Scottie Scheffler kept a cool hand on the tiller to stay on course for his first British Open title with a serene 67 on a spectacular day of shot-making in Saturday's third round.
Birdies and eagles rained down on a sun-kissed Royal Portrush links with home favourite Rory McIlroy, England's Tyrrell Hatton and defending champion Xander Schauffele all tucking in to the scoring feast. Thunderous roars wafted across the County Antrim coast, the loudest for some McIlroy magic, but world number one Scheffler was laser-focused to move to 14 under par and a four-stroke lead heading to the final day.
Barring a sudden loss of form by the three-times major champion, the last round looks like being a scrap for the minor places, although Scheffler is not out of sight. China's Li Haotong stayed cool to maintain his challenge, a round of 69 taking him to 10 under par with England's Matt Fitzpatrick a further shot back after a disappointing 71.
Northern Ireland's McIlroy's five-under 66 kept alive his hope of lifting the Claret Jug on home soil, 11 years after his previous British Open title. He is in a group on eight under with Americans Chris Gotterup and Harris English, and Hatton.
Relive all the action, third-round leaderboard and scores from Royal Portrush below:
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The Open 2025 - Round 3
- The Open prize money: How much does the winner take home?
- Leaderboard: -14 Scheffler; -10: Li; -9: Fitzpatrick; -8: Hatton, McIlroy, Gotterup, English; -7: Schauffele
- Hole in one! Parry sparks wild celebrations after stunning shot on the 192-yard 13th
- Report: Rory McIlroy overcomes the bizarre to conjure thrilling charge at The Open
Tyrrell Hatton on the challenge of catching Scottie Scheffler
00:20
,
Jack Rathborn
“To be honest, I saw the leaderboards out there. You kind of know that there's opportunities and you're sort of expecting guys to be making birdies, to be honest.
“So it's not surprising, especially with Scottie going out there and playing really well today. From my side, seeing the leaders getting a little bit further away, it didn't change how I went and played the next hole.
“I was still just playing it as I would if I was 70th in the tournament. It didn't change how I played.”
23:00
,
Jack Rathborn
1010 Akshay Bhatia, United States; Jon Rahm, Spain
1020 Jesper Svensson, Sweden; Thriston Lawrence, South Africa
1030 Bryson DeChambeau, United States; Nathan Kimsey, England
1040 Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Tony Finau, United States
1050 Justin Thomas, United States; Tommy Fleetwood, England
1100 JJ Spaun, United States; John Parry, England
1110 Keegan Bradley, United States; Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Africa
1125 Marc Leishamn, Australia; Lucas Glover, United States
1135 Sungjae Im, South Korea; Dustin Johnson, United States
1145 Corey Conners, Canada; Lee Westwood, England
1155 Harry Hall, England; Justin Rose, England
1205 Ludvig Aberg, Sweden; Kristoffer Reitan, Norway
1215 Oliver Lindell, Finland; Matt Wallace, England
1225 Wyndham Clark, United States; Brian Harman, United States
1240 Rasmus Hojgaard, Denmark; Robert MacIntyre, Scotland
1250 Nicolai Hojgaard, Denmark; Russell Henley, United States;
1300 Xander Schauffele, United States; Tyrrell Hatton, England
1310 Harris English, United States; Chris Gotterup, United States
1320 Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Matt Fitzpatrick, England;
1330 Li Haotong, China; Scottie Scheffler, United States
The Open Championship 2025 - latest odds
22:17
,
Jack Rathborn
Scottie Scheffler 1/6
Rory McIlroy 20/1
Haotong Li 25/1
Matt Fitzpatrick 28/1
Tyrrell Hatton 45/1
Chris Gotterup 75/1
Xander Schauffele 80/1
Harris English 90/1
Odds via Betfair
Scottie Scheffler on letting his wind wander in rounds
22:00
,
Jack Rathborn
“I think it would be silly to say that you can never let your mind wander, but I think most of what I can control is the time I have when we're thinking about the shot and when I'm over the ball, and most of that's just being committed to what I'm doing, so I'm not thinking about wind, I'm not thinking about how the ball is going to bounce. I have a picture of what I want to do, and that's what I'm committed to try and make happen.”
