World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler justified his ranking by winning the 153rd Open Championship.
Scheffler, 29, captured the sport’s oldest tournament and his fourth career major at Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush on Sunday. His final round of 3-under-par 68 secured a 17-under total and a four-shot margin over Harris English. Chris Gotterup finished another shot back alone in third at 12-under.
“It’s taken a lot of work — not only a lot of work, but it takes a lot of patience. It’s a high level of focus over 72 holes of a tournament. This was, I felt like, one of my best performances mentally,” Scheffler said.
He became just the fourth player in history to shoot 68 or better in all four rounds of the Open Championship, joining Collin Morikawa (2021), Henrik Stenson (2016), and Jesper Parnevik (1994).
“Being able to walk up 18 with the tournament in hand is a really tough thing to describe. It’s a really cool feeling,” Scheffler said. “I have a lot of gratitude towards being able to accomplish something like this.”
He’s only the third golfer to win multiple majors by four or more shots in the same year, joining Ben Hogan (1953 Masters, U.S. Open, The Open) and Tiger Woods (2000 U.S. Open, The Open).
After May’s PGA Championship victory by five strokes, the two-time Masters champion is just a U.S. Open victory away from joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy in completing a career grand slam.
This year’s Masters Champion became the newest member of the grand slam club and finished seven shots back, tied for seventh, at 10 under par in his native country.
“He is the bar that we’re all trying to get to,” McIlroy said. “In a historical context, you could argue that there’s only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run the one that Scottie’s been on here for the last 24 to 36 months. Incredibly impressive.”
Since February 2022, Scheffler has racked up 17 PGA TOUR wins. Despite the home crowd’s support, McIlroy began the final day six shots back.
“I wish I had been closer to Scottie going into today and been able to make a real push,” added McIlroy. “But he’s been on a different level all week and he’s been on a different level for the last two years to the rest of us.”
Scheffler earned another 750 FedEx Cup points to pad his lead, as well as $3.1 million for the Open Championship and the coveted Claret Jug.
Gotterup celebrated his 26th birthday Sunday with a final round 67, capping off two incredible weeks.
After arriving at last week’s Genesis Scottish Open ranked 158th in the world, he held off McIlroy to win and leaves the Emerald Isle ranked No. 49, earning nearly $3 million in prize money in the two events.
“I expected to play well, but I don’t think I expected quite this well,” Gotterup said. “I don’t know what’s going on over here, but maybe my European blood in me has come to life.”
Meanwhile, English’s runner-up finish moved him up to sixth in the Ryder Cup standings.
Only two events remain until the playoffs: the 3M Championship near Minneapolis and the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, NC.