DUBLIN, Ohio — The last time Scottie Scheffler walked off a golfing course feeling negative about the way he performed was . . . very well, he could not pretty recall on Friday.
When pressed, the world’s No. 1 participant cited the 3rd round of the PGA Championship, the day immediately after his significantly-reviewed arrest thanks to a site visitors difficulty that carries on to garner headlines, nevertheless the costs have been dropped.
Scheffler shot 73 that working day at Valhalla Golfing Club, the initially time in 2024 that he unsuccessful to shoot par or better. Have to be tough.
The 2nd round of the Memorial Tournament was extra of the exact same for Scheffler, who has been on an extraordinary roll that sees him around the major of leaderboards approximately each individual time he plays.
Scheffler birdied the 18th gap at Muirfield Village Golf Club to shoot 68, which followed a initially-round 67, supplying him a a few-shot benefit by way of 36 holes at Jack Nicklaus’s event.
“I try out to forget individuals days, and so I’m pretty lucky appropriate now that I are not able to genuinely bear in mind,’’ Scheffler claimed when questioned about people uncommon challenging times. “The only 1 I can really keep in mind was Saturday at the PGA, but that was a different caddie, so we are going to blame him for that.’’
Scheffler was joking about his normal caddie, Ted Scott, being absent that day thanks to his daughter’s substantial faculty graduation.
But the base line is there have been couple of bad outings for Scheffler all year. He’s received 4 situations, such as the Masters and the Players Championship. He finished next at two modern begins, including the Charles Schwab Obstacle two weeks ago. His “worst’’ party in the previous three months was the tie for eighth at the PGA Championship.
And now he’s main a $20 million Signature Party.
“I assume at this stage you might be practically expecting him to do those people things, so it is nearly like I can only do myself and can regulate what I can manage,’’ reported Ludvig Aberg, who performed with Scheffler the initially two rounds and is in sixth spot, 5 shots back again. “Obviously he’s participating in quite, very superior golf and it won’t glance incredibly tricky when he is playing, but all I can do is check out to retain up and make sure I’m not far too considerably behind, I guess.’’
Scheffler is earning it glance easy, even if he disagrees.
“No, quick is certainly not the suitable phrase,’’ Scheffler mentioned laughing. “I truly feel like what I adore about this activity is how complicated it is. I love coming out listed here and competing versus the very best players in the world on the greatest golf programs, and this is naturally a very challenging monitor. I actually just like competing out right here, and I you should not genuinely believe about whether or not or not it is uncomplicated or difficult, and some days I engage in superior and some days I don’t, and exterior of that, I’m just out right here making an attempt to contend.
“Sometimes it feels really great and then at times it won’t sense as great. I will not actually know how to describe it other than that. I’m going to try not to seriously assume about it much, to be straightforward with you.’’
Scheffler is three photographs ahead of first-spherical chief Adam Hadwin, defending Memorial winner Viktor Hovland and 4 forward of Keegan Bradley and Christiaan Bezuidenhout. Rory McIlroy is 6 photographs back again in a tie for seventh.
The match is one particular of three Signature Events—along with the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational—that has a 36-gap lower, which arrived at 148, 4-above par, with 51 players in the 73-participant industry advancing.
Amid individuals who missed the lower had been Jordan Spieth, defending U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler, who shot 82 on Friday.
Scheffler has his fifth 36-gap guide of the calendar year and is atop the subject in strokes gained approach to the inexperienced and strokes attained tee to eco-friendly. He’s attempting to grow to be the initially participant considering the fact that Justin Thomas in 2017 to get five times in a season.
