportscaster, who will always start with, “How does this feel?”

You, and millions more, click the button on your remote for something more interesting, like HGTV or the Gardening Channel. When Scheffler gets ahead in the final round like that — which is almost always — it is game over. He can squeeze the drama out of a golf tournament like Bill Belichick could out of an NFL postgame interview.

Certainly, you say, Tiger Woods used to win lots of tournaments by lots of big margins and that never seemed boring.

That’s because it wasn’t. Tiger was animated, angry, annoyed, analytical, fed up with some part of his game, charged up over another part, mad at a reporter, upset with his agent. Tiger could win by eight, occasionally did, and it was still must-see TV. When Tiger was at his best, nobody could beat him and the public loved him and just wanted more. Scheffler is currently at his best and the public certainly is terribly impressed and, sadly, kind of meh. Tiger was a pound-on-the-table-and-shout-at-the-TV kind of player. Scheffler is a nod and a shrug.

But there is hope. Hollywood has intervened, as only Hollywood can.

Twenty-nine years ago, an up-and-coming comic named Adam Sandler made a movie inspired by one of his New England friends, who was a great hockey player and could also hit a golf ball a long distance with a hockey stick. Sandler called the movie “Happy Gilmore” and found a wide audience that loved it for its irreverence about a game that flaunts hushed reverence.

Among the highlights was an on-course fistfight between Happy Gilmore (Sandler) and aging TV game show host Bob Barker. Barker won by KO.

The movie was hilariously overdone slapstick. It was a gut-laugh-a-minute. It was so stupid and wacky that it was wonderful.

Now, Sandler has made “Happy Gilmore 2,” and it is again a must-see for all the reasons that the original was. Plus the cameo appearances. Especially one by Scheffler.

In the movie, Scheffler is good, funny, fun. He doesn’t have a lot of lines, but he has perfect timing. He punches a guy out on the green and the cops come and haul him away. “Oh, no. Not again,” he says.

Remember, earlier this year, when Louisville cops hauled him away and put him in an orange jail suit, when he was accused of making a wrong turn while driving into the golf course at the PGA Championship, a tournament that he would eventually win? Well, Sandler and his writers made hay out of that, but more significantly, Scheffler played to it perfectly.

After the movie punch-out, Scheffler is pictured in a jail cell, in an orange jail suit, as a guard asks, since he has been in that cell for three days, if he wants to get out. Scheffler replies, “Ah, what’s for dinner?” When he is told chicken fingers, he says, “I think I’ll stay another night.”

Now, of course, none of that is knee-slapping stuff, but it is Scheffler, and the self-effacing comedy is a perfect image-enhancer, even if it is only in a stupid movie. It is so much better for golf fans to see Scheffler as a roll-with-the-punches fun guy, than an emotionless, ball-striking robot. Neither is totally accurate, but in this media world of image-is-everything, “Happy Gilmore 2” has done wonderful things for this wonderful golfer. Even moreso, for his sport

He will be all over your TV screens for the three-week FedEx playoffs. It starts Aug. 7 with a tournament in Memphis, followed by the next week in Baltimore and the grand finale Aug. 21 in East Lake, Ga., near Atlanta. For the playoffs, the PGA will distribute $100 million in prize money and the winner will receive $10 million.

Scheffler, a likely winner, would then certainly be invited to appear on TV, especially the late-night shows such as Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon. This would present another great image-building opportunity. He could show up in an orange jump suit.

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Scottie Scheffler had all the time in the world to celebrate his latest major title. This British Open was never in doubt Sunday as golf’s No. 1 player delivered another dominant performance to win his second major this year and grab the third leg of the career Grand Slam.

Scheffler began with a shot into 10 inches for birdie. One hour into the final round, his lead already was seven shots and got no closer than four the rest of the way at Royal Portrush.

He closed with a 3-under 68 for a four-shot victory, sending him to the U.S. Open next year with a chance to make it a clean sweep of golf’s biggest titles.

Scheffler won the Masters by three shots in 2022 and by four shots last year. He won the PGA Championship by five shots in May. With his first career British Open title in hand, he only needs to win the U.S. Open to complete the career slam.

When he arrived in Northern Ireland, Scheffler shared some extraordinary insight while explaining that celebrating tournament wins doesn’t last but a few minutes before it was on to the next one. He loves the work required to be the best. He thrives on competition. But in terms of fulfillment, he often questions why he wants to win so badly when the thrill of winning is fleeting.

He tapped in for par on the final hole, making it all look so routine. But then he saw his family, thrust both arms into the air, pumped both arms and tossed his cap in the air. That’s what it was all about for the 29-year-old from Texas.

And he gets to keep the silver claret jug for a year.

Rory McIlroy referred to the outcome as “inevitable” when Scheffler built a four-shot lead going into the final round, and it was every bit of that.

Ferguson writes for the Associated Press.

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Scottie Scheffler moved within one round of claiming the third leg of the Grand Slam on Saturday when he made an eagle and two big par saves for a four-under 67 in the British Open that gave him a four-shot lead at Royal Portrush.

The roars belonged to Rory McIlroy, who had seemingly all of Northern Ireland on his side, the most raucous cheer coming when he made a 55-foot eagle putt.

But this championship is now in the hands of Scheffler, who has won his last 10 times when he had the 54-hole lead and didn’t show anything on a stunning day at Royal Portrush to indicate he was going to come back to his challengers.

“I’m just trying to execute, not overthinking things,” Scheffler said. “I feel like I’ve been doing the right thing so far, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of tomorrow.”

Tied with Matt Fitzpatrick for the lead, Scheffler judged six-iron perfectly and hit it to within 10 feet for eagle on the par-five seventh hole. In deep trouble behind the 11th green, he hacked out to within 10 feet to save par, then saved another par from the deep grass left of the 14th fairway.

Royal Portrush has a nasty par-three hole at No. 16 known as “Calamity Corner.” Scheffler made birdie for the third straight day, this time hitting a three-iron that settled 15 feet below the cup.

Each shot helped him pull away from the field. Each shot moved him closer to the claret jug, to go along with the PGA Championship he won in May and the two Masters green jackets he has won the last four years.

Scheffler was at 14-under 199, four shots clear of Li Haotong of China (69) and five ahead of Fitzpatrick, who missed two short par putts during a round of 71.

McIlroy, who revved up the enormous crowd with three birdies in four holes at the start, had the most bizarre moment of the championship when he went to gouge out a shot from the rough right of the 11th fairway and a second ball emerged from the turf.

“It’s never happened to me before,” McIlroy said after his 66. “It could never on any other course but a links course.”

It led to his lone bogey. He responded with that eagle putt that elicited a roar that rocked Royal Portrush. But he was six shots behind, and likely needing a round even better on Sunday.

“Scottie is … it’s inevitable,” McIlroy said. “Even when he doesn’t have his best stuff, he’s become a complete player. Yeah, it’s going to be tough to catch him tomorrow if he keeps playing the way he does. But if I can get out tomorrow and get off to a similar start to what I did today, get the crowd going … you never know.”

This is what McIlroy noticed last year, when Scheffler won nine times around the world. What impressed him was that Scheffler played so many bogey-free rounds.

Scheffler picked a great time for another one. He led by one shot to start the day and couldn’t seem to get anything going — his first three-putt of the championship on the par-five second to settle for par and a 10-foot par save on the par-three third.

Fitzpatrick, who missed a short par putt on the first hole and made bogey, atoned for that quickly by chipping in for eagle on the next hole. He did his best to keep pace even after Scheffler went eagle-birdie toward the end of the back nine.

But Fitzpatrick missed a four-foot par putt on the 13th, got a bad bounce on the 17th that led to another bogey and wound up five shots behind.

“Just didn’t make any putts. I didn’t hit it close enough,” Fitzpatrick said. “Drove it well enough, didn’t hit it close enough. Just made way less putts than Scottie.”

Scheffler will be paired in the last group with Li, who made history in 2020 at the PGA Championship when he held the 36-hole lead, the first player from China to lead in a major. Li didn’t make his first bogey Saturday until the 13th hole, and he dropped another shot on the 18th after driving into a pot bunker.

Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup, in his first appearance in the British Open, had a 68 and joined the group at eight-under 205 that included McIlroy, Harris English (68) and Tyrrell Hatton (68).

