Scheffler grinds to 74 in Round 2, still makes U.S. Open cut

Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 golfer, had no place to vent his frustration after a rough day at Pinehurst No. 2. Following a wayward tee shot on the 18th hole that landed in the native area, he slammed his driver to the ground, the sound of which echoed in the stunned silence of the gallery. Even that wasn’t enough to relieve his frustration, so he threw his tee away in disgust.

Scheffler’s struggles were emblematic of his day. After managing a 1-over 71 on Thursday, he found the notoriously tricky greens of Pinehurst particularly punishing on Friday. He carded two bogeys, a double bogey, and, for the first time in 168 rounds, no birdies, ending the day with a 4-over 74. He narrowly made the cut at 5-over, securing a spot for the weekend.

“It was definitely a grind,” Scheffler reflected. “Yesterday, I felt like I played well and maximized my game, which I’ve done a good job of this year. Today, it was quite the opposite.”

Despite his struggles, Scheffler still managed to gain strokes on the field with his approach game. However, his short game and putting let him down significantly. The par-5 fifth hole epitomized his troubles. After a 322-yard drive, Scheffler aimed to reach the green in two, only to see his ball roll off the green into the native area. His first chip attempt fell short and rolled back to his feet, and his second went past the flag and over the green. Missing the bogey putt, all he could do was chuckle at his misfortune.

“The sandy areas are a bit of a mystery. It’s a luck of the draw whether you have a shot down there,” Scheffler said. “This course can be unpredictable, and it might have gotten the better of me these last couple of days. But it’s my job to avoid those areas as much as possible.”

Scheffler noted that while he usually enjoys playing tough courses like Pinehurst, struggling to score well takes the fun out of it. “Playing poor golf isn’t fun, but I do like the challenge,” he said. “The unpredictability of the native areas probably affected me more than I’d like.”

Throughout the day, Scheffler’s exasperation manifested in various ways. On the par-3 17th, his shot missed the target, landing not in the greenside bunker but on top of it. Frustrated, he muttered to himself, “Maybe the worst shot I’ve ever seen you hit.”

His woes continued on the greens, where he lost over three strokes to the field with his putter. On the 15th hole, yet another missed putt prompted him to toss his putter in the air and let it fall onto the green.

“I wasn’t reading the breaks correctly on the greens,” Scheffler admitted. “I couldn’t get close enough to the hole to have good looks at birdie.”

Scheffler’s day was a stark departure from his usual form. He mentioned that fatigue might have hampered his preparation for the tournament and that he would need to consider whether playing the week before a major was wise.