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Scottie Scheffler of the United States celebrates with the Claret Jug trophy after winning The 153rd Open Championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, Northern Ireland, on July 20. [REUTERS\/YONHAP]<\/p>\n
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Scottie Scheffler left no doubt at Royal Portrush: Golf\u2019s top player is building a legacy that won\u2019t wait.
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The world\u2019s No. 1 golfer from the United States won the 153rd Open Championship on Sunday at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, adding a fourth major title to his surging career and moving one step closer to a career Grand Slam.
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Scheffler closed with a final-round 68 to finish at 17-under-par, four strokes clear of fellow American Harris English. The win marks his fourth victory this season and 17th career title. Already a two-time Masters champion with wins at the PGA Championship and now The Open, Scheffler needs only a U.S. Open title to complete the sport\u2019s most exclusive collection.
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He began the final round with a four-shot lead and wasted little time extending it. By the fourth hole, Scheffler was up seven strokes. Rory McIlroy, aiming for an early charge to challenge the leader, failed to close the gap, and China\u2019s Li Haotong \u2014 playing alongside Scheffler \u2014 was unable to sustain the form that had earned him the nickname \u201cScheffler slayer\u201d in playful Wikipedia edits during the tournament.
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A rare stumble came at the eighth, where Scheffler\u2019s approach from a fairway bunker hit the lip, leading to a double bogey and trimming his lead to four. But he rebounded immediately with a birdie on the ninth and maintained control the rest of the way. Scheffler led the field in strokes gained on approach at plus-9.1 and ranked second in putting at plus-8.5, a performance that underlined his dominance.
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Scottie Scheffler of the United States tees off the sixth hole during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, on July 20. [AP\/YONHAP]<\/p>\n
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The championship unfolded without major surprises, largely shaped by Scheffler\u2019s steady play.
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With Sunday\u2019s win, Scheffler took home $3.1 million, bringing his official career earnings to over $90 million. Though comparisons to Tiger Woods have circulated since last year, Scheffler has downplayed them, citing his own measured outlook.
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Im Sung-jae of Korea plays out of the rough on the eighth hole during the second round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, on July 18. [AP\/YONHAP]<\/p>\n
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\u201cI can\u2019t wait to get home and celebrate this championship with the people that have helped me along the way,\u201d he said after the victory. \u201cBut at the end of the day, it doesn\u2019t fulfill the deepest desires of my heart.\u201d
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Harris English, who also finished runner-up to Scheffler at the PGA Championship in May, claimed second at 13-under. McIlroy tied for seventh at 10-under, while Korea\u2019s Im Sung-jae, after a final-round slide, finished even-par and tied for 52nd. Im, who had expressed confidence ahead of the day, opened with a double bogey after finding a bunker off the tee on the first hole and was unable to recover. <\/p>\n