Is Scheffler the strongest in this battle at Portrush?

Paul Gallico, a sportswriter-turned-novelist best known for The Poseidon Adventure, once said, “The Battle isn’t always to the strong or the race to the swift, but it is a good way to bet.”

And to choose winners.

Another sportswriter (blush) often has pointed out that the longer the competition—individual or team—goes on, the greater the chance the favorite will win.

Headed into Saturday’s third round of The Open Championship at Portrush, Northern Ireland, it should be no surprise that the man in front is the world’s No. 1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler.   

Yes, there is half an Open remaining, and his lead is precarious, a single shot, especially with two other major champions on his tail. Still, you very much have to like his chances. You always have to like his chances. For much of Friday’s second round, Scheffler toyed with the Dunluce Links, Portrush’s main layout, making eight birdies and recording a 7-under par, 64. That put him a swing ahead of Britain’s Matt Fitzpatrick, the US Open champion in 2022, and two ahead of Brian Harman, winner of The British Open in 2023, and China’s Haotong Li. Fitzpatrick shot a 66 on Friday, while Harman and Li each carded 67s.

“He’s going to have the expectation to go out and dominate,” Fitzpatrick said of Scheffler. 

Whether he meets those expectations and he very well might, could depend on the fickle Irish weather, which shifts from sunshine to a downpour in seconds, as Scheffler realized early in the second round. Watching and listening on television, you could hear three things from across the sea: when the weather got nasty very early in Scheffler’s round.

There was the pounding of rain on umbrellas, the confirmation by an announcer on the television who said, “It is raining cats and dogs,” and an apparent outburst by Scotty who muttered something that sounded like, “Oh, spit.” Later on, the Golf Channel issued an apology for what was caught by the microphone next to Scheffler. 

Certainly, there was no reason for Scheffler to apologize for his remarkable golf, which included eight birdies. He almost had one more, but his 15-foot putt on the 18th was inches away

Rory McIlroy—the local kid who, 20 years ago as an amateur, set the course record at Portrush with a 61 (although a less difficult set-up than for The Open)—is at 139.

Two successful veterans (don’t call them seniors), 52-year-old Lee Westwood (70, 69–139) and 55-year-old Phil Mickelson (71, 72–143), both made the cut.

Shane Lowry, who won at Portrush the last time it was held there, in 2019, was assessed a two-shot penalty when, after a long video review, it was judged his ball moved during a practice swing at the 12th hole. That gave him a 1-over 72 and a 36-hole score of 144, even par.

The raucous cheers Lowry received the previous Portrush Open for his triumph will go towards someone else this time, quite probably Scotty Scheffler.