Shane Lowry thinks Rory McIlroy has said something about Scottie Scheffler at The Open which he’ll already ‘regret’

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Rory McIlroy is among the players looking to chase down leader Scottie Scheffler in the final round of The Open.

Scheffler has been warned The Open isn’t over, but he starts his Sunday at Royal Portrush with a four-shot lead.

The world number one begins his day on 14-under, with world number two McIlroy six shots behind The Open leader.

Scheffler is currently chasing a maiden success at The Open, a tournament that Shane Lowry won in 2019 when it was last hosted at Royal Portrush.

McIlroy meanwhile has won the major championship on two occasions, and now has an outside chance of a third Claret Jug.

Shane Lowry thinks Rory McIlroy may regret his verdict on Scottie Scheffler

But his close friend Lowry thinks he’s made a mistake off the course, with McIlroy calling Scheffler ‘inevitable’ after his third round.

And Lowry, who was paired with Scheffler for rounds one and two this week, has now shared exactly how it feels to play with the American in his current form.

READ MORE: Sir Nick Faldo thinks Scottie Scheffler could do what only six players in golf history have in the next two years

Speaking after his final round, the Irishman said: “I played with him the first two days, and honestly I thought he was going to birdie every hole.

“It was incredible to watch. I said to Bones (Jim “Bones” Mackay) actually, he was with our group, we talked about it, I saw his comments yesterday, it is incredible to watch.

“I wouldn’t say he’s unbeatable because he’s been beaten a few times, but when he’s like that, when he starts getting on that roll, he’s a hard person to beat.

“Even like today, you look at the scoreboard and sort of think… I think, if Rory can get off to a really hot start and get the crowd behind him, it might make it difficult for Scottie, but people make it difficult for him all the time, and he comes out the other side of it. So who knows?”

And offering his take on McIlroy’s one-word description of Scheffler, Lowry noted: “I saw that interview, and I thought he probably regrets saying that word.

“I think… yeah, it’s… honestly I think, if we… if Scottie’s feet stayed stable and his swing looked like Adam Scott’s, we’d be talking about him in the same words as Tiger Woods.

“I just think because it doesn’t look so perfect, we don’t talk about him like that. I think he’s just incredible to watch, and his bad shots are really good. That’s when you know he’s really good.”

What is Scottie Scheffler’s history at The Open as he closes in on the Claret Jug?

McIlroy’s latest appraisal of his fierce rival Scheffler certainly does seem appropriate at this moment in time.

But the Northern Irishman will be hoping that isn’t the case on Sunday, where he needs an early swing in momentum to really have a chance of toppling the leader.

READ MORE: Shane Lowry reveals what he told Rory McIlroy before the final round at The Open as he looks to catch Scottie Scheffler

Fortunately, The Masters champion does have the advantage of home support, with most of the crowd set to follow his final round instead of Scheffler’s.

But even that may not faze the American, who has been locked in at The Open so far with rounds of 68, 64 and 67.

It is, of course, not over yet, and at this stage it isn’t even McIlroy who poses the greatest threat to the frontrunner in terms of the leaderboard.

Haotong Li, who is paired with Scheffler on Sunday in Northern Ireland, starts four shots back, with Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton also among a talented chasing pack.