Scottie Scheffler scored a bogey-free, 4-under 67 featuring an eagle at the par-5 7th to reach 14-under and take a four-shot lead into the final day at the Open Championship.
“I had two really nice par saves on the back nine that were key. I made a nice eight-ish footer on 11, another one on 14, so two really important putts I felt like,” said Scheffler.
“I think anytime you can keep a clean card around a major championship, you’re going to be having a pretty good day.”
199 is a personal-best 54-hole score in a major championship for Scheffler (previous: 202/three times, most recently at the 2025 PGA Championship/won).
“I think there’s some pretty subtle slopes in these greens,” he added. “I’ve done a really good job just being committed to my line. Today I hit some good putts to start the round. I had a little three-putt there on the second hole, but I felt like I hit two putts the way I wanted to and I didn’t let it bother me. I made a really nice putt there on the third hole to keep the momentum going. It was a little 10-footer for par, and that was what I felt like was a really important putt, and knocked it in. Then after that I felt like I did some good things out there.
“I think anytime we’re going around the course I’m trying to take advantage of my opportunities. Sometimes I do a better job of that than other times. If you look at the first six holes, I felt like I did some things good enough to make a few birdies and wasn’t able to capitalise, and then all of a sudden on 7 and 8 I get three shots in two holes. It’s more just a matter of trying to make the best of the opportunities that you can get, and sometimes I’m good at it, sometimes not as good.”
With rounds of 68-64-67, the American World Number 1 will attempt to become the seventh Open Championship winner to record four rounds in the 60s (most recent: Collin Morikawa/2021).
A win on Sunday would mark his third season with four or more wins (2022/4, 2024/7, 2025/currently 3, The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, PGA Championship, the Memorial Tournament).
Scheffler has finished inside the top-25 in all fifteen starts this season and enters the week with ten consecutive top-10 finishes.
China’s Haotong Li made four birdies and two bogeys to move into second place at 10-under. He is making his sixth appearance at The Open Championship, with a third-place finish in his debut appearance at the 2017 Open his best finish on the PGA Tour by a player from China.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick fired an eagle at the par-5 2nd as well as two birdies and four bogeys for a 71 and trails Scheffler by five shots. He is making his tenth start at The Open Championship, with a T20 at Royal Portrush in 2019 his best finish.
2025 Masters Tournament champion and World No. 2 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland signed for a 66 having made an eagle at the par-5 12th, four birdies and one bogey for a share of fourth place at 8-under.
Following a T4 finish at the US Open, England’s Tyrrell Hatton eagled the par-5 7th and made two birdies and one bogey for a 68 and a share of fourth place. He is attempting to record back-to-back top-10 finishes for the second time in 42 major championship starts (2016 Open Championship/T5, 2016 PGA Championship/T10).
Genesis Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup and fellow American Harris English both carded 68s to join the tie for fourth place. Gotterup eagled the par-5 12th and made three birdies and two bogeys while English made a single bogey.
England’s John Parry aced the par-3 13th hole with an 8-iron from 192 yards and lies in T29 at 3-under. This marks the 31st ace at The Open since records have been officially kept since 1981 (51st including those known about before 1981).
Related: Which LIV Golfers made the cut at the Open?
A total of 11 LIV Golfers made the cut at the Open Championship