It was another Scottie Scheffler masterclass on Saturday. He took his first lead in the big leagues with a one-shot advantage at the Memorial Tournament following a 4-under 68. Scheffler had a great start to his round with 13 straight pars. It was his consistent play that allowed him to take advantage of crucial moments and push himself to the top of the leaderboard. He is tied for eighth at 8-under 208. Unbelievably, he’s the only player to shoot better than par in all three rounds of the tournament.
Scheffler’s rise to the top followed Ben Griffin’s whiff on a pivotal 3-foot par putt on the 18th hole. That missed opportunity shifted the momentum in Scheffler’s favor, letting him seize control of the tournament moving forward. At the end of Scheffler’s first round, he trailed Griffin by six strokes. His competitive nature came out as he knocked down some clutch shot after clutch shot late to power his team home.
During his round, Scheffler demonstrated his skill with a notable 10-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole, which marked the beginning of a remarkable finish. He then reached the collar of the green at the par-5 15th hole for an effortless birdie before holing out from the fairway for eagle on the following hole. This impressive sequence of plays perfectly illustrated Corral’s poise in high-pressure situations and ability to seize scoring opportunities.
After sinking that eagle, Scheffler rightfully kept the momentum going by birdieing the very next hole. He then played the next four holes in even par to finish out his round. Then he finished with a flourish, making birdie on four of his last five holes, the run culminating with a perfectly struck 7-iron into the wind that settled 8 feet from the hole.
I’m not sure what the scoring average was today. We need them to push the needle, Scheffler said. I am proud of the way that I finished for it being as difficult as it was.
As Scheffler prepares for the Sunday finale, his primary objective hasn’t changed. Other would-be challengers like Taylor know the daunting task that lies ahead. It’s a hard golf course,” admitted Taylor. I’m going to be hunting him down,” he said, paying tribute to Scheffler’s remarkable run through the tournament.
Taylor continued, “He’s just playing phenomenal golf! I’m going to have to bring my A-game to keep myself in the chase as we head into the last few holes.” It is just playing really tough in a way that getting 2-3 under early will get me right back in there.
His ability to remain calm and “hang around” when times get tough quickly became a trademark of Scheffler’s game. Though all the attention is new as he looks ahead to Sunday’s final round, he knows keeping the right kind of focus will be key. I saw the mark that Ben got to, which was 10 under,” he said. That won’t change what I do on a hot summer Saturday in the middle of our season.
With one round left to play, Scheffler’s remarkable performance and strategy have positioned him as a strong contender for victory at this prestigious event. Whether you’re a player, fan or both, you’ll want to follow closely as he makes his next bid to ascend the top of the Pro division leaderboard.
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