Scottie Scheffler Survived a Saturday Swoon at the U.S. Open, Now Sunday Beckons

The World No. 1 is embracing the test at The Country Club, even as it gets harder. He's rewarded with a chance to chase his second major.

Scottie Scheffler saw a Saturday U.S. Open lead disappear, but he's still well within striking range for Sunday and his second major title of the year.  :: Aaron Doster/USA Today

BROOKLINE, Mass. – A golf tournament is not a poker table; you can’t take your winnings and walk away. Otherwise, Scottie Scheffler would have plucked his ball out of the 8th hole at The Country Club Saturday and called it a day. The reigning Masters champ was 6 under par, two shots clear of the field, but as Scheffler said afterward: “It’s the U.S. Open. Things happened, and they happened quickly.”

The reigning Masters champ shot 4-over 39 on the back nine, and still has a chance to win. Scheffler: “I didn’t really play that bad. I just made three bogeys in a row.” When the No. 1 player in the world says that, there is no need to look at the calendar. You can be pretty sure it’s mid-June and the USGA is in charge.

At a time when too many of the world’s best golfers want the most money and the easiest life, no matter how they get it, this U.S. Open is most welcome. The rough is so thick, the Saudi Arabian government could hide a body in it. Some chip shots barely move. On a chilly afternoon when the wind was gusting, par was a great score on just about every hole.

Scheffler knows this. Everybody here knows this. But you can know that Edmonton is cold in January and still not be psychologically prepared for it. Scheffler said after he double-bogeyed the treacherous 11th hole, he submitted a fake scorecard to his cerebral cortex. He had parred No. 10 and eagled No. 8, but “I told myself: Just pretend you bogeyed 10 and birdied eight. It’s not a big deal.” After bogeying the 12th: “It’s not a big deal. I’m still maybe 1 under for the round.” (He was actually even par.) And after bogeying the 13th: “I just kept trying to pretend that what was happening wasn't happening.”

It worked, sort of. He played the next four holes in 1 under par. He finally lost his cool after a disappointing bunker shot on No. 18, slamming his wedge to the ground, which provided a good test for his stated goal of “using frustration for good versus getting angry.” He holed a dicey 14-foot par putt.

“I think that’s all part of what makes the tournament so fun,” Scheffler said. “You’re going to get tested all kinds of ways. If every golf tournament was like this, it would be a long season for all of us. But a few times a year, I think it’s a ton of fun.”

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As Scheffler spoke, the TV behind him showed Jon Rahm playing the 18th hole, or maybe the 18th hole was playing Rahm. That hole is a par 4. Rahm hit three bunker shots. Not ideal. Rahm made double bogey, but he is only one shot off the lead as he goes for his second straight U.S. Open.

It was a rough day all around, as it was supposed to be. Third-round leader Collin Morikawa shot a 7-over 77 to play himself out of contention. Rory McIlroy missed a four-foot birdie putt on No. 8, holed out for par, then looked back at the hole, miffed. He proceeded to one-putt eight of the next nine holes and still finished with a 73. It was that kind of day.

Sunday figures to be brutal in the best possible way. The course is tough but fair. The winner will have to maintain his composure when things go sideways, as they surely will. Scheffler brings an easy confidence to everything he does on the golf course except get dressed; Saturday, as at the Masters, he kept taking off his vest and putting it back on again.

In the last three decades, only Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth have won the Masters and U.S. Open back to back. Scheffler is tied for fourth, two strokes off the lead, as he tries to join them. It still feels weird to say, “Woods … Spieth … Scheffler,” and Scheffler is well aware of it. He said this week that “I feel like I'm kind of an under-the-radar person. I don't really feel like there's much chatter going around with me. I've been No. 1 in the world for a while now, and it doesn't really feel like it.”

The only way to become a legend is to do legendary things. Scheffler has won four times this year and lost another tournament in a playoff to his buddy and roommate this week, Sam Burns. He said Saturday, “I'm not thinking about what I did a month ago, two months ago right now.” He is in the kind of mental place every golfer seeks and most pros never reach. The question is how long he can stay there. One more day would be awfully nice.

More U.S. Open Coverage From Morning Read:

> Jordan Spieth Persevering Through Illness That Came at Just the Wrong Time
> With Boston Crowds Behind Him, Keegan Bradley Ready for U.S. Open Sunday
> What to Watch in Round 4: Key Pairings, the Fan Favorite, and a Winning Course
> Will Zalatoris is in Another Final Pairing Thanks to Patience – And a Slight Vision Adjustment
> Matt Fitzpatrick Looks Ready For Major Breakthrough

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