Scottie Scheffler delivered a clinical, bogey-free 67 on Saturday at Royal Portrush, extending his lead to four strokes at 14-under and tightening his grip on The Open Championship heading into the final round. Haotong Li trails at 10-under, while Matt Fitzpatrick sits five shots back. Rory McIlroy thrilled the home crowd with a 66 and is tied for fourth at 8-under, alongside Harris English, Tyrrell Hatton, and Chris Gotterup.
Scheffler’s round was highlighted by an eagle on No. 7 and stellar putting, where he currently leads the field. Despite McIlroy’s electric eagle on 12, Scheffler’s consistency—including clutch par saves and a birdie on the iconic 16th—kept him firmly in control.
The world No. 1 has now won his last nine events when leading solo after 54 holes, and with 21 of the last 24 Open winners coming from within four shots entering Sunday, history is on his side. Even McIlroy admitted, “It’s going to be tough to catch him.”