Scottie Scheffler enhanced his standing within golf’s history as the world No.1 blew away his rivals at Royal Portrush to win The Open Championship by four shots.
Such a commanding margin has been a feature of Scheffler’s four major triumphs to date, and his impressive numbers are beginning to stack up against the sport’s greatest names.
Scheffler’s win comes after his eyebrow raising comments about “what’s the point?” of it all in his pre-tournament press conference and he offered further insight into his psyche.
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Rory McIlroy enjoyed a positive week in his home nation of Northern Ireland despite falling short of seriously challenging for a second Claret Jug, while Marc Leishman missed a chance to secure his immediate major future on what was a very disappointing week for the Australian contingent.
Wyndham Clark also broke his silence on his locker room tantrum that inflicted serious damage at the US Open.
Here are the biggest talking points from the final round of the 153rd Open.
FINAL ROUND WRAP: Scheffler ascends to golf’s ‘throne of dominance’ as world No.1 romps to Open victory
LEADERBOARD: Follow the action at the Open
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 20: Scottie Scheffler of the United States poses with the Claret Jug on the 18th green after winning The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
SCHEFFLER’S ASCENT TO ‘THRONE OF DOMINANCE’
Xander Schauffele, who did the PGA Championship-Open Championship double last year, summed up the general mood at Royal Portrush when he said that Scottie Scheffler’s incredible run caught everyone off guard.
There was no surprise about him cruising to victory given Scheffler held a four-shot lead after 54 holes, and he has now won ten times in a row when holding the solo lead with a round to play.
But when you step back, and look at Scheffler’s career more broadly, it is incredible to think that a player who did not win a PGA Tour event until his 71st start would be spoken of in the same breathe as the greatest names the sport has ever produced.
Since that breakthrough triumph at the 2022 Phoenix Open, the now 29-year-old has won 19 more times, including four majors and an Olympic gold medal.
He is just the sixth American to win four majors before the age of 30 and he has also had a stranglehold on the world No.1 ranking.
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 20: Scottie Scheffler of the United States celebrates victory on the 18th green after winning The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
If he wins the US Open on his 30th birthday and American Father’s Day next year, Scheffler will also become just the seventh male to complete the career grand slam.
“I don’t think we thought the golfing world would see someone as dominant as Tiger come through so soon, and here’s Scottie sort of taking that throne of dominance,” Schauffele said.
With four major titles and several of his rivals boasting between three and five major triumphs, it may appear that Scheffler is part of a strong group of modern greats vying for supremacy.
Former PGA Tour professional turned analyst Brandel Chamblee believes that Scheffler is far and away ahead of his colleagues, and is on course to stand in the upper echelon of the sport’s illustrious history.
“It’s different than Rory McIlroy. It’s different than Brooks Koepka. It’s different than Jordan Spieth,” Chamblee said.
“I can’t help but think that we are on an inevitable march towards one of the greatest careers in the history of golf.”
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 20: Scottie Scheffler of the United States celebrates victory on the 18th green after winning The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
In strokes gained ball-striking this year, Scheffler is more than twice is good as the other players ranked in the top five in the world.
The American’s Achilles heel had often been his putting, but Scheffler gained more strokes than anyone else in the field this week on the greens.
There was no obvious weakness on the Northern Irish links, and one of the standout features was his mental strength.
Scheffler did not make a bogey across the weekend.
His only hiccup came in the form of a double bogey at the eighth hole in the final round when he left a shot in a fairway bunker.
But he made birdie the very next hole, and it was emblematic of what he has done all year.
Scottie Scheffler of the United States kisses the Claret Jug trophy as he poses for photographers after winning the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)Source: AP
In 2025, Scheffler has made a birdie immediately after dropping a shot 34.8 per cent of the time.
No one ranks better.
“He goes to another level, and he does it so often,” former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley said.
“We talk about his stats and how great he is in every category, and how much his putting has improved.
“But the secret sauce for Scottie Scheffler is between the ears.
“That’s where he’s at the best. I’ve never seen a competitor anywhere near as close to Tiger Woods as this guy.
“That’s how the bar is and over time, he might even prove to be a better one.
“He might even prove to have more longevity than Tiger Woods did at the top.
“Because in this moment of time, it is hard to see him getting derailed.
US golfer Scottie Scheffler celebrates with his son Bennett on the 18th green after his victory in the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush golf club.Source: AFP
“He’s so stable off the course as much as he’s stable on the golf course.
