Missing the green is one of the most dangerous things that can happen at the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Sahith Theegala makes a virtue of this predicament and sinks the ball with a putt from off the green. A truly magical shot.
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Scottie Schefflers troubles at the US Open 2024 worsened on day 2 and he shouldn’t have needed another shot, otherwise he would have missed the cut. No birdies for the world No. 1 on day 2 at Pinhurst No. 2, but two bogeys on the front nine and then disaster on hole 5. Like his flight partners, Scheffler was unable to escape his home turf and ended up with a triple bogey. With a round of 74 strokes and a total score of five over par, he is tied 57th after round 2.
Q. How much of a grind was it out there today?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, it was for sure. Around this place you have to hit such good shots. The golf course is challenging. I think personally it’s fun to play, but yeah, it was definitely a grind.
Q. The fifth hole took a little bit out of everybody in the group. What was going on there?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think that’s part of the mystery of the kind of sandy areas. You get down there and it’s kind of luck of the draw whether or not you have a shot. Preferably I would have loved to have hit like a little runner out of there, but I had a bush in my way to where I couldn’t play the runner that I would have hoped to. Really all you’re trying to do from there is get it up on to the green somewhere, and I felt like I took the best route I could think of at first, and just because it’s so unpredictable.
So yeah, just pretty challenging spot for your ball to end up in.
Q. You’ve been playing so well, so consistently. Is it kind of a readjustment out there to remember how to play when it’s not going your way?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Not really. I think this week — yesterday I felt like I played really well and got a lot out of my game, which I feel like I’ve done a good job of this year. Today was kind of the opposite. I felt like especially the back nine today I actually hit it really well. I just couldn’t get a putt to fall early. Then I had that unfortunate deal on No. 5 which probably on any other golf course if I hit those two shots, driver, 3-wood into a green on a par-5 and probably have a pretty good look at birdie, I’m not going to have walking off with a 7. But just unfortunate place for me to put myself.
Q. What positives do you have to take out of today if 5-over gets you into the weekend?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don’t think 5-over is going to get me into the weekend. But I’m proud of how I fought today. I gave myself a good chance. Really yesterday I felt like I did a great job. Today I just couldn’t get the putts to fall. This golf course can be unpredictable at times, and maybe it got the better of me the last couple days. I’ll sit down and think about where we’re going the last few days and figure it out.
On Friday morning, Sepp Straka experienced a true magic moment at the US Open 2024 on Pinehurst No. 2. With a hole-in-one, the Austrian catapulted himself into the headlines and brought smiles to the faces of the spectators.
The Friday could have started better for Straka. On the third hole, his second shot bounced off the flagstick and landed in the bunker. What followed was a painful triple-bogey that set him back to three over par—a tough blow for the usually confident player.
But then came the moment that changed everything. On the ninth hole, a 177-yard par-3, Straka showed his full class. The 31-year-old hit his tee shot perfectly onto the green—about 26 feet from the pin—and the ball rolled straight into the hole as if by magic. Straka celebrated the first hole-in-one of this year’s US Open together with his caddie Duane Bock and American playing partners JT Poston and Peter Malnati.
With this ace, Straka joins the few players who have achieved a hole-in-one on the ninth hole of Pinehurst No. 2. Before him, only Peter Jacobsen (2005) and Zach Johnson (2014) managed this feat.
The hole-in-one brought Straka back into the tournament, as he was previously within range of the cut. In his career, Straka has already celebrated successes, including victories at the 2022 Honda Classic and the 2023 John Deere Classic. His best result at a major so far was a tied second place at last year’s British Open.
Acting as the “engine” of the golf club, the shaft forms the crucial connection between the clubhead and the golfer. Its length, flexibility, kick-point, weight, and alignment profoundly influence the club’s performance, warranting a thorough examination. Our experts at HIO Fitting are here to provide detailed insights.
Golf shafts come in many types and subtypes, each with distinct properties affecting the game. Modern shafts are typically made from steel, graphite, or composite materials.
The notion of “precision with steel vs. speed with graphite” is debunked by HIO Fitting experts. Golfers comfortable with graphite shafts will achieve precise shots, and those handling steel’s weight won’t necessarily swing faster with lighter graphite shafts. The increased swing speed associated with lighter shafts is due to their reduced weight, not their material.
