Scottie Scheffler shows true colours after disastrous Friday at US Open
World number one Scottie Scheffler has shared his thoughts after a nerve-wracking wait to see if he made the cut at the 2024 US Open, held at Pinehurst No.2. Despite the challenging circumstances, Scheffler expressed pride in his performance. On Friday morning, Scheffler appeared visibly frustrated as he began his second round of the tournament,…
World number one Scottie Scheffler has shared his thoughts after a nerve-wracking wait to see if he made the cut at the 2024 US Open, held at Pinehurst No.2. Despite the challenging circumstances, Scheffler expressed pride in his performance.
On Friday morning, Scheffler appeared visibly frustrated as he began his second round of the tournament, sitting at one-over par. The American golfer, ranked first in the world, hoped to make early birdies to regain his footing in the competition. However, things didn’t go as planned, and he ended up posting a disappointing second round of four-over 74, leaving him at five-over for the championship. At the time of publication, Scheffler was hovering right on the cut line.
“Around this place, you have to hit such good shots,” Scheffler remarked when asked about the difficulty of his round. “The golf course is challenging. I think personally it’s fun to play, but yeah, it was definitely a grind.”
The turning point came at the par-5 fifth hole, where Scheffler was positioned greenside in two but walked off with a double bogey after a mishap in the waste area. His playing partner, Xander Schauffele, faced a similar fate, also finishing the hole with a seven. When asked about the incident, Scheffler explained, “That’s part of the mystery of the kind of sandy areas. You get down there, and it’s kind of luck of the draw whether or not you have a shot. Preferably, I would have loved to have hit a little runner out of there, but I had a bush in my way, so I couldn’t play the shot I wanted. From there, all you’re trying to do is get it up onto the green somehow. It’s just so unpredictable.”
This result placed Scheffler at risk of missing his first cut since August 2022, a surprising outcome for a player who had been one of the favorites to win the major, with odds as short as 3/1.
A reporter questioned Scheffler about his adjustment to the challenging conditions, given his usual consistent play. Scheffler responded, “Not really. Yesterday, I felt like I played really well and got a lot out of my game, which I feel like I’ve done a good job of this year. Today was kind of the opposite. Especially on the back nine, I actually hit it really well but couldn’t get a putt to fall early on. The incident on number five was unfortunate; on any other golf course, I probably would have had a good look at birdie, but instead, I ended up with a seven. It was just an unfortunate situation.”
Scheffler remained doubtful about his chances of making the cut with a score of five-over but maintained a positive outlook on his performance. “Today, I just couldn’t get the putts to fall,” he said. “This golf course can be unpredictable at times, and maybe it got the better of me over the last couple of days. I’ll sit down, think about where we are, and figure out the next steps.”
Despite the challenges, Scheffler emphasized his pride in how he fought through the difficulties. His journey at Pinehurst No.2 serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of golf and the resilience required to compete at the highest level.