Xander Schauffele set his sights on a career grand slam after a brilliant final round saw him claim victory at The Open on Sunday.

Schauffele managed a six-under 65 through his fourth round at Royal Troon, with a run of four birdies in six holes down the back nine seeing him pull clear.

He finished two strokes ahead of Justin Rose and Billy Horschel, with Thriston Lawrence, Russell Henley and Shane Lowry rounding out the top of the leaderboard.

Having also triumphed at the PGA Championship at Valhalla earlier this year, Schauffele has become the first player since Brooks Koepka in 2018 (U.S. Open and PGA) to win two majors in the same year.

Rory McIlroy was the last player to win those same two tournaments in one year, achieving the feat back in 2014.

Only five players have ever previously won all four majors in their careers – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods.

Schauffele is looking to follow in their footsteps in the coming years, telling reporters: "If you look hard enough, you can always find it.

"It's something, when you feel like you need an extra kick in the butt, there's several easy ways to motivate yourself.

"There's still a lot of things that I'd like to do in my career, and this is a very big leap towards that. The fire is still burning, maybe brighter than ever."

Looking at the Claret Jug in his post-tournament press conference, the world number three added: "It's an honour. I've always dreamed of doing it.

"That walk up 18 truly is the coolest with the yellow leaderboards and the fans and the standing ovation. It really is one of the coolest feelings I've ever had in my life."

Justin Rose accepted he had lost out to a "cold competitor" in Xander Schauffele after the American triumphed at the 152nd Open at Royal Troon on Sunday.

Schauffele shot a magnificent final round of 65 to seal a two-shot victory in Scotland, winning his second major after he also came out on top at May's PGA Championship.

Rose joined Billy Horschel in a share of second, the Englishman managing two birdies in his final three holes to close the gap.

Rose – who has gone 11 years without winning a major since claiming the U.S. Open title in 2013 – was proud of his efforts and acknowledged he had simply been beaten by the better player.

"Obviously I tried to enjoy the walk down 18 because we did an incredible job out there," Rose told Sky Sports. "I felt like we played unbelievable golf. 

"But Xander, every credit to him, he made it look so easy on the back nine. He's a cold, cold competitor, but I couldn't be more proud of myself with the way I competed today.

"There was just one little spell in the round where there were putts on 12, 13 and 14 that didn't drop and that's where the momentum shifted to Xander.

"That putt on 18, to finish strong, I knew it was for second place and I think I at least deserved that for the week.

"It's okay to be beaten by someone who shoots 31 on the back nine but I gave that everything."

Fellow runner-up Horschel, who held a one-stroke lead going into Sunday's final round, was disappointed to drop away, saying: "I'm going to always fight until the end. I was rewarded with three birdies there at the end to finish tied second with a good friend, Justin Rose.

"I should feel disappointed. I had a chance to win a major. I was in a really good position. I just made a few too many mistakes today when I didn't need to. 

"But we'll look back on this in an hour and I'll be very happy with what I did this week.

"I did a lot of great things that I can take on to the next few years of majors and hopefully one of these will be my time to step through the door and hold one of them."

Xander Schauffele said his earlier victory at the PGA Championship gave him a sense of calm as he claimed his second major triumph at The Open on Sunday.

Schauffele shot a sensational six-under 65 in the fourth round to come out on top at Royal Troon, beating overnight leader Billy Horschel and Justin Rose by two shots.

The world number three played a brilliant back nine to streak clear of his rivals, birdying the 14th and 16th holes before an excellent shot onto the green on the 17th all but sealed his win.

Speaking to Sky Sports after claiming the Claret Jug, Schauffele said his earlier victory at Valhalla took any nerves out of the occasion.

"I thought that would help me and it actually did," he said. "I had this sense of calm, a calm I didn't have when I played earlier at the PGA.

"For some reason, I was calm and collected. I was telling my caddie Austin that I felt pretty calm coming down the stretch and he said he was about to puke on the 18th tee!

"I told myself to just hit it down there and keep moving along.

"I played that back nine yesterday in really bad weather so I just told myself today is technically easier so go out and get it.

