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The putt looked good the entire way and the growing murmurs from the grandstands as the ball got closer echoed that they thought the same. But Scottie Scheffler’s Titleist needed an extra revolution to get where it needed to go, its birdie pursuit coming a whisker shy of the cup. Depending on the prism, that putt encapsulated Scheffler’s frustration from the previous three hours, and frankly, three months … or showed that Scheffler is very, very close.
Scheffler’s title defence got off to an auspicious start Thursday at Royal Birkdale, as the World No. 1 turned in a two-under 68, just two back of the lead. “Anytime you can shoot under par to start a major championship, it’s a good spot to be in,” Scheffler said in Southport. “I got off to a hot start in the round today and wasn’t able to make as many birdies as I would have hoped to down the stretch … I felt like I could have gotten a little bit more out of it, but yeah, if I continue to do what I did today with the ball-striking I’ll be in a good spot as the week goes on.”
For the first few hours Thursday morning, it looked like the engraver could begin chiselling Scheffler’s name on the claret jug again. Any worries of a hangover from his first missed cut since 2022 at last week’s U.S. Open were quickly alleviated, Scheffler making four birdies in the first six holes—punctuated by a 40-footer at the sixth—to grab the early lead.
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But Scheffler bogeyed the seventh and never quite got moving in the right direction on the back, which included a par at the par-5 14th and a bogey from difficulty in the native area at the par-5 17th, two of the three easiest holes on the day. After the hot start, the putter went cold, losing over two shots to the field on the greens through the final 12 holes. As good as he hit the ball, 68 felt as high as he could go.
And here it’s worth noting the narrative that’s been strapped to Scheffler as of late, that something is slightly off with eight top-4 finishes (including four runner-ups) since capturing the American Express in January without a win. Given Scheffler’s run of near-misses, it would be tempting to chalk Thursday as a squandered chance.
Yet, he’s still enjoying an all-time campaign. As Paul Hodowanic of the PGA Tour pointed out, his true Strokes Gained figure on the season is the 12th best in tour history, behind only eight seasons from Tiger Woods, one from Greg Norman and Scheffler’s own 2024 and 2025.
Perhaps more importantly, Scheffler feels like he’s in command.
“Like I said, if I continue to strike the ball the way I did today and just keep giving myself looks, that’s part of it,” Scheffler said. “Golf is played over 72 holes, and I definitely liked what I saw today.”
Only 16 players have ever defended the Open, and two this century in Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington. As Scheffler noted, this championship is played over four rounds. He didn’t run away with it Thursday, but he’s in a perfect position to get where he ultimately wants to go.
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