The Open 2025: McIlroy Roars, Scheffler Soars at Portrush

Scottie Scheffler maintained his composure on Saturday, carding a steady 67 to remain on track for his maiden Open Championship title. Royal Portrush basked in sunshine as birdies and eagles became the order of the day, with Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, and defending champion Xander Schauffele all enjoying the low scoring conditions.

The County Antrim coast reverberated with cheers, particularly for McIlroy, but Scheffler, the world number one, remained focused, reaching 14 under par and establishing a four-stroke lead heading into the final round.

Unless the three-time major champion experiences a sudden dip in form, the final round appears to be a battle for the remaining podium positions. China’s Li Haotong also kept his cool, shooting a 69 to reach 10 under par, while Matt Fitzpatrick of England sat a further shot back after a disappointing 71.

McIlroy’s five-under 66 kept alive his hopes of winning the Claret Jug on home soil, 11 years after his previous Open victory. He finds himself in a group at eight under par alongside Americans Chris Gotterup and Harris English, as well as Hatton.

Third Round Highlights

• Hole-in-One: John Parry sparked jubilant scenes with a stunning ace on the 192-yard 13th.
• McIlroy’s Charge: Rory McIlroy overcame a bizarre incident to mount a thrilling challenge.
• Hatton’s Perspective: Tyrrell Hatton discussed the difficulty of catching Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler’s Composure

Scheffler acknowledged the potential for distractions but emphasised his focus on the task at hand. “I think it would be silly to say that you can never let your mind wander, but I think most of what I can control is the time I have when we’re thinking about the shot and when I’m over the ball, and most of that’s just being committed to what I’m doing.”

Rahm’s Call for Rule Changes

Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner, suggested that the rules of golf should be revised to prevent players from facing penalties rather than risking accusations of cheating. His third-round playing partner, Shane Lowry, received a two-stroke penalty after television footage revealed a slight movement of the ball during a practice swing on Friday night.

Lowry, the 2019 champion at Royal Portrush, maintained that he did not see the incident and therefore could not penalise himself. He accepted the penalty to avoid being accused of cheating, which dropped him from two under par to level par. Lowry, who was also unwell, shot a three-over 74 on Saturday.

Fourth Round Tee Times

Here are the tee times for the fourth round (local time):

• 0730: Matti Schmid (Germany), Riki Kawamoto (Japan)
• 0740: Dean Burmester (South Africa), Phil Mickelson (United States)
• 0750: Sebastian Soderberg (Sweden), Andrew Novak (United States)
• 0800: Shane Lowry (Ireland), Jacob Skov Olesen (Denmark)
• 0810: Antoine Rozner (France), Viktor Hovland (Norway)
• 0820: Adrien Saddier (France), Ryggs Johnston (United States)
• 0830: Romain Langasque (France), Jordan Spieth (United States)
• 0840: Francesco Molinari (Italy), Matthew Jordan (England)
• 0855: Sergio Garcia (Spain), Justin Leonard (United States)
• 0905: Thomas Detry (Belgium), Sepp Straka (Austria)
• 0915: Aaron Rai (England), Jason Kokrak (United States)
• 0925: Daniel Berger (United States), Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela)
• 0935: Maverick McNealy (United States), Henrik Stenson (Sweden)
• 0945: Takumi Kanaya (Japan), Jordan Smith (England)
• 0955: Sam Burns (United States), Rickie Fowler (United States)
• 1010: Akshay Bhatia (United States), Jon Rahm (Spain)
• 1020: Jesper Svensson (Sweden), Thriston Lawrence (South Africa)
• 1030: Bryson DeChambeau (United States), Nathan Kimsey (England)
• 1040: Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Tony Finau (United States)
• 1050: Justin Thomas (United States), Tommy Fleetwood (England)
• 1100: JJ Spaun (United States), John Parry (England)
• 1110: Keegan Bradley (United States), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (South Africa)
• 1125: Marc Leishman (Australia), Lucas Glover (United States)
• 1135: Sungjae Im (South Korea), Dustin Johnson (United States)
• 1145: Corey Conners (Canada), Lee Westwood (England)
• 1155: Harry Hall (England), Justin Rose (England)
• 1205: Ludvig Aberg (Sweden), Kristoffer Reitan (Norway)
• 1215: Oliver Lindell (Finland), Matt Wallace (England)
• 1225: Wyndham Clark (United States), Brian Harman (United States)
• 1240: Rasmus Hojgaard (Denmark), Robert MacIntyre (Scotland)
• 1250: Nicolai Hojgaard (Denmark), Russell Henley (United States)
• 1300: Xander Schauffele (United States), Tyrrell Hatton (England)
• 1310: Harris English (United States), Chris Gotterup (United States)
• 1320: Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Matt Fitzpatrick (England)
• 1330: Li Haotong (China), Scottie Scheffler (United States)

McIlroy’s Bizarre Moment

Rory McIlroy experienced a peculiar incident during his round, exclaiming, “Oh god,” as his ball reacted unexpectedly. He then laughed, adding, “I was on the golf ball!” Despite the oddity, McIlroy’s performance highlighted his enduring appeal as one of the most captivating athletes in the sport.

Fitzpatrick’s Putting Woes

Matt Fitzpatrick lamented his struggles on the greens, saying, “They just wouldn’t go in. That’s the long and short of it… I just felt like I left myself too many short, mid-range, like 5 to 8 feet.”

Odds for The Open Championship

Here are the latest odds via Betfair:

• Scottie Scheffler: 1/6
• Rory McIlroy: 20/1
• Haotong Li: 25/1
• Matt Fitzpatrick: 28/1
• Tyrrell Hatton: 45/1
• Chris Gotterup: 75/1
• Xander Schauffele: 80/1
• Harris English: 90/1

Leaderboard After Round Three

• -14: Scottie Scheffler
• -10: Li Haotong
• -9: Matt Fitzpatrick
• -8: Tyrrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy, Chris Gotterup, Harris English
• -7: Xander Schauffele