‘Not sharp enough’: Scottie Scheffler’s on the nose reaction to coming up short at U.S. Open
Scheffler, the number one ranked player in the world, did not have his best stuff during the final round of the 2023 U.S. Open.
Scottie Scheffler felt he did not bring his ‘A-game’ to the Los Angeles Country Club for the 2023 U.S. Open.
Despite that, Scheffler, the top-ranked player in the world, finished in third place, three shots behind Wyndham Clark, the champion.
“I was not sharp enough today to move up the board,” Scheffler said after his round. “I did a good job of keeping myself in it, but I just wasn’t sharp enough.”
Scheffler began his round at 7-under par, three shots behind Rickie Fowler and Clark, the 54-hole co-leaders.
He pared the first six holes and then bogeyed the long par-3 7th. He immediately bounced back with a birdie at the par-5 8th.
“I was trying to hit some good shots and get some looks,” Scheffler added. “But on the front nine, I didn’t give myself enough opportunities for birdie.”
LACC’s front nine is where the field needs to score.
Scheffler failed to take advantage.
On the back nine, the tougher of the two sides, Scheffler continued to struggle.
“I bogeyed 11 and 12, which kind of hurt my momentum, but then I bounced back nicely with a birdie on 13,” Scheffler recalled. “It’s just tough out there. You’ve got to put the ball in the right spots, and it’s tough to make putts.”
Scheffler has had a tough time making putts as of late.
Before the tournament, he tinkered with his putter, hoping a change would bring more success.
But like Rory McIlroy, Scheffler could not get a putt to fall on Sunday. He ranked 47th out of 65 players in the final round in strokes gained putting yet still managed to shoot an even-par 70.
Despite coming up short, the 2023 U.S. Open marks the third straight major Scheffler has finished in the top 10.
His hot streak in golf’s biggest events dates back to the 2020 PGA Championship. Since then, the wily Texan has notched nine top-10s in majors, including his 2022 victory at Augusta National.
“I fought hard today, and I’m obviously a little frustrated to come up short, but I put up a good fight,” Scheffler admitted. “Wyndham played some fantastic golf this week, so he is a well-deserving champion.”