Jon Rahm calls for rule changes after Shane Lowry penalty at The Open
21:47
,
Jack Rathborn
Two-time major winner Jon Rahm believes the rules of golf need to be changed to avoid players having to accept penalties rather than run the risk of being called a cheat.
Third-round playing partner Shane Lowry was handed a two-stroke punishment after he finished on Friday night when officials reviewed television footage and deemed that he had fractionally moved the ball during a practice swing.
The Irishman, 2019 champion at Royal Portrush, insisted he did not see the incident so could not call the infringement on himself - which he could then have rectified by replacing his ball at a cost of one just stroke - but accepted the sanction as he did not want to be accused of cheating.
It dropped him back from two under and eight off the lead to level par, which appeared too far back to contend over the weekend.
That proved to be the case as Lowry, also suffering from sickness, shot a three-over 74 on Saturday.
The Open 2025: Tee times and fourth round schedule at Royal Portrush
21:30
,
Jack Rathborn
Fourth Round
(Gbr & Irl unless stated, all times Local):
0730 Matti Schmid, Germany; Riki Kawamoto, Japan
0740 Dean Burmester, South Africa; Phil Mickelson, United States
0750 Sebastian Soderberg, Sweden; Andrew Novak, United States
0800 Shane Lowry, Ireland; Jacob Skov Olesen, Denmark
0810 Antoine Rozner, France; Viktor Hovland, Norway
0820 Adrien Saddier, France; Ryggs Johnston, United States
0830 Romain Langasque, France; Jordan Spieth, United States
0840 Francesco Molinari, Italy; Matthew Jordan, England
0855 Sergio Garcia, Spain; Justin Leonard, United States
0905 Thomas Detry, Belgium; Sepp Straka, Austria
0915 Aaron Rai, England; Jason Kokrak, United States
0925 Daniel Berger, United States; Jhonattan Vegas, Venezuela
0935 Maverick McNealy, United States; Henrik Stenson, Sweden
0945 Takumi Kanaya, Japan; Jordan Smith, England
0955 Sam Burns, United States; Rickie Fowler, United States
Rory McIlroy overcomes the bizarre to conjure thrilling charge at The Open
21:11
,
Jack Rathborn
“Oh god,” Rory McIlroy gasped as his ball fizzed a little higher than he anticipated. But then he burst into laughter, “I was on the golf ball!”
The most remarkable golf shot in one of the most remarkable rounds of golf, as a legion of McIlroy supporters weaved their way around the links on a baking day at Royal Portrush. McIlroy’s audacious charge towards the imposing presence of Scottie Scheffler at the top of the leaderboard may well fall short on Sunday, but his presence, as the Masters champion, back home in Northern Ireland, conjured a unique moment.
It epitomised how McIlroy remains one of the most engrossing athletes to watch in sport, all while Scheffler quietly dismantled both the course and field. There wasn’t a blemish in the world No 1’s round of 67, with his putter salvaging any minor wobbles. And while it secures a four-shot lead at -14 over Haotong Li at The Open 2025, the day belonged to McIlroy.
The 38-year-old stirred early on, putting together three birdies in his first four holes before that bizarre and glorious combined for a five-under-par round of 66 to position him tied for fourth at -8.
And after the baffling moment on 11, which prompted an untimely bogey, McIlroy soared on 12 with an eagle. A 56-footer, dribbling downhill and gathering pace all the time, the commotion in the stands could be heard as the ball gripped the correct line and dropped in the hole. McIlroy held his fist aloft. The putt could be heard from several holes away and instilled fresh belief among the thousands shuffling four or five deep along the ropes.
Matt Fitzpatrick bemoaned putting woes as Open bid fades
21:00
,
Jack Rathborn
“They just wouldn't go in. That's the long and short of it. They went in yesterday. They didn't go in today. I just felt like I left myself too many short, mid-range, like 5 to 8 feet. Obviously that starts to build up a lot of pressure as the round goes on, and never gave myself a lot of chances with the irons to kind of make anything. So you're hoping for a 25-, 30-footer to go in. That's just hard to sustain over the course of 18.”
