“World No. 1 Scheffler Poised for Epic Open Championship Win!”

American Scottie Scheffler is just two shots off the lead after a level-par third round of 71, positioning himself as a strong contender for his second major win of the year.

Scheffler, the world No. 1, was already a looming presence before the final pairing of Dan Brown and Shane Lowry struggled in the gathering darkness at Troon’s 18th hole last night. Now, only two shots back after a level-par round in brutal conditions, Scheffler is a serious threat to claim his first Open Championship title, and the rest of the field should be on high alert.

Remarkably, Scheffler has positioned himself without drawing much attention. Like a stealthy assassin, he has quietly advanced, going largely unnoticed. On Saturday, the world No. 1 continued to operate under the radar, conducting his play quietly and efficiently.

Though a level-par round may not seem extraordinary, most low scores were posted earlier in the day when conditions were more favorable. Scheffler’s round was impressive considering the weather, particularly on the back nine, which he described as “the hardest nine holes I’ll ever play.” He played these final holes in just one-over-par, with bogeys at the 13th and 15th holes, but regained a shot with a sensational three-wood off the tee at the par-three 17th, hitting to two feet before tapping in for birdie.
https://x.com/TheOpen/status/1814730841399976277?t=XwqaJ4j0EMYQnSx6uLM9hA&s=19

“I probably don’t hit a 3-wood on a par-3 very often,” Scheffler said, describing the challenging cold, wet conditions. “I probably don’t hit driver and a 3-wood really solid on a par-4 and don’t get there in two, either, which is what happened at 15.”

“At 18, I hit a good driver and a really hard 3-iron. I’m hitting that 3-iron super low and as hard as I can, and yesterday Jordan [Spieth] hit a driver there and had 30, 40 yards to the front edge. It was a 160- to 170-yard difference in length off the tee there, from his drive yesterday to my drive today. Yeah, it was pretty wild out there, but I did a good job of grinding it out.”

Despite his stellar play, Scheffler’s putter has been cold. If his putting had been sharper, he might be leading by now. He ranks 114th in the field in putting this week but has maintained composure despite missed birdie opportunities. “I think about the putts I hit on eight and nine where I look up and think it’s going in and it lips out,” he said. “It can be frustrating, but I felt like today was another one of those days where I did a really good job of not getting overly frustrated, staying in a good head space, and staying in the tournament.”

Scheffler’s ability to stay focused is exceptional. Few golfers could be arrested for second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals, as he was at the US PGA in May, and still shoot a 66 in a major championship hours later.

On Saturday, Scheffler arrived at Troon looking as if he might have spent the night at a local jailhouse. One might have feared he caught the bug that caused his caddie, Ted Scott, to lie down intermittently during Friday’s second round. However, from the moment Scheffler hit an iron up the first fairway in heavy rain, it was clear he was laser-focused. Despite birdie putts refusing to drop, his accuracy ensured the rest of the field came back to him.

“I got a good amount of guys in front of me,” Scheffler reflected. “But my goal going into the back nine was to stay in the tournament and steal some shots where I could. There wasn’t much to steal on the back nine, so it was good getting in. Other than the missed short putt on 15 where I got a bit distracted, it was a really solid back nine.”

Coincidentally, the last person to win six tournaments by this stage in a year was Arnold Palmer in 1962, who won his seventh at The Open at Troon. If Scheffler brings his putter on Sunday, the rest of the field should be prepared for a fierce competition.