This is Scheffler’s largest 54-hole lead in a major — he was up by three shots at the PGA Championship and three shots in the 2022 Masters.

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — The rain pounded Royal Portrush right when Scottie Scheffler poured in a birdie putt on his first hole Friday in the British Open. No matter. Nothing stopped the world’s No. 1 player on his way to a seven-under 64 to build a one-shot lead going into the weekend.

Scheffler made eight birdies on another wild afternoon of weather at Royal Portrush, and his 15-foot birdie attempt on the 18th stopped inches short for another.

The result was a one-shot lead over former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who made four straight birdies to start the back nine until he cooled on the home stretch and had to settle for a 66.

The rain was heavy at times but never lasted long. The wind was breezy but never at strength that can cause fits. The scoring was lower, nearly two shots easier than the opening round.

Except for a few chasers, Scheffler made it look like it wasn’t enough.

He was at 10-under 132 as he chases the third leg of the career Grand Slam, having won the PGA Championship by five shots in May.

Brian Harman got the best of the weather — surprising sunshine — and took dead aim in his hunt for another claret jug. Harman played bogey-free for a 64 that left him only two shots behind, along with Li Haotong of China, who had a 67.

Everyone else was five shots behind or more.

That includes Rory McIlroy, who went around Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland with plenty of cheers but only a few roars. McIlroy had a 69 but lost a lot of ground because of Scheffler, Fitzpatrick and Harman.

He started the second round just three shots behind. He goes into the weekend seven shots behind the top-ranked player in the world.

Fitzpatrick was at his lowest point just four months ago when he changed his caddie and coach and began pulling himself up. And now he takes that into the weekend against Scheffler.

“He’s going to have the expectation to go out and dominate. He’s an exceptional player. He’s world No. 1, and we’re seeing Tiger-like stuff,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think the pressure is for him to win the golf tournament. For me, obviously I hope I’m going to have some more home support than him, but it’s an exciting position for me to be in given where I was earlier this year.”

Fitzpatrick was rolling along until a pair of short putts he missed, from five feet for par on the 14th and from three feet for birdie on the 17th. Even so, he holed a 25-foot par putt on the final hole and assured him being in the last group at nine-under 133.

Scheffler was sharp from the start. He hit eight of the 14 fairways — compared with three in the opening round — though his misses never left him too badly out of position. But he is seeing the breaks on smoother Portrush greens, and he looks confident as ever.

None of his eight birdies were closer than seven feet. Five of them were in the 10-foot range and then he threw in a 35-foot birdie on the sixth. His lone bogey came on a drive into deep grass on the 11th that kept him from reaching the green.

The statistics led to a shrug.

“Overall, I’m hitting the ball solid,” Scheffler said. “The tournament is only halfway done. I got off to a good start.”

Harman was called the “Butcher of Hoylake” when he won the claret jug at Royal Liverpool two years ago because the British media were fascinated by the Georgia native’s love for hunting. Now it’s about his golf, and it was superb.

Harman played bogey-free, only once having to stress for par as Royal Portrush allowed for some good scoring in weather that again did not live up to its expectation.

Not that anyone was complaining. Temperatures were warm, at least by Irish standards. The breeze was noticeable without being overly punishing.

“They’re very different golf courses, but the golf is similar,” Harman said. “You’ve got to be able to flight your golf ball. You’ve got to know how far everything’s going. Then you can’t get frustrated. You’re going to end up in funny spots where it doesn’t seem fair, and you just have to kind of outlast that stuff.”

The group at five-under 137 included Harris English (70), Harman’s former teammate at Georgia; Tyrrell Hatton of England (69) and Chris Gotterup (65), who wasn’t even planning to be at Royal Portrush until winning the Scottish Open last week.

Also still around is Bryson DeChambeau, who made a 13-shot improvement from the first round with a 65. Still, he was 11 shots behind.

McIlroy wasn’t at his best in the opening round and was pleased to be only three behind. Now he has a real mountain to climb. But at least he’s still playing, unlike in 2019 at Royal Portrush when he shot 79 and then had a terrific rally only to miss the cut by one shot.