“He’s got that fine balance, as he talked about in the press conference earlier in the week, between golf being really important and loving it, and loving to compete, but also that it’s not the most important thing in his life.
“That is the sweet spot there to be not so obsessed with something that it’s also still fun, and you can leave it behind if it’s not a good day.
“I really do think that this guy is going to be around for a long, long time.”
Scheffler on ‘silly’ Tiger comparisons | 06:16
‘THEY’RE A BIT SILLY’: SCOTTIE PLAYS DOWN TIGER COMPARISONS
McGinley is not the only one drawing lines between Scheffler’s feats and those of Woods.
The slightly eerie statistic to emerge during the final round was that there were 1,197 days between Woods’ first major win at the 1997 Masters and his fourth major victory at the 2000 Open, and there were also 1,197 days between Scheffler’s first major win at the 2022 Masters and his fourth major victory.
There are many more statistics that give a greater indication of Scheffler’s brilliance, however.
Since world rankings began in 1986, he and Woods (2000, 2005 and 2006) are the only winners of the Claret Jug while they were world No.1.
Scheffler’s statistical connections are not just with Woods, however.
He stands alongside legends of past generations to have dominated their rivals.
Scheffler is the third player after Ben Hogan in 1953 (Masters, US Open and The Open) and Woods in 2000 (US Open and The Open) to win multiple majors by four or more shots in the same year.
He has won all four of his major crowns by three shots or more, in the last 100 years only Woods (seven) and Jack Nicklaus (six) have more major victories by such a margin.
Hogan, Nicklaus and Woods are the only other players to have won three or more different majors by four or more shots.
Those numbers are simply mind-blowing, but Scheffler himself is not entertaining the comparisons, especially to Woods.
“I still think they’re a bit silly. Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there,” he said.
“I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf.
“He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf.
“I don’t focus on that kind of stuff. That’s not what motivates me. I’m not motivated by winning championships. I don’t look at the beginning of the year and just say, hey, I want to win X amount of tournaments, I want to win whatever it is. I don’t do that.
“I have dreams and aspirations that I think about, but at the end of the day, when I wake up to practise, I feel like what motivates me is just getting out and getting to live out my dream.”
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 20: Scottie Scheffler of the United States celebrates with his son Bennett Scheffler and the Claret Jug on the 18th green.Source: Getty Images
‘WHAT’S THE POINT?’: SCOTTIE’S REFLECTIONS ON PURPOSE
Scheffler’s comments about not being motivated by chasing legacy or winning a certain number of trophies echoed his “what’s the point?” monologue before play began at Royal Portrush.
His five-minute answer where he talked about golf being third on his list of priorities behind his Christian faith and his family was widely regarded as one of the best and insightful press conference moments in golf in a long time.
But it was also a head-turner for many, as it may have been perceived as if Scheffler was flippant towards how he fared in the week ahead.
It can be easy to query ‘what’s the point’ of professional golf when you are sitting pretty with more than US$90 million (A$137.7m) in career earnings from tournament prize money alone, while others grind away week-after-week to get by.
With the comfortable life that comes with having that much money in the back, such comments can also come across as disrespectful to the history of the game and the legacies of those that have come before.
There is no doubt some fans perceived his ‘what’s the point’ remarks as degrading the esteemed traditions and importance of a major championship.
But Scheffler wanted to clarify that those negative perceptions were not his intention at all, despite it being obvious that he was eager to wrap up his media commitments as quickly as possible to get back to his family.
“My faith and my family is what’s most important to me. I try to live as normal of a life as possible because I feel like a normal guy,” Scheffler said.
“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.”
Jordan Spieth agreed that Scheffler shies away from the limelight, and shared insight into on how Scheffler is perceived by his peers.
“He doesn’t care to be a superstar,” Spieth said.
“He’s not transcending the game like Tiger did. He’s not bringing it to a non-golf audience necessarily. He doesn’t want to go do the stuff that a lot of us go do, corporately, anything like that.
“He just wants to get away from the game and separate the two because I know that he — at one time, he felt it was too much, that he was taking it with him, and whenever he made that switch, I don’t know what it was, but he has hobbies. He’s always with his family. They’re always doing stuff.”
Continuing to speak about his motivations, Scheffler once again took the long form approach with his answer.