Technological advancements from 2000 to 2015 have nullified the old belief that steel shafts offer more precision. Graphite shafts now dominate woods, while steel shafts are still preferred in hybrids for power players. The advantage of graphite in long clubs lies in their lighter weight and customizable profiles.
Heavier and stiffer, steel shafts suit players with high swing speeds and are cost-effective to produce. Typically weighing between 90g and 130g, they offer flexes from Regular to Extra Stiff (R-X). Though technically feasible, making steel shafts lighter and softer is prohibitively expensive.
Our HIO Fitting experts dispel common myths about graphite shafts:
Graphite shafts are manufactured by wrapping graphite tape with epoxy resin around a steel spindle. After heating, the spindle is removed, and the shaft is ground, cut, and painted.
The primary advantage of graphite shafts is their low weight. Available from 29 grams in woods to 39 grams in irons, they can also weigh up to 125 grams, matching steel shafts in weight. Graphite shafts cater to all flex variants, from “Ultra-Light” to “X-Stiff,” accommodating every swing speed. They are also beneficial for golfers with joint issues due to their vibration dampening properties and can be customized to individual preferences.
Multi-material shafts, which emerged in the mid-2010s, combine the best properties of steel and graphite, revolutionizing irons and wedges. New methods to incorporate steel fibers into graphite have made these shafts stiffer and lighter.
Innovations in the 2020s have introduced pure graphite shafts with advanced carbon fiber structures, like Mitsubishi Chemical’s “Braided Carbon Technology,” integrating new fibers like 1K Carbon Fiber or MR70. These shafts achieve high stiffness at low weights, with some as light as 30 grams or customizable in weight distribution.
What is Flex?
Flex refers to the shaft’s ability to bend, categorized into Ladies/Light (L), Amateur (A), Senior (S), Regular (R), Stiff (S), and Extra Stiff (XS). Flex levels vary by manufacturer, lacking a unified standard. Flex is measured by the shaft’s vibration frequency (CPM) before installation. During fitting, stiffness is adjusted by trimming the narrower end (tip trimming).
The Impact of Flex on Ball Flight and Feel
A shaft that’s too soft bends excessively, resulting in higher trajectories and leftward spins, while a stiff shaft does the opposite. However, HIO Fitting experts note that these effects vary among golfers. During fitting, flex is tailored to swing speed and golfer development, with a focus on feel and control.
What is Torque?
Torque measures the shaft’s twisting under load, impacting the clubface on off-center hits. Lower torque means less twisting but a stiffer feel, potentially losing feedback and distance. Finding the right torque value is essential for individual swing speeds.
What is a Kick-Point?
The kick-point is where the shaft bends most during a swing, influencing feel and ball flight trajectory. High kick-points result in lower ball flights, while low kick-points lead to higher trajectories.
Shaft weight, measured in grams, affects clubhead speed and distance. Lighter shafts increase speed, while heavier ones provide stability. Proper weight distribution can significantly improve coordination and reduce mishits.
Correct shaft length, determined by measuring the wrist crease to the ground, is crucial. Longer shafts increase distance but require repeatable, solid shots for consistency. Accurate fitting prevents distance loss due to off-center impacts.
Fitting, once exclusive to tour players, is now widely accessible. An experienced fitter can demystify shaft selection through a comprehensive fitting process, including static and dynamic fitting, ball flight analysis, and personalized adjustments.
Hitting Further
A lighter shaft or optimized ball flight parameters through dynamic fitting can increase distance.
Hitting Straighter
A stiffer or heavier shaft can reduce dispersion, but lab conditions are recommended for comparison. Properly bent angles in irons and wedges also help.
Hitting Higher
Light shafts with low kick-points or heads with deep, rearward centers of gravity produce higher flights through increased backspin.
Hitting Lower
Heavy shafts with high kick-points or heads with forward centers of gravity achieve lower flights with reduced backspin.
In the first round of the US Open 2024, Tiger Woods faced a challenging day on the course, struggling to capitalize on his strong driving game. Despite hitting his drives with consistent accuracy, Woods found himself grappling with his iron play and putting, leading to a round that left him with much to improve on. Although Tiger was able to start his round with a birdie, the problems began at the end of the first half of the course. One bogey after another landed on Woods’ scorecard. After 18 holes, the 15-time major champion is on four over par and will have to fight for the cut on Friday.
THE MODERATOR: Tiger, give us an opening statement about your round today.
TIGER WOODS: Well, I didn’t hit my irons particularly well. Didn’t putt that great. Drove it on the string all day. Unfortunately I just didn’t capitalize on it.
