Scottie Scheffler didn’t arrive at Royal Birkdale carrying much momentum. He arrived carrying questions.

One week after missing a cut for the first time in nearly four years, the world No. 1 responded with a 2-under 68 in the opening round of The Open Championship. It wasn’t flawless, but it was sharp enough to remind the field that Scheffler remains golf’s most dangerous problem when his ball-striking locks into place.

Scheffler hit 13 of 14 fairways, the best driving accuracy in the field, and controlled his approach shots well enough to stay within two strokes of early leaders Sungjae Im and Dan Brown at 4-under. He also gained 1.655 strokes from tee to green and finished the round with 2.154 strokes gained overall.

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That’s the bad news for everybody else: Scheffler left plenty behind.

Several putts burned edges or stopped inches short. A few loose swings were punished far more severely than most of his solid shots were rewarded. Yet he still walked off the course firmly inside the championship fight.

Scheffler came out throwing punches, making four birdies over his first six holes and briefly grabbing the lead by himself. His momentum slowed after a bogey at the par-3 seventh, but he continued grinding through Royal Birkdale’s firm, unforgiving setup.

The ugliest moment came at the par-5 17th. Scheffler’s approach sailed right and disappeared into thick grass, where the lie was so nasty that he considered declaring the ball unplayable. He tried to muscle it out instead and sent the shot racing across the fairway into more trouble. A bogey followed.

It could’ve wrecked the round. It didn’t.

Scheffler steadied himself, finished with a par and signed for a 68 that changed the mood surrounding his week. The missed cut at the Genesis Scottish Open suddenly feels less like a warning sign and more like a temporary glitch.

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His season has been built around near-misses. Scheffler finished runner-up at the Masters and played in the final pairing at the U.S. Open, remaining close enough to golf’s biggest prizes without delivering the victory expected from a four-time major champion.

Winning at Royal Birkdale would erase every complaint.

After one round, Scheffler isn’t chasing answers anymore. He’s chasing another Claret Jug—and the rest of the field should be nervous.