“Yeah, I think we live now in a day and age where clickbait is kind of what people look for. You can shorten a five-minute clip into three words. I think it really underestimates what I was trying to communicate. Maybe I didn’t do as effective of a job as I hoped to in communicating that,” he said.
“At the end of the day, I have a tremendous amount of gratitude towards moment like these. I literally worked my entire life to become good at this game and play this game for a living. It’s one of my greatest joys of my life to compete out here. To be able to win The Open Championship here at Portrush is a feeling that’s really hard to describe.
“I’m very fortunate to be able to come out here and live out my dreams. I just grew up a kid in Texas that wanted to play professional golf. I grew up wearing pants to the golf course because that’s what I wanted to do. I saw professional golfers like Justin Leonard, Harrison Frazar, those types of guys on TV wearing pants, and I was like, I want to be like those guys. So I used to wear pants to grow up to play golf. It would be 100 degrees out. I’d be way too hot. People would make fun of me. But that’s what I wanted to do; I wanted to be a professional golfer, so I wore pants.
“I don’t know why I’m so lucky that I get to live out my dreams, but it’s something I’m very grateful for. If somebody was going to listen to the comments I had this week, I would encourage them to listen to all of it, and I hope I did a good job communicating that, yeah, this is amazing to win the Open Championship, but at the end of the day, having success in life, whether it be in golf, work, whatever it is, that’s not what fulfils the deepest desires of your heart.
“Am I grateful for it? Do I enjoy it? Oh, my gosh, yes, this is a cool feeling. I can’t wait to get home and celebrate this championship with the people that have helped me along the way. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t fulfil the deepest desires of my heart.
“It’s just tough to describe when you haven’t lived it. It’s something I actually talked to Shane (Lowry) about this week was just because you win a golf tournament or accomplish something, it doesn’t make you happy.
“It doesn’t — maybe for a few moments, maybe for a few days, but at the end of the day, there’s more to life than playing golf. I’m pretty excited to go home and celebrate this one.”
Scheffler set the record straight.Source: AFP
RORY HOPES FOR PORTRUSH RETURN
Scheffler played party pooper in the end as the locals at Royal Portrush were desperate for Rory McIlroy to win on home soil.
It was not to be for the Northern Irishman, finishing seven shots behind Scheffler in a share of seventh place.
His performance was a big improvement on 2019, the last and only other time he has had the chance to play The Open in his home country, when he missed the cut after hitting his opening tee shot out of bounds on his way to making a quadruple bogey to start the tournament.
There were high hopes that the Masters and career grand slam winner could cap off an unforgettable year with a second Claret Jug.
His results leading in were trending the right direction after a post-Augusta slump, and massive crowd support was set to be a boost.
It was in the end, as the huge roar when he holed a monster eagle putt during the third round created arguably the best moment of the tournament.
“Must be 50 feet!” Insane Rory putt | 01:51
But the reality is also that a chance to achieve the incredible, at a place where as a 16-year-old prodigy McIlroy set a course record that will never be broken due to the redesign, slipped through his fingers and it is a mystery if he will get another legitimate shot at success at home.
“I tried as best as I could to keep my emotions in check, especially walking up the last there and that reception,” McIlroy said.
“Yeah, look, it’s been an awesome week. 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.
“It’s been an amazing week, just the — I feel so thankful and just so lucky that I get to do this, I get to do this in front of this crowd.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy wave to fans as he walks up the 18th fairway on day four of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush golf club in Northern Ireland on July 20, 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USESource: AFP
“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.
“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.”
McIlroy is undoubtedly a fraction a biased, but the golf course has undeniably been a big winner this week, and he is adamant that Royal Portrush should be given more opportunities to shine.
When that will be is uncertain as beyond a return to St Andrews in 2027, the future Open venues are yet to be confirmed.
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 20: General view of the 18th green as Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his third shot during day four of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“Honestly, I think Portrush has quickly turned into one of the best two or three venues that The Open goes to,” McIlroy said.
“Talk to every player this week, and they won’t say one single bad thing about the golf course.
“Then I just think the way it sets up, from a logistical standpoint, I think the R&A have worked so well with the local government to make sure everything runs smoothly.
“Yeah, I hope so. It’s only been six years since 2019. I’m not sure Portrush is going to have The Open every six years, that would be nice, but I would obviously love it to keep coming back.”
“Never seen anything like that!” | 00:46
LEISH MISSES CHANCE TO LOCK IN MAJOR FUTURE
Australia’s Marc Leishman will have to do things the hard way to feature in the major championships next year.
