Scottie Scheffler wins The Open: Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau lead player tributes as major win fuels Tiger Woods comparisons again | Golf News

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There was a feeling of inevitability about more major glory for Scottie Scheffler long before making a way towards the open victory.

Even the prosecution pack had apparently accepted that the Blaret’s jug led the world number 1 on the last day at Royal Portrush, where he dominated from start to finish.

Scheffler entered Sunday with a four -stroke advantage and with the knowledge that had closed each of his nine advantages of 54 holes, nobody approached the American when he charged a fourth major victory in as many years.

“None of us could hang out with Scottie this week,” said Rory McILroy, who finished on the ground at home. “He is an incredible player. He is dominant this week. Honestly, he has been dominant for a few years.

“He is the bar we are all trying to reach with. In a historical context, you could say that there may be only two or three players in the history of the game that have been in the race, the one that Scottie has been here for 24 to 36 months.

Scheffler becomes the first world n ° 1 to win the open since Tiger Woods defended his title in 2006, the 29 -year -old having now had the opportunity to join Woods and McILroy next summer – at his 30th anniversary – by winning the Grand School at the US Open.

“I don’t think we think that the golf world would see someone as dominant as Tiger pass so early and here is Scottie somehow taking this throne of domination,” said Xander Schauffele after finishing seven shots.

“You cannot even say that he is in the race. He has just killed him for more than two years now. He is a hard man to beat and when you see his name in the ranking, it fears for us.”

How Scheffler has closed more major success

An indication of what had probably come to come earlier in the week when Scheffler displayed a 68 opening round despite finding three fairways off the tee, then equaled its most stingy during a major tour during a sept-nevertheless of 64 on Friday.

“I played with him the first two days, and honestly, I thought he was going to sliced each hole,” said Shane Lowry, 2019 champion. “It was incredible to watch.”

Scheffler moved away from the field with a 67 without Bogey on Saturday, giving him the advance of 54 holes in major for the fourth time, then instantly took control with three birdies in his first five holes on Sunday to set up another determining career success.

“It’s quite incredible how good it is how good it is,” said Harris English, who finished finalist in Scheffler in a major twice in 2025. “He improved his put.

“But he works so hard – I see him in the gymnasium all the time, see him practicing. He is one of the hardest I have ever seen. So that the n ° 1 in the world works so hard, it is simply more difficult to catch it. What he is doing right now is incredible.”

Scheffler extends his advantage as world n ° 1, a position he has held since May 2023, with the last victory of his 17th PGA Tour title in just over three and a half years.

“Scottie is in his own league right now,” said Bryson Dechambeau. “I played a lot with him at university and he was not so good, so he has understood a lot since then. It’s really impressive to see and something we can all learn for sure.

Jon Rahm, whom Scheffler replaced at the top of the world ranking, added: “Very few players were able to do what he did. Won nine times last season and he continues. He does what everyone wants to do.

“What I don’t stop remembering is that he has been able to radically change things. Not to be able to close very early on the chances that he had to do it often. If he could do, we are all able to do it.”

The mental attitude of Scheffler was compared to Woods during his continuous success, despite the world No. 1 to admit the pre-turn that he still has trouble being fully accomplished by his achievements, with his faith and his family regularly referenced as motivations for conduct.

“He really respects his family, and he believes and wants it to be the most important thing for him,” said Dechambeau. “I have all the respect for it.

“For him, I think it is more important to take care of his family, that he did an excellent job and a great job to balance the two, be the best golfer in the world and be a father.”

Scheffler will be preferred to win the PGA Tour Fedexcup again and occupy a key role for the United States team at the Ryder Cup in September, before the major season in 2026 gave it the opportunity to become the seventh in the modern era to finish the Grand Chlem.

“Obviously, if he continues to be done as he is, we will all look back and talk about him in the same breath as some of the greats of all time, and he played in our generation,” said Tommy Fleetwood.

McILroy, who will be difficult to scheffler at the Ryder Cup and the majors of next year, added: “I think everything you can do is admire what it does and how it does it. I think what he does is one thing, but how he does, that’s another.

“He is just going to his business, does nothing too flamboyant, but he is the best to perform in the game right now. All you can do is tip your cap and look in admiration.”

The comparisons between Scheffler and Woods take place regularly, but each victory only adds fuel to the fire of him being the best that the game has seen since the 15 times major champion.

Look at Scottie Scheffler in PGA Tour Action this season and the Ryder Cup live on Sky Sports. Distrust the PGA Tour, the majors and the best the best sport without a contract.