Scottie Scheffler seemed like a person who means enterprise once more in 2026 when he opened his season with a nine-under 63 in The American Categorical at La Quinta in California.
On a day when Seamus Energy birdied three of his final 4 holes for a five-under 67 on the Pete Dye Stadium Course, world primary Scheffler got here roaring out of the gates at La Quinta Nation Membership by storming to the flip in six below 30.
The reigning Open and US PGA champion, who can be a part of Rory McIlroy within the profession Grand Slam membership by successful the US Open at Shinnecock Hills in June, needed to accept simply three extra birdies on the again 9 as he discovered only one fairway coming dwelling.
However he was nonetheless happy to hit 17 greens in regulation and shoot a 63 that left him in a nine-way tie for third, only a shot behind the leaders, Australia’s Min Woo Lee and American Pierceson Coody.
“Yeah, I acquired off to a superb begin right now, I used to be actually sharp on the entrance 9,” Schefffer mentioned at what’s at all times a low-scoring occasion. “Made some good putts. Hit some good iron pictures. A whole lot of good tee balls.
“I wasn’t as sharp as I hoped to be on the again 9, however I scrambled fairly effectively, and I used to be in a position to publish a superb rating.”Coody and Lee made ten birdies apiece en path to ten-under 62s on the Nicklaus Event Course, however it was Scheffler who caught the attention in his first begin of the 12 months.He began birdie-birdie, made three extra in a row from the fourth and one other birdie on the eighth to get to 6 below earlier than including additional birdies on the twelfth, thirteenth and sixteenth.“You positively should method it mentally like it’s a must to make some birdies, and I feel placing your self in place as many instances as you’ll be able to with a purpose to get some seems to be and gap some putts I feel is most essential,” Scheffler mentioned. “I feel should you begin forcing issues, you’ll be able to nonetheless get in some hassle. It is nonetheless golf, it is nonetheless fairly tough, imagine it or not, though the scores are low. “You simply should hold placing your self in place and provides your self alternatives.”He missed only one inexperienced in regulation all day, however whereas he discovered only one fairway on the again 9, he wasn’t too involved.“Felt I may have hit a couple of extra fairways on the again 9, give myself some extra alternatives,’ he mentioned. “Even the fairways I used to be lacking, I used to be lacking on the right aspect. “The out of bounds can sneak up on you a little bit bit on this golf course. And it was good, though I wasn’t hitting it my finest on the again, however to maintain it in play and provides myself some alternatives.”Energy, who tied for thirty first within the Sony Open final week, made a gradual begin on the Stadium Course and was simply two below via 9 holes.He was nonetheless two below with holes operating out when he adopted a birdie on the twelfth with a bogey on the brief thirteenth.However after making an 11-footer on the fifteenth and a five-footer on the sixteenth, he rolled in a 22-footer on the “island” inexperienced seventeenth for his third birdie in a row to publish a 5 below 67 that left him tied for 51st.“The tougher assessments, I feel, are nearly much less nerve-racking since you’re by no means fairly out of it,’ Scheffler defined. “I feel in these — like if I confirmed up right now and shot even par, I could not really feel that unhealthy, however I feel it may be difficult. “If you happen to fall behind right here, it is rather a lot tougher to catch up.
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