Q. Tiger, the greens here are pretty nuance. Sometimes you have to play away. Was it more you being conservative with your approach shots or were you not hitting them in the spots you wanted to?
TIGER WOODS: Both. I was somewhat conservative in some of my end points. Then again, I didn’t hit the ball very well either. It added upped to quite a bit of distance away from the flag.
It’s not where I wanted to be on a lot of the holes. It just ended up being that far away because I wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be.
Q. Different setup than a usual U.S. Open. There’s no rough. Native areas. Do you like that kind of test as opposed to what we’re used to seeing?
TIGER WOODS: Well, depends on the golf course. This golf course is all about the greens. The complexes are just so difficult and so severe that, I mean, I think 1-under par is only in fifth. There aren’t that many scores that are low.
It’s hard to get the ball close. In most golf courses you play, you hit shots into where it’s feeding off of slopes into flags, whereas collecting. Here everything is repelling. It’s just hard to get the ball on top of the shelves.
You know if you miss it short side, it’s an auto bogey or higher. Being aggressive to a conservative line is I think how you need to play this particular golf course.
Q. You’ve spoken a few times this year about trying to increase your overall number of holes played and shots taken. Do you feel like your game is accumulating as the year goes on or something more a week-to-week basis?
TIGER WOODS: I’m physically getting better as the year has gone on. I just haven’t been able to play as much because I just don’t want to hurt myself pre, then I won’t be able to play in the major championships.
It’s pick your poison, right? Play a lot with the potential of not playing, or not playing and fight being not as sharp.
Q. Tiger, similar note. Physically you got time now before tomorrow.
TIGER WOODS: Yeah.
Q. What can you do between now and then to make some adjustments and what are you going to be able to do?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I’m hoping I don’t get too tight in the car ride back, that maybe I can hit a few. I can get tight in air-conditioning. Get back there, there’s usually no point.
I’d like to hit a few putts. My speed was not quite there. I think I 3-putted, what, two or three times today. If I clean that up, if I get a couple iron shots not as loose as I did, I’m right there at even par.
It can go so far the other way here, the wrong way. It’s just so hard to get back. This is a golf course that doesn’t give up a whole lot of birdies. It gives up a lot of bogeys and higher.
I thought I did the one thing I needed to do today, which is drive the ball well. I did that, I just didn’t capitalize on any of it.
Q. Felt like you were hitting your irons good coming in, practice days?
TIGER WOODS: They were okay. It wasn’t as good as I’d like. I was pretty one-dimensional early in the week, which is interesting. I was drawing the ball a lot. Now I’m cutting the ball a lot. Welcome to golf (smiling).
Q. Is there anything about the course conditions today that surprised you?
TIGER WOODS: No. The greens are right where they want ’em. A lot of the pins were right up on the crest of the green. A lot of the pins were — if you dumped the ball in the middle of the green, it was into the grain then downgrain, into the grain and then downgrain. That’s how the golf course is going to be set up. We know that going in here. Just a matter of putting the ball in correct spots and just making a bunch of pars and occasionally a birdie here and there, it can be done.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
TIGER WOODS: Thank you.
"Being aggressive to a conservative line is I think how you need to play this particular golf course."
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2024
Hear more from @TigerWoods on his opening round 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/bK5Bqijxzl
Rory McIlroy had a fantastic first day at the US Open 2024, making back-to-back birdies on the front nine to move into the upper reaches of the leaderboard on a difficult course. And the Northern Irishman also managed further stroke gains on the second half of the course. McIlroy scored the most important birdie on the last hole. His third birdie on the back nine moved him into a share of the lead with Patrick Cantlay. The world number three remained error-free for the entire round.
THE MODERATOR: Welcome back to the interview area. We’re here with Rory McIlroy. 5-under 65, bogey free. How were you able to keep a clean card out there?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I think I was saying at the start of the week, my approach at the U.S. Opens over the last few years have — I guess I’ve had some success by the sort of mindset that I’ve brought in, especially last year at LACC. The golf course is a little different to what it was last year, but still the same strategy, same mindset.
Just trying to hit it into the middles of greens and giving yourself chances every single time, taking your medicine if you do hit it into trouble.
My short game was good early on. I chipped in at 5 and had a really good up-and-down on 6, another really good up-and-down on 8. But apart from that, I think I hit every other green. It was a really controlled round of golf.
