SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Scottie Scheffler has tallied more than 120 feet of made putts in each of the first two rounds at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and has posted scores of 67 and 65 at TPC Scottsdale.
If not for a four-putt bogey on the fifth hole during Friday’s second round, Scheffler might have walked off the course tied for the clubhouse lead.
Scheffler, seeking his first PGA Tour win, posted plenty of red numbers in the second round with that double his only blemish. In all, he had four 2s on Friday. He birdied three of the par 3s, including the 16th, when he stuffed his approach to 14 inches.
Too bad so few fans were there to see it.
“There were no more than 10 people in the stands,” he told PGA Tour Radio after his round.
On the par-4 17th, which was playing 320 yards on Friday, Scheffler drove the green with his 3-wood and was pin high, just inside 40 feet away. He then drained the eagle putt.
After making the turn, he collected a birdie at the par-5 third hole to get to 8 under. The double bogey two holes later set him back but he birdied 7 and 8 to get it back to 10 under. Scheffler has put himself in contention heading to the weekend in Scottsdale.
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A month ago, he had to say goodbye to a club he’d been using for nearly a decade, a Nike VR Pro 3-wood. He replaced it with a Callaway ahead of the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
On Wednesday this week, he cracked his driver.
“I had traveled with a backup most of the time and luckily the Ping guys were here when it broke Wednesday afternoon, and we put a little extra glue in the toe and started seeing the shot shape that I like, and it’s been good,” he said.
The Sentry was also his last made cut, as he left both the American Express and the Farmers Insurance Open after 36 holes. Scheffler had seven top 10s last season, including a solo fifth at the Tour Championship but his best finish this season is T-13 at the Sentry.
In his second visit to the Phoenix Open, Scheffler is looking for more, perhaps even that breakthrough win at TPC Scottsdale, a course he says he likes.
“I think it suits my game well, especially when I’m driving it good. I think the greens will get firmer as the week goes on, and I hit the ball pretty high, so pretty comfortable out here.”
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