Latest news with #XanderSchauffele
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Rory McIlroy's 'disgusting behaviour' claim from PGA Tour star's dad rubbished by Open winner
The father of Xander Schauffele has sensationally claimed he will not be attending the 2025 Ryder Cup following Rory McIlroy's behaviour in 2023, and one golf legend has now hit back Two-time major champion Tony Jacklin has fired back at the father of 2024 Open winner Xander Schauffele, after he stated he would boycott the Ryder Cup. Stefan Schauffele criticised Rory McIlroy's conduct at the 2023 Ryder Cup as "disgusting." McIlroy was involved in a confrontation with members of the US team and exchanged heated words with Patrick Cantlay's caddie, Joe LaCava, at Italy's Marco Simone Golf and Country Club. Europe ultimately secured a 161⁄2-111⁄2 victory at the event. The dispute escalated when McIlroy felt that Cantlay celebrated his match-winning putt for too long, preventing him from finishing his own game. The altercation continued in a car park, where McIlroy was overheard calling the situation "a f*****g disgrace." The issue was eventually resolved, with LaCava reportedly offering an apology, reports Belfast Live. However, Schauffele Snr's remarks have irked 81-year-old Jacklin, a Hall of Famer and former Ryder Cup captain. Speaking to Champions (UK) Plc, a business consultancy based in the Midlands, Jacklin defended the competitive spirit of the Ryder Cup. He said: "One thing that p****d me off was the comments from Stefan Schauffele, when he said the Ryder Cup is losing its lustre because of the behaviour of the players and fans, and said Rory's reaction last time was 'disgusting'. "But Rory was absolutely right in what he did. You'll always get heated moments in matches. I remember in Boston when the Americans ran on the green, I was the first to say there was no malice behind it, and that it was just pure exuberance. "Obviously there has to be that mutual respect between the teams, but there's always elements of the media that take them out of context. The Ryder Cup is still a must-watch, a hugely important event in the game of golf. I have every reason to believe Europe can do it again." The 2023 incident also saw Shane Lowry quickly usher McIlroy away from the clubhouse and into a courtesy car after the golf star was seen angrily shouting near Justin Thomas' caddie Jim 'Bones' Mackay. McIlroy later admitted that he experienced a moment of "red mist" during the altercation but assured that they resolved the issue afterwards. "Things happen in the heat of the moment, tensions were high," McIlroy said to the BBC."Joe LaCava came into the European team room on the Sunday night and had a drink and a chat." Last week, Schaufelle Snr shocked the golfing world by announcing his decision to skip the New York-based competition in September. Stefan expressed his frustration with the abuse Lowry's wife, Wendy, endured at the 2021 contest at Whistling Straits and the ongoing controversy over US stars receiving payments to play in the prestigious tournament. "I'm not going to the Ryder Cup," he said. "I'm afraid of what's going to happen in New York. I was there [at Whistling Straits in 2021] when they called Shane Lowry's wife a w**** in front of him. I couldn't believe my ears. "I saw what happened in Rome [in 2023]. That was utterly disgusting, claiming this money bulls***. And Rory behaved disgustingly in my opinion. It's only going to get worse. It's ruined my appetite for the Ryder Cup. It becomes unwatchable." The 45th Ryder Cup is set to take place at the Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York, from September 26–28, 2025.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ryder Cup training camp is shaping up for the first fall PGA Tour event in Napa
Nelly Korda, of USA, plays on the 2nd hole during the last round of the Evian Championship women's golf tournament, in Evian, eastern France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani) Xander Schauffele of the United States acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) USA's Bryson DeChambeau on the 18th green during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP) Scottie Scheffler of the United States play his tee shot on the 6th during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison) Scottie Scheffler of the United States play his tee shot on the 6th during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison) Nelly Korda, of USA, plays on the 2nd hole during the last round of the Evian Championship women's golf tournament, in Evian, eastern France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani) Xander Schauffele of the United States acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) USA's Bryson DeChambeau on the 18th green during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP) Scottie Scheffler of the United States play his tee shot