Scottie Scheffler began The Open’s first round with a solid three-under 68, positioning himself near the top of the leaderboard as Friday’s play approaches. While it’s not surprising to see the world’s No. 1 player in contention at a major, the way Scheffler achieved this score revealed a surprising weakness in his game.

Throughout this season, Scheffler has been notably accurate with his driving, hitting fairways 63.2% of the time. However, at Royal Portrush on Thursday, he managed to hit just three of 14 fairways, dropping to a startling 21.4% accuracy off the tee.

Course strategy and its effects on driving accuracy

Royal Portrush’s layout encourages players to use shorter clubs off the tee on several holes, and Scheffler followed this approach, using his driver only eight times. Despite clubbing down, he struggled to find consistency, missing many fairways. The course’s native grass penalizes errant tee shots with difficult lies, making precision essential for scoring opportunities.

Despite the poor driving statistics, Scheffler managed to hit 11 of 18 greens in regulation, helping him stay under par.

Interpreting Scheffler’s paradoxical performance

There are two ways to interpret Scheffler’s three-under score with just three fairways hit. One view is that luck played a role in allowing him to score well despite a below-average driving day, a trend unlikely to continue if he hopes to compete deep into the weekend.

The alternative perspective is that Scheffler’s driving performance is at a nadir, and as the tournament progresses, the best player in the world will improve his accuracy off the tee significantly. If that is the case, his overall game could become even more formidable as the pressure mounts.

Implications for competitors as the Open unfolds

Scheffler’s unusual first-round flaw could actually heighten concern among the field about his chances moving forward. If he can correct his driving woes, his already impressive play on the greens means he could dominate as the weekend approaches. This mix of vulnerability and potential strength makes Scheffler an even more dangerous contender at The Open.