Q. 15 greens in regulation. How important is it to stay pin high out there?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, that’s the other thing. You’ve got to get lucky. I had a lot of really good numbers today where I could just go ahead and hit full shots. Whenever you’re hitting full shots into these greens, the ball is going to stop a little quicker than if you have to take something off or hit little three-quarter shots.
Some days you have good numbers and some days you don’t, and for the most part today, I’ve had good numbers.
Q. At the Masters you were talking about watching Scottie and how he made it look so easy. Another big pairing today. Was it nice to be the one putting on the show?
RORY MCILROY: I guess, in a way. It’s not just the Masters that we’ve been watching Scottie do his thing. But yeah, absolutely.
I enjoy playing in these groups. When you’ve been out here for, whatever it is, 16 or 17 years, sometimes you need a little extra to get the juices going, and being in a group like that definitely helps.
Q. You referenced again that stretch of U.S. Opens where you didn’t have it going so well. Were you not embracing what the U.S. Open is during those years, and what finally got you back on track?
RORY MCILROY: No, I didn’t. If you look at the U.S. Open that I did win in ’11, it was more like a PGA Championship rather than a U.S. Open, typical U.S. Open setup.
I really don’t think I embraced U.S. Open setups probably 10 years into my U.S. Open career. Played my first one in ’09, and I think I really changed my mindset around them in 2019, that one in Pebble, and then since then I’ve — I’ve also started to enjoy this style of golf a lot more.
It’s a lot different than the golf that we play week in, week out. I really appreciate that, and I’ve started to appreciate golf course architecture more and more as the years have went on, and I’ve started to read more about it and understand why golf course architects do certain things and design courses the way that they do.
Just becoming more of a student of the game again, and I think because of that I’ve started to embrace golf courses like this and setups like this.
Q. There was a lot of talk at the start of the week about possibly borderline greens. Tiger used the phrase “war of attrition.” How did you feel the setup was today? Do you think they got it just about spot on?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I think so. I think we got lucky, as well. There was a lot of humidity early in the day, and then there was quite a lot of cloud cover the whole way through the day so it kept the golf course from getting too fiery.
Selfishly for me, getting back out there in the morning, it’s going to be nice. Hopefully the clouds clear away and it’s a nice clear day for the guys in the afternoon.
But it definitely wasn’t quite as fiery as I expected it to be this afternoon, which has yielded some decent scores.
Q. I don’t recall you walking in a lot of putts all that often, but on 18, you walked that one right in. How satisfying is it to have that walk-off birdie at the end and get a share of the lead?
RORY MCILROY: I thought I’d left it short. That’s why I walked off it. Full disclosure. It looked good, though.
I think there was a stretch there on the back nine, I birdied 10 and then hit a good shot into 11, made par, good shot into 12, made par, good shot into 13, made par, good shot into 14, made par, and I was on this run of hitting it to 20 feet and two-putting.
I actually had a good two-putt on 15. But I just felt like my patience — I could have got a little impatience, but I felt like my patience was rewarded there with birdies on two of the last three holes. It was really nice to finish like that. As I said, a nice bit of momentum going into the morning round tomorrow.
Q. Did you watch any of the morning to see anything about the golf course?
RORY MCILROY: No, I don’t like watching — I just don’t like watching coverage before I go out to play.
Q. You had a great chance to win last year’s U.S. Open. I’m wondering what’s changed in your golf game and your emotional makeup since then?
RORY MCILROY: Nothing. Same person.
Q. Anything in your game, anything technical?
RORY MCILROY: No. Not really, no. I feel like I’m the same player. I was hitting the ball really good. I’d say if anything, I’d say my iron play is maybe a touch better this year than it was last year, just looking at the stats. But overall I feel like I’m pretty much the same golfer.
Q. This course obviously brings out some — requires some different shots and puts you in some weird spots. What does it bring out in you as a golfer or in your game that you find exciting. Just gives us a different look than what we play week in, week out. It’s different. It’s exciting. You have to be a little more creative and imaginative.
It sort of brings me back to links golf when I was a kid a little bit. The greens are a bit more sort of slopey and there’s a bit more movement on them. But there’s options. You can chip it. You can putt it.
I’d love if we played more golf courses like this.
