Fighting his swing and seeing world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler pulling away from the field, Xander Schauffele turned to the scoreboards around the Royal Portrush Golf Club seeking extra motivation at The Open Championship on Saturday.

Schauffele, 31, collected his finest hardware in 2024, hoisting the massive Wanamaker Trophy after winning his first major, the PGA Championship at Valhalla in May, followed by a stunning win in the Open at Troon, where he charged with a Sunday 65.

EXCLUSIVE - Xander Schauffele is preparing to defend his Open Championship trophy this week in Northern Ireland, and having played a solid week at the Scottish Open on links, he's in a good position

The fourth and final major of the year gets under way on Thursday, July 17 as The Open Championship tees off at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, Northern Ireland.

Following the first round of the Open Championship, Xander Schauffele didn't seem happy with his performance. In the post-round interview, he labeled the performance as not 'exciting'.

Four birdies in his final eight holes swept Xander Schauffele to a two-shot victory in The Open Championship last year at Royal Troon in Scotland.

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The Open returns to Northern Ireland, a place of fond memories from 2019's sold-out event, where Ireland's Shane Lowry won his first major championship and lifted the Claret Jug. This year's field includes Lowry alongside last year's winner, Xander Schauffele, who narrowly defeated Justin Rose and Billy Horschel by two strokes to claim the title.

Xander Schauffele believes his experience as the Open Championship's defending champion gives him an "edge" if he can get himself into contention.

Open Championship analysis: 10 things to know about Xander Schauffele's win Trusting his swing, Schauffele sent a drive down the left side of the hole. “Cut!”