The 41-year-old started the final round determined to push for a top ten finish to book his place in The Open field at Royal Birkdale in 12 months time, but things did not go to plan with a disappointing 75.
Leishman sat on the couch for ten consecutive majors after joining LIV Golf in 2022, but returned to the showpiece events after coming through qualifying at last month’s US Open and earning his place at Royal Portrush with a top three finish at last year’s Australian Open.
A strong showing at Royal Melbourne in December awaits as his next best opportunity to return to the British Links, but otherwise as it stands, he will have to play qualifying events next years.
The Masters is a relatively closed shop with LIV golfers struggling to gain access unless they have won a green jacket, hold a five-year exemption to all the majors following a major victory like Cameron Smith, or receive a special invite from Augusta National like Joaquin Niemann.
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 20: Marc Leishman of Australia tees off on the sixth hole during day four of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The PGA Championship is becoming more accommodating of LIV golfers, but while the door is still ajar, Leishman’s major future remains uncertain.
Although, he is not stressing about it, and is accepting that he was well aware that his world ranking would take a beating and make getting into the majors more difficult by joining LIV.
“Yeah, happy to be back. Obviously if everything works out and we can get in them, I’d love to play them,” Leishman said of the majors.
“If not, I’m not going to stress over it or anything. Yes, I really want to be here, but happy with my decisions.”
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 15: Marc Leishman of Australia tees off on the first hole during a practice round prior to The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 15, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
As for his game on the course, Leishman was disappointed with his final round but believes the positive signs are there.
“I didn’t start very well any round. Like today I had to get off to a good start and didn’t, and sort of everything seemed a little bit out of reach and just struggled after that,” he said.
“My ball striking was decent. I missed a few drives right. I’ve had a few driver issues this year just with them breaking. Not me breaking them, but them breaking. I had one break on the way over here, and I finally found one which is good. I’ll take that as a positive this week. I found a driver that I love, just couldn’t string enough good holes together, I guess.
“It seemed like every time I’d have a birdie today, I’d follow it up with a bogey or worse. So yeah, disappointing day, but take the good with the bad. Onwards and upwards from here.”
Scottie Scheffler enhanced his standing within golf’s history as the world No.1 blew away his rivals at Royal Portrush to win The Open Championship by four shots.
Such a commanding margin has been a feature of Scheffler’s four major triumphs to date, and his impressive numbers are beginning to stack up against the sport’s greatest names.
Scheffler’s win comes after his eyebrow raising comments about “what’s the point?” of it all in his pre-tournament press conference and he offered further insight into his psyche.
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Rory McIlroy enjoyed a positive week in his home nation of Northern Ireland despite falling short of seriously challenging for a second Claret Jug, while Marc Leishman missed a chance to secure his immediate major future on what was a very disappointing week for the Australian contingent.
Wyndham Clark also broke his silence on his locker room tantrum that inflicted serious damage at the US Open.
Here are the biggest talking points from the final round of the 153rd Open.
FINAL ROUND WRAP: Scheffler ascends to golf’s ‘throne of dominance’ as world No.1 romps to Open victory
LEADERBOARD: Follow the action at the Open
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 20: Scottie Scheffler of the United States poses with the Claret Jug on the 18th green after winning The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
SCHEFFLER’S ASCENT TO ‘THRONE OF DOMINANCE’
Xander Schauffele, who did the PGA Championship-Open Championship double last year, summed up the general mood at Royal Portrush when he said that Scottie Scheffler’s incredible run caught everyone off guard.
There was no surprise about him cruising to victory given Scheffler held a four-shot lead after 54 holes, and he has now won ten times in a row when holding the solo lead with a round to play.
But when you step back, and look at Scheffler’s career more broadly, it is incredible to think that a player who did not win a PGA Tour event until his 71st start would be spoken of in the same breathe as the greatest names the sport has ever produced.
Since that breakthrough triumph at the 2022 Phoenix Open, the now 29-year-old has won 19 more times, including four majors and an Olympic gold medal.
He is just the sixth American to win four majors before the age of 30 and he has also had a stranglehold on the world No.1 ranking.
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 20: Scottie Scheffler of the United States celebrates victory on the 18th green after winning The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
If he wins the US Open on his 30th birthday and American Father’s Day next year, Scheffler will also become just the seventh male to complete the career grand slam.
