Scottie Scheffler Sums Up Royal Troon’s Brutal Back Nine With 7 Words

Scottie Scheffler is in contention to win his second major of the year after shooting an even-par 71 in the third round of the 152nd Open Championship on Saturday. The 2024 Masters champion currently sits at 2-under par for the tournament, just two strokes behind leader Billy Horschel (-4).

Scheffler is one of only two players yet to shoot an over-par round at The Open this week. After his third round, he discussed the challenges of Royal Troon, particularly its brutal back nine. “I can think of a couple days with some crazy high winds that may have been more challenging, but overall the back nine, I think that was probably the hardest nine holes that I’ll ever play,” Scheffler told CBS Sports. “I shouldn’t say ever, but it’s definitely the hardest that I’ve played to this point.”

The back nine at Royal Troon has tested the sport’s best all week, with difficult par-3s and lengthy par-4s becoming tough to reach in two shots due to wet, windy conditions in Scotland. Scheffler, the current world No. 1, hit 13 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation during his third round. For the week, he ranks No. 1 in Strokes Gained on Approach (+8.15), a typical strength for him. However, his putting remains a struggle, as he ranks near the bottom of the field in Strokes Gained Putting (114th, -1.61 SG).