Scheffler excels in round 2 of The Open: When the world's No. 1 class speaks up

Scottie Scheffler is halfway through his quest for a third major title in his career Grand Slam, and his performance at Royal Portrush is proving why he is the dominant golfer of the modern era.

The world's No. 1 golfer just had his best round of The Open 2025, shooting 64 (-7) in harsh weather conditions in Northern Ireland. A total score of -10 after two rounds helped Scheffler take sole possession of the lead in the final major of the year, just one stroke ahead of Matt Fitzpatrick.

More significantly, it was Scheffler’s lowest round in a major, a new milestone in an already impressive career. Since winning his first Masters title in 2022, he has held or tied for the lead in a major 10 times in 62 rounds.

One of those was at the PGA Championship last May, where Scheffler won after leading after 54 holes. Now, he is proving once again that he is not only consistent, but also knows how to break away at the right time.

In addition to his already-famous driving and iron skills, Scheffler also showed impressive putting performance at this year's Open. He ranked second in the tournament after 36 holes in strokes gained putting.

This is also the first time Scheffler has led a round at The Open, despite playing the tournament five times. His previous best result was a tie for seventh at Royal Troon in 2024.

“I felt like I hit more fairways than yesterday, had some good iron shots and took advantage of the putting opportunities,” Scheffler said.

Despite having to play in heavy rain at times, the 29-year-old American star maintained his composure and accuracy. He scored a total of eight birdies and only made one bogey on hole 11.

After five birdies in the first 10 holes, Scheffler missed a 20-foot putt and bogeyed the 11th hole. But he made amends with two birdies on two par-3 holes (13 and 16), then took the lead with a 14-foot putt on the 17th hole.

This is the 19th time in his career that Scheffler has led or tied for the lead after 36 holes in a PGA Tour event and the fourth time in 2025.

“When I went out on the course it was still sunny and I was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. But just a few minutes later, the clouds rolled in and it started to rain,” Scheffler recalled. “Luckily it only rained for four or five holes, but I took advantage of the other opportunities when the weather was more pleasant.”