Scottie Scheffler's steady demeanor a key element as he defends Open title

For as grandiose as the walk up to the 18th hole at The Open Championship is, Scottie Scheffler made it feel almost anticlimactic in last year’s final round at Royal Portrush Golf Club.

Scheffler had made sure there would be minimal suspense. Entering Sunday with a four-stroke lead, he had an ironclad grip atop the leaderboard. With the way he had played all week at Royal Portrush, the finale felt all but decided.

Turning one of the greatest walks in golf into a casual stroll, Scheffler secured his fourth career major title and his second of 2025. His dominating performance made him the third golfer, alongside an elite class comprised of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to win four majors by three strokes or more. Additionally, he became the fourth player behind Nicklaus, Woods and Gary Player to win the Masters, PGA Championship and The Open before their 30th birthday.

Cruising to a four-shot win over Harris English to further cement his status as the top-ranked player in the world, Scheffler didn't need to add many words. His play already spoke for itself. It was Scheffler’s own nature, stoic and steady, that defined his performance across the four days of play.

“This was, I felt like, one of my best performances mentally,” Scheffler said. “We did a really good job of staying in it all week.”

While Scheffler charged steadily forward, frustration mounted in his tracks.

“How do you beat this guy?” asked English, who finished runner-up to Scheffler for the second time in a span of three majors.

Scheffler gained control of the lead in the third round at Royal Portrush, moving from one shot ahead to four clear of the field heading into Sunday. The American started the final round on a tear, with three birdies through the first five holes, creating as much as a seven-stroke separation between himself and second place.

Then came the eighth hole, a 464-yard par-4 that saw Scheffler’s seemingly only hiccup from the weekend. His tee shot flew into the fairway bunker, and his second shot ricocheted back like a boomerang after hitting the lip of the bunker. Those two blemishes led to a double bogey on Scheffler’s card, cutting his lead down to four strokes.

“I made a double on a hole where I felt like I was going to have a good chance to make a birdie,” Scheffler said. “You just don't know what's going to happen, so it doesn't ever really feel like the tournament's won sometimes until the ball is in the hole.”

That’s when Scheffler needed a steady hand the most, and he answered immediately. He left himself 95 yards off the tee on the ninth hole, methodically flipping his wedge to 5 feet and draining the putt for a bounce-back birdie.

His approach to the rest of the round was surgical. Nothing flashy from the Texas native, but that’s because he didn’t have to be—his consistency amidst the chaos had already done enough. Despite finding awkward positions off the 11th and 14th tee, the danger was fleeting, as Scheffler saved par on both holes. Even the 16th hole, deemed “Calamity Corner,” couldn't stand in his way. He landed his tee shot within 12 yards of the pin and two-putted for an easy par.

As the gallery circling the 18th green rose to its feet for Scheffler’s final putt, the newly-crowned Champion Golfer of the Year never gave way to an equally energetic celebration. Just a slight grin and head shake, followed by an embrace with his caddie, Ted Scott.

His hands draped around the claret jug without an emotional outpour, not from a lack of excitement, but because the measured expression that got him there never left. It’s a microcosm of Scheffler’s career, as he accumulated 19 consecutive top-25 finishes since his win before last week’s missed cut, with the same dialed demeanor.

By Scheffler’s standards, the past six months have been unusual, going without a trip to the winner’s circle despite high placements. Scheffler will look to break through at Royal Birkdale, where he’ll try to be the first to defend his Open title since Padraig Harrington did so in 2008.

“The heart's never satisfied, and we're always looking for more,” Scheffler said ahead of this year’s Open Championship. “But that's also kind of the fun part — the chase.”

The walk won’t get any shorter this time around. The question is whether Scheffler can make it look just as ordinary again.