Q. I know you always come into this week with a plan and some thoughtfulness. Is there a specific theme for this week that you’ve returned to mentally to reorient yourself?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I think just super conservative with my strategy and my game. I think with my demeanor, just trying to be super stoic. Just trying to be as even-keeled as I possibly can be. I really feel like that’s the thing that has served me well in these U.S. Opens over the past few years.
Just trying to be 100 percent committed to the shots and 100 percent committed to having a good attitude.
Q. You’ve often spoken about the need for good starts to major championships. I just wonder how gratifying this feels to have posted the score that you have.
RORY MCILROY: Yeah. It’s been good. I went through a run there for a while where my starts at major championships weren’t very good. Probably got myself a little too worked up at the start of the week.
But yeah, even back to the PGA, I opened with a 5-under there at Valhalla. Felt like I played okay. First day at Augusta, even going all the way back to this tournament last year, opened with a low one. Wasn’t quite as low as Rickie and Xander, but it was nice to open up with a low one and feel like you’re right in the tournament from the first day.
Certainly the major championships that I’ve won or the ones that I’ve played well at, I’ve always seemed to get off to a good start, and it’s nice to get off to another one.
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The U.S. Open 2024 is currently taking place at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2) in Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA. The tournament has finished the first round.
Leading the leaderboard are Patrick Cantlay from the USA and Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland, both tied in the first position with a total score of 65 (-5). They are followed by Ludvig Åberg from Sweden, who is in third place with a total score of 66 (-4). Tied in fourth place are Matthieu Pavon from France and Bryson DeChambeau from the USA, each with a total score of 67 (-3).
The total prize money for the U.S. Open is 21,5 million US-Dollars. This makes the US Open 2024 the Major with the highest payout of the year.
For fans looking to catch up on all the action, a video compilation featuring the highlights of the first round is available.
Thus, the U.S. Open not only provides exciting PGA Tour highlights but also concluded with remarkable performances from the leading players.
The PGA Tour is the largest American professional golf tour. There are 36 tournaments on the tour’s schedule this season. The tournaments mainly take place in the USA, but there are also some international venues over the course of the season. The signature events introduced in 2023 offer higher prize money and a smaller field of participants. There will be a total of eight of these events in the 2024 season. The four Majors and the Players Championship are also part of the PGA Tour. At the end of the tours season, the 70 best players in the FedEx Cup season rankings will play in a three-tournament play-off for overall tour victory and an extra 18 million dollars in prize money.
Scottie Scheffler had some problems with the difficult course on the first day of the US Open 2024. Scheffler repeatedly missed the fairway with his tee shots on the famous Pinehurst No. course. After three bogeys and only two stroke gains, the world number one is in the upper midfield of the leaderboard.
Scottie Scheffler had problems right from the start on Thursday and missed many fairways. The world number one did not always manage to free himself perfectly from the sandy ground, so that he had already made two bogeys after six holes. He made up for one of them on the par-4 7th, but was unable to improve on the back nine. In 34th place, Scheffler will have to try to keep up the pace on Friday.
With Pinehurst No. 2 in top conditions and the greens as fast as they could make it, Scottie Scheffler really looks forward to a tough challenge. In his press conference before the US Open 2024 the world number one reflects on previous US Opens and how the play differs in this years major venue.
Q. Overall reaction to the course from today?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, the course is great. In good shape. I think the areas around the green are extremely difficult to play out of. I think the golf course is going to play pretty tough this week, but it’ll be a fun test.
I think the golf course is great. It’s extremely challenging. I don’t really think they have to do too much to trick it up with the way the greens are if they want the scores to be high. So it should be a good test and a fun week.
Q. You were out with Teddy yesterday chipping and putting mostly. What are your thoughts about your plays around the greens and what you might be using and that kind of thing?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Well, I mean, a lot of the areas around the greens here are quite different, and a lot of it depends on the lies that you get. It’s grainy Bermuda, so if you get a good lie, you can be a little more creative with what you want to do. If you have an iffy into-the-grain lie, you’re a bit limited in what you can do around the green.
It really depends on the lie and then it depends how big of a slope there is that you’re trying to get it back up onto the green. A lot of that is going to be missing in the right spots. But there are certain holes out here that there isn’t a great miss, you’ve just got to step up there and hit a great shot.
Q. You have improved with your putting this year. Can you describe what was going on as you stood over a putt in your head, what you were thinking about before you started working with Phil, and what do you think about now as you stand over the ball?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, going now, I’m trying to get as visual as I can with what I’m trying to do. Before I used a line on my ball, so sometimes I’d be trying to match up the line on the back of the putter with the line on the ball. At times I’d almost get a bit confused.
