Scottie Scheffler turned in 15 pars during the third round of The Open Championship on Saturday, yet still managed to stretch his lead to four shots heading into the final 18 holes at Royal Portrush.
Every passing month seems to add weight to the idea that Scottie Scheffler is on his way to becoming one of golf’s all-time greats. And it’s hard not to see him lifting a fourth major title come Sunday at The Open Championship.
This would be his fourth win of the year and his second major title, putting him just one US Open victory away from completing the Career Grand Slam.
Phil Mickelson knows that feeling well. The US Open is the one major that has always eluded him throughout his career.
Phil Mickelson agrees he was wrong about Scottie Scheffler
Phil Mickelson has taken plenty of criticism in recent years, some of it deserved, some not. But one comment he made earlier this year hasn’t aged well at all.
Back in March, Mickelson not only said Joaquin Niemann was the best player in the world but also predicted that Scheffler wouldn’t win again before the Ryder Cup.
Niemann has played well on LIV Golf this year, but that form hasn’t carried over to the majors, where he missed the cut at both the US Open and The Open Championship.
Scheffler, meanwhile, is closing in on his fourth major title in just 25 starts. After Kevin Kisner brought up Mickelson’s old prediction on social media, Phil admitted he had to hold his hands up and own it.
“I’ve never been afraid to make mistakes on the course or off, knowing I’ll have to deal with scrutiny from the public, media, or social media. I’ve already acknowledged I was wrong on this. This is a good example of why so many people are afraid to put themselves out there and compete or take risks because they know it’ll be thrown back in their face and they can’t handle it.
“Fortunately that’s not ever been my problem. But others struggle dealing with the heat and scrutiny that professional sports and being in the public eye brings and drives many away from the game which is too bad but is reality for so many,” he posted on X.
- READ MORE: Scottie Scheffler shares his thoughts on Shane Lowry’s reaction to controversial The Open’s penalty
Joaquin Niemann feeling the pressure as expectations rise for LIV Golf’s top player
Niemann has every right to be frustrated by the added attention. Mickelson likely didn’t mean to put any extra weight on his shoulders, but that’s exactly what happened.
He’s become a key figure for LIV, with six wins highlighting his success in the league. But for LIV to really gain credibility, he needs to start making a bigger impact in the majors.
Niemann has actually played one more major than Scheffler in his career but has only managed one top-10 finish so far.
He’s too talented for that trend to continue much longer. Still, being seen as LIV’s best hope probably doesn’t help him, especially since the league is still waiting for their first major champion.
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