World's top player and a struggler off to flying start

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has laid down the marker with an eight-under 62 to share the lead with Austin Eckroat in the Travelers Championship.
The week after a rough-and-tumble US Open was a welcome break for so many at the TPC River Highlands even with the rough just as long but not quite as thick as soaked Oakmont.
Rory McIlroy played bogey-free for a 66 and didn't look to break too much of a sweat on Thursday.
"This is a nice tonic compared to last week in terms of it's a slightly more benign golf course and the penalty for missing isn't quite as severe," McIlroy said.
Scheffler faced the hot afternoon when a refreshing breeze turned into a strong wind, and he wasted no time getting in the mix with four birdies in six holes and a 30 on the front nine.
And then came the par-5 13th, 236 yards away into the wind, over a pond to a pin on the right. It was perfect - that's coming from golf's best player - and settled 10 feet away for birdie.
"That three-iron I hit in there was really nice," Scheffler said. "It was pretty much exactly what I was trying to do. It was kind of one where I had to hit it really solid in order to get it there with the water short, and I just did pretty much exactly what I wanted to and it felt nice."
McIlroy was at 64 along with Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark. Another shot back was Cameron Young. He was in the mix late on Sunday at Oakmont, and started the Travelers Championship by going from the rough to the bunker, and then a three-putt from 25 feet for a double bogey.
"I managed to get around Oakmont for four days with no doubles and I made it zero holes here," Young said. "Typically that's not kind of what you expect around here."
Not to worry. He followed with eight birdies in a day with a new routine. His caddie went down with a stomach virus and the best option was to turn the bag over to his father, Dave Young, recently retired as the longtime pro at Sleepy Hollow.
The surprise was Eckroat, already a two-time winner on the PGA Tour but struggling so much this year that he has only two finishes in the top 20 and eight missed cuts.
"Felt great over the putter, and just a really solid day, and I felt confident, which it was nice to feel that this season," said Eckroat. "It's been a while."
US Open champion JJ Spaun felt the fatigue, and the steamy heat didn't help the cause. Playing along Scheffler, he was hanging in there until it took him two chips and two putts to cover 40 feet for a double bogey on No. 12, and a bogey-bogey finish for a 73.
Jason Day was the best of the Australian contingent making a four-under 66 to be tied seventh.
The former world No.1 made five birdies, including four in a row starting on the 13th, with his only bogey on the sixth.
Cam Davis (71), Adam Scott (72) and Min Woo Lee (73) are all in the second half of the field but there is no halfway cut in this tournament.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has laid down the marker with an eight-under 62 to share the lead with Austin Eckroat in the Travelers Championship.
The week after a rough-and-tumble US Open was a welcome break for so many at the TPC River Highlands even with the rough just as long but not quite as thick as soaked Oakmont.
Rory McIlroy played bogey-free for a 66 and didn't look to break too much of a sweat on Thursday.
"This is a nice tonic compared to last week in terms of it's a slightly more benign golf course and the penalty for missing isn't quite as severe," McIlroy said.
Scheffler faced the hot afternoon when a refreshing breeze turned into a strong wind, and he wasted no time getting in the mix with four birdies in six holes and a 30 on the front nine.
And then came the par-5 13th, 236 yards away into the wind, over a pond to a pin on the right. It was perfect - that's coming from golf's best player - and settled 10 feet away for birdie.
"That three-iron I hit in there was really nice," Scheffler said. "It was pretty much exactly what I was trying to do. It was kind of one where I had to hit it really solid in order to get it there with the water short, and I just did pretty much exactly what I wanted to and it felt nice."
McIlroy was at 64 along with Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark. Another shot back was Cameron Young. He was in the mix late on Sunday at Oakmont, and started the Travelers Championship by going from the rough to the bunker, and then a three-putt from 25 feet for a double bogey.
"I managed to get around Oakmont for four days with no doubles and I made it zero holes here," Young said. "Typically that's not kind of what you expect around here."
Not to worry. He followed with eight birdies in a day with a new routine. His caddie went down with a stomach virus and the best option was to turn the bag over to his father, Dave Young, recently retired as the longtime pro at Sleepy Hollow.
The surprise was Eckroat, already a two-time winner on the PGA Tour but struggling so much this year that he has only two finishes in the top 20 and eight missed cuts.
"Felt great over the putter, and just a really solid day, and I felt confident, which it was nice to feel that this season," said Eckroat. "It's been a while."
US Open champion JJ Spaun felt the fatigue, and the steamy heat didn't help the cause. Playing along Scheffler, he was hanging in there until it took him two chips and two putts to cover 40 feet for a double bogey on No. 12, and a bogey-bogey finish for a 73.
Jason Day was the best of the Australian contingent making a four-under 66 to be tied seventh.
The former world No.1 made five birdies, including four in a row starting on the 13th, with his only bogey on the sixth.
