Scheffler hits a perfect shot and
plenty of great ones for a 62 to share lead at Travelers
[June 20, 2025]
By DOUG FERGUSON
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler had one of those rare
rounds where he hit a shot so pure it makes his confidence soar. So
many other shots were pretty good, too, and they added to an 8-under
62 to share the lead Thursday with Austin Eckroat in the Travelers
Championship.
The week after a rough-and-tumble U.S. Open was a welcome break for
so many at the TPC River Highlands, even with the rough just as long
(but not quite as thick) as soaked Oakmont.
Rory McIlroy played bogey-free for a 66 and didn't look to break too
much of a sweat.
“This is a nice tonic compared to last week in terms of it’s a
slightly more benign golf course and the penalty for missing isn’t
quite as severe,” McIlroy said.
Scheffler faced the hot afternoon when a refreshing breeze turned
into a strong wind, and he wasted no time getting in the mix with
four birdies in six holes and a 30 on the front nine.
And then came the par-5 13th, 236 yards away into the wind, over a
pond to a pin on the right. It was perfect — that's coming from
golf's No. 1 player — and settled 10 feet away for birdie.
“That 3-iron I hit in there was really nice,” Scheffler said. “It
was pretty much exactly what I was trying to do. It was kind of one
where I had to hit it really solid in order to get it there with the
water short, and I just did pretty much exactly what I wanted to and
it felt nice.”
McIlroy was at 64 along with Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and
Wyndham Clark. Another shot back was Cameron Young. He was in the
mix late on Sunday at Oakmont, and started the Travelers
Championship by going from the rough to the bunker, and then a
three-putt from 25 feet for a double bogey.
“I managed to get around Oakmont for four days with no doubles and I
made it zero holes here,” Young said. “Typically that's not kind of
what you expect around here."
Not to worry. He followed with eight birdies in a day with a new
routine. His caddie went down with a stomach virus and the best
option was to turn the bag over to his father, Dave Young, recently
retired as the longtime pro at Sleepy Hollow.
The surprise was Eckroat, already a two-time winner on the PGA Tour
but struggling so much this year that he has only two finishes in
the top 20 and eight missed cuts. The last two weeks served him
well, however, as Eckroat said he figured out how to eliminate the
miss to the left.
He played the last six holes in 5-under par, starting with a 35-foot
eagle putt on No. 13.
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Scottie Scheffler waits at the 18th tee during the first round of
the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands,
Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Cromwell, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
“I wasn’t fearing the left ball today, which is
huge, and then whenever you’re feeling comfortable with other
things, other things start to fall in line,” Eckroat said. “Felt
great over the putter, and just a really solid day, and I felt
confident, which it was nice to feel that this season. It’s been a
while.”
U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun felt the fatigue, and the steamy heat
didn't help the cause. Playing along Scheffler, he was hanging in
there until it took him two chips and two putts to cover 40 feet for
a double bogey on No. 12, and a bogey-bogey finish for a 73.
Jordan Spieth didn't even make it to the finish line. This was the
first time Spieth didn't need a sponsor exemption for a $20 million
signature event, and he only lasted 13 holes when his shoulder blade
got tight on the range, spread across the back of his neck to the
other side and left him no choice but to withdraw.
Scheffler saying he hit a great shot is worth paying attention to
because it doesn't happen very often. He rarely hits it offline. But
this was something special.
“Hit it really solid and really straight, just barely right of the
pin, and kept it nice flat flight, get it to go through the wind,
and it was good,” he said.
In fact, he could only recall two other shots in recent years — a
6-iron on the fifth hole in the final round at the 2022 Masters, a
9-iron he hit on the par-3 third hole in the final round of the 2023
Players Championship.
“Those are shots that kind of get lost in terms of the tournament,"
he said. “I’m not even sure if I birdied No. 3 at The Players, and I
know I didn’t birdie No. 5 during the Masters. But those are the
shots when you’re playing and you’re in the moment, those are the
ones that give me a lot of confidence.”
It's hard to imagine him needing much more of that. He hasn't
finished out of the top 10 since The Players in March, a stretch of
eight tournaments. He didn't hit the ball very well for two days at
the U.S. Open and still had an outside chance on the back nine
And in his 19th round at the TPC River Highlands, he posted his
lowest score at 62.
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