Scottie Scheffler played alongside Rory McIlroy for the first two rounds of the PGA Championship and has spoken honestly about having the four-time major champion in his group
Scottie Scheffler is no stranger to making rapid rises up the leaderboard in major tournaments – and he’s aware that Rory McIlroy has the same capability. During the second day of the PGA Championship, it seemed like McIlroy was on the verge of doing just that.
McIlroy secured three birdies in four holes between the 7th and 10th, gaining momentum while Scheffler maintained a steady two-under for the day. However, McIlroy’s momentum was halted after missing a par putt on the 11th, prompting him to utter three words to himself: “Trust yourself, Rory.”
From then on, Scheffler took the initiative in the high-profile group, concluding the day well-placed at five-under, tied for fifth, after a three-under round of 68. McIlroy finished with a two-under round, ending at one-over, right on the cut line. However, Scheffler was unfazed by McIlroy’s eventful round, as he remained focused on himself.
When asked by the Mirror US about his thoughts during McIlroy’s momentum build-up and how he handles such situations, Scheffler offered a glimpse into why he wasn’t too concerned despite being aware of the unfolding events, which speaks volumes about his focus and character. And it could help see him go all the way this weekend.
“That’s a good question,” Scheffler replied. “When you’re out there competing, I’m mostly concerned about myself out there.
“I notice what’s going on, but it’s not like another sport. Like if we were playing basketball and he’s hitting a bunch of threes in my face, I’d probably have to adjust something because it’s more of a one-on-one game.”
Scheffler played down his direct competition with McIlroy. “In golf, outside of us two, there is 154 other people in the field this week,” he explained.
“It’s a big field, and there’s a lot of guys. I think mostly we’re competing against the golf course at times, especially the first two rounds.
“If it was late on Sunday and he was making a charge to get three ahead of me, maybe I’d have to change something. But in the second round, it doesn’t really make much of a difference to me.”
In terms of his hopes of winning, Scheffler added: “I like the position I’m in going into the weekend. Obviously I wish I was a little bit further up the leaderboard. I think I got a lot out of my game the last couple days.
“I felt like, as the round went on, my swing continued to get better, and I was able to hit some key shots down the stretch to give myself some opportunities. Looking forward to the weekend.”
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