It might not be complete carnage, yet… But Oakmont has played tough enough to make Scottie Scheffler, one of the world’s great Bible bashers, take the Lord’s name in vain.
The USGA might be grimacing at Viktor Hovland’s ten birdies and an eagle through 36 holes or Sam Burns’ second round of 65 but this US Open test has proven a stern one for Scheffler. The world number one often sails through tournaments knowing that it’s all part of God’s plan. Well on Friday, he was cursing his luck and slamming clubs.
To his credit, Scheffler battled valiantly to salvage a credible one-over 71 to lie on four-over and make the cut and his position may yet improve as the afternoon goes on but he will be at least seven shots off the halfway pace after his close friend Burns set an early target at three-under.
“I feel like I battled really hard. It’s challenging out there. I was not getting the ball in the correct spots and paying the price for it. Felt like me getting away with 1-over today wasn’t all that bad. It could have been a lot worse,” Scheffler explained after his round.
The reigning PGA champion shares 33rd place and at the moment that should be considered a good result given how poorly he has played from tee to green, hitting just six fairways and seven greens in his second round.
Ranking 6th in putting so far today, it was the flat stick that bailed Scheffler out at times especially on the back nine where he made two birdies in his last six holes to hang around for the weekend.
After an opening 73, Scheffler started ominously with an opening birdie and got up and down for par after missing the fairway on eleven. But four bogeys and a birdie in seven holes left him languishing around the cut line and visibly boiling over.
Scheffler is 67th in the strokes gained off the tee and 70th in approach to the green. Two statistics that must make drastic improvements if he is to win his fourth major title, his second of the season and tee up a grand slam bid in Portrush next month.
“Yeah, any time you’re not hitting it the way or playing up to my expectations I think it’s frustrating. Mentally this was as tough as I’ve battled for the whole day. There was a lot of stuff going on out there that was not going in my favor necessarily, and I felt like Teddy and I did a great job of battling, especially coming down the stretch.
“I felt like I got some momentum back with a birdie on 2, quickly lost it with a bogey on 3, but then bounced back, birdied 4, great up-and-down on 5, great up-and-down on 6, birdied 7, good par on 8. I made the mistake there on 9, but that’s just what happens when you don’t hit the fairway.
“Overall definitely not out of the tournament. Today was I think with the way I was hitting it was easily a day I could have been going home and battled pretty hard to stay in there.
“I’m 4-over. We’ll see what the lead is after today, but around this golf course I don’t think by any means I’m out of the tournament.”
Scheffler has played like the son of God in recent weeks winning at a canter three times in his last four starts but he found out how uncomfortable church pews can be but he was determined to the end and he feels he could still be rewarded for his suffering.
“I think it’s just giving it your best on each shot. There was some times today where you feel like you could give up, just based on how difficult the golf course is, how my swing was feeling. And you’re, like, I’d get in position there on 17 and make a mess of the hole, and feel like I was making birdie, walk off with bogey.
“Then I hit it in a bunker on the next hole, and it’s like I’m going to be struggling for par. Start off the round I make a good putt on 10, barely pull it on 11, there’s a lot of places that ball could end up. Thought it could end fairway and it ends up in a place where I don’t have a swing.
“So it’s like, am I going mad about it, get frustrated, or am I just going to chip it out and see what I can do from there. I felt like that’s what a lot of today was about, and hopefully be able to put together some good rounds over the weekend and see where I stand. Going out early tomorrow, maybe get some easier conditions than the guys late in the afternoon.
“At the U.S. Open I don’t think you’re ever out of the tournament. Put together two decent days, I may be in 25th or 30th place or something like that after today, and like I said, by no means is that out of the tournament.”
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