Scottie Scheffler on the importance of putting this week
20:39
,
Jack Rathborn
“I think the card could look stress-free, but 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.
“I think anytime you can keep a clean card around a major championship, you're going to be having a pretty good day.
“Yeah, I think there's some pretty subtle slopes in these greens. 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.”
Scottie Scheffler takes huge step towards clinching fourth major
20:32
,
Jack Rathborn
Xander Schauffele on what it takes to chase down Scottie Scheffler
20:24
,
Jack Rathborn
“It's hard. I think it's pretty hard to -- depending on how windy it is, if I was leading a tournament, I'd want it to play hard just because you know no one's going to shoot 62 or 63, whatever it is.
“If you shoot level to 1-under, you're going to win the tournament. Chasing is difficult when you're on a links course with weather and wind and bounces and things like that.
“Yeah, I mean, I feel like I definitely -- I feel like I've been in chase mode all year, which it is what it is.”
Scottie Scheffler reacts to securing four-shot lead at The Open entering final round
20:15
,
Jack Rathborn
“A clean card around a major championship golf course is always nice. No bogeys. It was nice to set up the eagle, I felt I was doing the right things. Nice to judge that shot there and then make the putt.
“Staying patient with myself, I know what I need to do tomorrow. It’ll be a challenging and fun day.
“It’d be a lot of fun [to win The Open], but that’s not what I’m thinking about. As I go to sleep tonight, I’ll think about executing.”
Rory McIlroy on Scottie Scheffler
20:06
,
Jack Rathborn
“Yeah, he's playing like Scottie. I don't think it's a surprise. Everyone's seen the way he's played or plays over the last two or three years. He's just so solid. He doesn't make mistakes. It looked like he could have made bogey on 14 there.
“He's turned himself into a really consistent putter as well. So there doesn't seem to be any weakness there. Whenever you're trying to chase down a guy like that, it's hard to do. But he's incredibly impressive.”
Rory McIlroy reacts to shooting 66 at Royal Portrush to keep alive hopes of winning The Open
19:57
,
Jack Rathborn
“Obviously a great start, sort of like the dream start to be able to be 3-under through 4 and have 5 and 7 to play. To not birdie those was a little disappointing.
“Yeah, what happened on 11 was just so -- my ball came out so strange, like I thought I was going to get a flier, and I looked up at my ball, and I could see it spinning up against the wind. Just a really weird -- I had obviously no idea there was a ball anywhere close to my ball.
“I could have done better with the chip shot there anyway. That was the bogey -- I mean, making bogey on 11 is not the end of the world. It's a tough hole. Yeah, the eagle on 12 was one of the coolest moments of -- it's one of the largest roars I've ever heard on a golf course. So that was a really cool moment. To get those shots back straight away was nice, and I felt like I played the last few holes really solid and picked one up coming in, which was good.”
Scheffler secures four-shot lead entering final round of The Open 2025
19:47
,
Jack Rathborn
This has been a masterclass from Schauffele. No bogeys today, he’s in at -14, a comfortable 67, if there is such a thing.
A four-shot lead, to Haotong Li, with Fitzpatrick one shot further back after that near miss for birdie on 18. Disappointing for the Englishman, who settles for par, a 71 will not trouble the best player in the world.
Leaderboard: -14 Scheffler; -11: Li; -9: Fitzpatrick; -8: Hatton, McIlroy, Gotterup, English; -7: Schauffele
Harman aims to finish on a high
19:36
,
Jack Rathborn
Brian Harman with a shot at birdie on 18, but it’s not been the 2023 champion’s day at Portrush. He’s been +2 for his round since the first hole and never truly regained momentum.
Scheffler, meanwhile, tightens his grip on the Claret Jug, ripping a wood off 18 with a big, arching cut right into the middle of the fairway. Birdie chance is likely to follow from that iron shot...
Fitzy with a bit of venom on that one too, and he’s just behind the leader, high quality from the Englishman, with both mastering that left-to-right shape.
