Austin Eckroat's career-low round enough to match Scheffler after first day at Travelers Championship
CROMWELL – From above the 18th green, Austin Eckroat was out of sight.
All that was visible from behind the scoreboard off to the left side of the fairway was the reflection of the sun on his club face. It was tight, but Eckroat was able to see the pin and managed to lift his second shot 128 yards onto the left side of the green. The putt – 17 feet, five inches – was no problem for the 26-year-old who also sunk a 35-footer for eagle on No. 13 and went into the clubhouse at 8-under-par 62, topping the leaderboard he was hidden behind.
Advertisement
'I was on that side-hill lie, it was kind of thick, I was afraid if the heel caught, I could hit (the scoreboard) and that was really all my question was. But to get relief it had to be more in my way,' he said. 'Luckily it came out great, and I was able to make birdie.'
It completed the best round of Eckroat's professional career, which began on a sponsor's exemption at the Travelers in 2021.
Yet, it wasn't enough to hold onto the lead by the end of Thursday's opening round.
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 golfer in the world defending his 2024 Travelers crown, matched Eckroat's eagle on No. 13 to tie the lead and jumped into the top spot with a birdie on No. 15 about three and a half hours after Eckroat finished.
Advertisement
Scheffler hit from the rough, across the water and over the green on No. 17. His fourth shot on the par-4, a 16-foot putt, missed right of the hole and left him with bogey to drop back into a tie with Eckroat at 8-under. Still, it was Scheffler's lowest-scoring round in five career appearances in Cromwell.
'I actually got a pretty good lie in the rough,' Scheffler said. 'I got a lucky break and wasn't able to take advantage of it, but overall, I hit a lot of good shots, gave myself a lot of looks. I got off to a good start, and like I said, it was challenging out there late in the day. The wind was blowing pretty hard, and I was able to hit some really nice shots to get some good looks.'
The temperature got up to around 87 degrees by the time Eckroat's round finished and Scheffler's started. The wind picked up with the passing storm later in the day as the bogey count rose to 150, 10 more than the first round last year. Despite the threat of thunderstorms throughout the afternoon, none reached the River Highlands.
There were 259 total birdies recorded, six less than the opening round in 2024, three eagles and 850 pars.
Advertisement
Eckroat, responsible for six birdies, came into the media tent smiling through sweat. Although he has two career wins, he has finished outside the top 25 in 13 consecutive events.
'It's funny, a lot of Wednesdays I've felt really good going into the tournament and then Thursday comes around and it hasn't been there,' he said. 'I don't know if it's just the stress of playing in a PGA Tour event, but this one, it was nice to feel good on Wednesday and then actually take it into Thursday.'
Eckroat hit 10 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation on Thursday, crediting the success to a minor grip adjustment.
'It was just an easy fix, which is always annoying. You want it to be – in your mind it seems like it's something crazy, but it really isn't, it's just something minor, which is nice, obviously. But it's frustrating because it was just one piece away the whole time,' he said. 'I just went a little weaker with my right hand and I was able to release the club properly at that point. I wouldn't say it was weak, it had just gotten really strong, and I hadn't paid attention to that. I was focusing on the other aspects of the golf swing, so just a little bit weaker, more on top of the club.'
Advertisement
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, 2023 Travelers champion Keegan Bradley and 2023 U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark will each enter Friday's second round two strokes back at 6-under.
Cameron Young sits alone in sixth place after recovering from a double bogey on the first hole to shoot 5-under 65. He is followed by a group of eight players at 4-under: Davis Riley, Nick Taylor, Jason Day, Adam Hadwin, Max Greyserman, Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland and Brian Harman.
Tom Kim, who tied Scheffler after 72 holes in last year's tournament to force a playoff, received a sponsor's exemption to play this year and shot 3-under 67.
The Travelers is the eighth and final PGA Tour Signature Event of the season. It has a $20 million purse with $3.6 million and 700 FedExCup points to the winner. Scheffler holds a lead of more than 1,000 points in the FedExCup standings ahead of McIlroy; Eckroat is 34th.
Advertisement
Scheffler will tee-off with U.S. Open winner JJ Spaun, who shot 3-over 73, at 10:35 a.m. on Friday. Eckroat will hit off the first tee at 12:30 p.m. with Byeong Hun An.