“I didn’t have this opportunity six years ago, so to play an extra two days in this atmosphere in front of these crowds, I’m very excited for that,” McIlroy said. “I feel like my game’s definitely good enough to make a run.”

That was before Scheffler began to run away from so many except a small collection of challengers. But this is links golf. And this is the Emerald Isle, where the weather seems to have a mind of its own.

Still, Scheffler has gone 10 tournaments without finishing out of the top 10 and would appear to present a challenge every bit as daunting as Royal Portrush.

Ferguson writes for the Associated Press.

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — The British Open had a little bit of everything Thursday, from sunshine to rain, a breeze to strong gusts. And no surprise, it had Scottie Scheffler never too far from the lead.

Former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick handled the notorious “Calamity Corner” par-three 16th by chipping in for birdie and was among three players from the morning wave who posted a hard-earned four-under 67 at Royal Portrush.

Rory McIlroy played in the afternoon — he made bogey on the opening hole before a massive gallery, but that was still three shots better than his start in 2019 — and was among several players making a move on a day that felt like a slog with how long it was taking to play.

In the midst of all this was Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player who has not finished out of the top 10 in the last four months, a stretch that includes another major among three wins.

American Harris English putts on the 12th green during the first round of the British Open at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland on Thursday.

(Jon Super / Associated Press)

He was satisfied with the day’s work of 68, even while hitting only three of 14 fairways. That statistic stood out to seemingly everyone but Scheffler.

“You’re the second guy that’s mentioned that to me,” Scheffler said. “I actually thought I drove it pretty good. I don’t know what you guys are seeing. When it’s raining sideways, believe it or not [it’s] not that easy to get the ball in the fairway.

“Really only had one swing I wasn’t too happy with on the second hole,” he said. “But outside that, I felt like I hit a lot of good tee shots, hit the ball really solid, so definitely a good bit of confidence for the next couple of rounds.”

There also was a four-iron to three feet on the 16th for birdie, the start of birdie-birdie-par finish.

But no one could go extremely low. Jacob Skov Olesen, the British Amateur champion last year from Denmark, was the first player to get to five under until a bogey at the last. He was joined at 67 by Li Haotong of China, and then Fitzpatrick joined the group with his marvelous chip-in.

Fitzpatrick reached a low point in his game at The Players Championship and appears to be back on track, particularly with what he called a well-rounded game in tough conditions on these links. He is coming off a tie for fourth last week in the Scottish Open.

The chip-in was his highlight, from well below the green to the right, into the cup on the fly.

“A bit of luck, obviously,” Fitzpatrick said. “Sometimes you need that. It just came out a little bit harder than I anticipated and on the perfect line.”

Li might have had the most impressive round, keeping bogeys off his card, by holing a 10-foot par putt on the final hole.

For everyone, the hardest part was staying dressed for the occasion. There were sweaters and then rain suits, and some finished their round in short-sleeved shirts. This is what is meant by “mixed” conditions in the forecast.

Defending champion Xander Schauffele had a mixture of birdies and bogeys that added to an even-par 71. Shane Lowry, the last Open champion at Royal Portrush in 2019, had the nerves of someone hitting the opening tee shot. He handled that beautifully, along with most other shots in the worst of the weather in his round of 70.

And this might just be the start.

“We’re going to get challenging conditions over the next few days,” Lowry said. “Today, for example, the 11th hole was like the worst hole to get the weather we got in. … I think there’s going to be certain times in the tournament where that’s going to happen, and you just need to kind of put your head down and battle through it and see where it leaves you.”

Padraig Harrington, a two-time Open champion, had the honor of the opening tee shot for the 153rd edition of this championship. He made birdie. And then he shot 74.

There was decent scoring. With about three hours left in the opening round, nearly a dozen players were around three under par as they headed to the back nine.

But there was trouble brought mainly by the fickle weather. Nico Echavarria found that out on the eighth hole, which during practice he felt was a breeze.

Then came the wind that blew the rain sideways, and no choice but to hit driver to clear thick native grass and reach the fairway.

“It was a super simple hole the practice round,” he said, “and today it felt like it was one of the hardest holes in the world.”

Ferguson writes for the Associated Press.