"To have two [major wins] is unbelievable. It took me so long to get one and it gets in your head a little bit, and now I'm just spoiling myself."

The last seven majors have now been won by American players, the longest streak of major victories by Americans since 1982.

While Schauffele won two of four majors this year, Brooks Koepka (2023 PGA), Wyndham Clark (2023 US Open), Brian Harman (2023 Open), Scottie Scheffler (2024 Masters) and Bryson DeChambeau (2024 US Open) have also triumphed in that span.

Xander Schauffele came from nowhere with a brilliant six-under 65 to triumph at The Open, following up his victory at the PGA Championship in May.

Schauffele began Sunday's fourth round as one of six players at three under, one stroke back of overnight leader Billy Horschel in the hunt for the Claret Jug.

But the world number three managed six birdies to beat Horschel and Justin Rose by two shots at Royal Troon, making it the seventh straight major to be won by an American.

Back-to-back birdies at holes six and seven put Schauffele in contention, but it was over the back nine where he really stepped things up to pull clear of his rivals.

He took the outright lead on the 13th, sinking a difficult 13-foot birdie putt as playing partner Rose and fellow contender Thriston Lawrence both dropped a shot.

As was the case at Valhalla in May, Schauffele proved an excellent pace-setter, birdying again on the 14th and the 16th then holding his nerve at the death, finding the heart of the green with ease on the penultimate hole to all but seal the deal.

While Rose shot four under and Horschel three under to share second place, Lawrence was one stroke further back at six under for the week, and Russell Henley finished five under after a bogey-free final round of 69.

Shane Lowry, who had led at the start of the weekend but carded a miserable six over on Saturday, rebounded somewhat with a score of 68 to finish sixth.

Lowry said of victor Schauffele: "You need to hole everything on a day like today, especially to beat someone like Xander, who's in the form he's in.

"It looked like he was running away with it again. He did that on me at the PGA, and he's done it again today.

"He just doesn't really hit many bad shots, does he? I went there two back at the PGA, and I felt like I shot a decent score, and I wasn't anywhere near him. He's obviously good when he's out in front."

Jon Rahm joined Scottie Scheffler and Sung-Jae Im as the only other players with a negative score at one under, having briefly threatened a push for the title with three straight birdies to open his final round before tailing off.

Justin Rose believes he has what it takes to live out his "dream" going into the final day of The Open.

Rose is just one stroke off leader Billy Horschel after the third round, having carded a two-over-par 73 on Saturday, leaving him three under ahead of the final round.

He is one of six in joint second, as he looks to become the first Englishman to win the Claret Jug since 1992 when it was lifted by Nick Faldo at Muirfield.

Rose is aiming to win just his second major, following his U.S. Open success in 2013, and having had to go through qualifying to make it into the field, he is relishing his chance among the chasing pack.

"I feel like I've got nothing to lose," he said. "I'm right there within touching distance.

"[Sunday] is going to be massive. Those are days I've been working hard for, days I've still been believing I can have.

"In a few years, it'll be someone else's dream. But it's still my dream right now, and I've got a great opportunity to go live it out."

Heavy rain and high winds affected the late starters at Royal Troon on Saturday, though Rose held his nerve along the back nine with eight pars and one bogey to keep himself in the running.

"That was super tough," Rose said. "I did such a good job on the back nine hanging in.

"Obviously, eventually, a bogey came [at the 17th], which I think was going to happen at some point.

"To sort of double down and bogey 18 as well would have definitely made dinner taste a little worse. I think really that par putt on 18 has really put me in a really great spot mentally."

Shane Lowry believes it will be difficult, but not impossible, for him to win The Open for a second time after sliding down the leaderboard at Royal Troon on Saturday.

Lowry entered the third round with a two-stroke lead at seven under, but a six-over 77 saw him slip three shots behind new leader Billy Horschel.

The Irishman, who won the 2019 edition of the tournament at Royal Portrush, failed to recover from a dismal double bogey on the eighth, finding the bunker from the tee then missing a subsequent bogey putt.

