McIlroy reveals unique prep strategy for Sunday.
Rory McIlroy Has Unusual Prep Plan to Chase Scottie Scheffler in The Open Finale originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Open Championship will tee off for its final round on Sunday, and what a round it's shaping up to be. Scottie Scheffler carded a sound 67 on moving day to get to 14-under par and a four-shot lead over Haotong Li. And just behind Li will be Matt Fitzpatrick (9 under) and Rory McIlroy (8 under).
McIlroy, No. 2 in the world rankings, has promised to give chase after the World No. 1. He revealed an unusual way to prepare for the chase mentally. McIlroy is going to watch Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer."
"Grab some dinner, try to sleep as much as I can. Don't have any rugby to distract me tomorrow morning. Watched New Zealand-France and the Lions game," he replied when asked what he is going to do until Sunday's tee time.
"I'll try to find something to watch. I started 'Oppenheimer' last night. Try to get through another hour of it tonight and maybe finish it tomorrow morning," McIlroy added.
A dose of Nolan's cinematography is sure to take his mind off the upcoming finale and ease the pressure, calming his mind.
"I've got a chance," McIlroy said. "I need to get off to a great start like I did today, and if I can do that, anything can happen. I've come from a few shots behind before at big tournaments and was able to win.
Rory McIlroy makes charge at British Open ‘moving day’ — but Sunday’s task still looks impossible https://t.co/U6vWJUSi2kpic.twitter.com/BuiYq2PIPk
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) July 19, 2025
"If I can get off to one of those hot starts again, maybe Scottie feels a little bit of that a couple of groups behind, and you never know. Scottie is the best player in the world right now. I think it's clear for everyone to see. He's just consistently so good each and every week he tees it up, so it's going to be a tall order to be able to catch him tomorrow. But I'm going to look forward to the challenge."
Related: Scottie Scheffler's Wife Meredith Is a Crucial Reason Behind His Performance at The Open
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
