Latest news with #Scheffler
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Scottie Scheffler's frank response to silly scoring talk and pace of play gripes
World No.1 debates discussion over Travelers track and talks about quicker play Sizzling Scottie Scheffler ripped TPC River Highlands apart and then claimed it's silly to merely measure course strength by winning scores. At the same time, the current king of the game waded into the pace of play debate which is irritating golf fans. The World No.1 once again displayed his stunning skills with a magnificent 62 in the opening round of the Travelers Championship. Two-timers Masters king and current PGA champion Scheffler threatened a 59 at one point only to bogey the penultimate hole of his first 18 which meant he had to settle for an eight-under par score and share of the day-one lead. It was another awesome exhibition of his brilliance, but he refuted the notion it was easy and says it's wrong to judge the standard of a test simply by the amount of shots under-par which starts are carding. Scheffler, who shot two better than Rory McIlroy, explained: 'The conditions were really challenging out there. When I got out here to have breakfast this morning it was very calm. When I came out to do my warm-up it was still pretty calm. By the time I got to the first tee, it was blowing 20 miles an hour and it was sustained at that for most of our round. 'With the way I play golf, the more rough typically is going to be better for me. I hit a lot of fairways and a course like Oakmont [at US Open] I thought suited me really well just in terms of. Good ball-striking was going to be rewarded there. I just wasn't able to do it. I've always had a preference for the tougher tests that we have. That's always been my preference since I was a young kid.' Subsequently asked if he enjoyed winning the CJ CUP Byron Nelson with a 31-under final total, he stated: 'Yeah, and to be fair, I won by a significant margin. I could have won it at 23-under. Also the PGA, same thing. It was still a pretty sizeable cushion. So I think to call the winning score when it's that big of a margin I think is a bit silly. 30-under? Actually, no. I won by eight.' Scheffler also spoke about speed of play at TPC River Highlands which, with two-balls as opposed to three on day one as it was at Oakmont, were significantly faster than the painful six-hours slogs at the US Open which annoyed players and turned-off fans. He said: 'I think if you're going to look at the pace of play debate, I think twosomes makes a significant difference in terms of what we can do for pace of play. You also have two completely different golf courses between Oakmont and this one. The distance between tees on this golf course is much shorter. The holes are also shorter. It's simpler to get around this place. Oakmont is a big piece of property where the tee boxes are far apart. The holes go back and forth, but you finish one hole and you walk 100 yards back to the next tee and it's also so difficult, you're hitting a lot more shots as well.'
ARN News Center
7 hours ago
- Sport
- ARN News Center
Scottie Scheffler tied for Travelers lead after chasing a 59
After denying that TPC River Highlands is too easy, Scottie Scheffler was on pace for a round of 59 there Thursday in the opening round of the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn. Instead, the World No. 1 and defending champion carded an 8-under-par 62, tying Austin Eckroat for the 18-hole lead. At the $20 million signature event, the last of the regular season, Scheffler and Eckroat are two shots ahead of Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, Wyndham Clark and 2023 Travelers champion Keegan Bradley (6-under 64). Scheffler was 9 under par through 15 holes at the par-70 course but settled for par at No. 16 and made his only bogey of the day at No. 17 after overshooting the green. Scheffler, who shot 59 once before in his PGA Tour career (2020 Northern Trust), said the potential milestone didn't enter his mind. "When I came out to do my warmup it was still pretty calm. By the time I got to the first tee, it was blowing 20 miles an hour and it was sustained at that for most of our round," Scheffler said of the conditions. "It maybe went down to 10, to 12 and then it would gust to 30. It was pretty challenging out there." The low round came one day after Scheffler said he didn't believe TPC River Highlands was too easy for tour professionals. The winning scores the past two years have been 23 and 22 under par. "I've always had a preference for the tougher tests that we have," he added Thursday. "That's always been my preference since I was a young kid. I like the challenge of playing difficult golf courses, and I like the challenge of playing against really good fields, as well." Earlier in the day, Eckroat put up a bogey-free 62 highlighted by an eagle-birdie-birdie stretch at Nos. 13-15. The eagle came on a 35 1/2-foot putt. The 26-year-old won twice on tour last year but is struggling this season, as he ranks outside the top 100 in the FedEx Cup race. "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," Eckroat 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." McIlroy continued his upward trajectory after missing the cut at the RBC Canadian Open and tying for 19th at the U.S. Open. He made three birdies on each nine while keeping a bogey-free card. McIlroy played alongside Bradley, the U.S. captain for the upcoming Ryder Cup. "There was definitely a lot more 'Captain America' and 'USA' chants out there, which is cool," the European star said. "It's cool for Keegan to be here, be the U.S. Ryder Cup captain and obviously get all that support." Cameron Young is alone in sixth at 5-under 65, and a large tie at 4-under 66 included Norway's Viktor Hovland, England's Tommy Fleetwood and Australia's Jason Day. J.J. Spaun, playing alongside Scheffler after winning his first major title at the U.S. Open on Sunday, struggled to a 3-over 73. There is no 36-hole cut at the tournament. Jordan Spieth withdrew due to a neck/upper back injury that began to bother him on the practice range. Spieth said it was the first time he'd ever dropped out of a tournament early, on the PGA Tour or otherwise. "I've never withdrawn from an event ever, anywhere, at any level, so I didn't really know what to do," said Spieth, who was 5 over through 12 holes. "It just became too much. I didn't see it turning around until probably Saturday. These things kind of last an extra day, and no matter what I was going to do, it was just going to be -- I don't know, it's unfortunate. I've been doing everything right, and I think it was just very random."