Xander Schauffele and Justin Rose are among six players at three under, while Scottie Scheffler (two under) also sits between Lowry and the top of the leaderboard.

Asked if he was still in with a chance of winning the tournament, Lowry told reporters: "I am, but it's hard now. I've just finished, and I really wanted to hole that one on the last. 

"I knew Billy made bogey, and I knew Dan [Brown] was obviously going to make double. I would have been two back. Three back, you're still right in the tournament. 

"This is going to take me a couple of hours to get over. I'm obviously pretty good now, but I have a job to do tomorrow and a similar chance to win this tournament."

Lowry felt his putting let him down on a wet day in Scotland, outlining the impact the blustery conditions had on his game.

"I felt like I played unbelievable golf today. Missed the first fairway and then didn't miss another fairway until 16," he said.

"I hit some great iron shots, just didn't hole the putts early on when I had the chances, and then I missed a few par putts.

"It's not much fun out there. You have to question why there wasn't a couple of tees put forward, to be honest. I think 15 and 17… 15 is 500 yards playing into that wind.

"They keep trying to make holes longer, yet the best hole on this course is about 100 yards."

Billy Horschel will go into the final round of The Open with a one-shot lead after carding a two-under 69 on Saturday, with Shane Lowry tumbling down the leaderboard.

Horschel leads a group of six players on three under, with Daniel Brown joined by Xander Schauffele, Justin Rose, Thriston Lawrence, Russell Henley and Sam Burns.

The American, who missed the cut at last year's tournament and has never finished higher than T21 at The Open, did well in blustery conditions at Royal Troon.

Horschel bogeyed the last after six straight pars, but a fine first nine featuring four birdies put him in a strong position as he chases his first major title.   

Speaking to Sky Sports after completing his round, Horschel said: "This round in the Open Championship is by far the best one I've played in a major.

"I knew I had to grind out a score. I knew it wasn't going to be pretty, it was going to be tough... but I was prepared for what the last nine holes were going to entail.

"It would be the biggest win of my career. I have won a lot of great events, but this one would top all of them, and it's something I've always wanted in my golf career."

Having started the day at five under, Rose hung on in challenging conditions to stay within reach, while Brown – who has never won a tournament on the PGA Tour – found himself at six under after making a brilliant birdie on the 16th.

However, a double bogey on the last saw him lose the lead, a poor shot into the bunker leaving him with a 25-foot putt for bogey. 

Despite an excellent showing, the 29-year-old was disappointed with the way he let his lead slip, telling Sky Sports: "That finish is a little bit frustrating.

"But at the start of the week, if you told me I was going to be one back going into the final round of The Open then I would have snapped your hand off!

"I've not really come here with any expectations... I've still got one round to go, I'm not going to get ahead of myself and start thinking about outcomes. 

"I'm going to keep going about my business and hopefully come tomorrow evening, we will be there or thereabouts."

Further back, two-time major champion Scottie Scheffler is at two under after finishing even for the day, one stroke ahead of second-round leader Lowry, who endured a dismal third round.

Lowry carded a six-over 77, failing to recover from a double bogey at the Postage Stamp eighth as he found a deep bunker from the tee.

Rory McIlroy conceded he struggled to adapt to the windy conditions after failing to make the cut at The Open on Friday.

The Northern Irishman followed up a dismal seven-over 78 on Thursday by carding 75 in the second round, finishing 11 over at the halfway point.

After being pipped to the U.S. Open last month by Bryson DeChambeau, who also missed the cut at Royal Troon, McIlroy's hopes of finally earning his first major title since 2014 will stretch into next year.

After finishing the round, McIlroy admitted the weather played a big part as he struggled to adapt his game to get the better of the conditions.

"Obviously, got off to the worst start possible today, being six over through six. If I need to remember something about this week, it'll be the last few holes that I played," McIlroy told reporters.

"When I look back on the two majors that I didn't play my best at, here and the Masters, the wind got the better of me on Friday at Augusta, and then the wind got the better of me the last two days here.

"Twenty-two holes into the event, and I'm thinking about where I'm going to go on vacation next week. That was basically it.

