THE 152ND OPEN

July 20, 2024

Scottie Scheffler

Mixed Zone

Q. Where does that rank in tough days of playing golf in your mind?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It's up there. I can think of a couple days with some crazy high winds that may have been more challenging, but overall the back nine, I think that was probably the hardest nine holes that I'll ever play. I shouldn't say ever, but it's definitely the hardest that I've played to this point, I think.

Q. Was it pretty obvious it was going to be that way, or did it evolve like wow, this is getting worse?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think it evolved more so. Here you never really know with the forecast and there was some rain in the forecast but it was supposed to be a southwest wind, which was similar to the wind we've had the last couple days, and it came more directly into us on the back nine versus down off the left. It was definitely very challenging.

Q. You probably don't hit a 3-wood on a par-3 very often?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I probably don't hit a 3-wood on a par-3 very often. I probably don't hit driver and a 3-wood really solid on a par-4 and don't get there in two, either.

Q. What hole was that?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: 15.

Q. Were there any other crazy ones like that, total switch from yesterday?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, 18 is probably the best example where I hit a good driver and a really hard 3-iron. I'm hitting that 3-iron super low and as hard as I can, and yesterday Jordan hit a driver there and had 30, 40 yards to the front edge. It was 160-, 170-yard difference in length off the tee there, from his drive yesterday to my drive today. Yeah, it was pretty wild out there, but did a good job of grinding it out.

Q. You're not that far off the lead.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, it looks right right now I'm three back. We'll see what happens on 18 for those guys. But overall I got a good amount of guys in front of me, but yes, my goal kind of making the turn going into the back nine was do what I could to stay in the tournament and steal some shots where I could, and there wasn't really much to steal on the back nine so it was good getting in. I think I played the back nine in maybe 1-over. Other than the missed short putt on 15 there where I got a bit distracted, it was a really solid back nine.

Q. What were you distracted by?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Rain drops falling off the front of the cap got me in the middle of my stroke.

Q. On the front nine I think you hit nine for nine greens in regulation, had a lot of looks at birdies. If you had been hot with the putter today, what do you think you could have shot?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, I don't know, lower than I did today. It was just another one of those days where -- I think about the putts I hit on 8 and 9 where I look up and I think it's going in and it goes up to the hole and it lips out. The one on 9 was one where it just -- they're not the truest of surfaces. They're really good for links, but they're obviously not perfect, and it just hops off line and didn't go in.

It can be frustrating, but I felt like today was another one of those days where I just did a really good job of not getting overly frustrated, staying in a good head space and did a good job of really staying in the tournament.

Q. How was Ted today?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: He seemed to be back to normal. That food poisoning stuff can be pretty wild where you feel like you're going to die for like a whole day and all of a sudden it's like you feel back to normal. He said his stomach is still a little bit tight to where he's not eating, but he had some -- I think some bananas and some crackers and the stuff that's pretty easy on the stomach today, so maybe he'll get a full meal on his stomach tonight. Overall I kind of forgot he was sick today because Teddy is a high-energy guy and he was like himself out there, which was nice.