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By Julio Cesar Valdera Morales
Contributing Sports Writer
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As he is almost every week, Scottie Scheffler is the heavy favorite to win the Open Championship (+250 to win according to FanDuel). During the first round, the World No. 1 didn't disappoint and performed well in tough weather conditions.
Scheffler got off to a flying start, with two bogey-free birdies through the eighth hole. Closing the front nine, his putter failed him and he three-putted inside 6 feet for bogey on the ninth, but quickly recovered with a birdie on the 10th.
One hole later, Scheffler sent his tee shot 244 yards into the rough to the right of the fairway, needing three shots to reach the green. He then two-putted for his second bogey of the day.
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However, this would be the last major error for the three-time major champion, who posted two bogey-free birdies on the next seven holes to finish at 3-under for the round.
Scottie Scheffler: "The Rain Adds a Whole New Element"
With that score, Scheffler sits tied for sixth, just one stroke behind the five players tied for first place, with the round yet to finish.
As he explained in the post-round interview, the Ridgewood, N.J., native had to deal with rain between holes 7 and 13, which likely contributed to his two bogeys of the day. Wind was also present at Royal Portrush.
"(The biggest challenge weather condition-wise was) probably the rain," Scheffler told reporters during his post-round presser. "Wind is something that obviously makes links golf challenging, but the rain adds a whole new element to it, especially when you're hitting the tee balls. You get a little moisture between the club face and the ball, especially with the longer clubs and the woods, and it can be pretty challenging."
"We played basically 7 through 13 in the rain. A little bit of rain to start the round on 1 and 2. A little over half the round, which is challenging."
Naturally, Scheffler said he was very pleased with his result of the day in such conditions.
"I drove it pretty good. ...When it's raining sideways, it's actually, believe it or not, not that easy to get the ball in the fairway," Scheffler told reporters. "But yeah, 3-under par. Felt like I hit the ball nice off the tee. ... I felt like I hit a lot of good tee shots, hit the ball really solid, so definitely a good bit of confidence for the next couple rounds."
Scheffler is seeking his fourth major championship and the third leg of the Career Grand Slam. He already has the Masters Tournament (2022, 2024) and PGA Championship (2025) titles in his trophy case.
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