Golf world stunned by Scottie Scheffler's impossible par save in third round of Charles Schwab Challenge
A week after a five-shot win at the PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler has once again reminded the world why he's no.1 with an impossible par save at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
In the third round, Scheffler's tee shot on the par-4 seventh ended up half way down a hill in thick vegetation with only the smallest of windows to the green.
Unfazed, Scheffler managed to hit a wedge to about 5m, and then almost made the putt.
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Scheffler said "the grass was more airy than it was thick."
“It was kind of an interesting one because the lie at first looked bad,” he said.
Scottie Scheffler made a miraculous par from halfway down a hill in the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge. PGA Tour
It came amid a hot start to his third round at the Colonial Country Club in Pennsylvania, where he made five birdies and an eagle to be 7-under for the day through his first 11 holes.
He faded somewhat to play the last seven holes at 1-over, but still sits in a tie for seventh, six shits behind the leaders. He started his round 10 shots off the lead.
"You are always going to hope to go play a perfect round. It basically never happens,” Scheffler said.
"I mean, three bogeys definitely hurts, especially when you are trying to chase, but overall I did some good things.”
With another big round Sunday, Scheffler could become the first player since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win in three starts in a row, and the only player other than Ben Hogan in 1946 to win the Byron Nelson and Colonial in the same season.
Scheffler won his beloved hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson earlier this month when matching the PGA Tour's 72-hole scoring record at 31-under 253 for an eight-stroke win.
A shot tracer showing Scottie Scheffler's miraculous par-save in the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge. PGA Tour
“I would say mentally I definitely am a bit tired. I’m definitely taking a lighter schedule this week than I normally would at a tournament, but overall my game, it feels like it’s in a good spot. I felt like I was able to get some good rest to start this week,” he said.
“I’m just out here battling. I had a good day today. The first two days definitely could have been a bit better, but we’ll see how things shake out ... and see what I can do tomorrow."
Two Colonial winners have overcome seven-stroke deficits in the final round, including Sam Burns three years ago when he beat good friend Scheffler on the first playoff hole. That matched Nick Price’s record seven-shot comeback in 1994, when he caught Scott Simpson and won on the first extra hole.
Scheffler played himself back into contention in the third round. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Scheffler, who teed off about two hours before the co-leaders, got to 8 under for the week with an eagle at the 582m 11th hole, where he got on the green in two shots and made the 5m putt. That followed consecutive birdies either side of the turn.
But Scheffler didn’t avoid bogeys after tee shots into bunkers at the 12th and 13th. He eventually two-putted from 12m at the 414m 12th hole, then his tee shot at the par-3 13th went into the sand fronting the green on the edge of a pond.
He hit that within 2m, but missed the par save and after tapping in the bogey batted the ball out of the air and off the green with his putter.
He had consecutive birdies at 16 and 17 but made another bogey on 18 after he missed the fairway.
"I think maybe you have to do a little bit more to amp yourself up when you are sitting 10 shots back versus when you are already near the lead," he said.
“Today I had to go out there and make a bunch of birdies, which I was able to do early in the round. I struggled a touch on the back nine, but overall I put up a decent score.”
One that could have been even better.
