Olympics: Scottie Scheffler by no means panicked, vaults again into combine

Scottie Scheffler by no means panicked, regardless that he had each purpose to take action halfway by his second spherical at Le Golf Nationwide.

The highest-ranked participant on this planet uncharacteristically rifled his drive manner proper of the seventh fairway because it got here to relaxation in some whispy, gnarly hay. The tall, thick grass utterly blanketed his ball, leaving Scheffler no selection however to hack it out. However the lie was so dangerous that the big-swinging Texan solely hit it 4 toes in entrance of him, a stunning sight that {the golfing} world hardly ever sees. His second landed in additional tall grass, resulting in a slightly tough state of affairs.

“I took a sand wedge out of there and swung actually exhausting. I assumed it might come out, and I used to be stunned,” Scheffler mentioned of his second on the seventh gap.

“The following one, I hit about 70 yards from the thick stuff. I practiced in it and knew the place I hit it was a reasonably dangerous spot with how low it was, and that’s the place the water collects. So you realize it’s going to be thick down there. I knew to not hit it there, and I did anyhow.”

Scheffler discovered among the healthiest hay on the golf course and paid a steep value. He made a double-bogey on the par-4 seventh gap, dropping again to 2-under for the championship and 10 photographs off the lead.

However he didn’t panic.

Picture by Emmanuel Dunand/AFP by way of Getty Photographs

He stayed affected person as an alternative.

“Round a golf course like this the place the scores are going to proceed to get decrease, it may very well be powerful to catch up,” Scheffler mentioned.

“I do know if I keep affected person round this golf course and play nicely, I can shoot a low rating. It’s only a matter of if I begin freaking out and begin forcing issues, you’re going to get in bother actually quick.”

Scheffler calmed the storm after making the flip, making 4 birdies on the again 9 to vault again into the combo at 6-under. He’s nonetheless 5 photographs again of Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood, and Hideki Matsuyama, however he did an admirable job of splitting the deficit he confronted in half.

“I wanted to do one thing to get again within the event, and I did a very good job,” Scheffler mentioned.

“I believe that’s the inner battle you’ve of staying affected person.”

He made two fast birdies on the par-4 tenth and par-3 eleventh holes, the latter of which was a 26-foot make. His two different par-breakers have been on the par-5 14th and par-4 seventeenth.

“I want to be main. However like I mentioned, I’m happy with the again 9,” Scheffler added.

“Acquired myself again into it. I used to be fairly far again, so it was good to string some good holes collectively and gap some putts. Undoubtedly journey that momentum the subsequent couple of days.”

With a purpose to preserve that momentum, Scheffler must keep his focus and stay within the current—one thing he has carried out so nicely all through the 2024 season, a season that has seen him win six instances on the PGA Tour. However the reigning Masters champion admitted that he misplaced somewhat depth at instances, particularly on the seventh gap, the place his spherical briefly turned for the worst.

“That shot I hit off seven, I believe I used to be only a bit distracted by some stuff and will have centered a bit higher,” Scheffler mentioned.

“It was an uncharacteristic swing for me. After that, you hit it within the hay, you don’t know what’s going to occur. I knew if I hit it down there, I used to be going to be fairly screwed.”

Little doubt that Scheffler discovered himself in a precarious state of affairs on the seventh, however not like most golfers, the World No. 1 bounced again admirably, shifting his focus again on himself and his recreation. Now he has an out of doors shot at a medal, however not less than he has a shot, one thing that didn’t appear attainable after he walked off the seventh inexperienced.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. You’ll want to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.