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 powerful, that many gamers in contrast it to a serious championship.
That degree of problem takes loads out of a participant, not to mention the perfect 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 feel taking part in the week earlier than, a variety of it depends upon the golf course, however I feel final week with the golf course the best way it was, it most likely was not the perfect prep work for me coming into one other difficult occasion,” Scheffler mentioned Sunday.
“I shot 5-under throughout 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 a variety of good golf and being in competition, I feel perhaps my prep would have been slightly bit higher for this week if I used to be at house.”
After all, Scheffler has had loads occur in his life off the golf course in latest months. His arrest on the PGA Championship rapidly turned 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 exceptional tragedy occurred in the course of the match. Then, Scheffler skipped the RBC Canadian Open and made his subsequent begin on the Memorial.
“I’m clearly not going to skip Jack’s match,” Scheffler added.
“It’s a match I like taking part in. It’s a match that I’m humbled to be the champion at.”
Earlier than this season, Nicklaus staged the Memorial Event throughout the first weekend of June, with the primary apply spherical coinciding with Memorial Day.
The PGA Tour pushed it again one week this 12 months, hoping to provide 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 match will revert to its prior schedule, and absolutely, Scheffler feels the identical.
“I feel when it comes to prep work for every week that I do know goes to be as powerful as this, I’m leaning in the direction of perhaps not taking part in the week earlier than,” Scheffler added after Saturday’s spherical.
“Going into the key championships, particularly those we all know are going to be actually difficult, it might 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 might not have been the perfect, however I knew what my schedule was firstly of the 12 months. I had it set,” Scheffler mentioned.
“That was all the time the best way it was going to be. I really feel like going ahead, I’ll perhaps do issues slightly bit in a different way within the weeks main as much as majors, particularly when you already know 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 manner, Scheffler seems 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 Taking part in By means of. Be sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.