“I don’t think we thought the golfing world would see someone as dominant as Tiger come through so soon, and here’s Scottie sort of taking that throne of dominance,” Schauffele said.
With four major titles and several of his rivals boasting between three and five major triumphs, it may appear that Scheffler is part of a strong group of modern greats vying for supremacy.
Former PGA Tour professional turned analyst Brandel Chamblee believes that Scheffler is far and away ahead of his colleagues, and is on course to stand in the upper echelon of the sport’s illustrious history.
“It’s different than Rory McIlroy. It’s different than Brooks Koepka. It’s different than Jordan Spieth,” Chamblee said.
“I can’t help but think that we are on an inevitable march towards one of the greatest careers in the history of golf.”
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 20: Scottie Scheffler of the United States celebrates victory on the 18th green after winning The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
In strokes gained ball-striking this year, Scheffler is more than twice is good as the other players ranked in the top five in the world.
The American’s Achilles heel had often been his putting, but Scheffler gained more strokes than anyone else in the field this week on the greens.
There was no obvious weakness on the Northern Irish links, and one of the standout features was his mental strength.
Scheffler did not make a bogey across the weekend.
His only hiccup came in the form of a double bogey at the eighth hole in the final round when he left a shot in a fairway bunker.
But he made birdie the very next hole, and it was emblematic of what he has done all year.
Scottie Scheffler of the United States kisses the Claret Jug trophy as he poses for photographers after winning the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)Source: AP
In 2025, Scheffler has made a birdie immediately after dropping a shot 34.8 per cent of the time.
No one ranks better.
“He goes to another level, and he does it so often,” former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley said.
“We talk about his stats and how great he is in every category, and how much his putting has improved.
“But the secret sauce for Scottie Scheffler is between the ears.
“That’s where he’s at the best. I’ve never seen a competitor anywhere near as close to Tiger Woods as this guy.
“That’s how the bar is and over time, he might even prove to be a better one.
“He might even prove to have more longevity than Tiger Woods did at the top.
“Because in this moment of time, it is hard to see him getting derailed.
US golfer Scottie Scheffler celebrates with his son Bennett on the 18th green after his victory in the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush golf club.Source: AFP
“He’s so stable off the course as much as he’s stable on the golf course.
“He’s got that fine balance, as he talked about in the press conference earlier in the week, between golf being really important and loving it, and loving to compete, but also that it’s not the most important thing in his life.
“That is the sweet spot there to be not so obsessed with something that it’s also still fun, and you can leave it behind if it’s not a good day.
“I really do think that this guy is going to be around for a long, long time.”
Scheffler on ‘silly’ Tiger comparisons | 06:16
‘THEY’RE A BIT SILLY’: SCOTTIE PLAYS DOWN TIGER COMPARISONS
McGinley is not the only one drawing lines between Scheffler’s feats and those of Woods.
The slightly eerie statistic to emerge during the final round was that there were 1,197 days between Woods’ first major win at the 1997 Masters and his fourth major victory at the 2000 Open, and there were also 1,197 days between Scheffler’s first major win at the 2022 Masters and his fourth major victory.
There are many more statistics that give a greater indication of Scheffler’s brilliance, however.
Since world rankings began in 1986, he and Woods (2000, 2005 and 2006) are the only winners of the Claret Jug while they were world No.1.
Scheffler’s statistical connections are not just with Woods, however.
He stands alongside legends of past generations to have dominated their rivals.
Scheffler is the third player after Ben Hogan in 1953 (Masters, US Open and The Open) and Woods in 2000 (US Open and The Open) to win multiple majors by four or more shots in the same year.
He has won all four of his major crowns by three shots or more, in the last 100 years only Woods (seven) and Jack Nicklaus (six) have more major victories by such a margin.
Hogan, Nicklaus and Woods are the only other players to have won three or more different majors by four or more shots.
Those numbers are simply mind-blowing, but Scheffler himself is not entertaining the comparisons, especially to Woods.
“I still think they’re a bit silly. Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there,” he said.
“I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf.
“He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf.
“I don’t focus on that kind of stuff. That’s not what motivates me. I’m not motivated by winning championships. I don’t look at the beginning of the year and just say, hey, I want to win X amount of tournaments, I want to win whatever it is. I don’t do that.
“I have dreams and aspirations that I think about, but at the end of the day, when I wake up to practise, I feel like what motivates me is just getting out and getting to live out my dream.”