The Advertiser
10 hours ago
- Climate
- The Advertiser
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.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 'Scheffler we know' back in Travelers Round 1
Scheffler shows 'he is human' in U.S. Open Round 1 Scottie Scheffler was not his most crisp in the opening round at Oakmont Country Club. Look back on his round, hear from Scheffler and watch Live From the U.S. Open break down what was off for him on Thursday. 7:59 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
New Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Scottie Scheffler tied for Travelers lead after chasing a 59
AFTER denying that TPC River Highlands is too easy, Scottie Scheffler was on pace for a round of 59 there Thursday in the opening round of the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn. Instead, the World No. 1 and defending champion carded an 8-under-par 62, tying Austin Eckroat for the 18-hole lead. At the US$20 million signature event, the last of the regular season, Scheffler and Eckroat are two shots ahead of Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, Wyndham Clark and 2023 Travelers champion Keegan Bradley (6-under 64). Scheffler was 9 under par through 15 holes at the par-70 course but settled for par at No. 16 and made his only bogey of the day at No. 17 after overshooting the green. Scheffler, who shot 59 once before in his PGA Tour career (2020 Northern Trust), said the potential milestone didn't enter his mind. "When I came out to do my warmup it was still pretty calm. By the time I got to the first tee, it was blowing 20 miles an hour and it was sustained at that for most of our round," Scheffler said of the conditions. "It maybe went down to 10, to 12 and then it would gust to 30. It was pretty challenging out there." The low round came one day after Scheffler said he didn't believe TPC River Highlands was too easy for tour professionals. The winning scores the past two years have been 23 and 22 under par. "I've always had a preference for the tougher tests that we have," he added Thursday. "That's always been my preference since I was a young kid. I like the challenge of playing difficult golf courses, and I like the challenge of playing against really good fields, as well." Earlier in the day, Eckroat put up a bogey-free 62 highlighted by an eagle-birdie-birdie stretch at Nos. 13-15. The eagle came on a 35 1/2-foot putt. The 26-year-old won twice on tour last year but is struggling this season, as he ranks outside the top 100 in the FedEx Cup race. "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," Eckroat 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." McIlroy continued his upward trajectory after missing the cut at the RBC Canadian Open and tying for 19th at the US Open. He made three birdies on each nine while keeping a bogey-free card. McIlroy played alongside Bradley, the US captain for the upcoming Ryder Cup. "There was definitely a lot more 'Captain America' and 'USA' chants out there, which is cool," the European star said. "It's cool for Keegan to be here, be the US Ryder Cup captain and obviously get all that support." Cameron Young is alone in sixth at 5-under 65, and a large tie at 4-under 66 included Norway's Viktor Hovland, England's Tommy Fleetwood and Australia's Jason Day. J.J. Spaun, playing alongside Scheffler after winning his first major title at the U.S. Open on Sunday, struggled to a 3-over 73. There is no 36-hole cut at the tournament. Jordan Spieth withdrew due to a neck/upper back injury that began to bother him on the practice range. Spieth said it was the first time he'd ever dropped out of a tournament early, on the PGA Tour or otherwise. "I've never withdrawn from an event ever, anywhere, at any level, so I didn't really know what to do," said Spieth, who was 5 over through 12 holes. "It just became too much. I didn't see it turning around until probably Saturday. These things kind of last an extra day, and no matter what I was going to do, it was just going to be – I don't know, it's unfortunate. I've been doing everything right, and I think it was just very random." — REUTERS