"I knew from then I'd sort of resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to shoot, whatever it is, from there on in to make the cut.

"It was a pretty meaningless 14 holes after that, but at least I played okay. When the wind dropped, my game felt a little more comfortable."

McIlroy looked set to end his long wait for a major title at the U.S. Open in June, only to collapse during the final four holes and lose by a single stroke.

Despite his early exit from The Open, McIlroy remains optimistic about his chances going forward if he can put his recent disappointments behind him.

"I think I have to remind myself that I am close and keep giving myself chances," McIlroy told Sky Sports.

"These disappointing Sundays are racking up, but I'd much rather have disappointing Sundays than be going home on a Friday night.

"I've got to keep doing what I'm doing, reflect on the windy conditions getting the better of me at two of the majors this year. That is something I am going to have to address going forward."

Rory McIlroy has missed the cut in the second round of The Open, having failed to improve on his dismal score from the first.

The Northern Irishman had hopes of clinching a first major title in a decade, but his wait will stretch into an 11th year after carding 75 on Friday.

McIlroy went round in a seven-over par 78 in the first round and continued to toil at Royal Troon as he finished 11 over.

Bryson DeChambeau, who pipped McIlroy to the U.S. Open title at Pinehurst last month, did not fare much better.

On the back of his best major run to date, finishing tied sixth at The Masters before finishing as a runner-up at the PGA Championship, the American came unstuck in Scotland once more, shooting 75 to finish nine over.

Meanwhile, Shane Lowry holds the lead going into the weekend, recovering brilliantly from a double bogey to give himself a two-stroke lead over Daniel Brown and Justin Rose (both on five under).

Rose finished strongly, holing his putt on the 18th from a long way out to finish with a three-under 68 for the day to put himself into contention for a first Claret Jug.

The Scottish Open winner Robert MacIntyre also staged a remarkable comeback. Having played the first four holes in eight over, he scored four under on the next 14 to make the cut.

Scottie Scheffler (two under) and Xander Schauffele (one under) also kept themselves in with a chance.

Shane Lowry says he is feeling "calm and composed" after recovering from a double-bogey to establish the clubhouse lead on day two at The Open.

The 2019 champion began the day at five under at Royal Troon - a shot behind leader Daniel Brown - and birdied the first, fourth and eight holes to reach seven under at the turn.

However, things started to go wrong on the notorious par-four 11th, when a stray tee shot into the rough was followed by a hook into a gorse bush, with Lowry having to settle for six and moving back to par for the day.

Nevertheless, the Northern Irishman held his nerve in the windy conditions, with four successive pars followed by two birdies on the final three holes.

The second of these saw him roll in a beautiful 20-footer, and Lowry was thrilled by the way he responded to the setback to put himself in a promising position.

"I was in control of my ball and did all the right things for a lot of the round," he told reporters. "Then when I got in a bit of trouble, I feel like I really finished the round well.

"I'm pretty happy with the day. To be leading this tournament after two days; it's why you come here, it's why we're here.

"The job tomorrow as well is to try to put myself in a position to win this tournament on Sunday, and that's what I'll try and do."

"I have felt quite calm and composed the last couple of days. I've felt really in my comfort zone. To shoot in the 60s is very good any day on this course, even when the conditions aren't this bad. I'm very happy."

Tiger Woods suggested he will play The Open again next year after a six-over final round ensured he would miss the cut at the 2024 event at Royal Troon.

Woods entered Friday's second round needing a big turnaround after carding an eight-over 79 on Thursday, but he struggled again as his major season came to a premature end.

He shot 77 to finish 14 over par with the projected cut line at four over. Having finished 60th at the Masters, he also failed to make the weekend at the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship.

The 15-time major champion lamented his physical struggles when speaking to reporters at the end of his round.

"I was just fighting it pretty much all day," Woods said. "I never really hit it close enough to make birdies and consequently made a lot of bogeys.

"I loved it. I've always loved playing major championships. I just wish I was more physically sharp coming into the majors.