on the 6th during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison) PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — So much for all the PGA Tour fall events having weak fields. The Procore Championship in Napa, California, is shaping up to be training camp for the Ryder Cup for the American team to avoid getting rusty ahead of the Sept. 26-28 matches. Advertisement 'I know I'll be there,' Scottie Scheffler said. Ditto for Xander Schauffele, who suggested the world's No. 1 player was a strong voice in urging whoever is on the U.S. team to be at Silverado Resort on Sept. 11-14. That was a big concern at the last Ryder Cup, held outside Rome in 2023. The PGA Tour season that year ended Aug. 27 with the Tour Championship at East Lake, and the majority of the team had a full month away from tournament golf before going to Marco Simone for the start of the Ryder Cup on Sept. 29. Justin Thomas and Max Homa were the only players in Napa, along with U.S. captain Zach Johnson. Europe had its players at the BMW PGA Championship in England. Team Europe got out to a fast start at Marco Simone and sailed to an easy victory to win back the cup. Advertisement The Procore Championship is the only PGA Tour event on the schedule between the Tour Championship and the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York. It also is the same week as the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Odds are against having all 12 of the Americans there — one of them is Bryson DeChambeau, who is banned from the PGA Tour because he's with LIV Golf. U.S. captain Keegan Bradley told Sports Illustrated he would use one of his six picks on DeChambeau, who finished in the top 10 at three of the four majors this year. 'Bryson is going to be a very important piece to us winning the Ryder Cup,' Bradley said in a text message to SI. "He brings so much. He brings energy, passion but most importantly, he's one of the best players on the planet.' Advertisement The LIV Golf League season ends Aug. 24 with its team championship in Michigan. The only other competition for DeChambeau would be a YouTube match or European tour stops in Switzerland, Ireland, England or France. Justin Leonard on the rise Justin Leonard played four rounds of competition last week for the first time in eight years, making the cut at the British Open and finishing in a tie for 59th. Leonard, 53, stayed largely away from golf while working as a TV analyst, and this is only his third year playing a full PGA Tour Champions schedule. He had not played in the British Open since 2016 at Royal Troon — where he won The Open in 1997 — and he was pleased to be among three players 50 and older to make the weekend at Royal Portrush. Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson were the others. Advertisement 'It's a different kind of pressure coming over here and playing as a PGA Tour Champions guy,' Leonard said. 'There aren't many expectations. But still, it's nice to come over and play well and justify coming over.' And then Leonard with his dry sense of humor found a perk to his performance. 'Plus, think of all the world ranking points I got this week,' he said 'We've done a hard reset on the ranking. It's rough thinking there are more than 4,000 golfers out there better than I am. But I proved them all wrong this week.' His world ranking going into Royal Portrush was No. 4,689. Leonard's tie for 59th moved him all the way to No. 1,436. So now there are only 1,435 players better than him. Advertisement But he has one thing going for him. Leonard has a better world ranking than Tiger Woods (No. 1,626) for the first time since the first week of 1997. Hard reset, indeed. Senior European vacation The PGA Tour Champions is taking its show out of the country next year with the Portugal Invitational set for July 31 to Aug. 2. It's part of a five-year partnership and will be the first time a PGA Tour-sanctioned event for stroke play is in Portugal. That will give the PGA Tour Champions players the chance of a three-week stay in Europe if they choose. The Senior British Open is the week before, and the Senior PGA Championship on the Legends Tour will be the week after. Advertisement The 78-man field will have players from the PGA Tour Champions and the Legends Tour in Europe, with a total purse of $3 million at The Els Club Vilamoura. Ernie Els redesigned the course, which previously hosted the Portugal Masters from 2007 through 2022. The World Cup of Golf was held in Portugal in 2005. 'The players are going to love it, not just the golf course but this whole destination,' Els said. "It's such a beautiful part of the world.' Major cuts Xander Schauffele made it through a third consecutive year making the cut in every major, taking his total to 15 in a row dating to a weekend off in the 2022 Masters. Advertisement The opposite end of that was Cameron Smith, who missed the cut in all of them. He nearly had some distinguished company. Two other major champions, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, missed the cut in three out of four. Schauffele was among 17 players to make the cut in all four majors. That includes Corey Conners, who made the cut in the U.S. Open but had to withdraw in the final round with injury. