Scottie Scheffler's ball on Friday at Memorial Park's 18th hole.
At least Scottie Scheffler could have a child. At the very least, what had transpired on the 18th green at Memorial Park GC had made him laugh.
Just minutes after he ended his record-setting rounds-under-par streak at 28 on the PGA Tour with an astonishing three-putt from 7 feet that included a thoughtless miss from roughly 2, Scheffler was asked on Friday by a reporter whether he had experienced “a little lapse maybe.” A valid inquiry, although he denied having done so. Actually, nothing at all like it.
“No, I always do that,” Scheffler retorted.
“That happens to me a lot because you watch me a lot.”
Then he took his tongue from his cheek.
Scheffler believes he will be okay, so to speak. At the Texas Children’s Houston Open, there are 36 holes remaining, and Scheffler is only four strokes behind leader Tony Finau. Win, and he continues his winning streak: the Players Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational are the two events he has won recently. On Friday, he still shot an even-par 70. He remains the world’s top player. As of this writing, the sun will rise tomorrow.
Yes, the scene on 18 was unattractive.
The round was a touch off until then. Five successful avian shots. Three bogeys, though. Moreover, there were water balls on the 14th and 16th holes, the latter of which caused a club to be thrown into the ground by above. However, Scheffler was still two under after 17 holes, and he came dangerously close to finishing at three under on the 492-yard, par-4 18th hole when his ball smacked into the cup from the right greenside bunker. He had the 7-footer left for par after that. The right-to-left putt was missed by playing partner Peter Malnati a few seconds prior, from a neighboring location.
Scheffler, though, failed to score. Right of center, it lipped out. Notably, a fan in the Texas audience yelled, “Hook ’em, Horns, Scottie!” at the former University of Texas golfer as his ball traveled toward the hole. Scheffler then moved toward the ball, which was now roughly two feet away, by taking six steps. For three seconds he stood over it.
Once more, he erred on the right edge.
Scottie Scheffler records his first double bogey in 218 holes to end Round 2.
The double results in an even-par score for the day, ending his record-setting streak of consecutive rounds under par on TOUR. https://t.co/6sfSmD1wPi pic.twitter.com/uf6hFOxs6q
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 29, 2024
Scheffler then hit his sixth shot from a foot away. He was through. And then there were whispers. Was that the first time since the Tour Championship final round in August that he had not finished below par? Indeed. In his previous 218 holes, was that his first double bogey? Indeed, as stated by the PGA Tour. Was the discussion about his putting difficulties going to start over? Perhaps.
Was the petite miss attractive?
Yes, according to two former professionals and commentators for Golf Channel.
“Well, there’s a complete lack of focus,” Brad Faxon stated during the show. “There’s also resentment there. Scottie Scheffler never seems to get furious enough to ruin the next shot. It was not a bad putt. saw Malnati’s broken state. And then, right here, without ever having considered marking it. It is nearly excruciating to watch.
The putt was then played back.
“We were merely discussing how we’ve never witnessed Scottie Scheffler act in such a manner,” Faxon stated. “Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods never did anything like that in the past. It just seems so out of character with Scottie. He normally has a pleasant disposition.
“Well, look, it’s so unusual to see a player of his caliber not get angry,” Brandel Chamblee remarked. Naturally, everyone becomes irate. I witnessed Tiger Woods lose his cool several times, but he never let it get to the point where he refused to take anything for granted.
“Therefore, if he loses this tournament by a shot, he will definitely regret that moment to watch him give up a shot so easily like that.”
Perhaps. What is Scheffler’s opinion?
Return to the jest. He was good, at least to those who were questioning him.
Scheffler told Golf Channel reporter Damon Hack that it had been a difficult day. The winds were strong. He described the putt as a “sloppy” error. He claimed he struck it too soon. It might have grazed something, he thought.
Scheffler said to Hack, “It’s one of those things late in the day where you always have to be careful because you never know what happens around the cup, especially on eighteen.”
Scheffler later claimed to other reporters that “mental fatigue” was the cause of the error. But Friday night he would sleep. Nothing would be altered. He would prepare in the same way for the third round on Saturday.
He remarked, “I feel like my game is in a good spot.”
Scheffler grinned a few minutes later and turned to leave the reporter hurd.
just as he was about to question him.
