Scottie Scheffler: an unexpected pause before the challenge at Royal Birkdale
Scottie Scheffler learned about a message he never received. A friend on the PGA Tour had drawn up a list of options for the weekend after missing the cut. “It was like, ‘Hey, you can practice, go to the gym, or go to the next tournament,'” golf’s No. 1 explained Tuesday. “He never sent it to me, but he talked to me about it.”
The reason: Scheffler missed the cut at the Scottish Open, breaking a streak of 78 consecutive tournaments over the limit — the longest since Tiger Woods (142 between 1998 and 2005). A frustration, but not a crisis. “You never want a free weekend, but when defending the title there are more things to do,” he commented. “It wasn’t the worst thing in the world.”
A new and firm field
That break allowed him to arrive early at Royal Birkdale. The English course, the most used in the British Open rotation since 1954 (eight times), was unusually dry. “The ball is going to roll forever,” Scheffler said. “With this firmness, many more challenges are created.”
Justin Rose, who has played here three times since 1998 (when he was an amateur and tied for fourth), agreed: “You never know a links course well. The weather changes everything; in 2008 you used 2-irons on par 4s, now wedges. It’s never the same.”
The year of Scheffler: close, but not
Scheffler won The American Express in January, but since then he has four second-place finishes, including the Masters and the Travelers Championship, where he lost in a playoff to Viktor Hovland after missing a 4-foot putt. “I felt like coming second in Travelers hurt more than missing the cut, but missing the cut is more frustrating,” he said.
To reset, he used the days off to rest his body and mind. “I’ve had a solid year, frustrating at times for being close and not finishing. I’m excited to defend my title.” The last successful defense in the Open was Padraig Harrington in 2008, at Birkdale itself. A week that could change your perspective.
The key information
Royal Birkdale, with its firm, yellowish terrain, demands strategy on every hole. Scheffler has already fulfilled two points on his friend’s list: he went to the gym in Scotland and moved on to the next tournament. Now, all that’s left to do is play.
