Scottie Scheffler Makes Personal Record at The Open
Scottie Scheffler's performance on Friday's second round at Royal Portrush was nothing short of a masterpiece. Drawing inspiration from Rory McIlroy's recent 'artist vs. scientist' debate, where McIlroy quipped, 'I'd like to think of myself more as an artist than a scientist… but with today's technology, we're probably more scientists than artists'.
Scheffler claimed the 'artist' mantle and painted his course: a flawless 64 featuring eight birdies. Each stroke demonstrated creativity, precision and flair. His short game was one of his best in recent weeks, if not the best.
In fact, his 18th was also going to be a birdie, taking his tally to nine, but the ball stopped just centimetres before the hole.
By the 18th green, he had managed to turn foreign supporters into fans of his.
Scheffler entered the week at 3‑under after an opening‑round 68, marked by five birdies and two bogeys, that left him three shots under par. By Friday's close, he surged to 10‑under overall, seizing the 36‑hole lead.
His eight birdies through 18 holes set a personal single‑round record, eclipsing previous tallies of four in 2024 (rounds 1 and 4), five in 2023 (rounds 4), five in 2022 (rounds 1-3) and five in 2021 (rounds 1 and 2).
The only blemish on his card came at the 11th, where a sudden torrential downpour led to his lone bogey, proof that even the greatest artists can be humbled by the elements.
Hot on his heels is England's Matt Fitzpatrick, who posted a scintillating 66 to reach 9‑under, just one stroke adrift of Scheffler.
Fitzpatrick's own display was nothing short of commendable, ensuring the weekend promises a head‑to‑head duel between two in‑form artists of the game.
Looking forward, Scheffler's focus turns to lifting the Claret Jug, an achievement that would bring him one step closer to golf's elusive career Grand Slam.This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
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