Scottie Scheffler’s journey at Riviera encountered a rough patch as he hurled his ball amidst the trees on the par 5 11th, a moment of frustration following six missed birdie opportunities. The subsequent holes didn’t alleviate his woes, as the World No.1 found himself grappling with the challenges.
Leading in strokes gained: off the tee, Scheffler narrowly avoided a near mishap on the par 3 16th after a missed ten-footer, almost wielding his club into his own foot.
In a surprising turn, Scheffler found himself tied for the 10th position by the end. Rory McIlroy, ranked second globally, weighed in on Scheffler’s predicament suggesting a mallet putter might serve him well.
“I’d love to see Scottie try a mallet,” remarked McIlroy, drawing from his own early career struggles. Fast forward to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and Scheffler was indeed spotted with a mallet putter in his bag. Did he heed McIlroy’s advice or was it merely a coincidental choice?
As it turns out, McIlroy wasn’t the sole voice advocating for the change. Scheffler’s swing coach, Randy Smith, had also toyed with the idea. Scheffler revealed, “My coach Randy joked about that at home, because he had already thought about it.” At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Scheffler wielded a TaylorMade Spider Tour X (X1) putter, featuring a 3-degree loft and 72-degree lie angle.
McIlroy’s recommendation to transition to a mallet putter stemmed from his own experience, which resonated with Scheffler, who had predominantly favored blade putters throughout his career. However, Scheffler emphasized the individuality of player preferences, acknowledging that what works for one may not necessarily work for another.
Scheffler’s putter journey has been marked by experimentation. From his victory at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open with a Scotty Cameron Special Select Timeless Prototype to wielding a Scotty Cameron Blade at the U.S. Open, and later transitioning to a mallet putter at the FedEx St. Jude last year.
Despite a return to the blade putter at the 2023 Hero World Challenge, Scheffler’s momentum failed to materialize, leading him to his current juncture.
With his new putter, Scheffler’s performance has shown promise, with his Putts per GIR ranking 18th-best in the field after the second round.
However, he continues to trail in strokes gained compared to the field, with his Strokes Gained: Putting standing at -1.052. Despite these challenges, Scheffler showcased resilience on Friday, making five birdies and an eagle, propelling him up 19 spots on the leaderboard.
Heading into the moving day, Scheffler finds himself in a six-way tie with notable contenders like Shane Lowry, Hideki Matsuyama, and others. In contrast, McIlroy sits tied for the 30th spot after carding a 2-under 70 on Friday.
Wyndham Clark’s stellar 6-under 66 emerged as the highlight of the day, amidst struggles for many players to break the 70 mark. Notable absentees from the weekend include defending champion Kurt Kitayama, Tommy Fleetwood, Adam Scott, and Matt Fitzpatrick, failing to make the cut.
