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BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Rory McIlroy trails by two as Scottie Scheffler holds share of lead
Rory McIlroy made an impressive start to the Travelers Championship to sit two shots off the lead before world number one Scottie Scheffler later laid down a marker to defend his title in Connecticut. Masters champion McIlroy had finished tied for 19th at the US Open over a punishing Oakmont course – but ended the weekend on a positive following a three-under-par final round, which was the joint best of the day. Advertisement The Northern Irishman – who saw his driver ruled as 'non-conforming' ahead of last month's PGA Championship before then missing the cut at the Canadian Open – had been looking to build some momentum at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell as focus turns towards the Open at Royal Portrush. Rory McIlroy made an impressive start in Cromwell (Jessica Hill/AP) World number two McIlroy landed a birdie at the second and then sank two more ahead of the turn at the final PGA Tour Signature Event of 2025. After picking up another couple, a further birdie at the 17th – from the best part of 30 feet having hit a fine recovery shot out of the rough and over the water onto the green – saw him finish six under with 64 to sit in a tie for second, two shots behind early clubhouse leader Austin Eckroat. American Eckroat hit a fine eight-under round, which included an eagle at the par-three 13th and a sixth birdie at the 18th. Advertisement Scottie joins Eckroat atop the leaderboard with a 62 (-8) of his own!👏 — TravelersChamp (@TravelersChamp) June 19, 2025 Scheffler was one of the late starters paired alongside newly-crowned US Open champion JJ Spaun – who unlike his playing partner endured a perhaps expected tough round to finish three-over following successive bogeys on the closing two holes. There was, though, no such trouble for Scheffler, who never looked back after three birdies from the opening four holes. The American – who landed a third major title with the PGA Championship crown at Quail Hollow during May – then picked up an eagle on the 13th and another birdie at 15, before a bogey at the 17th was the only blemish on his eight-under 62. McIlroy's playing partner Keegan Bradley is also at six-under, having dropped a shot at the 12th, alongside Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion. Advertisement Out of position? Not for Rory McIlroy. He is 6-under @TravelersChamp 👀 📺 @PGATOURLIVE on ESPN+ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 19, 2025 'Overall it was a good start to the tournament, and I think when you're in a two-ball like that and we can sort of feed off one another a little bit too, that's nice as well,' McIlroy said after his opening round. 'I just want to see some good golf and see some better shots. I think if you concentrate on that and you are concentrating on your quality of golf and concentrating on just trying to play to the best of your ability, the result will take care of itself. 'There's no point in thinking about the result right now. I'm just trying to play as good as I can and make good swings, and if I do that enough, more than likely I'll find myself in a position to have a chance to win.' England's Tommy Fleetwood carded a first round of 66 to sit in a group tied for sixth. Advertisement Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, runner-up at Oakmont on Sunday, finished one over following a double-bogey six on the 17th. Jordan Spieth WD during the first round of the Travelers Championship with a neck/upper back injury. — PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 19, 2025 Jordan Spieth withdrew during his first round because of a neck/upper back injury. 'I may have just slept wrong and then something came along. I don't know what caused it,' he said. 'I think it was just a random one-off that unfortunately got worse and bad enough on a Thursday that I didn't feel like I could continue.' Advertisement
ARN News Center
an hour 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."
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Arab News
Scheffler hits a perfect shot and plenty of great ones for a 62 to share lead at Travelers
CROMWELL, Connecticut: Scottie Scheffler had one of those rare rounds where he hit a shot so pure it makes his confidence soar. So many other shots were pretty good, too, and they added to an 8-under 62 to share the lead Thursday with Austin Eckroat in the Travelers Championship. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport 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. '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 No. 1 player — and settled 10 feet away for birdie. 'That 3-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. The last two weeks served him well, however, as Eckroat said he figured out how to eliminate the miss to the left. He played the last six holes in 5-under par, starting with a 35-foot eagle putt on No. 13. 'I wasn't fearing the left ball today, which is huge, and then whenever you're feeling comfortable with other things, other things start to fall in line,' Eckroat said. 'Felt great over the putter, and just a really solid day, and I felt confident, which it was nice to feel that this season. It's been a while.' US Open champion J.J. 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. Jordan Spieth didn't even make it to the finish line. This was the first time Spieth didn't need a sponsor exemption for a $20 million signature event, and he only lasted 13 holes when his shoulder blade got tight on the range, spread across the back of his neck to the other side and left him no choice but to withdraw. Scheffler saying he hit a great shot is worth paying attention to because it doesn't happen very often. He rarely hits it offline. But this was something special. 'Hit it really solid and really straight, just barely right of the pin, and kept it nice flat flight, get it to go through the wind, and it was good,' he said. In fact, he could only recall two other shots in recent years — a 6-iron on the fifth hole in the final round at the 2022 Masters, a 9-iron he hit on the par-3 third hole in the final round of the 2023 Players Championship. 'Those are shots that kind of get lost in terms of the tournament,' he said. 'I'm not even sure if I birdied No. 3 at The Players, and I know I didn't birdie No. 5 during the Masters. But those are the shots when you're playing and you're in the moment, those are the ones that give me a lot of confidence.' It's hard to imagine him needing much more of that. He hasn't finished out of the top 10 since The Players in March, a stretch of eight tournaments. He didn't hit the ball very well for two days at the US Open and still had an outside chance on the back nine And in his 19th round at the TPC River Highlands, he posted his lowest score at 62.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Golf Fans Rip ESPN For Adam Schefter Coverage Thursday
Golf Fans Rip ESPN For Adam Schefter Coverage Thursday originally appeared on The Spun. Adam Schefter is getting into a new sport this week. The popular ESPN NFL insider is working as an on-the-course golf reporter at the Travelers Championship on Thursday. He's working a featured group of Rory McIlroy and Keegan Bradley. Schefter, known for his NFL coverage, is a major golf fan as well, working as an on-the-course reporter for ESPN+. Advertisement However, many golf fans are not happy with him. Golf fans have taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to complain about ESPN's over-the-top coverage of Schefter and his golf course shenanigans on Thursday. "We've got Adam Schefter out there calling shots, what else could you want?" the broadcasters said. But golf fans are not happy. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 18: ESPN analyst Adam Schefter on tv broadcast before a game between the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on October 18, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Bills 34-31. (Photo by)"Boy i think PGA Tour Live really overestimated how much folks want to see Adam Schefter on their TV screens lol. don't need the constant cuts to a man holding a microphone watching some golf" one fan wrote. "ESPN rolling out Adam Schefter for on course PGA Tour coverage is financial surrender," one fan added. Advertisement "It makes zero sense to advertise Adam Schefter as an on-course reporter if the other on-course reporter does all the work and Adam barely speaks," one fan added. "Everything espn does with their reporters is tiresome at this point. I don't care if Darlington is the golf guy, don't care if schefter is either lol. Just show the event," one fan added. "As if it's Adam Schefter's personality that has earned him a following," one fan added. "Thank GOODNESS PGA Tour Live is doing a split screen so we can watch Adam Schefter watch golf. A dream come true," one fan joked. The first round of the Travelers Championship is airing live on ESPN+ on Thursday with the second round coming on Friday. Advertisement Golf Fans Rip ESPN For Adam Schefter Coverage Thursday first appeared on The Spun on Jun 20, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Advertiser
4 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.
