The Curious Case of First Round Scottie

There’s something delightfully absurd happening in professional golf right now, and it involves the world’s best player seemingly forgetting how to play golf every Thursday morning.

Scottie Scheffler, the undisputed number one player on the planet, has developed a peculiar habit over the past three weeks. He’s been handing the field a head start that would make even the most generous handicapper blush.

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The Numbers Don’t Lie

Let’s run through the carnage. At the WM Phoenix Open, Scheffler opened with a one-over 73, finding himself a whopping 10 strokes behind leader Chris Gotterup. Most players would pack it in mentally after that kind of start. Scottie? He clawed his way to a T3 finish, missing a playoff spot by a single stroke.

The following week at Pebble Beach, he did it again. A pedestrian 72 in round one left him 10 shots back of first-round leader Ryo Hisatsune. By Sunday, Scheffler had worked his way to T4, just two strokes behind winner Collin Morikawa.

Now, at this week’s weather-plagued Genesis Invitational at Riviera, Scheffler sits at five over par through 10 holes of a darkness and rain-suspended first round. He’s dead last in the field and 11 shots behind Aaron Rai, who still has two holes to complete when play resumes Friday.

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The Question Nobody’s Really Asking

Here’s what we should all be wondering: Does it even matter anymore when Scottie Scheffler shoots himself in the foot on Thursday?

The answer, of course, is no. We’ve watched this movie three times in three weeks now, and the ending is always the same. Scheffler grinds, claws and somehow transforms a tournament-killing first round into a legitimate chance to win by Sunday afternoon.