Nowadays I feel like I am getting much more visual with what I’m trying to do, seeing kind of what I want the putt to do versus maybe playing a little bit of a guessing game before.
I’m putting the ball down and lining it where I feel like it should be lined up and then hitting the putt.
Q. Of all the US Opens you’ve played, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think a lot of it’s patience. And then there’s certain areas of the golf courses where you can’t really fake it. You just have to step up there and hit great golf shots. There’s certain holes out here where, like especially some of the par-3s where there’s not really a place where there is a good miss, it’s just you just better just get up there and you better hit it right where you’re looking or else you’re going to be in big trouble.
A lot of that is just being committed to what you’re doing. I can’t really worry about where the ball is going to go because I am going to hit a lot of really good shots this week that just don’t work out, and you’re going to make bogeys hitting good shots. That’s just the nature of how difficult the golf course is.
But what I appreciate about this kind of course is a lot of the areas around the greens are all fairway, and so it may be extremely difficult shots, but there’s always opportunity. Sometimes when there’s heavy rough, there’s not really much opportunity for a great shot.
I appreciate more having the playability of the run-off areas more than heavy rough surrounding every green. It definitely provides a little bit more variety, a little bit more excitement and a little bit more creativity around the greens. I believe it’s a better test than just having heavy rough over the back of every green.
Courses like this I think are a lot of fun to play.
Q. Last weekend when you triple bogeyed that hole, you seemed to stay a little bit calm. How did you keep from getting frustrated from your bad shots?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: That’s a good question. I was very frustrated so I’m glad you couldn’t tell.
I think I learned over the course of my career to stay as patient as possible. When I made a triple on that hole, I really didn’t hit that bad of a shot, it just hit a tree and went out of bounds.
I kind of reminded myself I was playing good golf and as long as I kept a good head on my shoulders I could continue to go about my day and was able to bounce back nicely. I.
Think that’s something you learn playing more and more golf, is that bad breaks are going to come but it’s more about your response to those things than really receiving the bad break because over the course of a 72-hole tournament you’re going to get plenty of bad breaks and hit plenty of bad shots. It’s more about how am I going to recover from those shots.
Q. A lot of players have come in here and said great things about you, and Xander even mentioned the state of your game in his winner’s press conference at the PGA. Have you heard any of that? And what does it mean to hear your fellow players say such things?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Well, yeah, I think it’s nice to hear a little bit of good things from my peers because I think we all try to bust each other up at times when we’re out there playing and competing. I think that’s part of the friendship bond, is you want to mess with your buddies, so to hear some compliments every now and then is definitely nice.
Q. When we think of coaches out here, I think many of us think of technical stuff and the swing and whatnot, but can you speak to what Randy gives you in terms of course strategy and your actual plan, almost like X’s and O’s? In terms of the actual course and your plan of attack.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think as far as the actual course goes, a lot of that falls on Teddy. As far as Randy goes, Randy is back there kind of making sure that I’m working on the proper things going into the event. He’s not one really to overthink things, and he knows when to step in and when to kind of just let me go.
I think that’s one of the most important things with a coach is, especially with Randy, he can almost tell sometimes when I’m not really swinging it my best, and he’ll step in. Then other times when I’m playing really well, he’ll kind of sit there and watch and we’ll hang out and have fun.
He’s always done a good job of keeping things loose because at times I think I take myself a bit too seriously when I’m out there practicing. Randy is definitely not a guy that takes himself too seriously.
Q. Xander said after the PGA that some of the guys in your group text like roasted you over what happened at Valhalla with you. I don’t know if you saw yesterday a fan drove into a Louisville golf club with a fake policeman dragging along his car. Are you able to laugh about that sort of stuff now?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, it’s kind of hard not to laugh about the guy who did that. But I didn’t see any videos. Xander did tell me about it yesterday. He got a pretty good kick out of it.
But yeah, I think that’s part of just having good friends. If all they did was make fun of me, it would be different. It wouldn’t be as fun. But they’re great guys, and they’re great friends. So you’ve got to be able to look in the mirror and laugh at yourself, too.
Like I said, I don’t love reliving it, but sometimes being able to laugh about it is a good skill, too. When they make jokes, it’s definitely hard not to laugh, especially with some of my good buddies, they’re pretty funny with it.
