“Look, I’ve got more than half a chance. I’ve got a chance,” Rory McIlroy said on Saturday, referring to his chances of winning The Open Championship despite trailing world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by seven shots heading into the final round. McIlroy carded a thrilling five-under-par 65 on Saturday to keep his hopes alive, and the Irish fans were in full throttle, their cheers so loud they’d put a rock concert to shame! And McIlroy is nothing but grateful for the support. “Just an absolute pleasure to play in front of my home crowd, my fans.”

When Rory McIlroy eagled the 12th hole, the crowd went wild, creating a noise so epic it probably registered on the Richter scale. The golfer is optimistic that he can overcome the deficit if he can get off to a great start on Sunday.  “I need to get off to a great start like I did today, and if I can do that, anything can happen,” he said. Currently, McIlroy is even par in the fourth round, and while his optimism is evident, it’s just not enough to convince one PGA Tour pro of his hype and prowess.

Speaking on The 153rd Open, Jordan Spieth revealed that Scottie Scheffler’s recent performances have left him unimpressed, saying, “I don’t remember necessarily saying it — I think maybe after the Ryder Cup, watching him beat Jon and then when he came and won in that playoff in Phoenix, it’s like, now he knows he didn’t have to do anything different, and he’s good enough to win any week.”

Spieth believes Scheffler is well-deserving of lifting the Claret Jug, adding, “He’s obviously well-deserving of it, probably the most deserving player of it, and I’ve thought the way that his game is the last few years, the harder the conditions, the better for him over here.” However, Spieth notes that Scheffler’s chances might be slightly reduced in benign conditions like those at Royal Portrush this week.  Still, given Scheffler’s exceptional putting this week, Spieth has a hard time envisioning anyone else lifting the trophy.

“I’d be pretty surprised if he wasn’t the one holding the Claret Jug at the end of the day,” Spieth said, effectively leaving Rory McIlroy out of the conversation, but we think McIlroy will understand why Spieth did that since he also shares the same feelings.

“Scottie Scheffler is – it’s inevitable”, says Rory McIlroy

We rarely see head-to-head rivals praising one another’s form, but that’s exactly what Rory McIlroy did when talking about Scottie Scheffler’s incredible run. McIlroy expressed his admiration for Scheffler, saying, “Scottie Scheffler is – it’s inevitable. Even when he doesn’t have his best stuff, he’s become a (indiscernible) player.” McIlroy noted that Scheffler’s putting skills have taken his game to the next level, saying, “He’s improved so much with his putter.” Scheffler’s dominance has been impressive, with a score of 15 under par. “But yeah, it’s going to be tough to catch him tomorrow if he keeps playing the way he does.”

McIlroy’s aware of the challenge ahead, saying, “But yeah, it’s going to be tough to catch him tomorrow if he keeps playing the way he does.” McIlroy’s got a plan: “I just need to go out and play another really good round of golf tomorrow and see what happens.” And well, McIlroy’s play has been strong, collecting a shot on the second hole after finding the right edge of the green with his first two shots and rolling a superb putt inside of one foot for eagle.

This was followed by a tap-in birdie that took him to -8 and tied him for the 5th spot. But the Northern Irishman does have something Scheffler doesn’t, which is the support of his home crowd, but even with that, McIlroy will have to give the performance of a lifetime to lift the Claret Jug this year. Currently, Rory is trailing behind with a score of 10 under, while Scottie is leading with a score of 16 under.