Leaderboard: -14 Scheffler; -11: Li; -9: Fitzpatrick; -8: Hatton, McIlroy, Gotterup, English; -7: Schauffele
Li goes second
19:28
,
Callum Rice-Coates
Li -11 (17)
Li Haotong gets a birdie on the 17th to go 11 under and close the gap to Scheffler.
English finishes on -8
19:26
,
Callum Rice-Coates
English -8 (68)
Harris English is level with McIlroy on eight under after finishing the day with 68.
Birdie for Scheffler
19:22
,
Callum Rice-Coates
Scheffler -14, Fitzpatrick -10 (16)
And just like that, Scheffler is in complete control again. A birdie on the 16th takes him four clear.
Gotterup finishes on 68
19:20
,
Callum Rice-Coates
Gotterup -8 (68)
Chris Gotterup is now eight under after finishing the day on 68 following a par on the 18th.
Birdie for Fitzpatrick
19:18
,
Callum Rice-Coates
Scheffler -13, Fitzpatrick -10 (15)
Matt Fitzpatrick keeps himself in contention with a much-needed birdie on the 15th.
Bradley finishes on 70
19:10
,
Callum Rice-Coates
Bradley -4 (70)
A solid day for US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, who is now four under at The Open.
Hatton loses ground
19:05
,
Callum Rice-Coates
Hatton -8, R Hojgaard -7 (16)
A rare misstep for Hatton, who drops a shot on the 16th and is back to eight under.
Memorable day for McIlroy
19:01
,
Callum Rice-Coates
It might not have gone entirely as he hoped, but it has been a day to remember nonetheless for McIlroy.
Par again for Scheffler
18:58
,
Callum Rice-Coates
Scheffler -13, Fitzpatrick -9 (14)
Scheffler remains unerringly consistent and it’s difficult to see anyone keeping up with him in his current form.
McIlroy finishes with 66
18:55
,
Callum Rice-Coates
McIlroy -8 (66)
A long-range putt doesn’t quite come off for McIlroy, despite the collective will of the thousands watching. He finishes the day with 66 and eight under, five shots behind Scheffler.
Bogey for Fitzpatrick
18:47
,
Callum Rice-Coates
Scheffler -13, Fitzpatrick -9 (13)
Scheffler now has a four-shot lead over Fitzpatrick, who can’t get par on the 13th, despite a nice chip to the green.
Remarkable Rory
18:45
,
Jack Rathborn
One wave, a flick of the putter to the grandstand, another wave, then a third. The applause for McIlroy, who has just made a superb par in the circumstances, is remarkable. That towering wedge from the steep grassy bank was of the highest difficulty, though he’ll feel that was a chance to get one more. This remarkable crowd flocks to all corners of the last, looking for a glimpse of this special moment. You suspect McIlroy needs to birdie the 18th to cling on to any hopes of winning the Claret Jug, unless Scheffler stumbles on the way home.
Par for McIlroy
18:42
,
Callum Rice-Coates
McIlroy -8 (17)
It’s par for McIlroy on the 17th as he continues to be urged on by the vocal and supportive crowd.
Crowd erupt for McIlroy
18:39
,
Callum Rice-Coates
McIlroy -8 (16)
A great moment for McIlroy, who put himself in a tricky situation with a slice into the crowd. But he recovers by digging out a wedge and landing on the green. He walks through a sea of spectators to cheers and wild applause.
Bogey for Li
18:34
,
Callum Rice-Coates
Li -9 (13)
Li Haotong’s hopes of catching Scheffler take a hit after a bogey, just his second of the week, on the 13th.
Rose finishes strongly
18:28
,
Callum Rice-Coates
Rose -5 (18)
Justin Rose finishes with a birdie and soaks in the applause and cheers from the crowd. A good day for him.
Sublime from McIlroy
18:24
,
Jack Rathborn
Usually McIlroy can rely on the fireworks to catapult him up leaderboards, but this chip, at Calamity Corner no less, is worth half a stroke at least. A bush descends on the Rory crowd, aware of the severe skill required to settle into the steep bank and throw the ball up high. It’s a sublime effort and the short putt, after an additional check, drops in the hole to preserve that runaway momentum. Still five under today, and eight under overall. He surely requires one more coming in, with Scheffler still five ahead and able to lean on the extra holes.