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 20: Scottie Scheffler of the United States celebrates with his son Bennett Scheffler and the Claret Jug on the 18th green.Source: Getty Images
‘WHAT’S THE POINT?’: SCOTTIE’S REFLECTIONS ON PURPOSE
Scheffler’s comments about not being motivated by chasing legacy or winning a certain number of trophies echoed his “what’s the point?” monologue before play began at Royal Portrush.
His five-minute answer where he talked about golf being third on his list of priorities behind his Christian faith and his family was widely regarded as one of the best and insightful press conference moments in golf in a long time.
But it was also a head-turner for many, as it may have been perceived as if Scheffler was flippant towards how he fared in the week ahead.
It can be easy to query ‘what’s the point’ of professional golf when you are sitting pretty with more than US$90 million (A$137.7m) in career earnings from tournament prize money alone, while others grind away week-after-week to get by.
With the comfortable life that comes with having that much money in the back, such comments can also come across as disrespectful to the history of the game and the legacies of those that have come before.
There is no doubt some fans perceived his ‘what’s the point’ remarks as degrading the esteemed traditions and importance of a major championship.
But Scheffler wanted to clarify that those negative perceptions were not his intention at all, despite it being obvious that he was eager to wrap up his media commitments as quickly as possible to get back to his family.
“My faith and my family is what’s most important to me. I try to live as normal of a life as possible because I feel like a normal guy,” Scheffler said.
“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.”
Jordan Spieth agreed that Scheffler shies away from the limelight, and shared insight into on how Scheffler is perceived by his peers.
“He doesn’t care to be a superstar,” Spieth said.
“He’s not transcending the game like Tiger did. He’s not bringing it to a non-golf audience necessarily. He doesn’t want to go do the stuff that a lot of us go do, corporately, anything like that.
“He just wants to get away from the game and separate the two because I know that he — at one time, he felt it was too much, that he was taking it with him, and whenever he made that switch, I don’t know what it was, but he has hobbies. He’s always with his family. They’re always doing stuff.”
Continuing to speak about his motivations, Scheffler once again took the long form approach with his answer.
“Yeah, I think we live now in a day and age where clickbait is kind of what people look for. You can shorten a five-minute clip into three words. I think it really underestimates what I was trying to communicate. Maybe I didn’t do as effective of a job as I hoped to in communicating that,” he said.
“At the end of the day, I have a tremendous amount of gratitude towards moment like these. I literally worked my entire life to become good at this game and play this game for a living. It’s one of my greatest joys of my life to compete out here. To be able to win The Open Championship here at Portrush is a feeling that’s really hard to describe.
“I’m very fortunate to be able to come out here and live out my dreams. I just grew up a kid in Texas that wanted to play professional golf. I grew up wearing pants to the golf course because that’s what I wanted to do. I saw professional golfers like Justin Leonard, Harrison Frazar, those types of guys on TV wearing pants, and I was like, I want to be like those guys. So I used to wear pants to grow up to play golf. It would be 100 degrees out. I’d be way too hot. People would make fun of me. But that’s what I wanted to do; I wanted to be a professional golfer, so I wore pants.
“I don’t know why I’m so lucky that I get to live out my dreams, but it’s something I’m very grateful for. If somebody was going to listen to the comments I had this week, I would encourage them to listen to all of it, and I hope I did a good job communicating that, yeah, this is amazing to win the Open Championship, but at the end of the day, having success in life, whether it be in golf, work, whatever it is, that’s not what fulfils the deepest desires of your heart.
“Am I grateful for it? Do I enjoy it? Oh, my gosh, yes, this is a cool feeling. I can’t wait to get home and celebrate this championship with the people that have helped me along the way. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t fulfil the deepest desires of my heart.
“It’s just tough to describe when you haven’t lived it. It’s something I actually talked to Shane (Lowry) about this week was just because you win a golf tournament or accomplish something, it doesn’t make you happy.
“It doesn’t — maybe for a few moments, maybe for a few days, but at the end of the day, there’s more to life than playing golf. I’m pretty excited to go home and celebrate this one.”
Scheffler set the record straight.Source: AFP
RORY HOPES FOR PORTRUSH RETURN
Scheffler played party pooper in the end as the locals at Royal Portrush were desperate for Rory McIlroy to win on home soil.
It was not to be for the Northern Irishman, finishing seven shots behind Scheffler in a share of seventh place.
