Scheffler Grinds to a 74 in Round 2, Makes U.S. Open Cut
PINEHURST, N.C. — Frustration was palpable as Scottie Scheffler let out his emotions on the 18th hole at Pinehurst No. 2. A wayward tee shot to the left and a subsequent slam of his driver to the ground reflected his struggle. It was a tough day for the world’s No. 1 golfer.
Scheffler, who had carded a commendable 1-over 71 on Thursday, found himself at the mercy of Pinehurst’s treacherous greens on Friday. Despite gaining shots with his approach game, he was tormented by two bogeys, a double bogey, and a notable absence of birdies—a first in his last 168 rounds. He scraped through to the weekend, landing just on the cut line at 5-over.
“It was definitely a grind,” Scheffler noted. “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.”
Fresh off his fifth event win of the year just the previous Sunday, Scheffler found himself stumbling early in the U.S. Open. The par-5 fifth hole epitomized his struggles. After a hefty 322-yard drive, his ball, despite reaching the green, trickled back into a trouble zone. Multiple chip attempts failed, and an eventual penalty turned what could have been a simple par into a double bogey.
“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 you have a shot,” Scheffler explained. His putting woes continued as he lost over 3 strokes to the field on the greens.
By the 17th, tensions boiled over. Scheffler’s shot at the par-3 landed atop a bunker, far from his intended target. “Maybe the worst shot I’ve ever seen you hit,” he muttered to himself. His frustrations carried over to the greens, where missed putts led to him tossing his putter in a fit of disbelief.
Scheffler admitted that fatigue could be a factor, hinting at a lack of adequate preparation due to playing the previous week. “It definitely was a bit of a fatigue aspect, but I was ready to play. Maybe this week, stepping up on Thursday, I wasn’t as prepared as I could have been.”
Despite his morning struggles, the cut line shifted just enough to keep Scheffler in the top 60, ensuring his place for the weekend. Given his track record, it’s not far-fetched to think he could make a significant comeback.
While Scheffler narrowly made it, notable names like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Justin Thomas failed to make the cut. Woods finished at 7-over, Mickelson at 15-over, and Thomas at 11-over, marking his fifth missed cut at majors in two years. Others like Viktor Hovland, Max Homa, and Justin Rose also faltered. Even the 2016 U.S. Open winner, Dustin Johnson, missed the cut, continuing his recent struggles at majors.
Scheffler may have barely made the cut, but his resilience and past performances suggest he’s not out of the running yet. All eyes will be on him this weekend as he attempts to climb the leaderboard once more.
Scheffler’s determined grind ensured he just made the U.S. Open cut, setting him up for a challenging but potentially rewarding weekend. With several top players missing the cut, Scheffler’s perseverance might see him make a notable comeback.
Source: Espn
