Scheffler brushes off being 'goal' at U.S. Open

PINEHURST, N.C. — Despite the fact that Scottie Scheffler gained in 5 of his previous eight begins and is an amazing betting favourite to seize his third main championship victory at this week’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, the world No. 1 golfer insists that he would not really feel like there is a goal on his again.

“Like I mentioned, after we begin the event week, we’re all at even par and it isn’t like anyone is on the market enjoying protection,” Scheffler mentioned Tuesday.

Along with his 1-stroke victory eventually week’s Memorial Match, Scheffler grew to become solely the fourth PGA Tour participant up to now 60 seasons to pile up 5 victories earlier than the tip of June. Tiger Woods (2000), Tom Watson (1980) and Johnny Miller (1974) have been the others.

Scheffler is the primary golfer on tour since Justin Thomas in 2016-17 to win 5 occasions, and he would not appear able to decelerate anytime quickly.

Woods was the final participant to win six occasions on tour in 2009.

Scheffler will tee off with PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele and four-time main champion Rory McIlroy in Thursday’s first spherical on the No. 1 gap at 1:14 p.m. ET. The trio will begin the second spherical on No. 10 at 7:29 a.m. Friday.

“Once I play with Xander and Rory right here Thursday and Friday, they are not going to be saying bizarre stuff to me out on the golf course or making an attempt to dam my putt from going within the gap,” Scheffler mentioned. “All of us sort of received to go on the market and play our recreation.

“So far as a goal on my again, even when there was, there’s actually not a lot we are able to do within the recreation of golf. Most of it’s in opposition to the golf course and enjoying in opposition to your self. Goal on my again, I do not actually really feel it, and I do not actually give it some thought a lot, no.”

Scheffler’s opponents know he is the golfer to beat each week. LIV Golf League captain Bryson DeChambeau referred to as Scheffler the “gold normal” in males’s golf on Tuesday. Schauffele mentioned Scheffler makes “the mountain even taller for us to climb” each week.

Scheffler has completed within the high 25 in every of his 13 begins on tour this season, his worst end was a tie for seventeenth on the American Categorical on Jan. 21.

Alongside together with his 5 wins in his previous eight begins, which included a second victory on the Masters in April, Scheffler tied for second in two others. He tied for eighth on the PGA Championship, even after he was arrested in a site visitors misunderstanding a few hours earlier than his second-round tee time on Might 17.

When McIlroy was requested Tuesday what impressed him most about Scheffler’s efficiency this season, he mentioned, “The truth that the one factor that took him from successful a golf event was going right into a jail cell for an hour.”

The legal expenses in opposition to Scheffler have been later dropped.

“I feel simply the relentlessness,” McIlroy mentioned. “Look, loads of stuff went on in his life, as effectively. They’ve simply had a brand new little one. He is been by some struggles in his recreation, significantly the putter that he is been capable of flip round. … It looks like each time he reveals up, he’s the man to beat, and deservedly so.”

Scheffler completed within the high seven in every of his previous three U.S. Open begins, together with a solo third at 7 underneath at Los Angeles Nation Membership final season, three strokes behind winner Wyndham Clark.

Scheffler could be the primary golfer to win on tour and seize a significant the next week since McIlroy on the 2014 PGA Championship.

“I attempt not to consider the previous,” Scheffler mentioned. “I attempt not to consider the long run. I attempt to dwell within the current. That is how I’ve all the time been. I attempt to be current the place I’m.

“I attempt to not overthink issues, I attempt to dwell one second at a time and soak all of it up since you by no means understand how lengthy it may final. Simply try to absorb the nice occasions when you may and battle by the dangerous.”