Scheffler Advances at U.S. Open with Impressive Round
Scottie Scheffler remains in the hunt at the U.S. Open. After starting with a 2-over par at Shinnecock Hills, he showcased his signature style: calm, patient, and nearly flawless. On Friday, he scored a 2-under 68, which placed him at even par for the tournament, tying for 11th place. He trails leader Wyndham Clark by seven strokes, with two more rounds remaining.
Scheffler aims to become the seventh player to complete the career Grand Slam on his 30th birthday this Sunday. During Friday’s round, he broke his streak of 10 U.S. Open rounds without going under par. His previous appearance at Oakmont saw him finish tied for seventh at 4 over.
An animated chat with coach Randy Smith on the driving range seemed to enhance Scheffler’s focus. He started from the 10th hole in the split-tee format and landed a birdie, in contrast to Thursday’s play which was disrupted by strong winds.
“Doesn’t really matter to me. I just play,” Scheffler commented on his course preference for the weekend.
In total, Scheffler notched three birdies and just one bogey on Friday. This contrasts with Thursday’s round where he registered four birdies, four bogeys, and a double bogey.
“I did a good job of keeping a pretty clean card today,” Scheffler noted. “I had the bogey there on my fourth hole, which was 13, but outside of that, no bogeys. That’s always nice when you’re coming around a U.S. Open golf course, especially one as challenging as this.”
Scheffler’s methodical style surfaced frequently during the round. He hit 12 out of 14 fairways and reached 15 greens in regulation on Friday. On Thursday, he succeeded in hitting 12 fairways but only managed 9 greens in regulation.
Scheffler faced some frustrations. At No. 2, his 17-foot birdie putt stayed annoyingly left, while a 15-footer at No. 7 fell short. “I wish I could have made a few more birdies coming in, but I did a lot of good stuff out there,” he admitted. “Hit some nice shots. Hit a lot of good putts as well. They were just kind of right around the edge.”
On the fourth hole, a sure birdie opportunity slipped away as his putt stopped just short. His caddie, Ted Scott, humorously remarked about the bounce, adding a lighter moment.
Scheffler’s lone bogey on No. 13 came after a wayward bunker shot followed by a missed par putt. Yet on the par-3 17th, he deftly recovered from the sand. Scheffler stayed out of further trouble.
“I think the tournament is halfway done,” Scheffler observed. “Yesterday was a day in which you could kind of shoot yourself out of the tournament. The conditions were really, really tough yesterday. Did a good job of hanging in there.”
Throughout Friday’s play, Scheffler and his partners—defending U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun and last year’s U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell—often waited for groups ahead. While standing at No. 2’s tee box, Scheffler enjoyed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, choosing to ignore a fan’s comment.