Scottie Scheffler didn’t just win the 2025 Open Championship; he removed any doubt that he’s in a league of his own right now. With rounds of 68-64-67-68 at Royal Portrush, Scheffler finished at 17-under-par and cruised to a four-shot victory.
As we’ve come to expect from Scheffler, his performance wasn’t flashy. He gets the job done—and does it without the drama. This marks his second major win of the year, and he’s starting to look not just like the best golfer of 2025, but one of the best ever.
Here’s a look at all the action that unfolded at the most watched Open Championships ever, and what amateur golfers can learn from it.
The Course: Royal Portrush Demanded Ultimate Precision
Royal Portrush reminded the golf world why it’s one of the most difficult Open venues in the rotation. The course setup is different from traditional links. Players had to be able to keep the ball under the wind while also hitting high, lofted shots into the greens.
The rough was thick and gnarly in spots, so missing fairways is a problem. The good news for golfers this year was the weather. The winds were calm, and the greens, as a result, were not as hard, so it was easier to hit shots that stuck.
The goal became trajectory control and short-game touch, and luckily for him, those are two things that Scottie Scheffler excels at.
Why Scottie Won: Ball Striking and Putting
When Scheffler struggled a few seasons ago, the narrative was always the same: if he could get great at putting, there would be no stopping him. We have officially reached that point in his career.
Now he still leads the field in strokes gained, but he’s moved from outside of 150 in strokes gained putting to the top 30. That says a lot about how and why he can dominate.
From inside 10 feet, Scheffler was rock solid, and the confidence was obvious. His stroke looked more relaxed. His reads were spot-on. Add that to the best ball-striking in golf and you get a wire-to-wire major win.
Want to train like Scheffler? Start by sharpening your consistency from short range. Try Hot Stick Putting to groove your stroke under pressure. One of the best ways to improve your short game is to choose a program and stick to it.
The Chase
While Scottie Scheffler was the one to chase, there were plenty of golfers who did a really good job trying to get him. None of them were quite able to put together four great rounds the way Scheffler did, but these players all delivered a strong 2025 Open Championship performance that was worth the watch.
- Harris English quietly put together one of the best major performances of his career, finishing solo second at -13. He’s had a very strong performance in majors this year, with the exception of the U.S. Open.
- Chris Gotterup, Wyndham Clark, and Haotong Li each had highlight reels but couldn’t avoid mid-round stumbles.
- Bryson DeChambeau carded a blistering 64 on Sunday to tie the low round of the week. The problem was that he shot a 78 on the first day, and that’s a difficult score to recover from at an Open Championship.
- Rory McIlroy finished T7 on home soil but once again couldn’t find the spark early enough to contend.
What You Can Learn From the Pros at the 2025 Open Championship
While you may not be playing Royal Portrush or chasing the Claret Jug, there are some lessons from this that you can apply to your golf game.
One Bad Hole Doesn’t Ruin a Round
Scheffler made a double bogey in the final round and barely flinched. He stuck to his process and immediately rebounded. The chance of you making a double bogey in your next round is likely quite high. Move on, make some pars, and maybe even a birdie, and give yourself a chance for a great round.
Trajectory Control Beats Raw Power
On tight links turf, players like Matt Fitzpatrick and Brian Harman showed the value of lower-launching wedge shots and smooth tempo. If you’re only hitting shots around the green with a high-lofted wedge, it may be time to learn to control the trajectory and give yourself more variety.
Use the Ground—Not the Air—Around the Greens
Bump-and-runs and lower lofted chips were more effective than flop shots. If you watched Rory finish out his round you may have noticed that some of those lower lofted chip shots he tried to make did not just get close.
Stick to Your Pre-Shot Routine
Whether you’re on the 1st tee or 18th green, your pre-shot routine is your anchor. Scheffler never rushed, even under pressure. Many amateur players start to speed up or slow down their routine depending on what happens in the round.
Try to be more aware of that and make sure you stay consistent with that routine.
Short Game Saves Rounds
Players like Haotong Li and Robert MacIntyre kept themselves in contention with world-class up-and-downs. Don’t neglect your wedge and putter practice. To play great golf at a links-style course, you need to be good at lag putting.
The greens are large, and getting the ball close enough for a short one-putt is the goal. Remember, before you head out for a round of golf to attempt some putts from the 40-60 foot range, not just the 4-5 footers.
For more tips on how to think like a pro golfer, take it from Martin Chuck himself.
The 2025 Major Season Comes to an Exciting End
Scottie Scheffler is simply playing like nobody else ever has, and it’s a blast to watch.
He’s now won The PGA Championship and The Open all in the same season and continues to lead nearly every advanced stat that matters. What separates him isn’t just the consistency or the tee-to-green dominance; it’s the fact that the missing piece (putting) has caught up.
While it’s a shame to see the 2025 Major golf season come to an end, the official 2025 golf season is far from over. Keep working on your game to reach all of your goals.
