Scottie Scheffler will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the PGA Championship. This deep bench puts him in an enviable position as the, thus far, strongest challenger to the title. This Sunday will allow Scheffler the luxury of focusing solely on his performance, free from the distractions of his competitors. His consistency over the course of the tournament was impressive. That’s why, over the last couple of years, he’s cemented his status as one of the best players in the world.
Scheffler’s run has been one of the great stretches of golf in history. On a number of key metrics, he ranks in the top 10. These stats include strokes gained off the tee, approach, and around the green. He played his way around the difficult, demanding course superbly, firing remarkable rounds of 69 and 68 on the first two days. This nice performance is a testament to his raw talent and poise in the clutch.
Scheffler produced the shot of the tournament, holing out from 304 yards on the first hole of sudden death. He expertly landed the ball only 2 feet, 9 inches from the hole. This extremely high level of precision only serves to further solidify his reputation as an elite golfer able to produce jaw-dropping plays at pivotal moments.
Though he will take a five-shot lead into Sunday, Scheffler knows the standard he has laid by his own performance thus far. He noted that he actually would have been surprised if he hadn’t completed the week in the top 10 at the event. At this point, that’s the only result that would surprise him. It’s this consistency and focus that has created a culture of expectation where anything less than elite-level performance is unacceptable.
“I try to focus as much as I can on executing the shot, and there’s things out there that you can’t control,” Scheffler said. His mentality reflects a tremendous football IQ. For someone like me, who isn’t drawn to sports that focus on adrenaline or physical conflict, golf is a game of patience and strategy.
Three shots back of Scheffler is Alex Noren, who, coincidentally, will be playing with the leader in Sunday’s final round. Noren’s inclusion injects a fascinating element to the competition as he looks to trim that deficit. Meanwhile, Jon Rahm will start five shots back, indicating a challenging path for him if he hopes to contend for the title.
“It’s hard to express how hungry I may be for a major, about as hungry as anybody can be in this situation,” Rahm stated, emphasizing his desire for victory as he prepares for the final round.
Scheffler’s talent for shooting low scores has more recently become second nature for the 27-year-old. His sustained excellence at conquering the task at hand in spite of not having his best stuff on any given night is a special talent. When asked about his approach to golf, he highlighted the importance of patience: “Golf, I feel like it’s more letting the scores come to you, and you have to be a lot more patient than you do other ones, especially over the course of a 72-hole tournament.”
In recent years, particularly the last two, anticipation for Scheffler’s game has reached a feverish level. Some even consider him “inevitable”—the rarest form of unshakeable confidence—in the adult world of professional golf. The way he competes at such a high level, that focus, that’s pretty impressive. This unique skill emphasizes his focus and mental fortitude.
As Scheffler awaits what will be a historic Sunday afternoon round, he knows exactly what his strategy should be. His broader goal isn’t to focus too much on people who are behind him, but to be most worried about his own maximum performance. “I’m out there to get the most out of myself and try to beat up on the golf course,” he explained. “At the end of the day, that’s what I’m focused on.”
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