"Obviously it tests you mentally, physically, emotionally, and I just wasn't as sharp as I needed to be. I was hoping that I would find it somehow, but just never did.

"Consequently, my results and scores were pretty high."

Woods will not compete again until the Hero World Challenge, an event he hosts in the Bahamas in December, despite previously targeting one event per month in 2024.

He does, however, plan to return for the 153rd Open next year, which will take place at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.

"As a past champion, I’m exempt until I'm 60," he said. "I've enjoyed the challenges that Scotland brings, I've missed playing Troon. 

"I've had some good memories here and just wish I did a little bit better, but I look forward to that."

Rory McIlroy conceded he did not adapt to the difficult conditions at Royal Troon as he carded a dismal first round at The Open.

McIlroy's hopes of clinching his first major title in a decade took an early blow as he went round in a seven-over par 78 on Thursday.

The Northern Irishman came agonisingly close to winning a fifth major title at the U.S. Open last month, only to wobble on the final holes.

And while McIlroy took time away from the game to re-focus, he could never get going on day one in Scotland, and in windy conditions, sliced a shot on the 11th so far into the rough, that spectators had to help look for the lost ball.

"Yeah, a difficult day," McIlroy said.

"I felt like I did OK for the first part of the round and then missed the green at the Postage Stamp there and left it in [the bunker] and made a double.

"But still, I felt like I was in reasonable enough shape being a couple over through nine, thinking that I could maybe get those couple shots back, try to shoot even par, something like that.

"You have a strategy that you think is going to help you, but when you get a wind you haven't played in, you start to think about hitting a few clubs that you haven't hit in practice. I just didn't adapt well enough to the conditions.

"Your misses get punished a lot more this week than last week [at the Scottish Open] or even any week, whether you miss it in a fairway bunker or even the rough. The rough... the balls that I hit in the rough today, the lies were pretty nasty."

McIlroy was not the only big-hitter to struggle on day one, with Bryson DeChambeau – who edged out McIlroy at Pinehurst – also floundered, carding five over.

"I could have thrown in the towel after nine and been like, I'm going home," he said. "It's a difficult test, something I'm not familiar with. I can do it when it's warm and not windy."

Shane Lowry (five under), Justin Thomas (three under) and Xander Schauffle (two under), however, all enjoyed much more fruitful rounds.

Meanwhile, Daniel Brown emerged as the surprise overnight leader. The Englishman carded a bogey-free 65, including six birdies, to take a one-shot lead into day two.

Robert MacIntyre is Scotland's big hope ahead of The Open, though his preparations were delayed somewhat.

That is after he went "absolutely wild" in the wake of his victory at the Scottish Open last weekend.

MacIntyre became the first Scot to win the Scottish Open since Colin Montgomerie in 1999.

It is also 25 years since a Scot last won The Open, with Paul Lawrie triumphing at Carnoustie on that occasion.

MacIntyre is being tipped as an outside bet to lift the Claret Jug, though the 27-year-old said it was nevertheless vital he and his team were able to celebrate his Scottish Open victory in style.

"I'm not a big drinker, but when you get moments like that, and you've got family and friends there that have backed you since you were a young kid, it was quite right to go absolutely wild," he said.

"We did a good job of that. After this week's over, I'll sit down with my team and we'll reflect on it and probably celebrate again because it was a lifetime goal."

Speaking of his approach to The Open, MacIntyre kept it typically low-key.

"I'm not going out there trying to win a golf tournament," he said.

"If you bogey the first, you're thinking the golf tournament is getting further away from you.

"The minute you think that, your emotions are all over the place. You lose all control of yourself. You lose thought process, touch, everything.

"We all start off from level par and I've got as much chance as everyone else in the field.

"It's just about getting in that position on Sunday and seeing where the cards fall. Hopefully I'll have a chance. That's all I want."

The fourth and final major of 2024 is here, as Royal Troon hosts the 152nd edition of The Open Championship.

Following his remarkable near-miss at the U.S. Open, the event offers Rory McIlroy one last chance to stop his major drought from stretching into an 11th year.

