Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland – World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler delivered a masterclass in major championship golf on Sunday, July 20, 2025, turning the final day of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush into a triumphant procession to secure his first British Open triumph by four shots. The 29-year-old American’s relentless focus and iron-like grip on the lead rekindled memories of Tiger Woods in his prime.
Scheffler began the final round with a commanding four-stroke lead, and despite a brief blip, never looked like relinquishing his advantage. His clinical final-round 68 rubber-stamped his fourth major title, adding the coveted Claret Jug to his two Masters victories (2022, 2024) and his PGA Championship win earlier in 2025. With this win, he now has three legs of his career Grand Slam, needing only a U.S. Open crown to complete the set. He also makes history as the first player in over 100 years to win his first four majors by three strokes or more, and the first world number one to win The Open since Tiger Woods in 2006.
After tapping in for par on the 18th green in front of a packed grandstand, Scheffler’s trademark laser focus finally broke. He threw his white cap skywards, tearfully embracing caddie Ted Scott and wife Meredith, and scooping up his toddler son, Bennett, in a heartfelt celebration.
The Best of the Rest
While Scheffler cruised to victory, the leaderboard underneath him provided plenty of Sunday drama. Harris English finished as the best of the rest on 13 under par after a final-round 66. Fellow American Chris Gotterup, who clinched last week’s Scottish Open title, finished a further shot back on 12 under, securing third place.
Huge galleries flocked to the glorious Causeway Coast all week, with thousands arriving on a sunny Sunday hoping to witness a miraculous charge from local hero Rory McIlroy. However, Northern Ireland’s favorite sporting son, who began six shots behind Scheffler, was unable to mount a significant charge, ending up in a tie for seventh on 10 under par. He was joined by 2024 Open Champion Xander Schauffele and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre. Li Haotong, the first Chinese man to play in the final group of a major, finished tied for fourth on 11 under par alongside England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and American Wyndham Clark.
A Masterclass in Maintaining a Lead
Scheffler’s victory at Royal Portrush further solidified his reputation as a dominant front-runner. He has now emerged victorious on the last nine occasions he has held a 54-hole lead in a PGA Tour event, and all three of his previous major wins also came after leading heading into the final round.
A sense of anticipation filled the air as the leading groups teed off on Sunday. Any lingering hopes for a dramatic collapse, however, quickly faded when Scheffler birdied the first, fourth, and fifth holes. For a moment, it seemed the only question was whether he could eclipse Tiger Woods’s modern-era Open record winning margin of eight strokes from St Andrews in 2000.
A rare misstep occurred on the eighth hole when he double-bogeyed after needing two attempts to escape a bunker, marking his first dropped shots since the 11th hole on Friday, when his majestic 64 put him firmly in control. This blip briefly sliced his lead to four strokes, offering a flicker of hope to his pursuers. However, any such hope proved illusory, as Scheffler quickly steadied the ship with a birdie at the ninth and another at the 12th hole, resuming his unstoppable march to the Claret Jug.
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