Par for McIlroy
18:22
,
Callum Rice-Coates
McIlroy -8 (16)
McIlroy plays a brilliant shot to get out of the rough and onto the green. It gives him a simple putt and par on the 16th.
Fitzpatrick bogey
18:17
,
Callum Rice-Coates
Scheffler -13, Fitzpatrick -10 (11)
Fitzpatrick gets a bogey on the 11th and Scheffler has a three-shot lead after putting a 10-footer for a four.
Hatton birdie
18:10
,
Callum Rice-Coates
Tyrrell Hatton birdies on the par-five 12th hole. He’s on -9 and still within touching distance of Scheffler.
Astonishing crowds
18:08
,
Jack Rathborn
These crowds are quite astonishing. A pause in the hysteria as Jordan Smith putts. But Rory McIlroy soaks in the applause as he steps up to the 15th green and flicks his putter up, gazing at the ocean in the background. A birdie try to move to -8. It’s simple. Straight back, straight through, and more noise, willing McIlroy on as he bounces over to the 16th, now just five back.
McIlroy birdies 15!
18:03
,
Chris Wilson
McIlroy -8 (15)
That brilliant/lucky shot has almost set up a tap-in for McIlroy. Can he take the birdie?
He can! He moves up to -8, five behind.
Elsewhere, Li has the first birdie in a good while to move up to -10!
Scheffler takes par, Fitzpatrick
17:58
,
Chris Wilson
Scheffler -13, Fitzpatrick -11 (10)
Birdie putt for Scheffler on 10, but he can’t take it and settles for par.
A similar distance for Fitzpatrick...he’ll take par too.
McIlroy -7 (14)
A few holes ahead, McIlroy produces a lovely approach shot to land just a few feet away from the point. Should be a birdie...
On replay, it seems it’s hit the flag after the first bounce! What a slice of luck for the home hopeful.
Westwood finishes on -4
17:54
,
Chris Wilson
Lee Westwood has birdied the final hole to finish the day on -4.
The Open 2025 - Round Three
17:51
,
Chris Wilson
More from Jack Rathborn at Royal Portrush:
The crowds flocking to McIlroy are quite incredible. The noise is reverberating around Portrush, the echos celebrated by those unable to even see the Masters champion.
Even when playing partner Smith takes a shot, there is a polite pause in the cheers, only for the Englishman’s strike to trigger more cries of “Go on Rory!”
A bounce in McIlroy’s step, but he is a net one stroke gained over Scheffler, who has quietly stormed to -13, six ahead of the home favourite.
McIlroy settles for par on 14
17:49
,
Chris Wilson
McIlroy -7 (14)
Only half a chance of the birdie for McIlroy on 14 and he falls short. He’ll settle for par.
Birdie for MacIntyre, bogey for English
17:43
,
Chris Wilson
MacIntyre -7, English -6 (11)
Cheers as Rob MacIntyre lands a birdie from 15ft on 11, while English drops a shot after a penalty drop due to landing in the bushes.
Li unable to make ground
17:42
,
Chris Wilson
Haotong Li hasn't been unable to make a lot of ground today, only gaining one shot since starting.
He’ll have a birdie chance on 10, but it’s difficult.
Fleetwood done for the day
17:39
,
Chris Wilson
Fleetwood -3, Thomas -3, Fowler -2 (F)
Birdies for both Fleetwood and Thomas as they finish for the day on -3.
Probably fallen out of contention but a good day nonetheless.
McIlroy takes par on 13
17:38
,
Chris Wilson
McIlroy has to settle for par on 13.
He tees off on 14, six back from the leader.
John Parry sinks first hole-in-one of The Open 2025 to move into contention
17:37
,
Chris Wilson
A hole-in-one for England’s John Parry catapulted him onto the leaderboard on day three of The Open at Royal Portrush.
The 38-year-old’s tee shot at the 199-yard 13th took three bounces before disappearing into the hole.
