After a disappointing start at Pebble Beach, Scottie Scheffler responded with a six-under 66 at Spyglass Hill on Friday.
Given his recent run of form on the PGA Tour, it’s no surprise that Scheffler is held to such high standards.
So when he opened the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with a 72, questions were bound to be asked of the world number one.
Scheffler’s approach play had let him down badly on Thursday, and while he still wasn’t at his best in round two, there were clear signs of improvement.
“Yeah, definitely better than yesterday,” Scheffler said. “Felt like I played pretty solid all day.”
Scottie Scheffler tempers expectations when asked if he can win at Pebble Beach
Scheffler picked up one bogey, five birdies and an eagle during his round at Spyglass Hill, showing real improvement as he moved through the back nine.
During a superb stretch of golf across five holes, Scheffler produced three birdies and an eagle on the back nine. It was a clear sign that he’s starting to look more like himself again.
After posting a second-round 66 on Friday, Scheffler spoke with the media about whether he still sees himself in the running at Pebble Beach after moving slightly closer to the leaders.
“I’d say ‘inched’ would be the operative word there,” Scheffler joked.
“We’ll see how it shakes out at the end of the day. I mean, it’s going to take two pretty special rounds, but you’re never out of it. We’ll see what happens with the weather. I’ll go practice a little bit and then rest up and get ready for tomorrow.”
Scottie Scheffler needs to step up his iron play if he wants a chance at Pebble Beach
He was more accurate on Friday, but there were still too many balls finishing short of the green and just outside scoring range. That will need to change over the weekend.
Through two rounds, he has lost 2.176 strokes on approach and is ranked 65th – a category he’s led over the past three seasons.
The good news for him is that no one has been better than him with an iron in hand over the last three years. He isn’t likely to lose that edge overnight.
Scheffler’s recent dip is just a minor setback, nothing more. There’s every reason to expect him to come out strong in round three at Pebble Beach, where he’ll be aiming for nothing less than a 64.
Whether or not he can post that score without his best stuff is another matter entirely.
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