Scottie Scheffler finished outside the top-40 for the first time since the CJ Cup in October 2022; Scheffler had been pre-tournament favourite for US Open victory at Pinehurst No 2; Watch the Travelers Championship from Thursday live on Sky Sports Golf
Sunday 16 June 2024 22:22, UK
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler has vowed not overreact after registering his worst finish of the season at the 124th US Open.
The two-time Masters champion headed into the third major of the year as the pre-tournament favourite, having won the Memorial Tournament on Sunday to register a fifth PGA Tour win in eight starts, only to fail to challenge for a second major victory of the season.
Scheffler only made the halfway cut on the mark of five over and registered just four birdies during a frustrating the week, ending on eight over to post his poorest result since a tied-45th finish at the CJ Cup in October 2022.
"It was a long week. Obviously didn't play my best," Scheffler said. "I couldn't hole anything. I could not see the break on these greens. The greens this week kind of had my number. I felt like I hit a lot of really good putts that did weird things at the cup that I was not expecting them to do.
"When we come back here in a few years (Pinehurst will again host the US Open in 2029), I'll probably try to do a lot more work getting things going on the greens.
"But I've been on a good stretch of golf. Had one tough event following a great event. I'm not really going to look too much into it."
Scheffler had already won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players, The Masters and the RBC Heritage this year prior to his one-shot win at Muirfield Village, although admits a jading week at The Memorial may have been a factor in his US Open performance.
"Last week, with the golf course the way it is, it probably was not the best prep work for me coming into another really challenging event," Scheffler said. "I shot five under the first round at Memorial, which would have been the easiest day, and was three under from there on out.
"I mean, that's pretty US Open-like, and to play that many rounds, especially with what I've been dealing with the weeks leading up or really kind of the whole season, really playing a lot of good golf and being in contention, I think maybe my prep would have been a little bit better for this week if I was at home.
"I'm obviously not going to skip Jack [Nicklaus]'s tournament. It's a tournament I love playing. It's a tournament that I'm humbled to be the champion at, but as far as prep for this week, it may not have been the best.
"I knew what my schedule was at the beginning of the year. I had it set. That was always the way it was going to be. I feel like going forward, I'll maybe do things a little bit differently in the weeks leading up to majors, especially when you know it's going to be a challenging setup at a US Open."
Scheffler is back in action at the Travelers Championship, the latest of the PGA Tour's Signature Events, with early coverage live on Thursday from 12.30pm via the red button and 5pm on Sky Sports Golf.
The final men's major of the year is The Open, taking place at Royal Troon from July 18-21, where Scheffler will again be among the pre-tournament favourites. Stream the PGA Tour, majors and more with NOW.
