PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — For many gamers, two rounds underneath par at TPC Sawgrass is nothing to be upset about. However while you’re Scottie Scheffler and you’ve got received the Gamers Championship two straight years, expectations are completely different.
Scheffler posted rounds of 3-under 69 and 70 to start out this week’s Gamers and is six photographs again of the lead. However watching him over the course of the day, you might see a participant visibly annoyed by his efficiency.
“The final two days I felt like I may have scored so much higher. The quantity of fine putts I hit that simply went proper across the gap,” Scheffler stated. “At instances final 12 months these have been the putts that will go in, and the previous couple of weeks looks as if they have not been.”
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Over the course of 36 holes, Scheffler has misplaced 0.21 strokes to the sector together with his putter; final season, when he received eight tournaments, he was +0.095 strokes gained: placing.
“I haven’t got to play excellent golf as a way to attempt to win tournaments, and typically I attempt to lean on [previous wins] slightly bit once I’m on the market,” Scheffler stated. “However I speak about it so much. Final 12 months was final 12 months. This 12 months’s a very completely different 12 months. It is a completely different golf course, completely different really feel. There’s plenty of completely different stuff happening.”
On the fourth gap Friday, Scheffler missed a 14-foot putt for par. Whereas strolling to the fourth tee field, an exasperated Scheffler shook his head, turned to caddie Ted Scott and stated, “I would just love a lip-out!” whereas slapping his palms right down to his sides.
Then on No. 7, Scheffler’s drive discovered a pesky fairway bunker and gave him such a tricky lie that his restoration shot did not even sniff the inexperienced. Scheffler proceeded to take his membership and slam it into his golf bag in anger. He was in a position to rise up and down for a vital par save, nonetheless.
“I did not do a complete lot to fireplace [the crowd] up in the present day,” stated Scheffler, who nonetheless had 5 birdies.
Afterward, Scheffler appeared a bit extra relaxed. He tried to have a look at what he may do over the weekend whereas acknowledging he wasn’t in a position to benefit from the straightforward circumstances like he had hoped. Extreme winds, together with gusts of as much as 30 mph, will loom over Sawgrass beginning Saturday, and the course ought to play a lot more durable over the ultimate two rounds.
“In the event you go to a course like the place The Open Championships normally are, you might play the ball on the bottom. Round this place you’ll be able to’t actually,” Scheffler stated of taking part in within the wind. “The fairways are pretty tender. You bought to get the ball airborne, and so bought to be sure you’re controlling your spin, hitting it actually strong. At instances it will probably really feel such as you’re guessing slightly bit on the wind, and also you hopefully guess proper extra usually than you are flawed.”