Bryson DeChambeau edged McIlroy out at Pinehurst and should again be among the contenders, while world number one Scottie Scheffler is targeting an improvement after a disappointing showing on home soil.

Ludvig Aberg, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa – who won the 149th Open three years ago – are also eyeing glory, while Tiger Woods will play his first Open at Troon in 20 years.

Here, we run through the best Opta stats and storylines surrounding the main contenders.

Can McIlroy bounce back?

McIlroy won his third major title at The Open in 2014, beating Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia by six shots at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. One month later, he made it four by winning the PGA Championship at Valhalla. 

Who would have thought that 10 years on, the Northern Irishman would still be yet to add another major title to his glittering trophy cabinet?

Perhaps his most gutting near-miss to date came at last month's U.S. Open. Neck-and-neck with DeChambeau at the top of the leaderboard as the final round drew to a close, McIlroy missed two putts from within four yards in the final three holes.

The world number two took three weeks off after that disappointment before struggling on the greens again at last week's Scottish Open, finishing tied for fourth as Robert MacIntyre triumphed on home ground.

McIlroy has had five top-10 finishes in his last seven Open Championship appearances, though, including finishing in the top five on each of his last three Open outings on Scottish soil.

He also finished in a share of fifth at his only previous Open at Troon in 2016, and produced his best Open performance of the last decade when the event was last held in Scotland, finishing third and two shots adrift of Cameron Smith at St. Andrews in 2022.

With 21 top-10 finishes in 37 majors since his 2014 PGA Championship win, McIlroy has generally put himself in contention on the big stage – an improvement he referenced at Tuesday's pre-tournament press conference.

The key, as he earlier told reporters after the Scottish Open, will be getting his putter to "cooperate" when it matters most.

Double bubble for Bryson?

Not since Woods completed his memorable 'Tiger Slam' has any player won the U.S. Open and The Open Championship in the same year.

Woods, of course, captured both titles as he won three straight majors to round off 2000, then kick-started 2001 by triumphing at The Masters.

Tom Watson (1982), Lee Trevino (1971), Ben Hogan (1953), Gene Sarazen (1932) and Bobby Jones (1926 and 1930) are the other players to have won both in the same year.

DeChambeau will attempt to write his name into the history books this week, though his record at The Open leaves plenty to be desired. 

Only in 2022 (T8) has he finished higher than 33rd at the event, a placing he managed in both 2017 and 2021. Across his six participations, he has also missed the cut twice and finished in a share of 60th last year.

The American has really turned up at the majors this year, however, finishing T6 at The Masters and second at the PGA Championship before claiming his second U.S. Open title.

PGA Championship victor Schauffele is the only other player to finish inside the top 10 at each of this year's three majors to date.

Indeed, DeChambeau is 28 under par across this year's opening three majors (-2 at The Masters, -20 PGA Championship, -6 U.S. Open), a better aggregate score than any other player. Write him off at your peril.

Scheffler to stay on top?

Victory at Augusta seemed to be paving the way for a dominant year in the majors for world number one Scheffler, though that has not quite been the case, even if he is enjoying a fantastic season nevertheless.

His arrest on the eve of the PGA Championship was far from ideal preparation for that tournament, and it was followed by a disappointing showing at the U.S. Open.

Will he get back to form at Royal Troon, and become the ninth player to win both The Masters and The Open in the same year, and the first since Woods in 2005?

Scheffler's best finish at The Open was a tie for eighth in 2021. But he has won six of his last 10 tournaments this year (Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players Championship, Masters, Heritage, Memorial and Travelers).

That marks the most wins on the PGA Tour in a calendar year since Woods in 2009.

The last six major tournaments have been won by American players. It is the USA's longest streak of major wins since 1982, and Scheffler is the very best of the bunch.

Can Harman hold onto the title? The other contenders and Woods is back

Four golfers have finished inside the top 10 at each of the last two editions of The Open: McIlroy, Cameron Young, Tommy Fleetwood and Brian Harman, who won the Claret Jug last year.

Harman comes into The Open as the world number 13, though it is worth noting he has only finished in the top 10 in three majors (U.S. Open 2017, The Open 2022 and The Open 2023).

