
British Open brings rain, sun, wind and Scottie Scheffler in range of the lead
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — The British Open had a little bit of everything Thursday, from sunshine to rain, a breeze to strong gusts. And no surprise, it had Scottie Scheffler never too far from the lead.
Former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick handled the notorious “Calamity Corner” par-3 16th by chipping in for birdie and was among three players from the morning wave who posted a hard-earned 4-under 67 at Royal Portrush.
Rory McIlroy played in the afternoon — he made bogey on the opening hole before a massive gallery, but that was still three shots better than his start in 2019 — and was among several players making a move on a day that felt like a slog with how long it was taking to play.
In the midst of all this was Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player who has not finished out of the top 10 in the last four months, a stretch that includes another major among three wins.