New York (AFP) – Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler fired a 10-under par 60 on Friday, seizing the lead and just missing a rare 59 in the second round of the PGA Tour Travelers Championship. Scheffler made 11 birdies against a lone bogey to stand on 16-under 124 after 36 holes. He led by two in the $20 million signature event at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
“I’ve been a little sharp with my ball striking, found a lot of fairways, gave myself a lot of looks,” Scheffler said. “Holed a decent amount of putts as well.” Scheffler needed a birdie at the 18th hole to shoot 59 but missed from just outside 26 feet, settling for par and 60.
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“It was a little tricky,” Scheffler said. “It actually went right to start and there was a ton of break right to left at the end. It was a tough read, but overall it was a really solid day. I was pretty happy with my execution.” He was already looking to the weekend. “Hard to keep up that pace, but continue to execute, continue to give myself looks,” Scheffler said of his plans.
Norway’s Viktor Hovland was second on 126 after a bogey-free round of 61, having his own 59-watch with seven birdies and an eagle before settling for pars at 17 and 18. “It was awesome stuff,” Hovland said. “It was overall a great round of golf.”
Akshay Bhatia matched his career-low round with a bogey-free 62 to share third on 128 with fellow American Eric Cole. “Hit it nice off the tee,” Bhatia said. “I hit a lot of good golf shots and putted really nice, made some long ones.” Scheffler nearly fired the 16th round in PGA Tour history to break 60, 14 of them on 59 behind Jim Furyk’s record 58, which was fired at the same course in the 2016 Travelers.
The 30-year-old American is already a member of the 59 club, Scheffler having fired that score at the 2020 Northern Trust at TPC Boston. He would have fired only the third 59 round with a bogey on the card. Scheffler, a four-time major winner, was coming off a share of fourth at last week’s US Open, where he could have completed a career Grand Slam.
After starting Friday one stroke off the lead following overnight rain, Scheffler opened with a birdie putt from just beyond 12 feet, took a bogey at the second when he was short of the green on his approach, then answered with an 18-foot birdie putt at the third. Scheffler reeled off four birdie putts in a row starting from just beyond 28 feet at the par-three fifth, followed by a tap-in at the par-five sixth after reaching the green in two, a six-footer at the seventh, and another from just inside nine feet at the par-three eighth.
– ‘Not my best drive’ – Scheffler sank a birdie putt from just inside 17 feet at the 10th, then reeled off another four birdies in a row — a four-footer at the par-five 13th, another from just inside 14 feet at the 15th, a 12-footer at 15, and the last from just inside nine feet at 16. After a six-foot par putt at the 17th, he came to 18 needing a birdie for 59.
“It was nice to hole that putt and give myself a chance at 18 after not my best drive,” Scheffler said. Scheffler found a left bunker, his first missed fairway of the round, then left himself just over 26 feet for a birdie and 59. His putt stayed left of the hole, setting up a tap-in par.
Scheffler won his season opener at the PGA American Express event in the California desert for his 20th tour title but has not won since, taking second at the Masters, Heritage and Doral events in April and third at last month’s Memorial tournament.
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