Scottish Open champion MacIntyre is one of only three multiple winners on the PGA Tour this year (he won the Canadian Open in June), along with Scheffler and McIlroy.

Home favourite MacIntyre is aiming to become the first Scottish winner of a major since Paul Lawrie in 1999.

In his three Open Championship appearances so far, Morikawa has either won (2021) or missed the cut (2022, 2023). He is one of two players to win The Open at the first attempt this century, alongside Ben Curtis in 2003.

What about Schauffele? He finally ended his wait for a major title at the PGA Championship earlier this year. Since the 2022 edition of that tournament, the world number three has played in 10 major tournaments and has never finished outside the top 20.

And, finally, Troon will welcome back Woods after a two-decade absence.

The 15-time major champion bit back at a suggestion he should be considering retirement, and will be out to prove his doubters wrong. 

That being said, the last time he made the cut at The Open was in 2018, at Carnoustie (T-6th), and he failed to make the weekend at both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship this year.

Having also finished last of any player to make the cut at this year's Masters, Woods may be up against it at Royal Troon, though is firing on all fronts after Colin Montgomerie's retirement comments.

The course

Royal Troon is hosting The Open Championship for the 10th time. It will become the eighth course to welcome the tournament on 10 or more occasions and only the fourth venue in Scotland to play host that many times, after St. Andrews (30), Prestwick (24) and Muirfield (16). 

The first Open at Troon took place 101 years ago, in 1923, and the course has welcomed the tournament at least once in every decade since the 1950s.

The most recent Open to be held at the venue saw Henrik Stenson edge out Phil Mickelson by three strokes back in 2016. 

At that edition of the tournament, Stenson set records both for the lowest final score at a 72-hole Open (264) and the lowest score to par (20 under), with Smith matching that latter achievement two years ago. 

Does more history await this year?

Rory McIlroy has no issues with repeated talk over his long wait for another major crown, preferring to have many "close calls" rather than missing out entirely.

The Northern Irishman is preparing to tee off at The Open Championship on Thursday, playing alongside Tyrrell Hatton and American Max Homa in the first two rounds at Royal Troon.

Much of the discussion before the 152nd Open has revolved around McIlroy's near-miss at the U.S. Open, having squandered a late lead by bogeying three of his final four holes.

That collapse included two woeful putts from close range, with Bryson DeChambeau seizing the chance to take the Pinehurst major, and brought further questions over McIlroy's game.

Yet the 35-year-old, who has not won a major since 2014 at the PGA Championship, would rather be close again than not be in the race.

"It [talk about another major win] doesn't bother me," McIlroy said at Tuesday's pre-tournament press conference.

"I know that I'm in a good spot. If I think about 2015 through 2020, that five-year stretch, I seldom had a realistic chance to win a major championship in those five years.

"So I'd much rather have these close calls. It means that I'm getting closer.

"I'd love to be able to play golf and get one over the line, but as soon as I do that, people are going to say, well, when are you going to win your sixth? So it's never-ending."

Messages of support flooded towards McIlroy after last month's disappointment at the U.S. Open, with Rafael Nadal, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods all reaching out.

McIlroy was none the wiser about Woods' kind words, however, having changed his phone number after taking a break following the Pinehurst failure.

"Full disclosure, I changed my number two days after the U.S. Open, so I didn't get it until he told me about it today," McIlroy added. "I was like, 'Oh, thanks very much'.

"So I blanked Tiger Woods, which is probably not a good thing. Tiger has been nothing but incredible to me over the course of my career, in the good moments and the bad. He sent me an incredible message after St. Andrews in 2022.

"I met Tiger when I was 15 years old, and I've built up a great relationship with him, his whole family. He really enjoys spending time with my mum and dad as well. It means a lot that he reached out.

"It means a lot that he waited a few days to reach out, which if he hadn't waited that long, I probably would have got it. But I caught up with him earlier.

"It's always nice when your hero and the guy that you had on your bedroom wall is reaching out and offering words of encouragement."