Scottie Scheffler is enjoying the tricky conditions at this year's U.S. Open, sitting two strokes from co-leaders Will Zalatoris and Matthew Fitzpatrick heading into Sunday's final round.
Despite a strong start, the world number one could only manage a one-over 71 at The Country Club on Saturday, finishing on two-under after 54 holes.
In windy and overcast conditions, only seven players posted scores under par on moving day in Brookline, with nine under par for the tournament after three rounds.
After his round on Saturday, Scheffler was far from bemoaning the difficulties he or the field has faced, insisting it is why he is playing the tournament.
"I think the U.S. Open is very taxing, mentally and physically," he said. "I think that's all part of what this makes this tournament so fun. You're going to get tested all different kinds of ways, whether it be physically, mentally, whatever it is. This golf tournament is going to test you.
"That's why I show up here. I think that's kind of the fun of it. If every golf tournament was like this, it would be in for a long season for all of us. A few times a year I think it's a ton of fun."
After a spectacular eagle on the par-five eighth to go three-under over the front nine, the conditions bit Scheffler hard, posting a double bogey and then three consecutive bogeys between 11 and 14.
A birdie on the 17th was followed up with a massive par save on the final hole after finding the bunker, and the usually stoic 25-year-old let out a rare show of emotion, triumphantly pumping his fist after a tough one-putt.
"It was good because I hit my second shot, and I hit it exactly where I wanted to," Scheffler said. "It got gusted, and it came up short. Where we thought the ball was going to end up was right on top of the bunker where I had no stance.
"So, a hole in which I really thought after a good shot on the second round I was going to walk away with five, to get out of there with four was definitely a big boost.
"I knew how hard the putt was, and that's why I was so frustrated because I had a chance to get it somewhat close, and I didn't hit a great shot."
Matt Fitzpatrick enjoys Ryder Cup birdie run as Europe continue momentum
Matt Fitzpatrick finally had a reason to enjoy the Ryder Cup as Europe aimed to build on their record-breaking start in Rome.
Captain Luke Donald’s decision to start with foursomes for the first time since 1993, the last US victory on European soil, paid handsome dividends as his side swept an opening session for the first time in the contest’s history.
Roared on by a partisan crowd, the home side never trailed at any point in all four matches and their opponents won just 10 holes all morning to fall 4-0 behind.
Fitzpatrick had failed to win a point in five matches across his previous two Ryder Cups, but both had been on away soil and none had been in his preferred fourball format.
That was rectified when he was sent out in the afternoon’s final match with Rory McIlroy and the 2022 US Open champion immediately made up for lost time.
Fitzpatrick birdied the second, third and fourth and then drove the green on the short fifth to set up an eagle which took the European pair four up on Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele.
Jon Rahm and Nicolai Hojgaard held a narrow lead over Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka in match two, with the other two matches all square.
Rahm had earlier partnered Tyrrell Hatton to a 4&3 win over Scheffler and Sam Burns, with Viktor Hovland and rookie Ludvig Aberg despatching Open champion Brian Harman and Max Homa by the same score.
Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka maintained the momentum with a 2&1 win over Rickie Fowler and Morikawa before McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood completed the rout by inflicting a first foursomes defeat on Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.
Rahm and Hatton had acquired the nickname of “Team Angry” due to their fiery nature, but they could afford to be all smiles as they gelled superbly to get Europe off to the ideal start.
Rahm holed from 27 feet for birdie on the third and short range on the fifth, before hitting the pin with his tee shot on the par-three seventh to leave Hatton with a tap-in birdie.
The European pair looked set to lose the 10th until Rahm chipped in for an unlikely par and the Masters champion then drove the green on the short 11th and found the putting surface in two on the par-five 12th.
That led to a conceded eagle and the out-of-sorts American pair were soon put of their misery on the 15th.
“Extremely satisfying,” Rahm said. “I had a good feeling about Tyrrell all along. It was good to come out here and see him perform the way he did.
“It was an incredible foursome match and we played as confident as two people could play.”
Lowry admitted he was “losing my mind” standing on the first tee as he watched Hovland chip in for birdie up ahead on the green, but the former Open champion regained his composure in time to help rookie Straka earn a debut point.
“It’s huge,” Lowry said. “Obviously it’s early days but I wanted to give Sepp his moment in the Ryder Cup to hole the winning putt (on 17). We are off to a great start this morning. We need to keep the foot down.
“I would have liked to close out the match earlier because we had good chances, but it was nice to put a point on the board for Europe.”
A miserable morning for Zach Johnson’s side was epitomised in the bottom match, where Schauffele and Cantlay – who had boasted a 5-0 record in foursomes – won the 14th to halve their deficit and looked almost certain to get back to all square on the next following a wayward McIlroy drive.
However, Cantlay charged his birdie putt four feet past, Fleetwood holed from 20 feet to scramble a par and Schauffele then missed his par attempt.
The American duo did win the 16th with a birdie but McIlroy hit a superb tee shot to within three feet on the 17th and Schauffele, knowing he had to make his birdie attempt from 20 feet to have any chance, inexplicably left it short.
Fleetwood was left with the simple task of tapping in to complete a 2&1 victory and round off a barely-believable opening session for the European team.
“It’s been an unbelievable session,” McIlroy said. “We switched the format this year to go foursomes first because statistically that’s our better session.
“And all week all we’ve been talking about is getting off to fast starts. Playing three-hole matches in practise, three holes, go again, three holes, go again, something that Luke’s drilled into us.
“We were ready to go from the first tee shot as obviously as you can see in how everyone played.”
Europe complete Ryder Cup foursomes clean sweep to take 4-0 lead over USA
Europe’s bid to regain the Ryder Cup got off to a dream start as they stormed into a 4-0 lead over a shellshocked United States in Rome.
Captain Luke Donald’s decision to start with foursomes for the first time since 1993, the last US victory on European soil, paid handsome dividends as his side swept an opening session for the first time in the contest’s history.
Roared on by a partisan crowd, the home side never trailed at any point in all four matches and their opponents won just 10 holes all morning.
Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton claim first point as Europe dominate USA in Rome
An inspired Jon Rahm led from the front as Europe emphatically drew first blood in their bid to regain the Ryder Cup from the United States in Rome.
Rahm and partner Tyrrell Hatton had acquired the nickname of “Team Angry” due to their fiery nature, but they were all smiles as they stormed to a 4&3 victory over world number one Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns.
The lead was soon doubled as Viktor Hovland and rookie Ludvig Aberg enjoyed victory over Open champion Brian Harman and Max Homa by the same margin at Marco Simone.
And with the home side also ahead in the remaining two matches, captain Luke Donald was on target to oversee a clean sweep of the opening session for the first time in the history of the biennial contest.
Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka were two up with five to play on Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa, with Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood also two up in the fourth match against the top American duo of Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.
Rahm holed from 27 feet for birdie on the third and short range on the fifth, before hitting the pin with his tee shot on the par-three seventh to leave Hatton with a tap-in birdie.
The European pair looked set to lose the 10th until Rahm chipped in for an unlikely par and the Masters champion then drove the green on the short 11th and found the putting surface in two on the par-five 12th.
That led to a conceded eagle and the out-of-sorts American pair were put of their misery on the 15th.
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