OAKMONT, Pa. — Scottie Scheffler faced challenges once again at the renowned Oakmont’s Church Pews, where he found himself back in the notorious bunkers. Despite these setbacks and a bogey after almost reaching the green with his drive, the world’s number one golfer remains optimistic about his chances.
“I’m definitely still in this tournament. Today, considering how I was hitting, it felt like a day I could have ended up packing my bags, but I fought hard to stay in the game,” Scheffler commented, after spending an animated session with his coach Randy Smith on the practice range post-round. With a score of 4 over, he remains hopeful about his prospects, saying, “Let’s see where the lead stands by the day’s end; I certainly don’t think I’m out of it yet around here.”
Scheffler improved slightly with a 1-over 71 during Friday’s round at the U.S. Open, showing some recovery from his initial 73. This performance, however, fell below the standards that have seen him dominate the golf scene over the past three years. With 36 holes remaining, Scheffler aims to rediscover the form that led him to three wins in his last four tournaments.
Play was halted near the second round’s end due to rain, but betting odds still favored Scheffler, placing him with one of the shorter lines at 8-1 through BetMGM Sportsbook, notwithstanding his position tied for 23rd — seven strokes from the lead.
Scheffler started his round positively with a birdie on the 10th, but a bogey followed on the 15th. On the par-4 17th, his tee shot nearly reached the green yet ended in a struggle, costing him multiple strokes.
“It’s about giving everything for each shot,” Scheffler explained. “There were moments today where it could be tough not to feel discouraged, considering the course’s difficulty and how my swing felt. Finding myself a mess on the 17th, thinking a birdie was mine but ending with a bogey, then catching a bunker on the next hole thinking par is a stretch.”
The scorecards were varied, featuring alternating bogeys and birdies between the 1st and 4th holes. His previous entanglement with the Church Pew bunkers recurred, seeing his tee shot caught there on the 3rd once more. Yet, resilience and skill saw him make par from challenging positions, first on the 5th from the rough and then on the 6th from a bunker.
“This was one of my toughest mental battles for sure,” Scheffler reflected. “Many things out there felt like they weren’t falling in my favor.”
During last year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst, Scheffler played all four rounds over par, marking his first in major events. At this tournament, he finds himself possibly heading for a repeat of that scenario, yet remains hopeful of an upswing.
Demonstrating patience, particularly evident on the 9th hole, which completed his round, he opted for a deliberate approach, choosing to wedge safely out of the rough instead of a risky play towards the green. His efforts resulted in a missed 17-foot putt, taking a bogey.
Scheffler remains confident in his ability to climb the leaderboard. “Starting early tomorrow, the conditions might be less demanding compared to later rounds. The U.S. Open has that quality where you’re never really out,” he noted. “Even if I’m around 25th or 30th by day’s end, I’m still very much in it.”