The exhibition that Scottie Scheffler was missing. That was his second round this Friday at the Open Championship. Dazzling. Majestic. He shot 64 and stormed into the solo lead of the fourth Major of the year with a total of -10. He has a one-shot lead over Matthew Fitzpatrick (-9) and two over Haotong Li (-8) and Brian Harman (-8). The fifth position is already a chasm of five shots away.
Trevor Immelman noted halfway through the world Number One’s round that the engraver of the Claret Jug could already start marking the groove of the ‘S’. For Scottie. And for Scheffler. That was the impression he gave. Beyond the magnificent result, beyond the eight birdies. It was an extraordinary display of power. Every shot hit with intent, every iron to the spot. Fans lost count of how many balls he managed to land on the flag. Of how many birdie chances of less than five metres he left himself.
It’s the exhibition Scottie was missing. On the links. He had played well on the mythical and historic British courses, but he hadn’t put on a standout performance like today’s. It’s his lowest round on a links, in an Open, and also the first time he’s led solo in a British. It’s what he was missing.
Really, he only missed two shots. The first was the tee shot on 11, and he paid for it with a bogey. It coincided, of course, with the moment when a blanket of rain was falling over Portrush. The second was on 17, and he got lucky. He missed so far to the right that he ended up in a heavily trodden spectator area and made birdie with another masterful second shot. What a way to hit the irons and how well the Texan putted today. It’s the usual. When he putts at this level, he’s unbeatable, and everyone knows it.
There’s a sense in the air at Portrush that the blow he dealt to the Open today could be decisive. It’s closely related to the authority he demonstrated, but also to his magnificent performance every time he takes charge of a tournament. If it were any other championship, you could say he already has half the trophy in his pocket, but this is the Open, this is the British, and anything can happen here. The weather can change everything. Today was a very calm day, but if the wind blows again over the weekend with Thursday’s intensity, any swing can be disrupted, even Scheffler’s. There’s still a long way to go, although that five-shot lead over fifth place seems to rule out many contenders.
Scheffler’s main rival, at least based on today’s performance, should be Matthew Fitzpatrick, without ruling out Haotong Li, who has only one bogey in 36 holes, or Brian Harman, a player as tough as steel. However, Fitzpatrick played at an exceptional level. In fact, unusually for him, he missed some fairly clear birdie opportunities that would have allowed him to finish with even fewer strokes. He was brilliant from the tee and left them very close with the irons. He’s going to respond and make it difficult for Scheffler.
It’s interesting because the three players chasing the Number One are cut from the same cloth in terms of personality. They are courageous, warriors, and even have a touch of insolence. They won’t shy away from duelling with Scheffler; on the contrary, it will become an extra incentive, and they’ll use it to boost their motivation even further. The problem for them (and for everyone) is that if Scottie manages to play Saturday and Sunday as he did today, there’s no way to bring him down. And everyone knows it. Who knows if it won’t turn into a festival like the PGA Championship.
For now, he was missing the exhibition on the links, and now he has it. The next thing he wants to tick off the list is called the Claret Jug.
