'I now know that I can win a major'
The left-hander from Oban already had two top-10 Open finishes, including joint-sixth on his debut when the tournament was last at Portrush in 2019. Last year's Scottish Open victory showed he can win on a links course against elite opposition.MacIntyre may have cut a frustrated figure at the weekend as the defence of that title proved disappointing, but the "old school feel" of Portrush has his juices flowing again."Yes, it's been lengthened in time, but it's just the dunes enclosing the holes," he explained. "You've got the visuals off the tees and then you've got the weather. That can be absolutely brutal, as we saw in 2019. As a championship golf course, I think it's spectacular."MacIntyre, who will play the first two rounds with Justin Rose and Bryson DeChambeau, is one of four Scots in the field, with Daniel Young and amateurs Cameron Adam and Connor Graham all making their Open debuts."I'm sure they'll pick my brains out there and, if they want to ask me questions, not a problem, I'm there for them," he said of his compatriots."They've all got my number, but if they don't want to ask me questions, I'm not going to force things down them, try and make them change."
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North Wales Chronicle
10 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Home favourite Rory McIlroy rewards fans with strong start at Royal Portrush
Golf's newest member of the elite career Grand Slam club was far from his best off the tee but made up for it on the greens, three birdies on his front nine leaving him just two shots off the lead. While there was no repeat of his out-of-bounds quadruple-bogey eight at the first when the major made its long-awaited return to the Dunluce Links in 2019, McIlroy still missed the fairway and bogeyed. Making it look easy. Rory almost holes out for an eagle. — The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025 But with galleries 10-deep in places craning their necks to see their hero from an hour down the road in Holywood, McIlroy kicked into gear, holing from 15 feet at the par-five second and a 27-footer up the slope for birdie at the driveable par-four fifth. After leaving another birdie attempt inches short at the next, he made life easier for himself at the 607-yard seventh. Having found rough on both sides of the fairway, he hit a brilliant approach to three feet to pick up another shot. A seven-foot birdie opportunity glided by the hole at the eighth, where he managed to find his first fairway, and he two-putted from 33 feet to turn in 34. That put him within touching distance of Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick, who carded the lowest opening round of his major career with a four-under 67. He was in the clubhouse alongside world number 354 Jacob Skov Olesen and China's Li Haotong, with South Africa's Chris Bezuidenhout and American Lucas Glover still out on the course. Fitzpatrick, a former US Open champion, continued his upward trend following back-to-back top-10 finishes in his last two events after an otherwise disappointing season, despite a joint-eighth place at May's US PGA. The Sheffield golfer got off to a flying start with a 22-foot eagle putt at the second hole, but the highlight was a slam-dunk chip for birdie from the steep bank on the treacherous Calamity Corner par-three 16th. Calamity Corner class. Matt Fitzpatrick makes birdie to tie the lead. Listen in on The Open Radio. — The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025 'I felt like The Players was the lowest I've felt in my career,' Fitzpatrick, bidding to become the first English winner of The Open since Nick Faldo in 1992, said of missing the cut at Sawgrass in March. 'Statistically it could be the worst run that I've played as well. I just didn't feel good or know where it was going. 'Today I just felt like I did drove it well, approach play was good and chipped and putted well. It was just an all-around good day.' Olesen, a Danish left-hander who won the Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin in Ireland last summer, only turned professional in November after earning his DP World Tour card. That meant the 26-year-old had to sacrifice his amateur exemptions for this year's Masters and US Open, so this was only his second appearance at one of golf's premier events after his debut at Troon 12 months ago. But he had no regrets about his decision, having come through qualifying a fortnight ago. 'I think it would have been a different decision if I was 19 at the time, but getting out on tour has always been a dream of mine,' he said. 'I had already made the decision before even going to second stage of Q-school that, if I got through, it would be a no-brainer to turn pro.' World number one Scottie Scheffler missed a birdie putt at the last which would have given him a share of the lead, but his 68 was the lowest score by a player who hit three or fewer fairways in The Open for last 25 years. 'When it's raining sideways it's actually, believe it or not, not that easy to get the ball in the fairway. Thank you guys all for pointing that out,' said the reigning US PGA champion. Asked whether there was a shot he was really pleased with, he replied: 'No.' Scheffler's playing partner and popular 2019 champion Shane Lowry shot one under and the Irishman said: 'I'm happy. I've fought with this round of golf in my head for a few weeks now. I knew it wasn't going to be easy. 'I felt like I managed to handle myself very well. The crowds were amazing and I tried to use that as motivation.' Defending champion Xander Schauffele said his level-par 71 'wasn't a very exciting round', while 55-year-old Phil Mickelson carded his best Open round since 2018 to sit one under, holing a bunker shot for par at the third, having left his first attempt in the sand.
