Masterful Scheffler grabs one-shot lead after day two at Open Championship
Three-time major winner and world number one Scottie Scheffler moved into the lead at the 153rd Open Championship with a sublime second round at Portrush in Northern Ireland on Friday
- Jul 19, 2025,
- Updated Jul 19, 2025 5:00 PM IST
Tournament favourite and world number one Scottie Scheffler of the United States powered into the lead in pouring rain on day two of the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, setting the bar for the final two rounds of the year’s final major championship.
At the other end of the scale, two-time US Open winner and LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau scrambled past the cut line that fell at 1 over par 143, sending 71 from a field of 156 into the weekend rounds.
On Friday, Scheffler fired a masterful 7 under 64 that included eight birdies and one dropped shot, picking up four strokes in his final five holes at the Dunluce Links. Behind him, home favourite Rory McIlroy survived yet another day of fluctuating fortunes to sit seven shots off the pace.
At 10 under 132, Scheffler is a stroke clear of Matt Fitzpatrick (66), who is looking to become the first Englishman to win the Open since Nick Faldo did so 33 years ago. In tied third place on 8 under 134 were 2023 winner Brian Harman of the US who shot a bogey-free 65 on Friday, and China’s Li Haotong.
Three-time major champion Scheffler (68-64), who is hunting his first Open title, had four birdies on either nine against one bogey in a sublime display of stroke-making and putting. "I felt like I hit a few more fairways than I did yesterday, hit some really nice iron shots, and was able to hole some putts," he said later.
"We only had maybe four or five holes where it was really coming down, and I was able to take advantage of the holes where we had some good weather. When we were teeing off, depending on what weather forecast you looked at, it was going to tell you something different.
“It was super sunny when we were on the driving range, I'm out there in short sleeves, it's warm out. Then we get to the 1st hole, it's still sunny. Then all of a sudden, you look around and it's super dark and it starts pouring rain. You're like, boy, I wonder how long this is going to last.
"Fortunately, it didn't pour the whole time. We only had maybe four or five holes where it was really coming down, and I was able to take advantage of the holes where we had some good weather.”
US Open winner in 2022, Fitzpatrick (67-66) had four birdies on his outbound nine holes and another four in a row after the turn but was held back by three bogies including one that ended teh birdie sequence on the back nine but he rebounded with a massive par putt on hole 18.
"Giving myself an opportunity to win the golf tournament, but there's still a hell of a long way to go," the Englishman said. "The aim of the game is to stay in it for as long as possible and hopefully you can pull away right at the death.”
Behind him, Li (67-67) had up five birdies in his first 12 holes, but bogeyed the 14th hole for his first dropped shot of the tournament. "Very pleased, I didn't expect this," said Li. "Actually, the last few holes being quite easy I got lucky."
Placed alongside Li, Harman who won the Claret Jug two years, was bogey-free in his 6 under 71. "I love the golf over here," the slim left-hander who strikingly resembles former Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting, said. "It suits me. Distance, of course, matters over here, but it doesn't matter as much as maybe some other tournaments because the ground is so firm that the ball rolls.”
If he does go on to win, Harman would become the 28th multiple winner of The Open and the first since Ernie Els in 2012.
A raft of past winners and big names, however, failed to survive Friday’s cut that fell at 1 over 143 including Collin Morikawa, Darren Clarke, Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink, Louis Oosthuizen, Padraig Harrington and Cameron Smith.
Also missing out on the weekend action were major champions Adam Scott, Jason Day, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed.
Tournament favourite and world number one Scottie Scheffler of the United States powered into the lead in pouring rain on day two of the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, setting the bar for the final two rounds of the year’s final major championship.
At the other end of the scale, two-time US Open winner and LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau scrambled past the cut line that fell at 1 over par 143, sending 71 from a field of 156 into the weekend rounds.
On Friday, Scheffler fired a masterful 7 under 64 that included eight birdies and one dropped shot, picking up four strokes in his final five holes at the Dunluce Links. Behind him, home favourite Rory McIlroy survived yet another day of fluctuating fortunes to sit seven shots off the pace.
At 10 under 132, Scheffler is a stroke clear of Matt Fitzpatrick (66), who is looking to become the first Englishman to win the Open since Nick Faldo did so 33 years ago. In tied third place on 8 under 134 were 2023 winner Brian Harman of the US who shot a bogey-free 65 on Friday, and China’s Li Haotong.
Three-time major champion Scheffler (68-64), who is hunting his first Open title, had four birdies on either nine against one bogey in a sublime display of stroke-making and putting. "I felt like I hit a few more fairways than I did yesterday, hit some really nice iron shots, and was able to hole some putts," he said later.
"We only had maybe four or five holes where it was really coming down, and I was able to take advantage of the holes where we had some good weather. When we were teeing off, depending on what weather forecast you looked at, it was going to tell you something different.
“It was super sunny when we were on the driving range, I'm out there in short sleeves, it's warm out. Then we get to the 1st hole, it's still sunny. Then all of a sudden, you look around and it's super dark and it starts pouring rain. You're like, boy, I wonder how long this is going to last.
"Fortunately, it didn't pour the whole time. We only had maybe four or five holes where it was really coming down, and I was able to take advantage of the holes where we had some good weather.”
US Open winner in 2022, Fitzpatrick (67-66) had four birdies on his outbound nine holes and another four in a row after the turn but was held back by three bogies including one that ended teh birdie sequence on the back nine but he rebounded with a massive par putt on hole 18.
"Giving myself an opportunity to win the golf tournament, but there's still a hell of a long way to go," the Englishman said. "The aim of the game is to stay in it for as long as possible and hopefully you can pull away right at the death.”
Behind him, Li (67-67) had up five birdies in his first 12 holes, but bogeyed the 14th hole for his first dropped shot of the tournament. "Very pleased, I didn't expect this," said Li. "Actually, the last few holes being quite easy I got lucky."
Placed alongside Li, Harman who won the Claret Jug two years, was bogey-free in his 6 under 71. "I love the golf over here," the slim left-hander who strikingly resembles former Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting, said. "It suits me. Distance, of course, matters over here, but it doesn't matter as much as maybe some other tournaments because the ground is so firm that the ball rolls.”
If he does go on to win, Harman would become the 28th multiple winner of The Open and the first since Ernie Els in 2012.
A raft of past winners and big names, however, failed to survive Friday’s cut that fell at 1 over 143 including Collin Morikawa, Darren Clarke, Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink, Louis Oosthuizen, Padraig Harrington and Cameron Smith.
Also missing out on the weekend action were major champions Adam Scott, Jason Day, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed.