PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA | He is a tall, tanned and serious-looking figure who wears a cap that hides much of his face from public scrutiny and often keeps his eyes on the ground as he walks. At tournaments in which he competes he is often the man most want to beat and many can’t. There is a reason for this. Scottie Scheffler is No 1 in the world rankings and usually among the leaders which means playing late in the day at the weekends.
But here today – the Saturday of the Players – Scheffler was somewhat out of position. He began his third round at TPC Sawgrass at 9:25 a.m., 70 minutes after play started, and more than five hours before the leader, Ludvig Åberg, was to tee off. He was not alone in having to make such an early start. Rory McIlroy teed off at 9:55 a.m. In other words, the world No. 1 and world No. 2 golfers were beginning their third rounds from nearer the back of the field than the front.
McIlroy had an excuse. A back strain caused him to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill last week and put his participation in what is a most important event but not a major championship in doubt right up to Wednesday evening of this week. Quite understandably the northern Irishman was using the Players to ensure his readiness for the Masters next month, which he won so thrillingly last year, rather than making a realistic defence of the title he won in a playoff against J.J. Spaun last year.
And Scheffler? Well, comments were made when he finished only (!) tied 12th of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in February having had 18 top-10 finishes in a row prior to that. Further questions were raised when he finished only (!) tied 24th at Bay Hill last week. And then his first two rounds at Sawgrass were 72 and 73, 1-over par, and he got through to the weekend by the skin of his teeth and in part due to a birdie on his 36th hole. Golfer suffers a tiny lapse in form. Shock, horror. Not much of a story really.
Saturday at Sawgrass was a stage for Scheffler to demonstrate the sort of sparkling form for which he has become both famous and admired. This is precisely what he did. He had five birdies and no bogeys in a round of 67 and had a 54-hole total of 216, 4-under par. There were flashes of dissatisfaction such as when he dropped his club after his tee shot on the par-3 17th, perhaps thinking he had hit it too hard and it was heading for water, and his approach shot to the 15th green after which his club fell onto his left shoulder. But these were momentary demonstrations of his temper.
He might have hit his second shot into the water when he was going for the 11th green, but then he nearly holed a delightful pitch to save his par even though he would have wanted a birdie. On the next hole, as he played his second shot, a bunker obscured his view of the bottom of the flagstick. No problem. He nearly holed that one, too.
Even so, there was a respectful rather than rowdy air to the many spectators who followed him. It was as if they sensed he was close but not quite at his best. One spectator was a man wearing a tee shirt with the words “Golf is My Therapy” on it. By the side of the 13th green, three young men were betting on where Scheffler’s ball would finish. “I have Scottie’s to be within 10 feet,” one said. It didn’t. As Scheffler putted from just off the edge of the green they shouted “go, go, go, Go, GO!” and then “oh.”
Today, no one watching Scheffler shouted “light the candle” as had happened when launched a long drive on the 15th on Thursday. “You da man” was not heard nor was “mashed potato,” though one fan shouted “Let’s go, Scottie. You’re my hero” on the 15th.
“So overall I think I’ve been in a good spot with how my attitude and commitment has been to my shots. So for me that’s a good week.” – Scottie Scheffler
Later, Scheffler was asked about his week to date, whether he felt he had accomplished so far what he wanted to accomplish. Surely he would have wanted to win, as he had in 2023 and 2024. But no. “Sometimes when I … at tournaments I am not thinking about winning,” Scheffler said. “I’m thinking about approaching in the right way.
“I did my best to stay committed and I did a good job, I think, of keeping the right attitude and keeping my head on straight in order to grind out a couple rounds that were difficult. And then I shot a nice round today as well. So overall I think I’ve been in a good spot with how my attitude and commitment has been to my shots. So for me that’s a good week.”
There is still one round to go. With half the field yet to finish their third rounds Scheffler was tied for 26th. There is still time for him to climb into the top 10 by Sunday’s end. Still time for him to return to the form he was in earlier in the year.