Scottie Scheffler’s remarkable run of 78 consecutive made cuts ended at the Genesis Scottish Open last week, a week ahead of the 2026 Open Championship, but a certain veteran seems unfazed. Days before he arrives at Royal Birkdale to defend the Claret Jug, the American shot 2-over-72 in Round two, missing the weekend cut. Former World No. 1, Sir Nick Faldo, speaking to Sky Sports Golf, weighed in on what the setback could actually mean for the current World No. 1 heading into the Open.

“It means nothing. It actually lit a little spark under him, and think, you know, he didn’t need that, but they’re already down here starting to prepare around here. He will probably love it because this, you know, the way it’s shaping now, if they get firm and fast and crusty and bouncy and the breeze, good shots are going to miss the green.”

“So, as we know, he’s literally the best at chipping and putting and what have you. So, everybody off good shots; I think he will be infused to think, I got to learn how to really scramble this week. I mean, scrambling is going to be a seriously important part of the week.”

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While conditions at Royal Birkdale might suit Scheffler’s playstyle, the Renaissance Club, where the Genesis Scottish Open was held, was a different story, as Faldo notes in the interview with Sky Sports Golf. Scheffler needed a birdie at the par-3 ninth to make it into the weekend. However, he missed a chip from just off the green, then failed to convert a six-footer for par. Three more bogeys on the back nine meant he finished two shots outside the cut line. It marked his first cut in four years.

Scottie Scheffler arrives at the year’s final major with a winless streak since the American Express in January. Despite that, it would be an exaggeration to say that he’s facing a dip.

Golf Channel analysts Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner have called this stretch fractionally off. That’s because he still leads in every stat of the game. In fact, his game has improved significantly in the 2026 season, with nine top-10 finishes in 14 starts just this year. He remains world number one by a wide margin.

Faldo remains confident in Scheffler’s ability to turn things around

“He has an ability which only the best do, and that’s to turn it on when he really needs to make things happen…He can turn numbers on, he holes crazy putts.”

That trait has shown up in his classic style when things matter the most. At the Memorial Tournament last year, Scheffler closed out the win for the second time in a row, finding his best golf over the final holes under direct pressure. He held off Ben Griffin down the stretch to seal the win on the 72nd green. Scheffler returns to the Open Championship to defend his 2025 title, when he won the Claret Jug with a score of -17, a four-shot victory over Harris English, who placed second at -13. A win in 2026 would add a second to his trophy case.

It’s that same instinct Faldo is banking on this week, and perhaps Scottie Scheffler would walk away with a Claret Jug once again this year.

Royal Birkdale’s layout could decide more than just Scottie Scheffler’s week

This will be the eleventh time that Royal Birkdale will host the Open Championship. The course has a storied 137-year-long history. Only the St Andrews Links in Fife, Scotland, has hosted more Open Championships. According to a July 13 report by The Athletic, Royal Birkdale has made a few changes ahead of the upcoming Open Championship.

The 18th hole, which could be the decider in the major, has been revamped into a 508-yard Par 4. It no longer boasts the well-recognized double fairway. A member of the Championship Committee at Birkdale notes that it will cause higher scores. The report also elaborates on new holes 5, 14 and 15, all in preparation for Scottie Scheffler and the field of the 2026 Open Championship.

Sir Faldo’s comments were not only about Scottie Scheffler. He suggested the entire field could be affected by how Royal Birkdale is playing this week. As the veteran golfer notes, scrambling will be the name of the game, as the greens seem difficult to reach. Saving par after missing the green will determine who will come out victorious.

That shifts some of the pressure away from Scheffler and onto the rest of the contenders. Players who rely heavily on hitting greens in regulation could find themselves searching for answers around Birkdale’s humps and hollows, while those with sharper short games could gain a real advantage. Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Wyndham Clark, all of whom are part of this year’s Open storyline, will face the same test as Scottie Scheffler once the tournament begins on July 16th.