TOP-RANKED SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER fired a 10-under par 60 on Friday, seizing the lead and just missing a rare 59 in the second round of the PGA Tour Travelers Championship.
Scheffler made 11 birdies against a lone bogey to stand on 16-under 124 after 36 holes and led by two in the $20 million (€17.54 million) signature event at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry finished his second round on seven under after registering a 65, having opened with a 68 on Thursday.
The 39-year-old experienced a mixed start, with birdies on the first and fourth holes offset by a bogey on the eighth.
However, a strong finish saw the Offaly native jump 11 places up the leaderboard, as he hit four consecutive birdies between the 14th and 17th holes, before a par on the 18th.
“I’ve been a little sharp with my ball striking, found a lot of fairways, gave myself a lot of looks,” Scheffler said. “Holed a decent amount of putts as well.”
Scheffler needed a birdie at the 18th hole to shoot 59, but missed from just outside 26ft, settling for par and 60.
“It was a little tricky,” Scheffler said. “It actually went right to start, and there was a ton of break right to left at the end.
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“It was a tough read, but overall it was a really solid day. I was pretty happy with my execution.”
He was already looking to the weekend.
“Hard to keep up that pace, but continue to execute, continue to give myself looks,” Scheffler said of his plans.
A narrow miss at history.
With a second-round 60, Scottie Scheffler comes just short of joining Jim Furyk as the only players with two sub-60 rounds on TOUR. pic.twitter.com/PGyla8kHPq
Norway’s Viktor Hovland was second on 126 after a bogey-free round of 61, having his own 59-watch with seven birdies and an eagle before settling for pars at 17 and 18.
“It was awesome stuff,” Hovland said. “It was overall a great round of golf.”
American Akshay Bhatia matched his career-low round with a bogey-free 62 to stand third on 128.
“Hit it nice off the tee,” Bhatia said. “I hit a lot of good golf shots and putted really nice, made some long ones.”
Scheffler nearly fired the 16th round in PGA Tour history to break 60, 14 of them on 59, behind Jim Furyk’s record 58, fired at the same course in the 2016 Travelers.
The 30-year-old American is already a member of the 59 club, Scheffler having fired that score at the 2020 Northern Trust at TPC Boston.
He would have fired only the third 59 round with a bogey on the card.
Scheffler, a four-time major winner, was coming off a share of fourth at last week’s US Open, where he could have completed a career Grand Slam.
After starting Friday one stroke off the lead following overnight rain, Scheffler opened with a birdie putt from just beyond 12 feet, took a bogey at the second when he was short of the green on his approach, then answered with an 18-foot birdie putt at the third.
Scheffler reeled off four birdie putts in a row starting from just beyond 28ft at the par-three fifth, followed by a tap-in at the par-five sixth after reaching the green in two, a six-footer at the seventh and another from just inside 9ft at the par-three eighth.
- ‘Not my best drive’ -
Scheffler sank a birdie putt from just inside 17ft at the 10th, then reeled off another four birdies in a row — a four-footer at the par-five 13th, another from just inside 14ft at the 15th, a 12-footer at 15 and the last from just inside nine feet at 16.
After a six-foot par putt at the 17th, he came to 18 needing a birdie for 59.
“It was nice to hole that putt and give myself a chance at 18 after not my best drive,” Scheffler said.
Scheffler found a left bunker, his first missed fairway of the round, then left himself just over 26ft for a birdie and 59. His putt stayed left of the hole, setting up a tap-in par.
Scheffler won his season opener at the PGA American Express event in the California desert for his 20th tour title, but has not won since, taking second at the Masters, Heritage and Doral events in April and third at last month’s Memorial tournament.
Meanwhile, Leona Maguire has shot a second round 69 at the Women’s PGA Championship. The Cavan golfer improved to even-par, having opened with a disappointing 75, after six birdies and three bogeys.
Lauren Walsh is three-over through nine holes, with South Korea’s Ina Yoon the runaway leader, 11-under through four after opening with a sizzling 63.
