Scottie Scheffler has barely had time to play six full holes this Thursday at the WM Phoenix Open, whose first day has been disrupted by a three and a half hour rain delay. The world’s Number One came out in the afternoon and with his ball on the green of hole 7, the suspension horn sounded. He was one under par, as a result of a bogey, two birdies and three pars.
He has spent little time on the course, just over an hour, but enough to end up desperate. His performance on the greens is starting to seem like witchcraft and the reality is that it gives the impression that it is affecting him. Review with us. On hole 1 he three-putted for bogey after missing a par putt of a meter and a half. On hole 2 he made a birdie coast to coast of ten meters. On hole 3 he made birdie again, but after letting a six-meter eagle putt slip away. On hole 4 he missed a birdie opportunity of three and a half meters. On 5 and 6, two opportunities of less than three meters slipped away again.
In six holes he has already lost almost two average strokes with the rest of the tournament on the greens. It’s almost as if someone is doing voodoo on him or a superior force has decided to drive him crazy. He has made the longest putt he has had and has missed the other five more or less reasonable options. On the one hand, of course, it may seem like a spell, but on the other hand, analyzing the matter more seriously, it seems that Scheffler is in a moment where he feels more comfortable and loose throwing a ten-meter putt, without-the-obligation-to-make, than facing opportunities that you-have-to-put-in-if-you-want-to-win-a-tournament. That is, right now his block seems much more mental than anything else.
The positive news for Scheffler is that no technical or mechanical problem is in sight, otherwise he would not make a ten-meter putt as he has done today. Everything points to a mental factor. If he hits the key, he can still change his luck in the Phoenix Open, where he has won the last two editions, but today he has conveyed the feeling that his patience is at the limit.
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Scheffler is five strokes behind the tournament’s sole leader Sahith Theegala (-6), although this is a very provisional first position, as he still has to finish playing the full afternoon shift. In principle, this part of the field has benefited quite a bit from the weather conditions, as the worst, in terms of rain and wind, was experienced in the early hours. In fact, when play resumed, the course was tender waiting to be attacked. In the morning, 19 players finished under par, while in the afternoon there were already 28, and some were just starting their round. The most advanced group is on hole 10 and the most delayed is on 3.
Among those who have finished playing, Theegala has a two-stroke lead over Shane Lowry (-4) and S.H. Kim (-4) and three over Jordan Spieth (-3). Among those who are on the course and still have to complete their round, the best is Andrew Novak, with a partial of five under par in nine holes. Also, with less than three and less than a third of their round completed are Cameron Young and Nick Taylor.
Play will resume this Friday at 7:30 local time, eight hours later in mainland Spain. In principle, a good day for golf is expected, with cold, but without rain. In any case, there will not be enough time to complete the second day. It will end on Saturday and from there the cut will be made.
