LA JOLLA, Calif. — Scottie Scheffler performed nowhere close to his potential at Torrey Pines, even carding a 4-over 76 throughout Saturday’s third spherical, his worst rating in almost three years.
But, Scheffler nonetheless managed to tie for third, ending three strokes behind Genesis Invitational winner Ludvig Åberg.
“I didn’t have my finest stuff this week, however I nonetheless discovered a option to give myself an opportunity within the match,” Scheffler mentioned after.
“Just a few much less errors over the weekend and it might be a distinct story.”
Scheffler hit solely 30 of 56 fairways and located solely 48 of 72 greens this week, a lot under his typical excessive customary of play. However he’s the perfect participant on the earth for a cause, and Sunday’s closing spherical proved that.
He fired a 6-under 66 — 10 strokes decrease than the day earlier than — to present himself an opportunity. Even then, Scheffler appeared lifeless within the water on the par-4 fifteenth. He was 8-under for the championship, trailed Maverick McNealy by three photographs, and wanted a miracle. So, Scheffler determined to fireside on the again left flag from the green however was shocked to find the place his ball ended up. It discovered the greenside bunker.
“I hit a very good iron shot into the inexperienced there,” Scheffler mentioned of his strategy.
“Once I hit it, I felt like I stuffed it, and the ball saved drifting left one way or the other with the wind off the left, in order that didn’t actually make a ton of sense.”
After that preliminary shock, Scheffler settled down, assessed his lie within the lure, and determined to take lifeless purpose once more. He knew he wanted to make one thing occur, and that he did. Scheffler holed it for an unlikely birdie, retaining his hopes of profitable alive.
“In a match perhaps if I’ve a one- or two-shot lead, I’ll play out to the left, give myself a glance. Simply with the way in which the shot was within the bunker, it was type of on a downslope,” Scheffler mentioned of his third shot on 15.
“If I performed it a little bit to the left, I’m going extra up the upslope. However since I used to be a number of again, I felt like I wanted to purpose for the pin and see if I may make one thing occur and was lucky to see that one go.”
Sadly for Scheffler, he tugged his tee shot on the par-3 sixteenth into the greenside bunker. He didn’t stand up and down for par, all however ending his possibilities.
At the very least, you thought.
Two holes later, Scheffler blistered a 3-wood into the par-5 18th, an ideal left-to-right lower shot solely he may have drawn up. His ball settled 15 ft previous the flag, thus giving himself an eagle likelihood. He wanted to make the putt to publish a 10-under rating, which can have been sufficient to pressure a playoff by day’s finish. Alas, Scheffler missed on the low facet, settling for a birdie and a 66. However that shot on 18, when he wanted to present himself an eagle look, is another reason why he’s the perfect participant on the planet.
He hit the shot when wanted, simply as he did on 15.
Earlier within the spherical, he did the identical. Scheffler rattled off 5 birdies on his opening 9 holes, taking pictures up the leaderboard and sending shockwaves round Torrey Pines. He did what he wanted to do: he received off to begin and gave himself an opportunity. However Scheffler nonetheless confirmed some indicators of rust, even throughout Sunday’s closing spherical — an comprehensible actuality on condition that this week marked simply his third begin of the season.
“It’s not simple to return out right here and play aggressive golf at a excessive degree and get proper again to the place I used to be final 12 months, shedding these weeks that I had at house the place I couldn’t do something. I feel a few of that makes it much more spectacular what Tiger’s capable of do off of his surgical procedures and lengthy layoffs and simply come out and compete with us is fairly miraculous,” Scheffler mentioned, referencing the damage he sustained on Christmas Day.
“I’m attempting to present myself a little bit little bit of grace and a few persistence getting again into the swing of issues. I did some issues in the previous few weeks that I’m pleased with and undoubtedly some issues that I want to enhance on.”
Little doubt Scheffler has some work to do, however he nonetheless ranked third among the many area in strokes gained tee-to-green. He had his ‘C-plus’ sport at finest and nonetheless virtually gained the match. Think about if he had his ‘B-minus’ sport — or if he one way or the other scrambled to an even-par 72 on Saturday. He would have gained the golf match, regardless of taking part in nowhere near what he’s able to.
That ought to scare the remainder of {the golfing} world, particularly since Scheffler will make his subsequent begin at Bay Hill, the place his historic run to glory started a 12 months in the past.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. Observe him on X @jack_milko.