Olympics 2024: Scottie Schefller leans on experience caddie to read the green
The world’s No. 1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler, demonstrated his resilience at the Olympics with a back-nine 31 in his second-round 69, leaving him five shots behind the leaders with 36 holes left to play. This performance is notable given his initial struggles reading the greens at Le Golf National, a course where an American golfer…
The world’s No. 1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler, demonstrated his resilience at the Olympics with a back-nine 31 in his second-round 69, leaving him five shots behind the leaders with 36 holes left to play. This performance is notable given his initial struggles reading the greens at Le Golf National, a course where an American golfer has never won.
Despite not yet dominating like leaders Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama, and Tommy Fleetwood, Scheffler remains within striking distance after making four birdies on the back nine. His turning point came after a frustrating front-nine 38, leading him to seek help from his veteran caddie, Ted Scott, who has previous experience at this course from the 2018 Ryder Cup.
“On No. 9, I hit what I felt was a good putt, but I totally misread it,” Scheffler explained. “I looked at Teddy and said I can’t read these greens. He started reading putts with me on the back nine, and I rolled a nice one on 10, another on 11, and kept rolling good putts.” This adjustment helped him steady his game despite a double bogey on the seventh hole, showing his characteristic composure.
Scheffler’s ability to stay calm under pressure was evident. “Panic is not the right word,” he said. “When you look at the leaderboard and see you’re nine shots back, it can be tough to catch up on a course like this. I needed to do something to get back in the tournament. I did a good job.”
He emphasized the importance of patience. “If I stay patient, I can shoot a low score. If I start freaking out and forcing things, you’re going to get in trouble fast.” Scheffler’s demeanor kept him focused, and with Scott’s guidance, he feels ready to contend for the gold medal.
Scheffler’s top-10 position at the Olympics reflects his ability to adapt and overcome challenges. “I’m proud of the back nine,” he said. “Got myself back into it. I was pretty far back, so it was nice to string some good holes together and hole some putts. I’ll definitely ride that momentum the next couple of days.”
The wisdom of his experienced caddie played a crucial role. “The way I was feeling, I wasn’t going to disagree with him,” Scheffler noted. “It’s like, ‘Yeah, man, you just tell me what to do, and I’ll oblige.'”
With his sights set on a gold medal, Scheffler is ready to leverage his momentum and his caddie’s insights to stay competitive through the weekend.