"Live updates: The Open 2025 final round at Royal Portrush"

Tyrrell Hatton made a strong start with a near-perfect birdie on the first hole, landing his tee shot in the middle of the fairway and sticking his approach within three feet before sinking the putt. He moved to 9 under but found trouble on the second hole, landing in a fairway bunker and ending any chance of an eagle.

Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, strung together three consecutive birdies, moving to 7 under after gaining strokes on holes 2, 5, 9, 10, and 11. He is now five under for the round, matching Maverick McNealy’s performance. Though Matsuyama tied for sixth in his Open debut at Muirfield in 2013, he has struggled to replicate that success since. However, he is now on track for only his second top-ten finish in the tournament.

No amateur players made the cut this year, meaning the Silver Medal will not be awarded. The highest-performing amateurs were Cameron Adam, a 22-year-old from Fife, and Ethan Fang, a 20-year-old Texan who won this year’s Amateur Championship. Both finished at 3 over, narrowly missing the weekend rounds.

Maverick McNealy is currently the standout performer on the course, sitting at five under for his round after an eagle on the second hole followed by birdies at 3, 9, 10, 13, and 14. Despite bogeys on 4 and 7, he maintained momentum and now stands at 6 under overall. The 29-year-old from California appears to be fulfilling his early potential.

Shane Lowry delivered a strong performance with a final-round 66, six years after his dominant victory at Portrush. He opened with a 32 and nearly holed an impressive shot from the swale left of the 18th green, finishing the week at 2 under. While it wasn’t the result he hoped for, the 2019 champion closed his tournament in style.

Despite earlier forecasts of rain and thunderstorms, Sunday’s conditions were sunny and warm with minimal wind, though gusts were expected to increase later in the day. The predicted showers may arrive in the evening, but by then, the competition should be concluded.

The final round at Portrush appears firmly in Scottie Scheffler’s control. While bigger leads have been lost before, Scheffler’s consistency sets him apart.