Scottie Scheffler heads into The Open Championship at Royal Portrush as the overwhelming favourite to win.
Scheffler has only played four Open Championships in the past, with his first one coming at Royal St Georges in 2021.
So the 29-year-old American has actually never played at Royal Portrush before, certainly not in a competitive environment.
Scheffler really struggled with his putting at The Scottish Open last week, but he still finished in a tie for 8th.
The man from Dallas, Texas, is an elite ball striker and when he putts even to an average standard, he usually wins.
Scheffler cut a very frustrated figure at the Scottish Open last week, but what makes him so great is his ability to put a bad performance, by his standards at least, behind him very quickly.
And he will need to lean on that strength this week in Northern Ireland.
Scottie Scheffler spots something unusual about Royal Portrush ahead of The Open
Scheffler is a baby in golfing terms, relatively speaking, when it comes to his experience of playing Open Championships.
However, he is a quick learner, and it’s worth noting that he hasn’t finished outside of the top-23 in all four of the Opens that he has played so far.
This week will be his first time playing links golf in Ireland, and he told reporters on Tuesday that he has already noticed something a ‘bit unusual’ about Portrush.
Scheffler said: “It fits my strengths because I like to do things very creatively but one of my weaknesses is that it’s still a bit fresh. My first time playing links golf was when I was a professional, I never came over when I was an amateur. I feel like I’m learning more and more each time I come over here.
“Each golf course is very different too. Irish links I would say so far is quite a bit different to Scottish links. It’s a bit greener over here, you have to play a lot more shots into the air. This golf course has some false fronts on the greens, which I would say is a bit unusual. People talk about running it up but it’s quite difficult to run it up when there’s a false front, especially if you’re playing into the wind.“
That is actually a great observation from Scheffler and it is why Portrush plays so difficult when the wind gets up.
Trying to chase a ball in low under the wind when the green has a false front is no easy task. If anyone can navigate their way around the golf course though, it’s Scheffler.
Xander Schauffele’s 2024 stats prove Scottie Scheffler is primed to win The Open
Schauffele won The Open at Royal Troon last year.
Entering the week in Scotland, Schauffele was the only player who was ranked inside the top-40 on the PGA Tour for the season in strokes gained off the tee, approach, around the green and putting.
Guess who is the only player inside the top-40 in all of those categories this season? That’s right, it’s Scheffler.
If the American plays anywhere near his best this week, there is every chance he will be lifting the Claret Jug on Sunday.
Scheffler has all of the tools needed to succeed at The Open, and nobody should be surprised if he wins his fourth major title this week.
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