PORTRUSH, Northern Eire — If there’s one factor that appears to bother Scottie Scheffler within the media room, it’s the belief that any of that is easy.
“No,” he stated merely in an interview earlier this yr, requested whether or not golf was starting to really feel “straightforward” for him. He stated it with a smile, however it was clear how a lot he meant it. “Straightforward is unquestionably not the fitting phrase. I really feel like what I like about this recreation is how troublesome it’s.”
He stated one thing comparable after Saturday’s spherical on the Open Championship at Royal Portrush, an excellent third-round 67 comprised of 15 pars, two birdies and an eagle as he opened up a four-stroke lead over the remainder of the sector. As he fielded post-round questions a reporter informed Scheffler that it appeared “stress-free,” which is comprehensible, given his clear card. Scheffler was pleasant along with his reply — he practically at all times is — however pushed again on that assumption.
“I believe the card might look stress-free, however I had two very nice par saves on the again 9 that had been key,” he stated. He escaped from a gnarly lie at No. 11 and holed a protracted putt for par. He hacked one from the tangled tough at No. 14 and escaped there with par, too.
“It was a fairly difficult shot,” he stated of his second at No. 14. “Thankfully the grass was going with me, however the ball was fairly deep within the grass.”
It’s not straightforward. He has to inform us; in any other case we’d by no means know.
I WOULD IMAGINE that watching Scottie Scheffler whilst you’re rooting for one more participant is a irritating expertise. Such was the case for the Northern Irish devoted on Saturday. A number of teams forward, red-shirted, red-hot World No. 2 Rory McIlroy ignited the group with lengthy putts, flagged irons, even some weird buried-ball magic. His eagle on the par-5 twelfth yielded one of many loudest roars, he stated, of his whole profession. Euphoria unfold from gap to gap, spurred on by good golf and good climate, a festival-like celebration of summer time and sport and a homegrown hero.
However Scheffler, off final, heard the roars and pressed on, unyielding, relentless. In the end the World No. 2’s scintillating 66 gained him only one shot on the World No. 1.
“Scottie is one of the best participant on the planet proper now. I believe it’s clear for everybody to see,” McIlroy stated post-round. “He’s simply constantly so good each week he tees it up — it’s going to be a tall order to have the ability to catch him tomorrow.”
Haotong Li is Scheffler’s Sunday taking part in accomplice; he’s 4 pictures again in second place and stated he appears like that’s about as shut as he’ll get. “I’m really fairly trying ahead to it. 4 pictures behind, sort of play for second, particularly taking part in with World No. 1. I simply attempt to play my greatest on the market and hopefully make one thing occur,” he stated.
Xander Schauffele received this event final yr; he and Scheffler are the one gamers with a number of majors the final 4 years. He described the height golf state as “blackout” and referenced Scheffler as an professional in getting there.
“Once I watch Scottie play loads, he simply appears blacked out to me, simply doing his factor. He’s simply in his personal world and nothing’s going to hassle him,” Schauffele stated. “He will get to that place usually, which is an efficient factor for him.”
That relentlessness looks like Scheffler’s superpower. He goes, and goes, and goes once more. He’s closed out 9 54-hole leads in a row. He’s completed T8 or higher 10 tournaments in a row. He’s received 15 instances worldwide since his final missed minimize. Different professionals’ greatest stuff is Scheffler’s strange day. That doesn’t imply it’s straightforward — and I’ll watch out to not say so — however it does imply he’s higher at it than they’re.
IF YOU’RE A GOLF FAN you doubtless keep in mind Tiger Woods’ 10. The double-digit catastrophe got here on the 2020 Masters, performed in November resulting from Covid. There had by no means been a Masters fairly prefer it and Woods, the defending champ, did one thing he’d by no means finished, ping-ponging throughout the twelfth inexperienced en path to the very best single-hole rating of his professional profession. However Woods responded with one thing else he’d by no means finished, too: he birdied 5 of the final six holes coming house, no small triumph of the human spirit. And taking part in alongside Woods that day, within the last spherical of his first-ever Masters? Scottie Scheffler.
Scheffler doesn’t essentially love speaking about himself, which implies one of the simplest ways to know him could also be to listen to him describe what he likes in others. And sooner or later final yr Scheffler volunteered a very insightful monologue on Woods’ November comeback and why that second caught with him.
“He’s received so many golf tournaments, and he makes a ten on No. 12 at Augusta, and he birdies 5 of the final six holes and, I imply, it’s fully meaningless to him; at that stage in his profession, what’s the purpose? And for him simply to step up there and fully flip it round — and I child you not, he hit nonetheless to this present day three of one of the best iron pictures I’ve ever seen hit coming into these previous few holes. It was simply unbelievable to observe.
“I simply realized loads by watching him. I imply, the way in which he competes on this recreation is completely different than loads of gamers. He places every thing he has into each shot that he hits on the golf course, which I believe is a very underrated ability out right here. Like when he steps over a ball, at any second within the golf event, whether or not it’s his first shot on Thursday or the final shot on Sunday, I really feel like he’s as into it as he might presumably be. I simply realized that from watching him, the way in which he learn greens, the way in which he approached pitch pictures and iron pictures and tee pictures. There was by no means a second in that spherical the place he wasn’t going at it a thousand %, which is loads simpler I believe stated than finished.”
What stands proud is that Scheffler didn’t cite Woods’ bodily attributes nor his excellent golf swing however as an alternative the concept he places every thing he has into each shot. A thousand %. That’s not straightforward. It’s not straightforward. The hassle is the purpose.
On Saturday night time I requested Scheffler whether or not he lets his thoughts wander throughout these event rounds. If it does, you wouldn’t comprehend it — Scheffler’s typically both looking at his yardage guide or on the few ft immediately in entrance of his face.
“I believe it will be foolish to say that you could by no means let your thoughts wander,” Scheffler stated, usually unimpressed with himself. “However I believe most of what I can management is the time I’ve after we’re fascinated about the shot and once I’m over the ball, and most of that’s simply being dedicated to what I’m doing. So I’m not fascinated about wind, I’m not fascinated about how the ball goes to bounce. I’ve an image of what I wish to do, and that’s what I’m dedicated to attempt to make occur.”
GOLF WORKS IN FUNNY WAYS. They performed in threesomes on Sunday at that 2020 Masters; it was one of the simplest ways to squeeze in tee instances given restricted mild the time of yr. The third alongside Woods and Scheffler? It was Shane Lowry. The yr prior he’d received the Open Championship. At Royal Portrush.
Scottie Scheffler, Tiger Woods and Shane Lowry on the 2020 Masters.
Getty Photos
Scheffler, main by 4, is chasing Lowry on Sunday, seeking to supplant him as defending Portrush champ. He’s chasing Woods, too: not his 15 main championships, essentially, however his shadow and his ghost and his thousand-percent locked-in degree. Scheffler’s degree is as excessive because it’s ever been and it’s as excessive as anybody’s excessive since Woods. And nonetheless, he climbs increased.
“Tomorrow I’m going to step up there on the primary tee and I’m going to be attempting to get the ball within the fairway, and once I get to the second shot I’m going to be attempting to get that ball on the inexperienced. There’s not likely an excessive amount of else happening,” he stated, concluding his press convention with a shrug.
Dylan Dethier is a senior author for GOLF Journal/GOLF.com. The Williamstown, Mass. native joined GOLF in 2017 after two years scuffling on the mini-tours. Dethier is a graduate of Williams Faculty, the place he majored in English, and he’s the writer of 18 in America, which particulars the yr he spent as an 18-year-old residing from his automotive and taking part in a spherical of golf in each state.