Parry, playing in only his second Open after a debut in 2022, started on the cut-mark at one over and was not really going anywhere in his round with just one birdie on the front nine getting him to level par.
Scheffler birdies!
17:30
,
Chris Wilson
Another birdie for Scheffler though, as he sinks the putt on eight to move to -13.
McIlroy finds an eagle on 12!
17:28
,
Chris Wilson
McIlroy -7
Oh my word!
McIlroy answers Scheffler’s eagle with one of his own!
He’s set up an eagle chance with a 360-yard drive followed by a solid approach shot. But he’s still 50 feet away.
No matter though. He lines it up and it looks like it’s stopping but the hill gives it some added pace and it continues towards the hole...closer and closer...it’s in!
McIlroy raises his hand in triumph.
McIlroy bogeys 11
17:19
,
Chris Wilson
Rory McIlroy has bogeyed the 11th and that has dampened the feeling around Royal Portrush. Can he recover on 12?
Hatton takes par
17:18
,
Chris Wilson
An update on that birdie chance for Hatton from Jack Rathborn:
Hatton hammers his thigh three times after missing birdie on nine. It’s a stress-free par, though, there’s nothing to be angry about when you’re two back hitting the back nine.
Though he’s now four back, of course...
Scheffler lands eagle on seven!
17:16
,
Chris Wilson
Out of nowhere, the world number one is into a two-shot lead.
Just calmly slots in a putt from 10 feet after two lovely shots to start the hole.
Make that a one-shot lead though, as Fitzpatrick lands the birdie shot to move to -11.
The Open 2025 - Round Three
17:14
,
Chris Wilson
More from Jack Rathborn at Royal Portrush:
And what a shot it is, the fans could tell from the sound of the shot, clattered out as clean as he would have hoped.
It settles about 10 feet from the pin and offers a chance to move within one of the leaders.
There’s also a real presence in the crowd pulling for Hatton, plenty of “come on Tyrrell” chants ring around the ninths green.
The Open 2025 - Round Three
17:11
,
Chris Wilson
More from Jack Rathborn at Royal Portrush:
Hatton with a subtle move towards the top of the leaderboard. Two back at -8, that was an exquisite lag putt, the acknowledgement comes in the form of a fist bump towards the crowd.
Hatton knows he’s in this championship, he removes his cap and matches down the ninth, his drive has tumbled into the fairway bunker. Hatton jumps down into the sand for what will be a real test to retain this immense momentum.
Schauffele moves to -7!
17:08
,
Chris Wilson
2024 winner Xander Schauffele has had a remarkable day, and he landed a second eagle earlier to move to -6.
And he’s just birdied the 15th to climb to -7! Three shots within the lead when he was fighting for the cut at one point yesterday.
The Open 2025 - Round Three
17:07
,
Chris Wilson
A strange moment as McIlroy takes his second shot of the 11th and bizarrely, his swing takes up some turf that includes a buried ball!
That could’ve been there for years!
Plenty of laughs as a puzzled McIlroy wonders what happened.
Leaderboard update
16:57
,
Chris Wilson
Here’s how the leaderboard is looking then.
1 - Scheffler, -10, 5
Fitzpatrick, -10 5
3 - Li, -9, 6
4 - Hatton, -8, 7
5 - English, -7, 8
Gotterup, -7, 8
7 - McIlroy, -6, 10
Hatton lands eagle!
16:50
,
Chris Wilson
Hatton -8 (7)
Oh wow!
That’s superb from a smiley Hatton!
He’s around about 140 yards and he clips it towards the pin. It bounces onto the green towards the hole...and stops briefly right on the edge of the cup before rolling in!
MacIntyre eagles seven!
16:47
,
Chris Wilson
MacIntrye -7, English -7 (7)
MacIntyre has an eagle after landing a lovely approach onto the green and draining from seven feet. He’s in contention!
And English lands a birdie too, taking him to the same score.
McIlroy makes par on nine
16:43
,
Chris Wilson
McIlroy lands the par after a close call with the birdie. He’s on 33 through the front nine.