Scottie Scheffler rides rollercoaster round to stay in contention at Brookline

BROOKLINE, Mass. – After a second-round 67 at the U.S. Open, Scottie Scheffler was asked by his wife Meredith to name three emotions he felt that day.

“Well, I played golf today,” answered Scheffler, “so I was happy and sad.”

That sentiment could also be applied in Saturday’s third round at The Country Club.

Scheffler, the FedExCup No. 1 and world No. 1, holed out for eagle on the par-5 eighth hole as part of a front-nine 32. Entering the day two strokes off the lead, he led by two strokes as he reached the par-3 11th. But Scheffler went long on the 141-yard hole, leading to a double bogey that was followed by three consecutive bogeys.

He steadied the ship to play the final four holes in 1-under, and after a roller coaster of a windy afternoon outside Boston, he ended the day right where he started, two strokes back of two co-leaders. Scheffler signed for a third-round, 1-over 71; he stands 2-under total, two back of Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick.

Scheffler has earned four PGA TOUR titles this season, including the Masters, and he’s on the verge of joining historic company. Only 10 players have won five TOUR titles and two majors in a single season (17 times overall). Nine are in the World Golf Hall of Fame; the other is Jordan Spieth.

Scheffler, 25, has a chance to enter the club Sunday at Brookline.

“Anytime you can win a golf tournament, especially a major, is really special,” said Scheffler, who followed his first TOUR title at the WM Phoenix Open with victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and Masters.

“For me, I’m not thinking about what I did a month ago. I’m not thinking about what I did two months ago. Right now I’m here at the U.S. Open, and I’m going to try to win the golf tournament tomorrow. If I do, it’s going to be really fun. If I don’t, life will go on.

“Hopefully this won’t be my last U.S. Open, but you know, you never know. Can’t take anything for granted in this life.”

The short par-3 11th – which wasn’t in the routing for the 2013 U.S. Amateur at Brookline, in which Scheffler reached the quarterfinals – proved vexing for the field Saturday. Scheffler was not immune. His tee shot flew into the rough past the back-left hole location, settling on the hazard line. His second shot caught up in the rough before reaching the green, and he couldn’t get up and down.

Three bogeys later, his lead had turned into a multi-shot deficit. But he continued to tell himself that he was still in the golf tournament – knowing how demanding the course was playing. With an up-and-down birdie from 35 yards on the short par-4 17th, and a 15-foot par save at No. 18 after finding a greenside bunker upon approach, he proved himself correct.

“I think the U.S. Open is very taxing, mentally and physically,” Scheffler said. “I think that’s all part of what makes this tournament so fun. You’re going to get tested all kinds of different ways.

“That’s why I show up here. I think that’s kind of the fun of it. If every golf tournament was like this, it would be in for a long season for all of us. A few times a year, I think it was a ton of fun.”

Three emotions: happy, sad, fun.