Scottie Scheffler's response to The Open crowd as champion asks 'was that a boo?'

Scottie Scheffler jokingly asked whether he was being booed after confessing he hadn't taken the time to explore Portrush following his triumph at The Open Championship.

Schefflerwas in a league of his own at Royal Portrush, taking command of the competition on Friday with a stunning second-round 64. On Sunday, the world No.1 shot a three-under-par 68 to lift the Claret Jug at 17-under. Outplaying Harris English by four strokes, Scheffler secured his fourth major title, adding to his two Mastersvictories and a PGA Championship win.

He now sets his sights on the US Open next year at Shinnecock Hills, aiming to join an elite group of seven men who have completed the career Grand Slam.

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In his victory speech at The Open, Scheffler mentioned his lack of sightseeing in Portrush, as he said: "I wish I could have seen more of the town but it was bit of a business week with home on the golf course."

The Northern Irish audience responded with some playful jeering, prompting a bemused Scheffler to add: "Was that a boo or a cheer? I wasn't sure."

The crowd chuckled at Scheffler's light-hearted comment, as he went on to commend the incredible support from fans throughout the event.

Despite not being the crowd favourite for the trophy – that accolade went to local boy Rory McIlroy, who tied for seventh place – Scheffler was still grateful for the chants throughout the tournament.

He said: "Thank you so much to the fans this week for all the support. I know I wasn't the fan favourite today, but I did hear a lot of 'USA' and 'Dallas, Texas' chants, so I appreciate you guys for coming out to support."

Scheffler, who has been on an incredible winning run this season, reflected on the tournament with fondness, highlighting the fanfare and his experience playing alongside Lowry.

"Overall, it's been a great week," he added. "The fan support all week was tremendous. It was a ton of fun to get to play here- I got to play with Shane the first couple of days, and for you guys to come out and support Shane the way you did was special, and it was a really fun week to get to play in front of such a great crowd."

With the final major of the year wrapped up, Scheffler's actions spoke volumes about his priorities as he immediately celebrated with his wife, Meredith, and their young son, Bennett.

His triumph at The Open placed him among golfing legends. He became only the fourth player under 30 to win the Masters, US PGA, and The Open, joining the ranks of Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Scheffler's season has been nothing short of remarkable. He boasts three wins, a runner-up spot, and eight top-10 finishes in just 15 events, never falling below the top 25. His last missed cut dates back to the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August 2022.

Scheffler's impressive showing at Portrush has fuelled discussions about his potential to rival American golfing legend Woods, who is considered by many as golf's greatest player. Remarkably, Scheffler matched Woods' timeline by taking exactly 1,197 days to secure his first four major wins.

When questioned on the parallels being drawn with the 15-time major winner, Scheffler said: "I still think they're a bit silly. Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there. I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf.

"He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf. I don't focus on that kind of stuff."