After Open win, Scheffler now just one jewel short of Grand Slam
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland—Scottie Scheffler had but one shaky moment in the final round of the 153rd Open on Sunday. Other than that, it seemed that he was merely competing against himself.
The world’s No. 1 player tapped in for birdie on the first hole, opened up a seven-shot lead early in the front nine before an uncharacteristic bad judgment off the fairway bunker had him signing for his only double bogey of the week at the eighth.
He quickly shook that off by taking back one of those shots a hole later, and no one was able to come within four strokes the rest of the way.
And with that, it’s just one more jewel left before the 29-year-old American joins a truly elite list of golfers with career Grand Slams.
“Being able to walk up 18 with the tournament in hand is a really tough thing to describe,” Scheffler said after closing out with a three-under-par 68 to win by four shots over Harris English. “It’s a really cool feeling. I have a lot of gratitude towards being able to accomplish something like this.”
The two-time Masters champ and ex-winner of the PGA Championship has just the US Open to win next year to join six other players with career Grand Slams, the last of them being Rory McIlroy, the hometown hero here who had nothing but praises for Scheffler.
“He is the bar that we’re all trying to get to,” McIlroy, who completed his Grand Slam last April by finally winning the Masters after 14 tries, said. “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 the one that Scottie’s been on here for the last 24 to 36 months.”
That double bogey on No. 8 was the only blemish on Scheffler’s card for the weekend.
“Incredibly impressive,” McIlroy said.
Scheffler finished five shots off American Filipino JJ Spaun at Oakmont Country Club in this year’s US Open last month, and he will have his eyes on Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York for next year’s edition where golf immortality awaits.
“It’s taken a lot of work—not only a lot of work, but it takes a lot of patience,” Scheffler said. “It’s a high level of focus over 72 holes of a tournament. This was, I felt like, one of my best performances mentally.”
Scheffler tallied 17-under 267 to win for the fourth time this year as he won for the 11th times while holding the outright 54-hole lead.
That dominant way of winning has experts talking about one other man before him who also blew fields away.
“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 Xander Schauffele, the defending champion who tied for seventh. —WITH REPORTS FROM AP
