Scottie Scheffler couldn’t make a putt on the 124th U.S. Open, which helps clarify why he made solely 4 birdies over his 4 rounds.
He referred to as it a “irritating” week after he completed up on Sunday, including that it was “lengthy.” Certainly, Scheffler arrived at Pinehurst No. 2 contemporary off a victory at the Memorial, his fifth win of the 2024 season. However Jack Nicklaus’ course performed so robust, that many gamers in contrast it to a significant championship.
That stage of issue takes so much out of a participant, not to mention the most effective golfer on the earth, particularly going right into a U.S. Open. Therefore, Scheffler will re-evaluate whether or not or not he’ll play within the weeks earlier than majors going ahead.
“I believe taking part in the week earlier than, plenty of it will depend on the golf course, however I believe final week with the golf course the best way it was, it most likely was not the most effective prep work for me coming into one other difficult occasion,” Scheffler stated Sunday.
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“I shot 5-under through the first spherical on the Memorial, which might have been the simplest day, and after that, I used to be 3-under from there on out. I imply, that’s fairly U.S. Open-like, and to play that many rounds, particularly with what I’ve been coping with the weeks main up or the entire season, been taking part in plenty of good golf and being in competition, I believe perhaps my prep would have been just a little bit higher for this week if I used to be at dwelling.”
After all, Scheffler has had so much occur in his life off the golf course in latest months. His arrest on the PGA Championship shortly grew to become nationwide information and an web sensation. He and his spouse, Meredith, additionally welcomed a child boy on Could 8, solely 9 days earlier than he discovered himself in a jail cell in Louisville, Kentucky.
After that, he performed within the Charles Schwab Problem, the place a outstanding tragedy occurred in the course of the event. Then, Scheffler skipped the RBC Canadian Open and made his subsequent begin on the Memorial.
“I’m clearly not going to skip Jack’s event,” Scheffler added.
“It’s a event I really like taking part in. It’s a event that I’m humbled to be the champion at.”
Earlier than this season, Nicklaus staged the Memorial Event through the first weekend of June, with the primary observe spherical coinciding with Memorial Day.
The PGA Tour pushed it again one week this yr, hoping to offer golf followers three straight weeks of top-level golf. After the Memorial, the world’s finest went straight to Pinehurst No. 2, after which, subsequent week, the highest gamers on the PGA Tour will head to the Vacationers Championship, the ultimate Signature Occasion of the season. Nicklaus hopes that his event will revert to its prior schedule, and certainly, Scheffler feels the identical.
“I believe when it comes to prep work for per week that I do know goes to be as robust as this, I’m leaning in the direction of perhaps not taking part in the week earlier than,” Scheffler added after Saturday’s spherical.
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“Going into the foremost championships, particularly those we all know are going to be actually difficult, it could be in my finest curiosity to not play the week earlier than.”
Scheffler echoed this sentiment after his Sunday spherical, too.
“So far as prep for this week, it could not have been the most effective, however I knew what my schedule was firstly of the yr. I had it set,” Scheffler stated.
“That was all the time the best way it was going to be. I really feel like going ahead, I’ll perhaps do issues just a little bit in another way within the weeks main as much as majors, particularly when you realize it’s going to be a difficult setup at a U.S. Open.”
Maybe the PGA Tour will change the date of the Memorial again to its conventional date on the heels of Memorial Day subsequent season. However perhaps it doesn’t. Both method, Scheffler seems to be like he’ll take the week off earlier than main championships, particularly earlier than U.S. Opens, in 2025 and past.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. You should definitely try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.