Death, taxes, and Scottie Scheffler sitting at the top of a leaderboard in a major championship.
Few things in life are certain, but Scheffler proved again Friday he's one of them with a sizzling 64 at Royal Portrush to hold the solo 36-hole lead over Matt Fitzpatrick at the Open Championship. The round is Scheffler's lowest of his major championship career, and his eight birdies on the day match his record in a major.
Battling through heavy rain for portions of the back nine, Scheffler passed Fitzpatrick, Brian Harman, and Haotong Li with birdies on two of his final three holes. Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre headline the group tied for fifth, while Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele are in a pack seven shots off the pace at 3-under.
| Place | Player | Round 2 score | Total to par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scottie Scheffler | 64 | -10 |
| 2 | Matt Fitzpatrick | 66 | -9 |
| T-3 | Brian Harman | 65 | -8 |
| T-3 | Haotong Li | 67 | -8 |
| T-5 | Rasmus Hojgaard | 68 | -5 |
| T-5 | Robert MacIntyre | 66 | -5 |
| T-5 | Tyrrell Hatton | 69 | -5 |
| T-5 | Chris Gotterup | 65 | -5 |
| T-10 | Tony Finau | 68 | -4 |
| T-10 | Nicolai Hojgaard | 69 | -4 |
| T-12 | Rory McIlroy | 69 | -3 |
| T-12 | Keegan Bradley | 67 | -3 |
| T-12 | Lee Westwood | 70 | -3 |
| T-12 | Sam Burns | 69 | -3 |
| T-12 | Jordan Smith | 68 | -3 |
The performance was vintage Scheffler right from the start. The World No. 1 sent a warning shot to the rest of the field by converting a birdie on the first hole before adding three more over the next six.
Most of the golfing world knows that Scheffler is the favorite to win even if he turns in an average putting performance, but his comfort on the greens led to his results Friday. He finished his round leading the tournament in putting, a strong stat made even more impressive by the fact that he's also leading in approach.
Fitzpatrick, one of five co-leaders after Round 1, made his push a few groups ahead of Scheffler and will chase his second career major from the final group Saturday alongside the American. While the Englishman has struggled over the past two seasons, he's again flashing the all-around form that led him to the 2022 U.S. Open title.
The same can be said for Harman, the 2023 Open champion. He flashed his vast arsenal of shots for links golf Friday, hunting flagsticks all day en route to a 6-under 65. Harman displayed the same control over his golf ball that we saw over four days during his win at Royal Liverpool two years ago, and he should be considered a serious threat to keep Scheffler nervous this weekend.
Anyone outside the top three will need a massive effort this week to make a push, with Scheffler nearly impossible to catch on level terms.
Although McIlroy is likely the headliner among the candidates who could close the gap, the five-time major winner didn't make up enough ground Friday to be considered a serious contender. McIlroy gave himself plenty of birdie looks in the second round but could only muster a 2-under 69 and is seven back.