His performance was a big improvement on 2019, the last and only other time he has had the chance to play The Open in his home country, when he missed the cut after hitting his opening tee shot out of bounds on his way to making a quadruple bogey to start the tournament.
There were high hopes that the Masters and career grand slam winner could cap off an unforgettable year with a second Claret Jug.
His results leading in were trending the right direction after a post-Augusta slump, and massive crowd support was set to be a boost.
It was in the end, as the huge roar when he holed a monster eagle putt during the third round created arguably the best moment of the tournament.
“Must be 50 feet!” Insane Rory putt | 01:51
But the reality is also that a chance to achieve the incredible, at a place where as a 16-year-old prodigy McIlroy set a course record that will never be broken due to the redesign, slipped through his fingers and it is a mystery if he will get another legitimate shot at success at home.
“I tried as best as I could to keep my emotions in check, especially walking up the last there and that reception,” McIlroy said.
“Yeah, look, it’s been an awesome week. 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.
“It’s been an amazing week, just the — I feel so thankful and just so lucky that I get to do this, I get to do this in front of this crowd.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy wave to fans as he walks up the 18th fairway on day four of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush golf club in Northern Ireland on July 20, 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USESource: AFP
“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.
“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.”
McIlroy is undoubtedly a fraction a biased, but the golf course has undeniably been a big winner this week, and he is adamant that Royal Portrush should be given more opportunities to shine.
When that will be is uncertain as beyond a return to St Andrews in 2027, the future Open venues are yet to be confirmed.
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 20: General view of the 18th green as Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his third shot during day four of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“Honestly, I think Portrush has quickly turned into one of the best two or three venues that The Open goes to,” McIlroy said.
“Talk to every player this week, and they won’t say one single bad thing about the golf course.
“Then I just think the way it sets up, from a logistical standpoint, I think the R&A have worked so well with the local government to make sure everything runs smoothly.
“Yeah, I hope so. It’s only been six years since 2019. I’m not sure Portrush is going to have The Open every six years, that would be nice, but I would obviously love it to keep coming back.”
“Never seen anything like that!” | 00:46
LEISH MISSES CHANCE TO LOCK IN MAJOR FUTURE
Australia’s Marc Leishman will have to do things the hard way to feature in the major championships next year.
The 41-year-old started the final round determined to push for a top ten finish to book his place in The Open field at Royal Birkdale in 12 months time, but things did not go to plan with a disappointing 75.
Leishman sat on the couch for ten consecutive majors after joining LIV Golf in 2022, but returned to the showpiece events after coming through qualifying at last month’s US Open and earning his place at Royal Portrush with a top three finish at last year’s Australian Open.
A strong showing at Royal Melbourne in December awaits as his next best opportunity to return to the British Links, but otherwise as it stands, he will have to play qualifying events next years.
The Masters is a relatively closed shop with LIV golfers struggling to gain access unless they have won a green jacket, hold a five-year exemption to all the majors following a major victory like Cameron Smith, or receive a special invite from Augusta National like Joaquin Niemann.
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 20: Marc Leishman of Australia tees off on the sixth hole during day four of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The PGA Championship is becoming more accommodating of LIV golfers, but while the door is still ajar, Leishman’s major future remains uncertain.
Although, he is not stressing about it, and is accepting that he was well aware that his world ranking would take a beating and make getting into the majors more difficult by joining LIV.
“Yeah, happy to be back. Obviously if everything works out and we can get in them, I’d love to play them,” Leishman said of the majors.
“If not, I’m not going to stress over it or anything. Yes, I really want to be here, but happy with my decisions.”
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND – JULY 15: Marc Leishman of Australia tees off on the first hole during a practice round prior to The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 15, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
As for his game on the course, Leishman was disappointed with his final round but believes the positive signs are there.
“I didn’t start very well any round. Like today I had to get off to a good start and didn’t, and sort of everything seemed a little bit out of reach and just struggled after that,” he said.
“My ball striking was decent. I missed a few drives right. I’ve had a few driver issues this year just with them breaking. Not me breaking them, but them breaking. I had one break on the way over here, and I finally found one which is good. I’ll take that as a positive this week. I found a driver that I love, just couldn’t string enough good holes together, I guess.
“It seemed like every time I’d have a birdie today, I’d follow it up with a bogey or worse. So yeah, disappointing day, but take the good with the bad. Onwards and upwards from here.”
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