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton were the only players from LIV Golf to make the cut in all four majors. That's a smaller sample size considering the goal for so many LIV players is to simply qualify or otherwise get into a major. Calamity Corner Advertisement Scottie Scheffler had no such concerns at 'Calamity Corner,' the notorious par-3 16th hole at Royal Portrush for the British Open. He made birdie in the opening round and again on Friday. He began to build his lead with a third straight birdie on Saturday. And in the final round, he drilled his tee shot to 15 feet. He missed. 'It's just a hard hole, I guess,' Scheffler said with a laugh. Calamity Corner does not have quite the same familiarity as the 12th hole at Augusta National, so one more birdie might not have been as noteworthy as the time Scott Verplank made birdie all four rounds in the 2003 Masters. Advertisement Scheffler thought back to the first time he played it in a practice round. 'It was raining and blowing in out of the left, and I smoked a 3-wood to 30 feet, and I thought it was a pretty amazing shot,' Scheffler said. 'And then I was playing against Sam Burns in a practice round, and he hit 3-wood to about 25 feet and made it.' Divots Even though Nelly Korda hasn't won this year, her seven-win season in 2024 gave her such a big lead that she's still No. 1 in women's golf. Korda has been No. 1 for 70 consecutive weeks, the fifth-largest streak since the women's world ranking began in 2006. ... Scottie Scheffler registered his fourth victory of at least four shots at the British Open, the most PGA Tour titles by four shots or more since Tiger Woods did it five times in 2000. ... Xander Schauffele tied for seventh in the British Open and earned $451,834, moving him past $60 million in career PGA Tour earnings. Scheffler became the fourth player to surpass $90 in career tour money. Advertisement Stat of the week Scottie Scheffler, Harris English and Chris Gotterup gave Americans a 1-2-3 finish in the British Open for the first time since 1998, when it was Mark O'Meara, Brian Watts and Tiger Woods. Final word '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.' — Rory McIlroy on his return home to Northern Ireland for the British Open. ___ AP golf:
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Open champion Scottie Scheffler doesn't need to explain himself. The answer is in the beginning
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — As Scottie Scheffler exited the 18th green at Royal Portrush on Sunday, off to make things official in the scorer's tent, his father, Scott Scheffler, was being a dad. He handed his iPhone to a bystander to take a photo of him and Scottie's mom, Diane. He bragged that, you know what, New Jersey nearly produced this Open Championship's top-two finishers — Scottie, from Ridgewood, and Chris Gotterup, the third-place finisher, who grew up in Little Silver. He pointed out that Xander Schauffele won the PGA Championship and Open Championship last year, and now Scottie did it this year. How 'bout that? He joked that, man, those fans were tough at Portrush, huh? Not a lot of love for Scottie out there. Advertisement 'And it's not even the Ryder Cup!' he said. An official from the R&A listened along, smiling and nodding. Getting a chance to share her thoughts, she told Scott she could never imagine being the best in the world at something. 'Oh, he doesn't think of himself like that,' Scott responded. 'He never has. It's outside people who say it, not him.' Surely, though, she responded, he dreamed of this as a little kid, right? 'Even as a kid, I don't think he ever dreamed these things,' Scott said. The 153rd Open Championship will go down as the week everyone tried, and failed, to understand Scottie Scheffler. It all began on Tuesday with an early week news conference. Scheffler unexpectedly cracked himself open and let the yolk run. Winning? It's not everything, he explained, because it can't be everything. In the end, there's the next day, and the next practice, and the next tournament. All of this — full stream of consciousness. Scheffler explained that his existence is not defined by something as fickle as a round of golf. 'This is not a fulfilling life,' he said. 