PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler turned things around in the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Saturday, carding a bogey-free 5-under 67.
While others might have been concerned about Scheffler’s form the past couple of weeks, he said he wasn’t worried.
“Did I find anything?” Scheffler said, after moving to 4 under after 54 holes, 8 strokes behind leader Ludvig Åberg. “I think that would imply that I was lost, which is not the case. No, I think I’m always just trying to get a feel for where things are at, and sometimes a little practice helps, and sometimes a little rest helps.”
The four-time major champion tied for 24th in last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, his first finish outside the top 20 since he tied for 20th in last year’s Players Championship.
Then Scheffler posted 72-73 in the first round this week, leaving him just one stroke inside the 36-hole cut line on Friday.
“It’s more fun fighting to be near the lead is how I would describe it,” Scheffler said.
Scheffler spent more than an hour on the range Thursday working with swing coach Randy Smith and caddie Ted Scott — in a downpour no less.
Scheffler’s hard work paid off, as he hit 11 of 14 fairways on Saturday, after hitting 14 of 28 in the first two rounds combined. He hit nine of 18 greens in the third round. With the greens firming up, many of his approach shots stopped on the fringe.
He went 9-for-9 scrambling and gained more than 1.5 strokes on the field in putting.
“When I look at tournaments, I’m not thinking about winning,” Scheffler said. “I’m thinking about approaching things the right way. I did my best to stay committed and I did a good job, I think, of keeping the right attitude and keeping my head on straight in order to grind out a couple rounds that were difficult.
“And then I shot a nice round today as well. So, overall I think I’ve been in a good spot with how my attitude and commitment has been to my shots. So for me, that’s a good week.”
The two-time Players Championship winner went back to using TaylorMade’s Qi4D driver, which helped him win 16 times around the world the previous two seasons.
“I was a little sharper today than I was the first two days,” Scheffler said. “I felt like I was swinging it better each day of the tournament. Today, I hit a few more fairways and was able to give myself a few more looks for birdie.”
When Scheffler was asked if he’s close enough to the leader to make a move on Sunday, he joked, “Not unless it starts blowing like 30 miles an hour.”