'I felt confident, which it was nice to feel that this season,' Eckroat said. 'It's been a while.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mets Send Message to Juan Soto After Major News on Thursday
Mets Send Message to Juan Soto After Major News on Thursday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. New York Mets superstar Juan Soto didn't look like himself to start the season, but it was only a matter of time before he regained his powers at the plate. Advertisement The four-time All-MLB honoree slashed .232/.347/.345 in April and .219/.345/.448 in May, but he was slashing .340/.522/.700 in June ahead of Wednesday's 0-for-4 against the Atlanta Braves. If he continues to bat over .300 in the coming months, the Mets could run away with the NL's top seed. New York entered Thursday atop the NL East despite Soto slashing just .248/.387/.462 on the season. For context, his career slash line is .282/.418/.527. New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22)© Eric Canha-Imagn Images Soto reminded the baseball world what he's capable of with his latest history-making accomplishment on Thursday. The 26-year-old notched his 1,000th career hit, joining Mickey Mantle and Mel Ott as the only players to ever record 1,000 hits, 700 walks, and 200 homers before turning 27 (h/t Bob Nightengale of USA Today). He turns 27 on Oct. 25. Advertisement The Mets reacted to this news with a post on X. Soto signed with the Washington Nationals as an international free agent in 2015 before making his MLB debut in 2018. The native Dominican was the runner-up for the NL Rookie of the Year Award that season and helped lead the Nationals to their first-ever championship the following season. Soto won the NL batting title in 2020 with a .351 average and was the NL MVP runner-up in 2021. The Nationals traded him to the San Diego Padres in August 2022, who then sent him to the New York Yankees in December 2023. He then helped lead the Yankees to their first World Series appearance in 15 years before signing a record 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets in December 2024. Advertisement Related: New Report on Juan Soto's Treatment of Mets Teammates Related: Mets Legend Issues Strong Message to Juan Soto After Third Straight Loss This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mets Make Move After Sixth Straight Loss
Mets Make Move After Sixth Straight Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Currently reeling from a six-game losing streak, the New York Mets are also dealing with the absence ace starting pitcher Kodai Senga who suffered a right hamstring strain during a June 11 win against the Washington Nationals. The injury occurred while Senga was covering first base in the sixth inning and reached for a high throw from Pete Alonso. Advertisement He exited after 5.2 dominant innings, having allowed just one hit and striking out five. With a league-best 1.47 ERA, Senga has been the anchor of a rotation now in flux. His absence leaves the team without its most dependable arm at a time when bullpen usage is already stretched thin. New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) and first baseman Pete Alonso (20)© Brad Penner-Imagn Images Manager Carlos Mendoza and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner are left scrambling to find answers ahead of a pivotal series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The bullpen has been heavily taxed during this skid, and options are limited. The Mets' need for innings, stability, and upside has made their latest move all the more urgent. Enter Blade Tidwell. Advertisement Tidwell, the organization's top pitching prospect, has been recalled for a second stint in the majors (via Anthony DiComo of His debut last month against the St. Louis Cardinals was a mixed bag—3.2 innings, three walks, and an inflated 14.73 ERA—but also offered a glimpse of his potential. His fastball touched 96 mph, and his slider showed promise, though command issues derailed what began as a confident start. This second opportunity comes with real stakes. The Mets don't just need an arm—they need production. Tidwell now finds himself thrown into the fire, tasked with stabilizing a spiraling rotation and proving he's more than a prospect. His ability to adjust, execute in high-leverage situations, and limit base traffic will determine both his future role and the club's immediate fortunes. Advertisement With Senga's timeline unclear, the Mets must rely on internal reinforcements. That means young pitchers like Tidwell must mature quickly, because every game now holds postseason implications. Related: Mets Facing Clay Holmes Decision After Sixth Straight Loss Related: Mets Send Message to Juan Soto After Major News on Thursday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
U.S. Soccer Star Dishes On 'Weird' Oval Office Moment With Donald Trump
U.S. Men's National Soccer Team star Timothy Weah has opened up about what he described as the 'weird' experience of standing behind Donald Trump in the Oval Office while the president fielded questions on the Iran-Israel war and attacked the idea of transgender women competing in women's sports. Weah was at the White House with his Juventus teammates on Wednesday as part of a promotional event for the FIFA Club World Cup, ahead of the Italian side's 5-0 victory over the United Arab Emirates' Al-Ain FC. Advertisement Trump invited questions from reporters about the game and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the U.S. will host alongside Mexico and Canada. But the Juventus players stood uncomfortably behind POTUS as he instead answered queries about the more pressing political questions of the day. Weah, the son of former Liberian soccer star-turned-former president George Weah, later told reporters that the players had been made to attend the event. 'They told us that we have to go and I had no choice but to go,' he explained, reported The Athletic. 'I was caught by surprise, honestly. It was a bit weird,' he added. 'When he started talking about the politics with Iran and everything, it's kind of like, I just want to play football, man.' Related...