'It's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.' He added that, if anything, it bothers him that he cares so much about golf. Faith and family are far, far more important. Controversial? No. Fascinating? Yes. Scheffler was exactly what everyone wishes for superstars to be: honest, vulnerable, human. His reward? A weeklong hyper-analysis of his entire psyche. Everyone, everywhere, from all sides. On the television broadcast. On the radio. All over social media. Reporters asked other players more questions about Scheffler's comments than their own rounds. By Sunday, Scheffler's caddie, Ted Scott, sat by the beach at Portrush and recorded a video for Instagram — one of his weekly sermons — discussing his boss's comments and the widespread reaction. A devout Christian, like Scheffler, Scott tried to explain what might've been lost in translation. 'Joy doesn't come from circumstances,' Scott said. All of this, all to understand Scheffler. This is what happens when those select few come around — the all-timers; the ones who make you realize history is happening here and now. We need to know what's in there. Scheffler first came upon our world years ago with an odd swing and an endearing disposition, winning the Masters and emerging as a world-class player. Now, though? He's something else. This week's four-shot Open victory at Portrush was only the latest exhibition in a career that is starting to remind some people of others. Advertisement Jack Nicklaus won his first Open in his fifth try at links golf. It was his sixth major win. Tiger Woods won on his sixth trip. It was his fourth major. This was Scheffler's fifth try at the Open. It's his fourth major. Yes, of course, it's crazy, irresponsible, even, to put those names together. Except? *A whisper* Scheffler might be that good. Scheffler played the last four days at Portrush as if it were a par-68. Everyone else played a par-71. His four rounds were one long, drawn-out injection of novocaine, taking over both the land and everyone on it. By Sunday, all were numb, and he was leading by four strokes. An approach on No. 1 to 2 feet ended any potential drama. Hours later, with the tournament long over, Scheffler fist-pumped after a par save on 16 because he wasn't playing the leaderboard. He was playing himself. In the end, Scheffler became the first world No. 1 to win the Open since 2006. Yet, somehow, some still don't get it. Early Sunday evening, Scheffler again sat for a news conference and explained: 'I don't place much emphasis on winning tournaments. I don't place much emphasis on things that I can accomplish. It's just mostly about putting in the proper work and coming out here and competing.' He was then asked if he thinks about breaking records and being ranked No. 1. Scheffler, deadpan: 'Not really.' Later, Scheffler explained that he's grateful to play golf for a living because he's worked since he was '2 or 3 years old' to do this. At the same time, his home life will always be more important, and he wants to 'live as normal of a life as possible.' The next question? Have you let your mind wander to the U.S. Open next year and a potential career Grand Slam? Scheffler, eyes fixed forward: 'I mean, no.' What continues to get lost is that, probably since he could walk, Scottie Scheffler has navigated a life as a golfing savant while also wanting desperately to remain 'normal.' Sure, he played lacrosse and soccer. Yes, he played high school basketball. Such notes are nice lines in a biography that often downplay him being a phenom in the truest sense, one who went on to win all imaginable junior golf accolades. Advertisement Scott Scheffler's brother, Peter, remembers the first time he saw Scottie swing a golf club. It was, you should note, not when young Scottie was growing up in Texas and working with the legendary coach Randy Smith. No. It was way back. At a birthday party in Westchester (N.Y.) County. Maybe 1999 or so. Scottie, about 3 or 4 years old, emerged from the family minivan with a toy golf club that day. Scott pulled his brother aside. 'Peter, you've got to see this,' he said. 'And Scottie absolutely just smokes the ball,' Peter told The Athletic on Saturday. 'I said to my brother, 'Holy s—, can he do that again?' And Scott says to me, 'Peter, he does it every time and I can't stop him.'' Uncle Peter wasn't the only one. When the pro at a local North Jersey driving range first saw Scottie at 4 or 5 years old, he asked Scott if he could work with the boy. Scott answered that he couldn't afford lessons. The pro said, no, no. He just wanted the chance to work with the kid. He'd never seen anything like him. These are the earliest days of a life subscribed to otherworldly, inexplicable talent. Following his win on Sunday, Scheffler said it's often hard for him to describe the kind of gratitude he feels when winning. Of course it is. How could he? Who can relate? Scheffler said he doesn't think about the wins. He instead thinks about the kid in Texas. Relocating after Dianne Scheffler landed a job as a law firm COO in Dallas, the family moved when he was 6. Realizing Scottie wasn't like the other kids, they took out a loan to join Royal Oaks Country Club, where Scottie could work with