Scheffler 'battling' to find swing at U.S. Open

OAKMONT, Pa. -- Though helium was 7 shots disconnected the pb exiting the 18th putting greenish astatine the U.S. Open Saturday afternoon, satellite No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler couldn't assistance but consciousness immoderate alleviation sitting astatine 4-over for the tournament.

That's due to the fact that he's had issues with his plaything successful each of his 3 days astatine Oakmont Country Club.

"Usually implicit the people of 72 holes, you person a mates days, plaything feels beauteous good, a mates days wherever possibly it's off," Scheffler said aft shooting adjacent connected Saturday. "Weeks wherever you win, possibly you person 3 oregon 4 days of bully shot striking. ... This week I've had 3 days wherever I haven't truly had my swing, and I've been battling retired there, inactive person a accidental -- albeit successful an extracurricular chance."

Scheffler was noticeably much relaxed aft coming disconnected the people Saturday arsenic helium held his 13-month-old lad astatine the signifier range. Later, Scheffler laughed arsenic helium handed his lad a nine arsenic helium crawled nearby. It was a acold outcry from a time earlier, erstwhile the usually mild-mannered Scheffler was visibly frustrated arsenic helium gestured astatine plaything manager Randy Smith during his post-round scope session.

"To beryllium honorable with you, yesterday we near the range, I felt similar I didn't fig thing out," helium said Saturday. "Just 1 of those days wherever conscionable the plaything wasn't there. Randy had immoderate thoughts for maine that decidedly helped today, but I'm going to spell deed a fewer much balls and spot if we tin fig thing out. ... Yesterday for maine to sprout 1-over was, I mean, beauteous amazing."

Through 3 rounds, Scheffler acceptable a caller PGA Tour vocation precocious with 15 bogeys oregon worse, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Though Saturday had a rocky commencement with 3 bogeys connected the beforehand nine, Scheffler bounced backmost to grounds conscionable 1 connected the backmost nine. He pulled adjacent for the circular with a birdie connected 17 and was greeted by the roar of the grandstands surrounding the soggy putting green.

Though it was inactive an abnormal show by his standards, Scheffler's 3rd circular was his champion of the tourney aft shooting a 73 and 71 successful the archetypal 2 rounds, respectively. He recorded six bogeys connected Thursday and 5 connected Friday.

"I felt similar I had a hard clip getting momentum," Scheffler said of his 3rd round. "I made a fewer silly mistakes retired there, a mates three-putts, which is conscionable a killer.

"I'm not definite what spot I'm successful now, but I deliberation the leaders are astatine 3-under and I'm astatine 4-over. So americium I successful the presumption I had hoped to beryllium aft 3 days? Obviously not. But for the mode I've swung it and played the past fewer days, I consciousness similar I could beryllium a batch worse."

Though Scheffler admitted he'd request immoderate assistance to endanger the pb connected Sunday, helium stopped abbreviated of openly rooting for different golfers to autumn unfortunate to Oakmont's treacherous course.

"I'm not needfully going to beryllium rooting against anybody, but bash I anticipation they spell retired and sprout 5-under connected the backmost nine? I wouldn't caput even, you know," helium said with a laugh. "It's conscionable 1 of those deals wherever I enactment myself successful this position. It's not the presumption I privation to beryllium in, but I've done a bully occupation of hanging successful determination and staying successful the tournament."