The Open: Rory McIlroy fights hard at Portrush as brilliant Scottie Scheffler storms clear

Irish Independent

19-07-2025

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Today at 06:30
It's a massive week in Royal Portrush as the 153rd Open Championship takes place.
We will bring you all the action from the course all week as Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry lead the Irish challenge.
3 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
Scheffler in the thick of it
He's drawn an ugly lie off the tee on the 14th down the left-hand side by the looks of things on the TV. How far he can advance it towards the green is another. This may be a hack out and rely on the short game job.
And it will be. He does extremely well to advance it to just shy of the green and an up-and-down is needed to save par.
4 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Right side of the green
Well, the wrong side to the pin. But it's in no danger, almost 50 feet out and you just never know! As Harry Diamond would say, 'he's Rory f**king McIlroy'.
Hole that for 65.
5 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
Wood you look at that
Lee Westwood breaks the 30-barrier for a nine-hole score as he lips out for birdie on 18 but still signs for an inward nine of 29 and a two-under 69 on Saturday to keep him relevant at -5. What a recovery from the Englishman.
8 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
Having Fitz
Matt Fitzpatrick is having a really torrid time of it now as, after failing to birdie 12, he compounds it with a bogey at the par-three 13th having missed the green long and has dropped back into a share of third at -9. Only six holes ago he'd just had his last birdie and was one off the lead.
9 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
He's ok off 18
Rory's tee shot heads towards the sand but is stopped by the semi rough. Well judged. Imagine what this 4,000 seater stand, and the thousands more down the fairway, will do if he gets this close. Boogaloo.
Adam McKendry
Hao about that
Oh Haotong, that's a costly error. The China star three-putts the par-three 13th from 45 feet and he drops out of a share of second and into third at -9...
... but then immediately jumps back up into a share of second with Fitzpatrick as he bounces back with a birdie at the 14th thanks to a brilliant approach to nine feet!
He is also, by the looks of this picture, a magician who can make putters float. If that was me then I would pack in the golf and make a killing in Vegas.
13 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Group-watch: Where will Rory be tomorrow?
He's currently in a tie for fifth and could do with a birdie on the last if he is going to get into the penultimate group tomorrow. Unfortunately those have been at an absolute premium today.
17 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Problem, what problem?
Rory lofts it skyward, pitches it beside the pin and it rolls on to just around 15 feet for birdie. The crowd are loving it. It's not quite Shane Saturday levels, but if this goes in it might get close.
Edit: Unfortunately it was always right and never quite right. Tap-in par. Sure look, five minutes ago we'd have taken it.
18 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
Missed chance for the last group
Two pars on the short par-five 12th for Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick as the former plays what, by his standards, is a poor approach with his third and simply two-putts, while the latter three-putts from the back of the green and looks sickened by it. He's stalled and can't get it back into gear.
Scheffler's lead is still three at -13 over the Englishman.
21 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
'It's the right play but it must be in trouble'
A member of the press comments as Rory hits driver, but hits it right. It's gone over 320 and not super off line but, again, all comes down to the lie.
Edit: It's not great, now. Similar to where Scheffler was, close to 18th tee, last night.
There's a blue barrier not too far away as well. To be continued. The difference to last night as well is that the pin is much tighter to the bunker Rory has to come over. Par would be just smashing, from here.
22 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
Back nine of the week?
Lee Westwood has quietly put together an unbelievable back-nine performance, picking up six birdies and two pars thru 17 to pull himself back into the mix (just) at -5. The only two holes he parred - the two par-threes!
27 minutes ago
RORY RORY RORY RORY
His chant goes up from all angles between the 16th green and 17th tee. Then presumably around a screen far away, some shot or other is replayed and the chant goes up from there. Everyone back here joins in for another rendition.
And then some guy chants 'United' afterwards. At least Rory wouldn't mind.
30 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
All-time club throw
It comes from Robert MacIntyre, who pushes his approach shot into the par-four 14th to the left which is an absolute no-go on that hole and proceeds to spike his club into the ground with such ferocity that it recoils and spins into the air and out of shot of the camera. Might be the best one I've ever seen.
You can't overly blame him, either, to be honest. He three-putted the par-five 12th for just a par and has now added a bogey on the 14th, so he drops back to -6 which is seven adrift.
32 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
Bunker bound for Scottie
He's in one of the fairway traps on the par-five 12th which means he won't be going for the green in two and will it mean he misses the opportunity to extend his lead on the easiest hole on the course?
Matt Fitzpatrick crushes one down the middle, so he will definitely be going for it in two.
36 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Phew. Survival.
Rory's ball is grand down there and it's actually a simple enough chip uphill. Tap in par and it's another eruption from the crowd.
That'll do just fine. One the third hardest hole today, he won't be losing a shot to the field with a par.
36 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
What a par save
Any time it looks like the door might open, Scottie Scheffler slams it shut in the most emphatic of fashions. The par putt, with a slight left-to-right break, never looks like going anywhere but straight in the middle of the hole and he saves the four to remain -13...
... and open up a three-shot lead as Matt Fitzpatrick bogeys the same hole after finding a poor lie off the tie to fall back into a share of second alongside Haotong Li at -10.
40 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
Scheffler in trouble
I'm not going to say big trouble just yet because I'm going off the TV footage but after hitting a pretty good drive on the par-four 11th, into the semi-rough down the right-hand side, he's hit an absolute shocker with his second and pulled it a mile left of the green and into the heavy stuff that Haotong Li got a fortunate bounce out of earlier.
It may be okay and the video I'm watching just makes it look worse, but this could be a moment that opens the door.
Edit: Until it's not. Incredible chip from the cabbage by the World No.1 and he'll have nine feet for par. It'll be a bogey at worst.
42 minutes ago
Gareth Hanna
Next up: Calamity
It's 239 yards today with a strong breeze off the left towards the garbage. Rory on the tee.
Not good. Rory's gone short right. The place you don't want to be here. It all depends on the lie now. We have seen somebody hole it from down there this week so…
44 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
Soft touch
Tyrrell Hatton is in a bit of bother short of the green on the par-five 12th... until he's not. A masterful touch from the hollow short right of the putting surface allows him to bounce it up and check it right next to the hole for the easiest of tap-in birdies and he is into solo fourth at -9.
46 minutes ago
Adam McKendry
Chinese fortune
Haotong Li makes the most of a massive bit of luck on 11 as his approach shot hits off the rough bank to the left of the green and, instead of getting caught in the fescue, bounces down onto the putting surface instead.
Not content just to take his par and move on, the Chinese star holes the big left-to-right breaking putt from 21-feet and he's up to -10, just three back.
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