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 the planet uncharacteristically rifled his drive method 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 alternative 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 surprising sight that {the golfing} world hardly ever sees. His second landed in additional tall grass, resulting in a somewhat tough state of affairs.

“I took a sand wedge out of there and swung actually arduous. I believed it could come out, and I used to be stunned,” Scheffler stated of his second on the seventh gap.

“The subsequent one, I hit about 70 yards from the thick stuff. I practiced in it and knew the place I hit it was a fairly dangerous spot with how low it was, and that’s the place the water collects. So 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 through Getty Photos

He stayed affected person as a substitute.

“Round a golf course like this the place the scores are going to proceed to get decrease, it could possibly be robust to catch up,” Scheffler stated.

“I do know if I keep affected person round this golf course and play properly, 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 combination 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 match, and I did a very good job,” Scheffler stated.

“I feel that’s the interior battle you may have 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 had been on the par-5 14th and par-4 seventeenth.

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

“Obtained 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 trip that momentum the following couple of days.”

In an effort to hold that momentum, Scheffler must keep his focus and stay within the current—one thing he has carried out so properly 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 a little bit depth at instances, particularly on the seventh gap, the place his spherical briefly turned for the worst.

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

“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 sport. Now he has an outdoor shot at a medal, however no 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 workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. Remember to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.