The 2025 Open Championship is reaching its thrilling conclusion, and The Athletic is providing live coverage of the final round. Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked golfer, has once again proven his dominance. With a remarkable bogey-free round of 67, Scheffler enters championship Sunday with a commanding four-shot lead. He is seeking his fourth major title and his first Claret Jug. Here’s a closer look at the key statistics and insights as we head into the final round at Royal Portrush.
In his previous round, Scheffler showcased his exceptional skill by hitting seven fairways and 15 greens in regulation, making crucial putts with ease in what can only be described as a flawless display of golf. His outstanding ball striking is well-documented, as he has dominated essential tee-to-green metrics over the past three years. Remarkably, Scheffler is leading the field in strokes gained putting, a statistic that has often been criticized in his game. This week, he has made an impressive 9 out of 10 putts from 5 to 10 feet, a significant improvement from his previous season ranking of 155th on the PGA Tour in that category.
While his putting has garnered attention, Scheffler's iron play has been equally impressive. He ranks T5 in greens in regulation and second in strokes gained approach during the tournament. Scheffler's consistency is evident as he has hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation for two consecutive rounds, a feat he has only achieved once before in a major. He has also been the only player to birdie the challenging par-3 16th hole in all three rounds, currently sitting at 6 under on par-3 holes, three shots better than any competitor.
The statistics suggest that a comeback may be unlikely for other competitors. Scheffler has successfully converted his previous three 54-hole leads in major championships, including victories at the 2022 Masters, 2024 Masters, and the 2025 PGA Championship. Historically, players holding a 54-hole lead in major tournaments win approximately 46% of the time, with Scheffler winning each of his last nine outright 54-hole leads. This closing ability draws comparisons to legends like Tiger Woods, who famously converted 14 of 15 such opportunities.
If Scheffler secures the win, he will become only the fourth player in golf history to win the Masters, PGA, and Open all before age 30, joining the ranks of legends like Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Additionally, he aims to become the eighth golfer to claim a fourth major title before turning 30—significantly, four of the previous seven players went on to achieve a career Grand Slam. Notably, if Scheffler clinches this victory, it will mark the first time in consecutive seasons that a player has won both the PGA and the Open.
In the final pairing with Scheffler is Haotong Li, who seeks to become the first male from China to win a major championship. Li leads the DP World Tour this season in strokes gained approach per round and has hit more greens in regulation than any other player throughout the tournament. His impressive streak of 23 consecutive greens in regulation during the first two rounds is a record in the last two Opens at Portrush. To contend with Scheffler, Li will likely need a performance reminiscent of his debut at the Open, where he finished with a score of 63 eight years ago.
Early in Saturday's round, Matt Fitzpatrick briefly tied for the lead after a chip-in eagle on the second hole. However, his performance faltered, and he ended the day with a 1-over-par round, falling to a five-shot deficit by the 18th hole. Fitzpatrick had showcased his putting prowess earlier in the tournament, making eight putts from 10 feet or longer in the first two rounds, but managed only one lengthy putt on Saturday. The last player to overcome a final round deficit of five strokes or more to win the Open was Phil Mickelson in 2013.
Rory McIlroy made a remarkable comeback in his round, scoring an eagle and four birdies for a 66, his best weekend score in an Open Championship. Starting the final round at 8 under, he trails Scheffler by six strokes. Despite hitting the fewest fairways among players who made the cut, McIlroy ranks third in greens in regulation. His impressive putting has placed him in the top 10 for strokes gained putting per round. Although he has yet to win a major while trailing entering the final round, he holds the record for the most PGA Tour titles won from behind after 54 holes since 2010.
Lee Westwood had a challenging start to his third round, posting three bogeys and a double for a front-nine score of 40. However, he turned the tide on the back nine, making six birdies and finishing the round with a back-nine score of 29, tying the lowest score recorded in any single round in the history of the Open. This performance echoed Ryan Fox's remarkable 29 on the second nine at Royal Portrush six years ago. The standout performance of the day was Russell Henley, whose 65 tied his lowest career round in any major championship.
In an exciting moment during the round, John Parry made a hole-in-one on the 13th hole, marking the first ace of the week at the Open. This achievement is notable as it is only the 26th hole-in-one in the last 40 years at this championship and the second at Royal Portrush in the modern era. Parry's hole-in-one contributed to a total of 15 eagles or better recorded on the day, the highest in a Round 3 of an Open since 2006.
The field scoring average dipped below 70 in Round 3, the lowest of the week. This round marks the first time the Open has seen a field score in the 60s since Sunday in 2022 at St. Andrews. Analyzing trends from the past 20 years, only 11 of 102 men’s major winners have been four or more shots off the lead entering the final round, highlighting the challenges ahead for those trailing Scheffler.
As the excitement builds heading into the final round of the 2025 Open Championship, all eyes are on Scottie Scheffler as he aims for victory at Royal Portrush. Stay tuned for live updates and coverage of this thrilling conclusion.
