RBC Heritage: Hurricane Scottie Scheffler PPD with inclement climate

Scottie Scheffler started the day on the RBC Heritage clinging to a one-shot lead over Sepp Straka. However like a class 5 hurricane sure to destroy all the pieces in its path, Scheffler annihilated his competitors for the second consecutive Sunday.

He owns a five-shot lead at Harbour City, the place inclement climate suspended play for two-and-a-half hours on Sunday. In consequence, Scheffler and a handful of others will end their final couple holes very first thing Monday morning.

“Relaxed for some time this afternoon. We acquired fairly soaked,” Scheffler mentioned afterward.

“However we stayed affected person, discovered a spot to chill out within the clubhouse, frolicked, and simply tried to remain able to play for many of in the present day.”

Earlier than any climate rolled in, Scheffler started his remaining spherical with two huge momentum boosts on the primary and second holes.

On the par-4 1st, Scheffler drained a 6-footer for par, preserving his slim lead intact. Then, he elevated his result in three due to a chip-in eagle on the par-5 2nd.

“I hit a very good shot into the inexperienced on the 2nd gap, and I felt prefer it was unlucky to finish up in that spot again there over the inexperienced,” Scheffler mentioned.

“However I used to be in a position to hit a pleasant little bump-and-run in there. It was good, coming in on the proper pace, and I used to be pleased to get the ball up and down, however I used to be positively lucky to see it entering into. It was fairly near the place I needed to land it. I don’t actually have a look at a touchdown spot, however the best way I imagined the chip, it got here out of the grass the best way I assumed it might, and it skipped into the hill like I hoped it might.”

One other birdie on the par-5 fifth gap adopted, and all of a sudden, not even a 3rd of the best way into his remaining spherical, Scheffler sat at 19-under par.

Then, Wyndham Clark, who had climbed to 17-under due to a entrance 9 29, rocked a shot out-of-bounds off of a tree, which dropped him out of rivalry. Patrick Rodgers, one other participant who was 17-under on the time, made a large number of issues on the seventh and eighth holes, as he dropped three photographs inside that span.

In consequence, Scheffler held a commanding four-shot lead when he arrived on the par-3 seventh.

Picture by Andrew Redington/Getty Photos

He then performed his subsequent few holes at even par, exhibiting no indicators of relinquishing his stranglehold on the match. Scheffler remained at 19-under by means of the delay.

When he returned to the course, the sector confronted a a lot completely different golf course. The temperature had dropped severely, the wind picked up, and the greens had softened. That didn’t impression Scheffler, nevertheless, as he made one other birdie on the quick par-4 thirteenth.

However then, on the par-5 fifteenth, Scheffler made an uncharacteristic mistake. Making an attempt to put up, he duck-hooked his second shot into the pond—a whole shock to the system.

“I felt like I acquired a nasty break there within the fairway,” Scheffler mentioned.

“I haven’t needed to hit a shot like that in a very long time, so I figured there should have been mud on the underside of the ball.”

He nonetheless managed to rise up and down to avoid wasting par in what turned out to be his remaining gap of the day.

“I felt just like the par was fairly necessary tonight, simply having the ability to fall asleep and nonetheless preserving a clear card,” Scheffler mentioned.

Picture by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photos

“I hit a very nice shot in there, so I felt like I had good momentum. I form of knew what the putt was doing. I felt like in the present day was a day the place I hit numerous actually good putts they usually weren’t actually dropping. I felt like I used to be due for one to drop. So I figured would possibly as nicely hit it now.”

Remarkably, Scheffler has not dropped a shot for the reason that third gap of the match on Thursday, when he doubled the par-4 third. He has gone 66 holes with out a blemish on his card.

However now he has the chance to win for the fourth time in 5 begins, an unbelievable feat not achieved since Tiger Woods did so in 2007. Like Scheffler’s run, that stretch included a serious championship, as Woods received his thirteenth main on the PGA Championship at Southern Hills amid that span.

Alas, it appears all however certain that Scheffler will go from successful a Inexperienced Jacket to a plaid one in back-to-back weeks, additional asserting himself as a strong drive that might make a hurricane jealous.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. Make sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.