Smith. Looking for the words, Scheffler tried to explain. '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,' Scheffler said. Advertisement Frazar and Leonard were two members of a pack of PGA Tour pros who called Royal Oaks home back then. Frazar remembers the 7-year-old who, out of nowhere, started poking around the place. Young Scottie wasn't taking lessons from Smith yet, so he'd instead sit and watch the pros do their work. Hours and hours of Leonard hitting the ball. Then Frazar. Then Martin Flores. On and on. After they wrapped, Scottie would challenge the pros to putting games and wedge contests. Frazar remembers practicing bunker shots while Scottie, sitting on the edge, legs dangling, would watch every shot and ask endless questions. When Frazar got out of the bunker, Scottie would hop in behind him and copy everything exactly. By the time Scottie was 9, he would flip over a range bucket, sit down behind the pros and ask all varieties of intricate questions. 'I'm talking in-depth questions about divot patterns,' Frazar said Sunday by phone. 'I just remember a kid who was seriously inquisitive, with a high, high golf IQ. It all came to him easily, so he was always taking it further.' The result, all these years later, is hard to comprehend, but well worth understanding. The Scottie Scheffler who just lapped the field at Portrush is the same kid for whom it all came so easily, and who has no choice but to take his talent further. What else is he supposed to do with it? Perhaps this is why everything that comes with it — fame, accolades, the annals of history — seems so minor to the man. 'He doesn't care to be a superstar,' said Jordan Spieth, a fellow Texan who's known Scheffler since adolescence. '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.' Advertisement That doesn't mean he doesn't love it, though. The proof is right there. While Scheffler addressed the crowd at Portrush on Sunday, one hand tucked under the Claret Jug, his son, 1-year-old Bennett, tottered around the side of the green. Delighting the crowd, he bounded around, fell down, got up and kept going. He kept one hand clenched, no matter what, on the toy he brought. A plastic golf club. 'I hope Bennett's able to get into golf one day,' Scheffler said later. 'The game of golf has taught me a tremendous amount. I feel like every day you go out and play golf, you're looking in the mirror.' The Athletic's Ian O'Connor contributed to this report.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘I don't think I'm special': Scheffler plays down latest major win after Open cruise
Scottie Scheffler has insisted that he does not think he is anything special despite winning his fourth major in three years after a dominant Open victory at Portrush. The 29-year-old American won by four shots from Harris English to complete the third leg of a career grand slam, and afterwards he was compared to Tiger Woods by the Open winner last year, Xander Schauffele, and the 2019 champion, Shane Lowry. Scheffler also doubled down when he was reminded he said before the Open that winning the Claret Jug would be awesome for only two minutes, and that his family and faith were more important. '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,' Scheffler said. '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. 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 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.' Pressed by reporters, Scheffler said: '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 also played down comparisons with Tiger 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. 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.' Scheffler, who lifted the Claret Jug with one arm while holding his 14‑month‑old son Bennett, also revealed that his love of golf was already being passed down to his offspring. 'It's very cool to have him here,' Scheffler said. 'He obviously has no clue what's going on. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'Bennett started swinging a club back and forth. I put a golf ball down, and he hit it. To be able to occupy a one-year-old with anything is probably a pretty good thing for them to be able to focus on. 'It's pretty special to be able to celebrate here with my family. I hope Bennett's able to get into golf one day. The game of golf has taught me a tremendous amount. I feel like every day you go out and play golf you're looking in the mirror, and I've met some of my best friends through the game of golf. 'It's a very special game. You call penalties on yourself, and it's just – you learn a lot of good life lessons by playing golf. I hope he can play one day, and I hope he enjoys it as much as I do.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Scheffler is compared to Tiger Woods after a win that rarely seemed in doubt
