Scottie Scheffler showcased a remarkable surge in his putting performance during the opening round of The Open Championship 2025 at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland on Thursday. His improved play on the greens propelled him to shoot a 3-under 68, moving him within one stroke of the lead, and highlighting a newfound strength in his game that had previously held him back on links courses.

Scheffler, whose game otherwise adapts perfectly to the demanding links golf style, has struggled with his putting on such courses in the past. However, this round was a departure from his former pattern, as he gained more than two strokes on the Royal Portrush greens, the 11th best putting performance among the field during the day.

Challenges faced on links courses and putting adjustments

Links golf often presents special challenges that test a player’s ability to vary trajectories, control spin, and show creativity, especially on unpredictable surfaces. Scheffler’s athletic, feel-based swing suits these demands, but his putting had been a consistent weakness. Since 2021, he had not improved his strokes gained on the greens at any links event, including his most recent start at the Genesis Scottish Open, where frustration visibly affected his performance.

Despite his strong tee-to-green play, the putter often let him down, becoming a significant hindrance. This inconsistency prompted Scheffler to make serious changes after 2023, switching from a blade to a mallet putter and hiring Phil Kenyon as a putting coach, joining Randy Smith as his only other coach in his career. Gradual progress followed, and although he rose into the top 25 in strokes gained putting in general, struggles persisted specifically on links courses until Thursday.

Key moments and shots during Scheffler’s first round

Scheffler’s putting performance stood out early in the round with an 18-foot birdie on the third hole, which took him into the red numbers on the scoreboard. He then maintained momentum with a 10-foot par save on the fourth hole. His precision on the par-5 seventh led to yet another birdie, followed by a clutch seven-foot putt on the eighth to keep his confidence high.

The hot putter sparked Scheffler’s overall game as well, allowing him to deliver two remarkable approach shots late in the round on the 16th and 17th holes that landed inside four feet. These setup additional birdies, helping to counterbalance a day where he only found the fairway three times and lost some strokes around the greens. His two bogeys were largely attributable to off-tee issues, but his steady iron play and putting helped neutralize those faults.

Scheffler’s perspective on changes in putting conditions and performance

When questioned after the round about what had shifted compared to his recent struggles, Scheffler explained simply,

“Different greens, different surface. These greens, it’s just different, I don’t know how you want me to elaborate on that.”

Pressed further about the challenge of putting, he added,

“Putting is one of those deals where, especially when there’s a little bit of activity on the greens, you can hit a lot of good putts that don’t go in,”

and continued,

“I’m trying to do my best to be perfect every week, but some weeks the putts just aren’t going in, and did a good job battling last week to finish top 10.”

—Scottie Scheffler, Golfer

This candid insight suggested that the subtleties of green conditions, combined with a bit of fortune, may have converged to support his improved performance.

Significance of Scheffler’s putting turnaround at The Open

Historically, Scheffler’s inability to gain strokes on links greens has been a notable limitation in his pursuit of championship success at The Open. His results since 2021 reflected this trend, but his first-round showing at Royal Portrush breaks that pattern and repositions him as a serious contender. While statistical trends caution that sustaining this level of putting might be unlikely throughout the entire tournament, Thursday’s round was a striking reminder of how effortlessly Scheffler’s golf can flow when his putts are dropping.

This newfound putting confidence may have a strong impact on his chances this week and poses a warning to the rest of the field, including players like Skov Olesen, who have also made early moves on the leaderboard. For Scheffler, building consistency on the greens at a links venue could unlock a path to his next major victory.