Q. How has it been compartmentalizing Scottie Scheffler the golfer and Scottie Scheffler the dad over the last little while?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: You know, with some of the circumstances that have been going on outside the golf courses, it’s been a bit more challenging.
But overall I feel like when I’m at home, having Bennett around, it’s almost easier to not be on my phone, not be watching TV. I just want to hang out with him and hang out with Mere, and rocking him to sleep puts me to sleep. Being at home is fun. I haven’t been bored at home in quite some time, that’s for sure.
Time is always filled, and it’s filled with great things, hanging out with my son and hanging out with my wife. So that part of it has been really nice.
But yeah, some of the circumstances around the golf course have made it, I would say, a bit more challenging.
Q. How aggressive can you be here on this golf course, or is it mostly a defensive approach?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think it’s a mix because, like I said, there’s certain holes out here where you have to just step up and hit a great shot. Some of the par-3s, Teddy and I are walking around trying to figure out where you miss it to certain pins. It’s like, there’s not really a good spot here, you’d better just hit it in the middle of the green and try and two-putt. There’s a lot of that out here.
I think it’s kind of fun, too, when there’s not really any hazards on the golf course. It’s not like we’re hitting over ponds or your ball is rolling back into water or into bunkers you can’t get up-and-down out of. There’s definitely some areas where you’re going to be extremely challenged, but I feel like there’s always opportunity.
Since it’s fairway, there’s opportunity for great shots. The landing area may be literally this big in order for you to hit a great shot, but there’s always opportunity. I feel like you’re never out of the hole, but you’re also not too far away from making a huge number. You’ve really got to manage your way around the golf course and execute where you need to.
Q. How does it feel to be by far the best golfer in the world?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I try not to overthink things, I try to live one moment at a time and soak it all up because you never know how long it’s going to last. Just try and soak up the good times when you can and fight through the bad.
Q. In hindsight, it can be easier to talk about how important patience is on a difficult golf course, but when you’re in the tournament mode in the setting, what is the inner dialogue when a shot doesn’t go your way or you hit a shot and it rolls off? What are you telling yourself to try and reset for the next shot?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I think that’s a really good question because a lot of the stuff that we all talk about is much easier said than done. It’s much easier to step up there and say, hey, just be committed to your shot, but it’s a lot more difficult when you just bogeyed the first two holes and you’re sitting there with a 9-iron and you’re playing 30 feet away from a pin and you know it’s a pin you can’t attack, but it’s a 9-iron, and you’re like, I can get one back here, and you try and force it and then all of a sudden things just get out of hand.
I always try to remind myself of just being committed to what I can control, and I’m not worried about the results out there. I try to do my best to execute the shot. And like I said, over the course of a 72-hole tournament, I’m going to get plenty of good breaks and plenty of bad ones.
It’s all about responding to the bad and kind of rolling with the good and doing my best to control what I can control and execute.
Just before the US Open 2024 at Pinehurst, Rory McIlroy’s confident demeanor has been clarified: the divorce petition he filed in Florida last month has been voluntarily dismissed. McIlroy and his wife of seven years, Erica, have resolved their differences and decided to stay together.
The initial news of the divorce came as a shock to the golfing world, particularly given its timing just before the PGA Championship. However, recent court documents reveal that the case has been dismissed at the request of both parties. This development coincides with McIlroy’s noticeably positive mood during his media engagements at Pinehurst. Addressing the rumors surrounding his personal life, McIlroy told the Guardian, “There have been rumors about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumor is a fool’s game. Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”
🚨♥️⛳️#BREAKING: Just days before the U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy and wife Erica Stoll have decided to call off their divorce and have resolved their differences, @guardian is reporting with documents filed to dismiss the court case. @TrackingRory | @rory_fans pic.twitter.com/GVWxyRJKiw
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 11, 2024
This reconciliation couldn’t come at a better time for McIlroy, who is looking to end his wait for a fifth major title, a quest that has lasted since August 2014. Partnering with Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele in the first two rounds of the US Open 2024, McIlroy’s focus is now firmly on the task ahead. Reflecting on his career, McIlroy expressed pride in his achievements over the past 15 years. “I’m really proud of my body of work over the past 15 years and everything that I have achieved, whether it be season-long titles or individual tournaments or majors,” he said. “Obviously getting my hands on a fifth major has taken quite a while, but I’m more confident than ever that I’m right there, that I’m as close as I’ve ever been.”