LA JOLLA, Calif. — Scottie Scheffler performed nowhere close to his potential at Torrey Pines, even carding a 4-over 76 throughout Saturday’s third spherical, his worst rating in almost three years.
But, Scheffler nonetheless managed to tie for third, ending three strokes behind Genesis Invitational winner Ludvig Åberg.
“I didn’t have my finest stuff this week, however I nonetheless discovered a strategy to give myself an opportunity within the match,” Scheffler stated after.
“A couple of much less errors over the weekend and it might be a special story.”
Scheffler hit solely 30 of 56 fairways and located solely 48 of 72 greens this week, a lot under his typical excessive normal of play. However he’s the most effective participant on the planet for a motive, and Sunday’s ultimate spherical proved that.
He fired a 6-under 66 — 10 strokes decrease than the day earlier than — to provide himself an opportunity. Even then, Scheffler regarded lifeless within the water on the par-4 fifteenth. He was 8-under for the championship, trailed Maverick McNealy by three pictures, and wanted a miracle. So, Scheffler determined to fireside on the again left flag from the golf green however was shocked to find the place his ball ended up. It discovered the greenside bunker.
“I hit a very good iron shot into the inexperienced there,” Scheffler stated of his strategy.
“After I hit it, I felt like I stuffed it, and the ball saved drifting left in some way with the wind off the left, in order that didn’t actually make a ton of sense.”
After that preliminary shock, Scheffler settled down, assessed his lie within the entice, and determined to take lifeless purpose once more. He knew he wanted to make one thing occur, and that he did. Scheffler holed it for an unlikely birdie, retaining his hopes of profitable alive.
“In a match perhaps if I’ve a one- or two-shot lead, I’ll play out to the left, give myself a glance. Simply with the best way the shot was within the bunker, it was form of on a downslope,” Scheffler stated of his third shot on 15.
“If I performed it a little bit to the left, I’m going extra up the upslope. However since I used to be a couple of again, I felt like I wanted to purpose for the pin and see if I may make one thing occur and was lucky to see that one go.”
Sadly for Scheffler, he tugged his tee shot on the par-3 sixteenth into the greenside bunker. He didn’t stand up and down for par, all however ending his probabilities.
No less than, you thought.
Two holes later, Scheffler blistered a 3-wood into the par-5 18th, an ideal left-to-right minimize shot solely he may have drawn up. His ball settled 15 ft previous the flag, thus giving himself an eagle probability. He wanted to make the putt to put up a 10-under rating, which can have been sufficient to drive a playoff by day’s finish. Alas, Scheffler missed on the low aspect, settling for a birdie and a 66. However that shot on 18, when he wanted to provide himself an eagle look, is another reason why he’s the most effective participant on the planet.
He hit the shot when wanted, simply as he did on 15.
Earlier within the spherical, he did the identical. Scheffler rattled off 5 birdies on his opening 9 holes, taking pictures up the leaderboard and sending shockwaves round Torrey Pines. He did what he wanted to do: he received off to an excellent begin and gave himself an opportunity. However Scheffler nonetheless confirmed some indicators of rust, even throughout Sunday’s ultimate spherical — an comprehensible actuality provided that this week marked simply his third begin of the season.
“It’s not straightforward to come back out right here and play aggressive golf at a excessive stage and get proper again to the place I used to be final yr, dropping these weeks that I had at residence the place I couldn’t do something. I feel a few of that makes it much more spectacular what Tiger’s capable of do off of his surgical procedures and lengthy layoffs and simply come out and compete with us is fairly miraculous,” Scheffler stated, referencing the damage he sustained on Christmas Day.
“I’m making an attempt to provide myself a little bit little bit of grace and a few persistence getting again into the swing of issues. I did some issues in the previous couple of weeks that I’m pleased with and undoubtedly some issues that I would like to enhance on.”
Little question Scheffler has some work to do, however he nonetheless ranked third among the many discipline in strokes gained tee-to-green. He had his ‘C-plus’ recreation at finest and nonetheless nearly received the match. Think about if he had his ‘B-minus’ recreation — or if he in some way scrambled to an even-par 72 on Saturday. He would have received the golf match, regardless of taking part in nowhere near what he’s able to.
That ought to scare the remainder of {the golfing} world, particularly since Scheffler will make his subsequent begin at Bay Hill, the place his historic run to glory started a yr in the past.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. Observe him on X @jack_milko.