South Wales Guardian
10 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Home favourite Rory McIlroy rewards fans with strong start at Royal Portrush
Golf's newest member of the elite career Grand Slam club was far from his best off the tee but made up for it on the greens, three birdies on his front nine leaving him just two shots off the lead. While there was no repeat of his out-of-bounds quadruple-bogey eight at the first when the major made its long-awaited return to the Dunluce Links in 2019, McIlroy still missed the fairway and bogeyed. Making it look easy. Rory almost holes out for an eagle. — The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025 But with galleries 10-deep in places craning their necks to see their hero from an hour down the road in Holywood, McIlroy kicked into gear, holing from 15 feet at the par-five second and a 27-footer up the slope for birdie at the driveable par-four fifth. After leaving another birdie attempt inches short at the next, he made life easier for himself at the 607-yard seventh. Having found rough on both sides of the fairway, he hit a brilliant approach to three feet to pick up another shot. A seven-foot birdie opportunity glided by the hole at the eighth, where he managed to find his first fairway, and he two-putted from 33 feet to turn in 34. That put him within touching distance of Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick, who carded the lowest opening round of his major career with a four-under 67. He was in the clubhouse alongside world number 354 Jacob Skov Olesen and China's Li Haotong, with South Africa's Chris Bezuidenhout and American Lucas Glover still out on the course. Fitzpatrick, a former US Open champion, continued his upward trend following back-to-back top-10 finishes in his last two events after an otherwise disappointing season, despite a joint-eighth place at May's US PGA. The Sheffield golfer got off to a flying start with a 22-foot eagle putt at the second hole, but the highlight was a slam-dunk chip for birdie from the steep bank on the treacherous Calamity Corner par-three 16th. Calamity Corner class. Matt Fitzpatrick makes birdie to tie the lead. Listen in on The Open Radio. — The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025 'I felt like The Players was the lowest I've felt in my career,' Fitzpatrick, bidding to become the first English winner of The Open since Nick Faldo in 1992, said of missing the cut at Sawgrass in March. 'Statistically it could be the worst run that I've played as well. I just didn't feel good or know where it was going. 'Today I just felt like I did drove it well, approach play was good and chipped and putted well. It was just an all-around good day.' Olesen, a Danish left-hander who won the Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin in Ireland last summer, only turned professional in November after earning his DP World Tour card. That meant the 26-year-old had to sacrifice his amateur exemptions for this year's Masters and US Open, so this was only his second appearance at one of golf's premier events after his debut at Troon 12 months ago. But he had no regrets about his decision, having come through qualifying a fortnight ago. 'I think it would have been a different decision if I was 19 at the time, but getting out on tour has always been a dream of mine,' he said. 'I had already made the decision before even going to second stage of Q-school that, if I got through, it would be a no-brainer to turn pro.' World number one Scottie Scheffler missed a birdie putt at the last which would have given him a share of the lead, but his 68 was the lowest score by a player who hit three or fewer fairways in The Open for last 25 years. 'When it's raining sideways it's actually, believe it or not, not that easy to get the ball in the fairway. Thank you guys all for pointing that out,' said the reigning US PGA champion. Asked whether there was a shot he was really pleased with, he replied: 'No.' Scheffler's playing partner and popular 2019 champion Shane Lowry shot one under and the Irishman said: 'I'm happy. I've fought with this round of golf in my head for a few weeks now. I knew it wasn't going to be easy. 'I felt like I managed to handle myself very well. The crowds were amazing and I tried to use that as motivation.' Defending champion Xander Schauffele said his level-par 71 'wasn't a very exciting round', while 55-year-old Phil Mickelson carded his best Open round since 2018 to sit one under, holing a bunker shot for par at the third, having left his first attempt in the sand.
Reuters
11 minutes ago
- Reuters
Scottie Scheffler disputes driving accuracy, stands by pre-tourney view on winning
July 17 - Honesty always has been in Scottie Scheffler's bag, as the headlines before the start of The Open underscored, and he was wringing truth once more Thursday after firing a 3-under par at Royal Portrush. Scheffler's rainy round of 68 was among the morning-wave best in Northern Ireland thanks to a composed finish despite hitting only three fairways. "I actually thought I drove it pretty good. I don't know what you guys are seeing. When it's raining sideways, it's actually, believe it or not, not that easy to get the ball in the fairway. Thank you guys all for pointing that out," Scheffler said at the end of Thursday's 18. Scheffler credited his putting with keeping him on the first page of the leaderboard after failing to gain strokes on the greens in the Scottish Open last week. Scheffler was a touch testy when pressed for what made his short stick more magical on Thursday than it was last week. "Different greens, different surface. These greens, it's just different," Scheffler said. "I don't know how you want me to elaborate on that." Wayward tee shots were to blame for Scheffler's bogeys on Thursday on a pair of par 4s at No. 9 and No. 11. He closed with a collective five on the par-3 16th and the par-4 17th plus a clutch putt to par No. 18 and said the greens at Portrush were "definitely smoother" than the surface in Scotland. "Putting is one of those deals where, especially when there's a little bit of activity on the greens, you can hit a lot of good putts that don't go in," Scheffler said. "I'm trying to do my best to be perfect every week, but some weeks the putts just aren't going in, and did a good job battling last week to finish top 10." Scheffler stuck to his guns when asked Thursday to revisit much-discussed comments about how meaningful and gratifying victories can be relative to the amount of time, effort and sacrifice it takes to take home a trophy. "I think I try to be as honest as I can with y'all, with the stuff that I'm willing to kind of say. At times I feel like maybe I should be a little less honest. Maybe I shouldn't have said the stuff I said yesterday because now I'm going to get asked about it more," he said. "But really it's just a matter of perspective, and I've had some players come up to me and say that they feel and think the same things. If anybody has disagreed with me, they haven't said it to my face yet, so I don't know what the reaction would be. But overall just glad to be out playing golf and competing again." --Field Level Media