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Scheffler grabs early PGA Travelers lead, strong finish boosts Lowry
Updated at 23.01
TOP-RANKED SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER fired a 10-under par 60 on Friday, seizing the lead and just missing a rare 59 in the second round of the PGA Tour Travelers Championship.
Scheffler made 11 birdies against a lone bogey to stand on 16-under 124 after 36 holes and led by two in the $20 million (€17.54 million) signature event at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry finished his second round on seven under after registering a 65, having opened with a 68 on Thursday.
The 39-year-old experienced a mixed start, with birdies on the first and fourth holes offset by a bogey on the eighth.
However, a strong finish saw the Offaly native jump 11 places up the leaderboard, as he hit four consecutive birdies between the 14th and 17th holes, before a par on the 18th.
“I’ve been a little sharp with my ball striking, found a lot of fairways, gave myself a lot of looks,” Scheffler said. “Holed a decent amount of putts as well.”
Scheffler needed a birdie at the 18th hole to shoot 59, but missed from just outside 26ft, settling for par and 60.
“It was a little tricky,” Scheffler said. “It actually went right to start, and there was a ton of break right to left at the end.
“It was a tough read, but overall it was a really solid day. I was pretty happy with my execution.”
He was already looking to the weekend.
“Hard to keep up that pace, but continue to execute, continue to give myself looks,” Scheffler said of his plans.
Norway’s Viktor Hovland was second on 126 after a bogey-free round of 61, having his own 59-watch with seven birdies and an eagle before settling for pars at 17 and 18.
“It was awesome stuff,” Hovland said. “It was overall a great round of golf.”
American Akshay Bhatia matched his career-low round with a bogey-free 62 to stand third on 128.
“Hit it nice off the tee,” Bhatia said. “I hit a lot of good golf shots and putted really nice, made some long ones.”
Scheffler nearly fired the 16th round in PGA Tour history to break 60, 14 of them on 59, behind Jim Furyk’s record 58, fired at the same course in the 2016 Travelers.
The 30-year-old American is already a member of the 59 club, Scheffler having fired that score at the 2020 Northern Trust at TPC Boston.
He would have fired only the third 59 round with a bogey on the card.
Scheffler, a four-time major winner, was coming off a share of fourth at last week’s US Open, where he could have completed a career Grand Slam.
After starting Friday one stroke off the lead following overnight rain, Scheffler opened with a birdie putt from just beyond 12 feet, took a bogey at the second when he was short of the green on his approach, then answered with an 18-foot birdie putt at the third.
Scheffler reeled off four birdie putts in a row starting from just beyond 28ft at the par-three fifth, followed by a tap-in at the par-five sixth after reaching the green in two, a six-footer at the seventh and another from just inside 9ft at the par-three eighth.
- ‘Not my best drive’ -
Scheffler sank a birdie putt from just inside 17ft at the 10th, then reeled off another four birdies in a row — a four-footer at the par-five 13th, another from just inside 14ft at the 15th, a 12-footer at 15 and the last from just inside nine feet at 16.
After a six-foot par putt at the 17th, he came to 18 needing a birdie for 59.
“It was nice to hole that putt and give myself a chance at 18 after not my best drive,” Scheffler said.
Scheffler found a left bunker, his first missed fairway of the round, then left himself just over 26ft for a birdie and 59. His putt stayed left of the hole, setting up a tap-in par.
Scheffler won his season opener at the PGA American Express event in the California desert for his 20th tour title, but has not won since, taking second at the Masters, Heritage and Doral events in April and third at last month’s Memorial tournament.
Meanwhile, Leona Maguire has shot a second round 69 at the Women’s PGA Championship. The Cavan golfer improved to even-par, having opened with a disappointing 75, after six birdies and three bogeys.
Lauren Walsh is three-over through nine holes, with South Korea’s Ina Yoon the runaway leader, 11-under through four after opening with a sizzling 63.
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