U.S. Open: Scottie Scheffler’s putter abandons him

Scottie Scheffler, who began the day at 5-over after barely making the minimize, may have shot a 67 or perhaps a 66 on Saturday on the U.S. Open.

He gave himself loads of birdie alternatives, taking part in a lot better from tee to inexperienced than the primary two days of the championship. However his putter let him down once more.

Scheffler misplaced virtually two strokes on the greens at Pinehurst No. 2 on Saturday, as he ranks useless final amongst people who made the minimize in strokes gained placing. He in the end shot a 1-over 71 for his third spherical, but when he had made a number of extra putts, he may have climbed the leaderboard into relevancy.

As a substitute, he missed good take care of good look, leaving a pissed off Scheffler staring into the abyss extra occasions than not. He appeared misplaced on the greens, one thing we have now not seen since earlier within the yr—earlier than he switched to a mallet putter forward of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Photograph by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Photographs

His first strong likelihood got here on the par-5 fifth, the place Scheffler virtually bought house in two. However he three-putted from off the entrance of the inexperienced, settling for par.

Three holes later, on the difficult par-4 eighth, Scheffler lastly made a birdie—his first in 26 holes, which marked the longest birdie-less streak of his profession. However he gave it proper again on the par-3 ninth, lacking a 3-footer for par.

Then, from 10 to 14, Scheffler put himself in a major place on each gap. He had an 8-footer for birdie on the par-5 tenth, and missed. On the subsequent gap, a 9-footer for birdie lastly dropped, however that may be his final birdie of the day.

At 12, Scheffler’s try from eight ft agonizingly slid previous the outlet. Had that dropped, he would have had all types of momentum. Then, on 13, after hitting his drive simply in need of the inexperienced, Scheffler couldn’t get up-and-down for birdie, lacking one other putt from inside 10 ft to accept one other par.

A bogey on 15 adopted as Scheffler couldn’t save par from in need of the inexperienced. He missed one other nine-footer within the course of.

The World No. 1 completed with three straight pars to cap one other irritating day at Pinehurst No. 2. Maybe he can convert a few of these alternatives throughout Sunday’s closing spherical, however at any charge, it’ll show too little too late. He is not going to win his first U.S. Open this time round, regardless of getting into the match with astonishingly low odds.

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. Make sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.