Royal Portrush and the conditions in Northern Ireland have been a beast for the best golfers in a world to fight through, but entering the final 36 holes at The Open Championship, the No. 1 golfer in the world stands in the No. 1 position on the leaderboard. Scottie Scheffler shot the best round of his major career to slide into the top spot in the competition to crown the Champion Golfer of the Year.
Now all Scheffler needs to do is hold on through Moving Day and Sunday’s final round to come out on top, clinching his second major season and the third leg of the career grand slam. While Scheffler is firmly in the driver’s seat, there is plenty of competition behind him as play opens Saturday. Matt Fitzpatrick is right on Scheffler’s heels just one stroke back of the lead, while 2021 Open champion Brian Harman and HaoTong Li are two behind. There’s a stacked group five shots behind at T5, and local product Rory McIlroy leads golfers including Keegan Bradley and Sam Burns who are seven back of Scheffler as Moving Day begins. While that may seem like a formidable margin, McIlroy holds the Royal Portrush court record with a 61, and the hometown fans could certainly moe him toward making a run over the next 36 holes.
With golf beginning early Saturday morning in the United States and set to conclude in the late afternoon, you will not want to miss a moment whether you’re waking up, procrastinating at work or simply seeking an in-depth second-screen experience. Keep it locked here for live coverage The Open, including leaderboard updates, statistics, analysis and highlights throughout Round 3. Check The Open TV schedule and coverage guide so you can watch as much golf as possible through the weekend.