No sooner had the Claret Jug been lifted high above Scottie Scheffler's head than the scramble for superlatives began. With every word and exaltation there was also a sense that golf's Overton window had shifted, with his peers daring to voice opinions previously beyond the pale. It was Xander Schauffele who perhaps said it best, as Scheffler was slow‑walking up the 18th, as if trying to savour every second of a first Open Championship victory. 'I don't think we thought the golfing world would see someone as dominant as Tiger [Woods] come through so soon, and here's Scottie sort of taking that throne of dominance,' said Schauffele, the 2024 champion, having finished seven shots back. 'You can't even say he's on a run. He's just been killing it for over two years now. He's a tough man to beat, and when you see his name up on the leaderboard it sucks for us.' Scheffler is making a habit of this. This was his fourth major title in three years. For good measure, he has 17 PGA Tour wins over the same period. The majority of them have been like this, a four‑shot victory margin from Harris English that rarely looked in doubt. Rory McIlroy was another player who had hoped for a miracle on Sunday only to see golf's ultimate dementor had sucked his hopes with three early birdies. After that the result was not in doubt, with Scheffler easing to victory at 17 under par. '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 like the one that Scottie's been on for the last 24 to 36 months,' said McIlroy, who finished tied for seventh on 10 under. 'It's incredibly impressive. He just goes about his business. Doesn't do anything overly flamboyant, but he's the best at executing in the game. All you can do is tip your cap and watch in admiration.' We are clearly in Scheffler's imperial phase, where the victories appear preordained and no superlative seems outlandish. The only question now is how many majors he may win. Double figures does not seem outlandish. Which would put him behind only Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen. Tommy Fleetwood certainly believes he can do it. 'If he keeps going the way he is, we're all going to look back and talk about him in the same breath as some of the all-time greats,' he said. 'And he's played in our generation.' Not so long ago, such comments would have seemed premature. Now they are accepted wisdom. Scheffler's temperament is something special. Little seems to faze him. He plays golf like someone who has had their adrenal glands removed. Not that he sounded that way afterwards. 'Every day is a battle, it is a battle with yourself all the time,' Scheffler said. It certainly didn't look that way as he decimated a quality field. Shane Lowry, who won at Portrush in 2019, was another player to evoke comparisons with Woods. But in his view the ungainliness of Scheffler's drive, which often results in him losing his balance as his ball flies 300 yards down the fairway, has taken people off the scent. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'I played with him the first two days and honestly I thought he was going to birdie every hole,' Lowry said. 'If Scottie's feet stayed stable and his swing looked like Adam Scott's, we'd be talking about him in the same words as Tiger Woods. 'I just think because it doesn't look so perfect, we don't talk about him like that. I think he's just incredible to watch, and his bad shots are really good. That's when you know he's really good.' If Scheffler had not been in Portrush, this would have been a thrilling final day. On Sunday morning, there were 11 players within four shots of China's Li Haotong in second place on 10 under. The problem? Scheffler was on 14 under. Any hopes of a Devon Loch-style shock were soon extinguished. On the first hole, Li hit his approach to within six feet. Scheffler's response? To play it within three feet and record a birdie. In truth, it was the most sedate Open final day in nearly a generation. Scheffler had won his last nine tournaments after having led after 54 holes. He wasn't going to lose from here. At the 4th hole someone shouted: 'What's the point, Scottie?' – a reference to his press conference from earlier in the week. A few minutes later he had made his point with a birdie and followed it up with another on the 5th. True, there was a minor wobble at the next three holes – with two long par saves followed by a double-bogey six at the 8th. But the result was never in doubt. As Bryson DeChambeau put it: 'Scottie's in a league of his own right now. I played with him a lot in college, and he was not that good, so he's figured out a lot of stuff since then. It's really impressive to see and something we can all learn from for sure.' The bad news for the rest? Scheffler is only 29. He knows how to play links golf now and he clearly wants titles. As gave his victory speech, his 14‑month‑old son, Bennett, was swinging a plastic golf club just off the 18th green before the Claret Jug. He looked a natural. Just like his father.
