World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler among those to miss cut at PGA Championship
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TULSA, Okla. – It had to end at some point.
World No. 1 and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler missed his first cut since October after shooting 71-75 at the PGA Championship, snapping a golden run of golf that included four wins in his last nine starts.
Despite referencing Southern Hills as one of his favorite courses and having significant college success on the layout, Scheffler capitulated over his final nine holes Friday with a 5-over 40, including a painful double bogey on his final hole to miss the weekend by two shots.
After a run of pars on the back nine holes to start his round, Scheffler found trouble at the par-4 first by hitting his approach shot long and carding his first bogey of the day. Another bogey followed on the next hole before his lone birdie on the par-4 fourth. Another bogey on the par-5 fifth, a hole he eagled Thursday, put him under pressure before another dropped shot on the seventh left him on the cut line.
Needing a par on the par-4 ninth to make the weekend, Scheffler found a fairway bunker off the tee before missing the green wide left. After a delicate chip left him 14 feet to make the weekend, Scheffler watched in angst as his effort rolled past the hole and perhaps still frustrated, he missed the comebacker as well.
“The course was very fair. Definitely no gripes with the setup or anything like that. It was challenging,” Scheffler said after his opening 71. “The greens were good. The fairways are in good shape. The golf course is in great shape.”
The top 70 and ties remain in the fight for the Wanamaker Trophy, with the cut coming at 4-over 144.
Among those joining Scheffler leaving Oklahoma early are former world No. 1s Dustin Johnson (73-73) and Adam Scott (77-70) plus current FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay (76-75).
Ian Poulter had two bogeys in his final three holes to miss by one shot, the same fate suffered by J.J. Spaun and Ryan Palmer.
Tiger Woods looked set to miss the weekend after a double bogey on his 11th hole of the day put him at 5-over but the 82-time PGA TOUR winner rallied with two late birdies to extend his tournament.
“You can't win the tournament if you miss the cut. There's a reason why you fight hard and you're able to give yourself a chance on the weekend,” Woods said. “You just never know when you might get hot. I've won tournaments being on the cut number. This weekend I'm going to have to go low.”