It is hard to imagine that Rory McIlroy has had too many occasions in his career where he has been tied for fourth heading into Sunday of a major and felt more pessimistic about his chances, given that he is trying to catch Scottie Scheffler at The Open Championship.
Scottie Scheffler looks to be on course to secure a fourth major title on Sunday. The world number one is four shots clear of anyone else at Royal Portrush and has barely put a foot wrong in The Open Championship.
Scheffler made 15 pars on Saturday in Northern Ireland, and saw his lead increase by three. He will be teeing it up in the final group alongside Haotong Li.
Rory McIlroy and Matthew Fitzpatrick will be in the penultimate group of the day. And it seems fair to say that most of the galleries will be following McIlroy in the hope that he can produce one of the most remarkable comebacks in major championship history.
How Scottie Scheffler is expected to deal with the Royal Portrush crowds during the final round of The Open Championship
If it was anyone else at the top of the leaderboard, you would surely fancy the 36-year-old’s chances a lot more. McIlroy’s eagle on Saturday seemed to stop everyone in their tracks out on the course.
But speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast, Rex Hoggard admitted that he is not sure that Scheffler will be affected by the support for McIlroy as he looks to get across the line.
“The crowd will be fun to watch. I went out and watched Rory for a couple holes today just to see what it looked like for him to be in the middle of that. To have all of Northern Ireland behind you and screaming for you,” he said.
“There have been times in my career where I feel like you could physically feel the difference in a cheer. Normally it’s at a Ryder Cup. Sometimes it was at The Masters. I have never felt something like that though. When he holed the birdie putt at six today, you could feel it across the entire golf course. When he holed the eagle putt, you could feel it across the entire golf course.
“He is playing just one group ahead of Scottie Scheffler. He will feel that but I just don’t know if it will have any impact.
“Scottie seems so walled off to anything that isn’t the process. He leaned into that a couple of times in his post round interview – I am going to depend on the process and execute. It sounds simple and cliche but that’s Scottie.”
Why Rory McIlroy may have missed his best chance to pile the pressure on Scottie Scheffler
Perhaps McIlroy may have already missed his final opportunity to pile the pressure on Scheffler. Obviously, he would have preferred the gap between the two to be smaller, but it seems that that is not the only hurdle he could have done with clearing.
Ryan Lavner noted that McIlroy would have had a better chance in a duel with Scheffler if they were actually in the same pairing on Sunday.
“If Rory goes out and plays a really fast, upbeat first seven holes I would say, where you have two par fives, a drivable par four, if you put the ball on the fairway on one that becomes a birdie chance as well,” he said.
“If he starts by whipping this crowd into a frenzy I think that is the only chance that these pursuers have because Scottie is going to hear the noise, particularly if it’s a player like Rory. That could put on more pressure.
“Now Scottie might be thinking the scores are out there, I can do that too.
“But if all of a sudden these guys can turn that deficit from four shots to three, two and one, I think it just creates a bit more doubt.
“Think about what happened at the PGA Championship, Scheffler had a stumble out of the gate and Jon Rahm was able to catch him at the turn. That’s the only hope.
“If Rory McIlroy could somehow get into the final group I do think that was going to have made a difference. That was going to require a lot, like a 63, or some help from Haotong Li or Matt Fitzpatrick.
“I do think that could have made a tangible difference, whereas I don’t think Haotong Li is going to have that effect on Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick as was proven in the third round, Scottie dusting him by four shots, I don’t think that would have made a difference.
“But having a hometown kid was 50,000 fans clearly, decisively and positively behind him, I think could have potentially created absolutely scenes the likes we have not seen all season long but I think that could potentially with the momentum and pressure created a bit of a different atmosphere.
“Now they are separated by a group he is going to be aware of what Rory McIlroy is doing but I don’t think it has quite the same competitive tension as if they were together.”
It does appear that the chasing pack are going to require a favour from Scheffler if they are going to stand any chance.
But as Lavner notes, Scheffler opened the door for Rahm at Quail Hollow.
If he opens the door again on Sunday, it is frightening to think of what the atmosphere will be like if it is McIlroy preparing himself to barge through – with the whole of Northern Ireland behind him.
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