Cam Davis (71), Adam Scott (72) and Min Woo Lee (73) are all in the second half of the field but there is no halfway cut in this tournament.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has laid down the marker with an eight-under 62 to share the lead with Austin Eckroat in the Travelers Championship.
The week after a rough-and-tumble US Open was a welcome break for so many at the TPC River Highlands even with the rough just as long but not quite as thick as soaked Oakmont.
Rory McIlroy played bogey-free for a 66 and didn't look to break too much of a sweat on Thursday.
"This is a nice tonic compared to last week in terms of it's a slightly more benign golf course and the penalty for missing isn't quite as severe," McIlroy said.
Scheffler faced the hot afternoon when a refreshing breeze turned into a strong wind, and he wasted no time getting in the mix with four birdies in six holes and a 30 on the front nine.
And then came the par-5 13th, 236 yards away into the wind, over a pond to a pin on the right. It was perfect - that's coming from golf's best player - and settled 10 feet away for birdie.
"That three-iron I hit in there was really nice," Scheffler said. "It was pretty much exactly what I was trying to do. It was kind of one where I had to hit it really solid in order to get it there with the water short, and I just did pretty much exactly what I wanted to and it felt nice."
McIlroy was at 64 along with Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark. Another shot back was Cameron Young. He was in the mix late on Sunday at Oakmont, and started the Travelers Championship by going from the rough to the bunker, and then a three-putt from 25 feet for a double bogey.
"I managed to get around Oakmont for four days with no doubles and I made it zero holes here," Young said. "Typically that's not kind of what you expect around here."
Not to worry. He followed with eight birdies in a day with a new routine. His caddie went down with a stomach virus and the best option was to turn the bag over to his father, Dave Young, recently retired as the longtime pro at Sleepy Hollow.
The surprise was Eckroat, already a two-time winner on the PGA Tour but struggling so much this year that he has only two finishes in the top 20 and eight missed cuts.
"Felt great over the putter, and just a really solid day, and I felt confident, which it was nice to feel that this season," said Eckroat. "It's been a while."
US Open champion JJ Spaun felt the fatigue, and the steamy heat didn't help the cause. Playing along Scheffler, he was hanging in there until it took him two chips and two putts to cover 40 feet for a double bogey on No. 12, and a bogey-bogey finish for a 73.
Jason Day was the best of the Australian contingent making a four-under 66 to be tied seventh.
The former world No.1 made five birdies, including four in a row starting on the 13th, with his only bogey on the sixth.
Cam Davis (71), Adam Scott (72) and Min Woo Lee (73) are all in the second half of the field but there is no halfway cut in this tournament.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has laid down the marker with an eight-under 62 to share the lead with Austin Eckroat in the Travelers Championship.
The week after a rough-and-tumble US Open was a welcome break for so many at the TPC River Highlands even with the rough just as long but not quite as thick as soaked Oakmont.
Rory McIlroy played bogey-free for a 66 and didn't look to break too much of a sweat on Thursday.
"This is a nice tonic compared to last week in terms of it's a slightly more benign golf course and the penalty for missing isn't quite as severe," McIlroy said.
Scheffler faced the hot afternoon when a refreshing breeze turned into a strong wind, and he wasted no time getting in the mix with four birdies in six holes and a 30 on the front nine.
And then came the par-5 13th, 236 yards away into the wind, over a pond to a pin on the right. It was perfect - that's coming from golf's best player - and settled 10 feet away for birdie.
"That three-iron I hit in there was really nice," Scheffler said. "It was pretty much exactly what I was trying to do. It was kind of one where I had to hit it really solid in order to get it there with the water short, and I just did pretty much exactly what I wanted to and it felt nice."
McIlroy was at 64 along with Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark. Another shot back was Cameron Young. He was in the mix late on Sunday at Oakmont, and started the Travelers Championship by going from the rough to the bunker, and then a three-putt from 25 feet for a double bogey.
"I managed to get around Oakmont for four days with no doubles and I made it zero holes here," Young said. "Typically that's not kind of what you expect around here."
Not to worry. He followed with eight birdies in a day with a new routine. His caddie went down with a stomach virus and the best option was to turn the bag over to his father, Dave Young, recently retired as the longtime pro at Sleepy Hollow.
The surprise was Eckroat, already a two-time winner on the PGA Tour but struggling so much this year that he has only two finishes in the top 20 and eight missed cuts.
"Felt great over the putter, and just a really solid day, and I felt confident, which it was nice to feel that this season," said Eckroat. "It's been a while."
US Open champion JJ Spaun felt the fatigue, and the steamy heat didn't help the cause. Playing along Scheffler, he was hanging in there until it took him two chips and two putts to cover 40 feet for a double bogey on No. 12, and a bogey-bogey finish for a 73.
Jason Day was the best of the Australian contingent making a four-under 66 to be tied seventh.
The former world No.1 made five birdies, including four in a row starting on the 13th, with his only bogey on the sixth.
Cam Davis (71), Adam Scott (72) and Min Woo Lee (73) are all in the second half of the field but there is no halfway cut in this tournament.

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